Oakland named “Town of the Future”

Sunset Magazine names Oakland as one 20 Towns of the Future

In the West: 20 towns of the future: Oakland: Urban farming

San Francisco’s scruffy neighbor to the east quietly cultivated a food revolution with urban farming, DIY classes, meat CSAs, and a foraging movement to take full advantage of all that backyard fruit.

EAT REAL 2010, This Weekend at Jack London Square!

Aug 27th, 2pm-9pm, Aug 28th, 10:30am-9pm, and Aug 29th, 10:30am-5pm

Eat it. Make it. Grow it. Why choose when you can do all three? Truck loads of great food, tons of exciting demos that show the necessary food skills to survive the urban wild, performances, pop-up gardens, and more. For free.

Eat Real’s mission is to make real food as accessible and as affordable as fast food at events held in strategic communities across the United States. Eat Real’s success will be measured by increased public awareness of and respect for the craft of making good food and by the growth of green collar jobs in America’s growing regional food economies.

Eat Real’s vision is of an America where food’s crucial importance to the health of our bodies, communities and economy is universally recognized, and where access to healthy and affordable real foods is a right, not a privilege. Also, in our ideal America, food tastes a whole lot better.

Tasty, local, fresh, handmade. These are just a few words that come to mind when we talk about food at Eat Real. We'll have the Bay Area's best street food vendors cooking up their amazing (and affordable!) dishes: tacos a hundred different ways, BBQ, flat-bread, noodles, curry, falafel, ice cream and more!

All food is $5 and below.

Event Map
http://eatrealfest.com/medias/docs/1022_ERF_2010_Map.pdf

Schedule
http://eatrealfest.com/medias/docs/2923_ERF_2010_Schedule_print_FINAL.pdf

Parking
http://www2.impark.com/pages/default.aspx?lang=en®ion=sanfranciscobayarea

Art and Soul 2010

Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22 - from Noon to 6pm

Two days packed with music, art, kids' activities and tasty food.

Art & Soul is conveniently located in downtown Oakland adjacent to the 12th Street/City Center BART station.

Entrances at: 14th Street and Broadway; 16th Street and San Pablo Avenue; Promenade beside City Center West Garage

Tickets

You'll be able to purchase tickets at the gate for Saturday and Sunday.

$15 Adults and $8 seniors (65+) youth (13-17). Kids 12 and under are FREE.

Chairs and seating are available at all stages on a first-come, first-serve basis.

What to Bring

Festival Map

For a high resolution version of this map click here.

Transportation and Driving Directions

Fire Cabaret featured PCL Rose Nisker

At last month’s Crucible Heat: A Fire Cabaret benefit featured Pacific Cannery Loft (PCL) Rose Nisker was performing flamenco  tissue aerial style dance.

In the August 15th 2010, San Francisco Chronicle, Staff Writer Carolyne Zinko [EMAIL]  wrote a article titled “Crucible benefit fans the flames of creativity.” Below are excerpts from that article.

You can sneak a lot of industrial arts - welding, blacksmithing, jewelry making, even glass blowing - into an evening with a little imagination and the right performers.

"Heat: A Fire Cabaret" paired sultry music with circus-style acrobatics, burlesque entertainers, dancers in gothic costumes straight out of "Beetlejuice" and fire. Lots of fire.

The three-night show in Oakland last month was a benefit for the Crucible, an arts education center founded in 1999 that serves 8,500 adults and students each year.

Previous fundraisers focused mostly on flames. This year's benefit was designed to counter the notion that the Crucible's mission is primarily about creating artworks that shoot fire, a la Burning Man.

Like Burning Man, the hundreds of guests attending were asked to dress in speakeasy costume, to get into the act, and many did.

"I purposely didn't wear a lot of hair spray tonight - I didn't want to go up in smoke," quipped event-goer Donna Sachet, a San Francisco drag queen clad in a short blond wig, a red fringed flapper dress and red heels.

The "Fire Cabaret" - held in the group's 56,000-square-foot warehouse on Seventh Street - featured four short musical vignettes performed on a stage that alternated with demonstrations of industrial arts by the center's faculty members in other parts of the venue.

But even the demonstrations were often paired to music, as in one room where blacksmiths pounded enormous hammers on red-hot metal, while a woman danced on a table in African print dress to several men playing rhythmic drums and shaking maracas. [MORE]

Oakland: Coolness is a state of mind

Oakland ranks #5 for Coolness

Coolness is elusive and hard to define. To see whether perceptions of coolness matched up with reality--or at least how much fun a city offered--we compared coolness rankings against the number of bars, nightclubs, restaurants, museums, galleries, live theater venues and sports stadiums in each city, using data from AOL City Guides.

