Culture
The first round of the professional football playoffs kicked off this weekend, and for the eighth consecutive year, the Oakland Raiders were nowhere to be found. In perhaps a symbol of a franchise fallen on hard times, the local Oakland bars lacked any noticeable presence from the generally boisterous fan base as well.
Up in the Oakland hills, the Oakland Zoo spreads across 45 acres and offers up attractions such as the African Savanna, Children’s Zoo, Tropical Rain Forest and Australian Outback to explore. With 440 types of different animal species, from lions to lemurs to lesser flamingos, it’s hard to get it all in with one days visit.
Every morning Ronald Robles gets up and hand-grinds different kinds of fresh pepper—white, Sichuan and black. He also hand-makes three types of mayonnaise; there’s garlic-flavored, chili and regular. Robles is the owner and chef of Fiveten Burger, one of the newest food trucks to come out of Oakland, and he’s dishing out what he calls “America’s favorite food”—the burger.
From covering Jean Quan’s surprise win in Oakland’s mayoral election to attending graffiti art exhibitions; from covering Oakland Tech football to talking to undocumented teens hoping for the passage of the DREAM Act — if it happened in Oakland, our reporters were there. Click through to see some of our favorite photos from the year.
Where do you want to celebrate the New Year’s Eve this Friday? This year Oaklanders don’t have to travel to the other side of the bay to have fun. Take a look at some of our highlighted events — maybe there’s one for you.
Recent studies show that the amount and frequency of your chuckles are proportionally linked to stress levels and general well-being. Like the science but aren’t one of those who can chuckle on cue? You might want to join the Lifefire Laughter Club of Oakland.
When I think of winter, I think of dark, spongy gingerbread cookies–not too sugary and very spicy. Oakland North reporter Kate McLean shares a recipe and a how-to video.
Behind a 12-foot-high chain-link fence topped with barbed wire on a dead-end street underneath one of Oakland’s major freeways there is a concrete skate park called Bordertown. This West Oakland spot is the site of a long-standing controversy between the City of Oakland, Caltrans and the skateboarders that illegally built this park here six and a half years ago.
Early Sunday morning in the drizzling rain, a small group of people is standing on the shore of Lake Merritt peering out onto the lake through binoculars. They are birdwatchers participating in the Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count— the group’s annual tally of different species of birds.