Sign up

Berkeleyside

Not verified No WebSub updates No webmention support Not yet validated

Nonprofit news. Free for all, funded by readers.

Public lists
davewiner/blogroll
Fetched

Berkeleyside
Text • Daniel Ekonde

What does it mean to grow old in Berkeley?

Two adult women, one middle-aged and the other elderly, look at a sheet of paper inside an office
One in five Berkeley adults will be 65 or older by 2030. Amid talk of a loneliness epidemic nationally, we asked five local seniors how they navigate life and about their concerns for the future.

Berkeleyside
Text • Carlos Cabrera Lomelí and Ella Jackson | KQED

How does California’s new $3,500 EV rebate work?

A row of Tesla sedans lined up at a charging station in a parking lot, under a blue sky
First-time EV buyers can qualify for a $3,500 discount when buying or leasing a new electric vehicle under a new state program.

Berkeleyside
Text • Berkeleyside Staff

The Wire: Developer who wants to build Berkeley’s tallest building defaults on loan

Also: Look inside a stunning modernist home in the Berkeley Hills that just hit the market.

Berkeleyside
Text • Alex N. Gecan

Berkeley mail theft suspect had USPS key, police say

Police allege the man stole mail and packages from several Berkeley apartment buildings last year.

Berkeleyside
Text • Tovin Lapan

Introducing BreakFest, Nosh’s big morning bash with a shot of spice

Come out to Hammerling Wines in West Berkeley Sept. 12 for great food, local makers and Nosh's inaugural Hot Sauce Competition.

Berkeleyside
Text • Vanessa Arredondo

Berkeley Unified appoints former board member Beatriz Leyva‑Cutler to fill vacant seat

The BUSD board had been without a fifth member since July, when Ana Vasudeo stepped down to join the county. Leyva-Cutler will serve out the remainder of her term, until November 2028.

Berkeleyside
Text • Alon Yoeli

How a Berkeley middle school cooking program shaped a rising East Bay chef

Natchez Lee, the chef behind the pop-up and supper club Daffodil Projects, was struggling in school when they joined Growing Leaders.

Berkeleyside
Text • Adena Ishii

Opinion: A park for the next generation of Berkeley, and beyond

Berkeleyside Opinion
Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii says state leaders should approve Gavin Newsom's plan to provide $125 million for the Golden Gate Fields property.

Berkeleyside
Text • Karen Nguyen Vo and Andrew Gilbert

Around Berkeley: Shakespeare in the park, mural art talk, Canto mahjong

Other events include a murder mystery show at Hammerling Wines, a discussion of reporting on AI and a night market on Fourth Street.

Berkeleyside
Text • Vanessa Arredondo

In a tight budget year, BUSD’s superintendent joined teachers in getting a pay raise

Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel stands in front of a small crowd of people seated inside the BUSD board room. The photo captures Ford Morthel's back facing the audience. She is wearing in a bright blue suit with defined shoulders.
Berkeley Unified and other districts are increasingly using “me too” contract clauses tying executive salaries to staff pay raises, as a way to retain top talent.

Berkeleyside
Text • Myron Caringal

From green apple cucumber to red kuri squash, here’s what Berkeley residents are growing in their gardens

After a reader sent Berkeleyside photos of his front yard corn, we put a call out to see what else is being grown around town this summer. You all produced.

Berkeleyside
Text • Skylla Mumana

Follow the sweet aromas and long lines to Oakland’s latest buzzy bakery

At Studio Estepan, owner Estevan Silva brings Michelin technique and global flavors to his part-time West Oakland bakery.

Berkeleyside
Text • Joanne Furio

Berkeley author maps out an ‘ecocivilization’ to avert climate and economic catastrophe

Jeremy Lent describes the consequences of a society stretched to its limits and what can replace it. Also: “Reckonings” by Thomas Farber, and a posthumous memoir of LSD and erotic encounters at Esalen by Cal professor Clare Cooper Marcus.

Berkeleyside
Text • Joel Umanzor

Couple is podcasting from a boat to preserve San Francisco Bay history

A man and woman sit on a boat, with a dog behind them. The woman is wearing headphones and holding a microphone while smiling.
Mike Herz, founder of SF Baykeeper, and his wife, Kate Josephs, are sharing stories about the bay from their home upon the waves.

Berkeleyside
Text • Janelle Hessig

Green Day guitarist is obsessed with the hidden pathways of the Berkeley Hills

Jason White has lived in and around Berkeley since the early ’90s. He’s on a mission this year to hike every path and staircase in the hills, often joined by his dog Linda Barker.