Many of the cities perceived to be cool have one thing in common: an abundance of things to do. And in a lot of cases, a city's coolness ranking aligned nearly perfectly with the number of venues…

To compile the list, market research company Harris Interactive ( HPOL - news - people ) conducted an exclusive poll for Forbes. In July Harris asked 2,104 adults from across the U.S. which of the 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas in the country were "the coolest."

Metropolitan Statistical Area: San Francisco--Oakland, CA
Number of Restaurants, Bars and Clubs (Rank): 14,355 (4)
Number of Museums, Theaters, Stadiums and Arenas (Rank): 466 (4)
Number of Galleries and Concert Venues (Rank): 1,395 (3)

[More]

Looking for something to do? Check out Jack London Sq.

On August 6, the East Bay Express celebrates its winners of the 2010 Best of the East Bay readers’ poll and editors’ picks all along the Jack London Square waterfront. Over 20,000 guests are expected to attend and salute the best ideas, products and services that are borne out of the East Bay region.


This year’s Best of the East Bay Party main stage (sponsored by Amoeba Music) will feature twelve local bands: The Mighty Underdogs (made up of Gift of Gab from Blackalicious, Lateef from Latyrx and Headnodic from Crown City Rockers), Everything Must Go, Finish Ticket, Zydeco Flames, The Memphis Murder Men, Belle Monroe and her Brewglass Boys, Kit & the Branded Men, Bang Data, Birds and Batteries, Stone Foxes, Cheetahs on the Moon, and Fans of Jimmy Century.

Make sure to spend some time lounging in the Blues Pavilion (sponsored by the Bay Area Blues Society and Yoshi's), where the Express pays tribute to the venerable blues history of Russell City in Hayward and 7th Street in West Oakland with performances by some of the best blues musicians in the East Bay.

The Chabot Space & Science Center’s Kids’ Party Zone (sponsored by BandWorks and Bay Area Girls Rock Camp) will feature local kid bands The Vat, Poison Apple Pie, and Room 19. Performances are by members of the Bay Area Girls Rock Camp. The Kids’ Party Zone will also offer hands-on science projects and fun activities.

A DJ Stage featuring the talents of Dyloot and the Oakland Faders will evolve into a Dance Battle into the evening (sponsored by Yak Films and The People).

A world class street art show will be found at the event, including live art demonstrations from the East Bay's best artists (sponsored by 57-33 and Montana Cans). At the Gear Head Garage, you can feast your eyes on classic cars, motorcycles, and other works of art that feature gears and grease.

Don't miss the extreme sports, indie designer villages, and local restaurant vendors. It’s sure to be the region’s best party of the year.

When: Friday, August 6, 2010

Where: Jack London Square waterfront

Time: 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Admission: Free, All Ages

Getting there: BART (Lake Merritt or 12th Street stations), AC Transit, Alameda-Oakland Ferry, Broadway Shuttle, Amtrak.

Free bike valet parking provided by the East Bay Bike Coalition.

All proceeds from the bar will benefit the local nonprofit, OneCalifornia Foundation.

Discounted fares to the event are available by Amtrak: www.EastBayExpress.com/BOEBParty/Amtrak

Discounted overnight lodging is available at the Waterfront Hotel: www.EastBayExpress.com/BOEBParty/Hotel

VIP Packages for the event are now on sale: www.EastBayExpress.com/BOEBParty/VIP

The Downtown Broadway (B) Shuttle Arrives

The "B" Shuttle runs between Jack London Square and Grand Avenue, Monday-Friday, run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (except on major holidays) every 10 minutes during peak times or every 15 minutes during non-peak times.

Whether its Bocanova for Pan-American cuisine, Bakesale Betty's famous fried chicken sandwich, sushi at Ozumo, California-infused Southern specialties at Pican or Cajun-Creole delights at Miss Pearl's Jam House there’s no better way to get to Jack London Square for lunch or early dinner?

Look for the bright and colorful "B" signs along Broadway.

For a detailed map of stops and destinations, click to view in GIF or printable PDF format.

Jack London Square is about 1.5 miles from Uptown and less than a mile from the downtown core around City Hall and City Center, an office complex encompassing more than 3.5 million square feet of office space.

Along that stretch, pedestrians pass by Old Oakland and Chinatown and under an overpass for Interstate 880.

SF Business Times reporter Blanca Torrres shares her experience of catching BART to Oakland, riding the shuttle and what she did at Jack London Square, here.

