East Bay

What I Learned About Karma At A Grocery Store In Oakland
They say “variety is the spice of life,” but I’m pretty sure ambiguity is. There are no instructions on how to live or what’s truly right or wrong. We’re born and then we’re just dropped headfirst into this thing called life. No matter what part of the world your parents

Berkeley’s Greek Theater Is One of NorCal’s Finest Venues
By David Coppin-Lanegen Throngs of people pounded their feet against the stone pavement, their long scarves and long hair dyed wailing, schizophrenic colors. As they danced, Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes crooned, his voice blue and blending with the pink-orange sky and colorful people of The Greek, in Berkeley. Formally

The 2025 SF Beer Passport is Here!
Step into a world of adventure with the San Francisco Beer Passport. There’s no better way to explore San Francisco than to literally drink it in. This passport is amazing! Each one contains 28 coupons to buy one beer, get a second beer FREE at 28 of the finest locally

Is Berkeley Gaslighting Us About Nuclear Bombs?
I remember the first time I noticed the “Nuclear Free Zone” signs suspended directly above the Berkeley City Limits markers as you enter town, and I remember finding them peculiar and kind of unnecessary. There are no nuclear bombs or nuclear power plants anywhere near the City of Berkeley, so

How Buddha Saved An Oakland Neighborhood From Crime
Back in 2009, a dude who lived on a block with a lot of illegal dumping decided to do something about it. What did he do? He got a Buddha statue. People who may not be familiar with the Clinton (or Funktown, or East Lake or Little Saigon depending on

The East Bay Beer Passport is Here!
Step into a world of adventure with the 2023-2024 East Bay Beer Passport! There’s no better way to explore the East Bay than to literally drink it in. Each passport contains 27 coupons to buy one beer, get a second beer FREE at 27 of the finest locally owned breweries,

How To Be A Less Annoying Bay Area Gentrifier
Gentrification is inherently a touchy subject in the Bay Area. Everyone calls everyone else a gentrifier all the time. Most people don’t actually know what gentrification is. So, first, let’s define it. Gentrification: a process in which a poor area experiences an influx of middle-class or wealthy people who renovate

How Richmond Went From Murder Capital To Progressive Success Story
When you think of Richmond, California, what do you think of? Most people think of violent crime, poverty and pollution. But there’s a lot more to the City of ‘Pride and Purpose’ than negative headlines. In the last 10 years, Richmond’s reduction in homicides and other violent crimes is nothing

Why I’ve Fallen In Love With Lake Merritt
When I was little, I didn’t spend a lot of time at Lake Merritt. I would play with friends in my part of Oakland and rarely venture outside of it. Lake Merritt felt far away. In reality, it was only 3 miles away, but I seldom went. I was always