Berkeleyside
Text • Momo Chang

A popular SF Salvadoran restaurant, a Swiss chocolate shop and a new Mediterranean spot open in the East Bay

A running list of restaurants that have recently opened in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, and beyond.

Berkeleyside
Text • Vanessa Arredondo

6 finalists are interviewing for the open BUSD board seat. We surveyed them on the issues

The school board hopefuls shared their views on special education, math readiness, after-school care and other issues facing the district. Directors are expected to vote on the appointment on Wednesday.

Berkeleyside
Text • Eli Wolfe

Alameda County officials approve $1.5M for gender-affirming care, LGBTQ health

A person chants at a protest. Behind them, someone holds a sign that reads, "erase transphobia, affirm trans care"
The Board of Supervisors greenlighted the funding amid federal threats to transgender care.

Berkeleyside
Text • Skylla Mumana

Burdell’s Geoff Davis is bringing back the neighborhood bar and grill

Geoff Davis, chef and owner of Burdell, presents his roasted chicken dish while wearing a floral print apron.
For his sophomore spot, Uncle's, Davis is focusing wood-fire cooking, lesser-known steaks and seasonal produce. But Davis insists it is not a steakhouse: he chooses the cuts and how they’re cooked.

Berkeleyside
Text • Alex N. Gecan

Judge imposes new conditions on Berkeley’s move to sweep Eighth and Harrison camp

A person stands with their arms outstretched in front of a line of caution tape. Several police officers are on the other side of the line.
A federal judge rejected homeless advocates’ request to block the city’s efforts to clear the camp for the long term, but granted a new concession.

Berkeleyside
Text • Louisa Mascuch and Alicia Simba

7 tips on reading to your child from a Berkeley librarian and an Oakland teacher

East Bay educators Alicia Simba and Louisa Mascuch share suggestions and book recs to get families in the habit of reading aloud at home — essential to nurturing kids’ academic success, imagination and mental health.

Berkeleyside
Text • Nico Savidge

Election 2026: Who’s running for Berkeley City Council, school board and more

People sit around a semi-curcular dais, in front of a rainbow flag and flag reading "Black Lives Matter."
Voters will pick from crowded fields in two City Council races, while a Rent Board commissioner who didn’t make the ballot for re-election says she’s planning a legal challenge.

Berkeleyside
Text • Momo Chang

Nudi Blue, Coffee Mill and Ben’s temporarily closed

A running list of restaurants that have recently closed in Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, and beyond.

Berkeleyside
Text • Andrew Gilbert

Introducing Libro Saltwater, Shakesbear and Booknado — the new fiber mascots of the Berkeley library

These three plush fellows have won top honors in the Berkeley Public Library’s fiber mascot contest.

Berkeleyside
Text • Nathan Dalton

Berkeley’s Dark Carnival bookstore, a home for sci-fi fans and fish-themed car emblem collectors, turns 50

It was saved from closure in 1999 by a Wall Street Journal callout that led to a surge in sales for its line of Gefilte fish, Viagra fish and other godless car emblem parodies inspired by the Darwin fish.

Berkeleyside
Text • Calliope Arkilic

Crawdads, my dad and me

I don't like seafood. But a visit to an Oakland crawfish boil may have changed my mind. Maybe.

Berkeleyside
Text • Alex N. Gecan

3.8 magnitude earthquake in East Oakland shakes Berkeley, delays BART

The first quake hit at 8:30 a.m., and two smaller ones were registered seconds apart shortly after 9 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Berkeleyside
Text • Karen Nguyen Vo and Andrew Gilbert

Around Berkeley: Cat video festival; a sale on imperfect handmade artwork at ACCI Gallery

Other events include free lawn bowling lessons, a workshop to create a living collage and a weekly Berkeley Poetry Slam.

Berkeleyside
Text • Joanne Furio

Berkeley novelist loses San Quentin teaching gig for his book’s prison escape plot

Bill Smoot, who volunteered at the prison for 14 years, says his expulsion is unfair. The head of his program defends the prison, saying Smoot broke the rules and was warned not to call his book “San Quentin Exodus.”

Berkeleyside
Text • Calliope Arkilic and Elsie Yuen

Where to find lunch in downtown Berkeley for $12 or less

With the help of a Berkeley High student, Nosh rounded up the best lunch deals in downtown, with banh mi, bagels, Bart Simpson sandwiches and everything in between.