This shuttle was made possible by a grant from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District that provides $1 million over two years, with the rest of the operating cost between $700,000 and $850,000 per year from sources that include the developers of Jack London Square, city funds and the Downtown and Lake Merritt-Uptown Community Benefit Districts.

National Night Out at Central Station

August 3rd, 2010 will be the 27th annual National Night Out! Last year's National Night Out campaign involved citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from over 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide. In all, over 36 million people participated in National Night Out 2009.

Come help build a stronger, safer community by attending the annual National Night Out at Central Station.

Please join us between

6 and 9 P.M.

14th Street between Frontage Road and Wood Street

Meet your neighbors and enjoy delicious BBQ'd food, drink, entertainment and activities for the kids.

Dance to the music of a DJ

Bouncey House for the Kids

Aerial Performance by Circus Performer at 7:15

Support from Local Businesses including:

99 Cent Store

California Waste Solutions

Mandela Foods

Rebuilding Together Oakland

Visits from Local Police and Fire

DON'T MISS THIS FUN NIGHT OUT !!!!!

A NOTE ABOUT ROAD CLOSURES

On the evening of August 3, the road that passes from Frontage Road through Zephyr Gate to Wood and Pine Streets

WILL BE BLOCKED OFF. Residents of Zephyr Gate will need to access their garages from Wood and Pine Streets.

Residents of Ironhorse and the Pacific Cannery Lofts WILL have access to their garages from Frontage Road. Please

plan your travel accordingly for this evening.

The Crucible's "Heat: A Fire Cabaret."

Scarlett & Axelrod's act is just one of many that will be seen this year at The Crucible's "Heat: A Fire Cabaret."

The evening, which includes circus performers and music by legendary Bay Area jazz singer Kim Nalley inside the 56,000-square-foot West Oakland space (on the edge of the Prescott neighborhood), is a more intimate evening than what The Crucible usually offers during the summer.

WHAT: "Heat: A Fire Cabaret" featuring Kim Nalley Band

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday-Saturday with a special Fire and Light Soiree dinner at 6 tonight

WHERE: The Crucible, 1260 Seventh St., Oakland

COST: $40-$45 with a $5 discount for The Crucible members. The soiree dinner is $250 ($150 is tax-deductible).

TICKETS: (510) 444-0919, Ext. 122; www.thecrucible.org.

Regional Championships at Lake Merritt

Competitors in the United States Rowing Association Southwest Masters Regional Championships power their way across Lake Merritt in a 1,000-meter sprint, Sunday, July 11, 2010, in Oakland, Calif. (picture by D. Ross Cameron/Tribune Staff)

The Lake Merritt Rowing Club hosted this year's United States Rowing Association Southwest Masters Regional Championships, drawing 840 athletes and almost 530 boats, mostly from California, Oregon and Arizona, a race official said. The turnout was more than 100 athletes larger than last year.

"The Bay Area is really the epicenter of rowing in California," said Paul Wilkins, program coordinator for USRowing. "And Oakland has two spectacular places to row: Lake Merritt's one, and the other is the Jack London Aquatic Center. Really, this town is one of the best places to row in the whole country."

The Lake Merritt Rowing Club has a rowing class for beginners starting Saturday, which will run three weekends. For details, call Watt at 510-526-5958 or go online to http://www.rowlakemerritt.org/.

By Sean Maher, Oakland Tribune http://www.contracostatimes.com/bay-area-news/ci_15492690

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT BLOCK Party, Aug. 3rd, 2010, 7-9pm

Organize a block party, barbecue, ice cream social, or other outdoor event that brings your neighbors together.

Register early to receive give-away items for the kids and a special gift for the host.

For more information and to register online or call 510.238.3091

National Night Out Guide, here

When neighbors know each other, neighborhoods are safer.

A video message from Oakland Police Chief Batts

Blues Tonight and Every Thursday at 5:30pm

LGBTQI Survey

Did you know, the 2000 U.S. Census, the City of Oakland had the third-highest gay and lesbian concentration in the country?

According to The Bay Citizen, Oakland has the largest per-capita lesbian population in the United States. http://www.baycitizen.org/

Demographic studies show the city ranks among the top LGBT communities, according to Gary Gates, a Williams Distinguished Scholar at UCLA and the author of “The Gay and Lesbian Atlas.” In Alameda County, there are twice as many lesbians as gay men, and Oakland ranks fifth in the nation in lesbian population, Gates said. http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/900695_GL_FactSheet.pdf

Five percent of all Oakland females reporting identified themselves as gay or bisexual in a recent California Health Interview Survey. The number of female same-sex couples in Oakland, according to an American Community Survey, was nearly five times the national average.

