Economy
The Institute of Urban Homesteading, which offers classes that focus on living in an urban environment and in “rescuing” the lost arts of gardening, work in the kitchen and other work performed by hand, will host its second annual Urban Farm Tours day on Saturday, June 9 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Seven homes will be featured in guided tours through small medium and large lots in Glenview, Montclair, Oakland and North and West Berkeley.
On Thursday evening, the 6th Annual Oakland Indie Awards honored local business and artists at the Henry J Kaiser Permanente Center in the rooftop garden room. Hundreds of entrepreneurs, craftspeople, and vendors attended the event including honorary hosts Mayor Jean Quan and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. This year, there were over 200 nominees among Oakland’s businesses, restaurants, manufacturers, clothing designers and artists. Hosted by One Pacific Coast Foundation and the East Bay Express, those in attendance enjoyed performances by the Oaktown…
The City of Oakland has been through this before—the owner of a local professional sports franchise announces they’re moving the team out of town, leaving the Coliseum for a state-of-the-art facility somewhere else.
After years of planning, renovations to the Rockridge BART plaza’s exterior began last week. According to the Rockridge Community Planning Council’s website, the new configuration created by landscape designer Greer Alley was inspired by the community’s desire for improved seating and better lighting in the space. The goal of the renovation is to take a now-unusable area and create a community gathering space where community members may sit and talk or enjoy a cup of coffee.
Four candidates went before the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday afternoon to argue their cases for why they should be named the interim supervisor for District 2 after Nadia Lockyer stepped down. Now the four remaining board members have a week to decide who will join them for the next five months before standing for election this November.
I took a deep breath, slipped off my robe, stepped into the salty water, and closed the door behind me. I lay down and tried to be still. I closed my eyes. The sensation that I was surrounded by nothingness took over and I started to slip away.
For months, some Oakland residents and policy makers have seethed about what they consider an unfair interest rate swap between the city and the investment bank Goldman Sachs. Last Thursday, three people from Oakland flew across the country to attend Goldman Sachs’ annual shareholders’ meeting and see what CEO Lloyd Blankfein had to say about the deal.
Bittersweet settles into its new location in downtown Oakland, as the café becomes one of the new businesses to enter the revitalized area of the East Bay.
On Wednesday evening, the Fox Theater was filled with people excitedly discussing the night’s festivities. Inside, hors d’oeuvres and small burgers provided by local company Prather Ranch Meat were served with complimentary beer and wine. Hip-hop music could be heard playing in the background. However, the night was not about seeing a play or concert; it was dedicated to helping local businesses grow in Oakland.