“The Bay Area is the gayest area of the country,” Gates said.

Oakland is home to some of the world's most notable black gay and lesbian film-makers to include the late Marlon Riggs (Tongues Untied & Ethnic Notions) and more recently award winning directors Debra Wilson (Butch Mystique & Jumpin. The Broom) and Maurice Jamal (Dirty Laundry & Ski-Trip) who's films have also been shown on Logo (MTV-Networks).

Another unique characteristic of Oakland is that it is home to the largest population of African and African-American LGBT people in Northern California, according to a recent survey by the International Federation of Black Prides. http://www.onbayarea.com/node/337

Oakland would like a complete picture of the economic, social and cultural makeup of LGBTQI community. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our residents.

Help identify and plan for services and economic development for the LGBTQI community by taking this survey.

Oakland: A Restaurant Destination

Oakland's restaurants find strength in numbers

A number of restaurants touted as cool and hip — and offering delectable fare — have sprouted lately in Oakland, especially downtown.

"This is part of the surprising evolution of the restaurant industry in Oakland," said Mark Everton, executive director of the association.

Roughly 20 to 25 restaurants have opened in Oakland during the last 18 months, estimated Everton, who is also general manager of the Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville.

"You are seeing an influx of cutting-edge restaurants in downtown Oakland," Everton said.

Restaurants that have opened in Oakland in recent years include Bocanova, Brown Sugar Kitchen, Camino, Encuentro, Flora, Geisha, Miss Pearl's Jam House, Ozumo and Pican.

"Oakland has become a Mecca for restaurants," Joseph Haraburda, chief executive officer of the city's Chamber of Commerce, said this week during a lunch presentation before a business group.

"One of the keys to life is to have a great meal, a great family event, to have a quality dining experience," Everton said.

The new restaurants are drawing patrons from a broader area than just Oakland or the East Bay, said Michael LeBlanc, owner of Pican. As much as a quarter of Pican's patrons live in San Francisco, LeBlanc said, and many others live in Mill Valley, Orinda, Lafayette or Moraga.

"People come here to dine and they are surprised," LeBlanc said. "They ask 'This is Oakland?' It's starting to be a destination."

Other estimates suggest that 60 percent of the patrons for restaurants in downtown Oakland come from San Francisco or travel through the Caldecott Tunnel.

Similarly, the bumper crop of new restaurants are becoming one of the ingredients that provide space for Oakland's economy in a unique way.

"We are changing the perception that people have about Oakland," restaurant owner LeBlanc said.

Read more at the Contra Costa Times

 In Oakland, Innovation Is on the Menu

Jack London Square has been reborn. The area on Oakland’s inner harbor was developed in the ’70s, and the city had hoped that the waterfront space would have a quirky, independent appeal. But chain restaurants soon moved in, and both local residents and tourists largely stayed away.

However, changes are afoot. The chain restaurants are largely gone, after their leases were not renewed in an effort by developers to reinvent the square (a plan approved by the city). In came a cast of big-name chefs — as well as a new six-floor, 72,000-square-foot farmers’ market scheduled to open later this year.

In fact, the effort to refashion Jack London Square reflects a larger trend. Unlike San Francisco, its sister city across the bay, Oakland hasn’t been known for its innovative menus. But in the last few years, a number of noteworthy restaurants have opened, some led by chefs who have fled San Francisco’s high rents, and a few of whom put in time at the legendary Chez Panisse in neighboring Berkeley. Michelin raised the stakes when it awarded a star to an Oakland newcomer, Commis. But, as a recent survey of its Oakland brethren showed, Commis is not alone.

COMMIS

The talented chef James Syhabout, who has logged time in acclaimed international kitchens like the Fat Duck, outside London, and El Bulli, plays with textures and flavors in a masterly and deeply satisfying way.

Commis has the feel of an almost-secret experiment in progress. The name of the restaurant, which means “apprentice chef” in the parlance of French kitchens, is nowhere to be found on the floor-to-ceiling windowed facade. Inside, splitting a spare 30-seat dining room and surrounded by a counter and stools, is the open kitchen, where Mr. Syhabout and his sous chefs quietly go about their work.

Commis, http://www.commisrestaurant.com/

BOCANOVA

One of the first restaurants to land in the new Jack London Square last September, it is run by the chef Rick Hackett, one of those Chez Panisse alumni. Unlike MarketBar, Mr. Hackett’s Mediterranean restaurant in the recently revamped ferry building in San Francisco, Bocanova looks south. The menu, it turns out, was inspired by a family meal — the restaurant staff dinner shared before service — at MarketBar. A couple of staff members made dishes from their South American homelands; Mr. Hackett was impressed and Bocanova was born.

Bocanova, http://www.bocanova.com/

CAMINO

Another former Chez Panisse chef is also doing his part to reinvent Oakland as a dining destination. Russell Moore, who spent 21 years at the venerable Berkeley restaurant, was the produce buyer for much of his tenure.

Later, I asked Mr. Moore why he settled in Oakland, and he said he hadn’t intended to. “We were looking at spaces in San Francisco for three years and used three different Realtors but we found nothing,” he said. “So we just decided to have a look around Oakland and we stumbled upon this place.”

Camino, http://www.caminorestaurant.com/

ADESSO

Up the street from Commis is another new restaurant that has set local foodies’ taste buds ablaze. Adesso is a laid-back Italian wine bar that cures its own salumi. With a book-sized wine list that covers all 20 regions of Italy and a two-page list of 40-plus salumis, eight pâtés and six panini, the restaurant is an Italophile’s dream.

Adesso, http://www.dopoadesso.com/

BOOT AND SHOE SERVICE

The Bay Area has been going through something of a pizza revolution recently. And it arguably started when Charlie Hallowell — yet another chef to have spent time at Chez Panisse — opened Pizzaiolo in Oakland five years ago. Last December, Mr. Hallowell opened a spinoff, Boot and Shoe Service (the name is a holdover from the previous tenant).

Boot and Shoe Service, bootandshoeservice.com

Read more at the New York Times

Winemakers pouring into the (Oakland) East Bay

When Bay Area city dwellers want the quintessential wine-tasting experience, they go north to Napa or Sonoma for good weather and upscale restaurants. Those who want those things and a shorter drive increasingly are heading to Oakland.

Marilee and Steve Shaffer, who had worked in the high-tech and medical research fields, got a five-year lease on a long-empty warehouse in West Oakland and made about 700 cases of reds and whites in 2009.

Brendan Eliason worked at wineries in Healdsburg for several years before opening Periscope Cellars on 62nd Street in Emeryville in what he believes is a former submarine parts and repair facility. He estimates that he sells 70 to 80 percent of his 2,000 cases on-site, which includes a tasting room and event space.

Eliason is working to open a taproom at the home of West Oakland beer company Linden Street Brewery, where both beer and wine would be offered five days a week.

The new locale would put Periscope wine within biking distance from Urban Legend, Urbano and several other wineries near Oakland's Jack London Square.

SF Chronicle complete story found here: URBAN VINTNERS

June 20, 2010 | By Robert Selna, Chronicle Staff Writer

More on wines found here: http://www.sfgate.com/wine/

Oakland wineries and/or tasting rooms

Adams Point, 2413 Fourth St., Oakland

Aubin Cellars, 6050 Colton Blvd., Oakland

Cerruti Cellars, 130 Webster St., Suite 100, Oakland

Dashe Cellars, 55 Fourth St., Oakland*

Irish Monkey, 1017 22nd Ave. No. 300, Oakland*

JC Cellars, 55 Fourth St., Oakland*

Prospect 772 Wine Co., 15 Berneves Court, Oakland*

Stage Left Cellars, 2102 Dennison St., Oakland*

Tayerle, 2311 Magnolia St., Oakland

Urban Legend Cellars, 621 Fourth St., Oakland*

* And tasting room
Source: East Bay Vintners Alliance (eastbayvintners.com)

Free Fur All Adoptathon!

Adopt an animal for free on June 12 or 13 and make $500 for the shelter

Oakland Animal Services hosts the Maddie’s Fund event “Maddie’s Matchmaker Adoptathon” on Saturday, June 12th, and Sunday, June 13th. This weekend, Maddie’s Fund will cover all adoption costs for both dogs and cats. Better yet, for each successful OAS adoption at the event, Maddie’s Fund will donate $500 to OAS!

Special extended hours for the “Free Fur All” will be 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 12th, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 13th.

“We’re preparing a large group of staff and volunteers for the two days to help as many people as possible find a dog or cat companion,” OAS Director Megan Webb explained. There will be a wide variety of cats and dogs available to adopt, including kittens, puppies, and small dogs.

“This is such an exciting opportunity—people not only get a wonderful animal companion for free but also make it possible for OAS to get $500 when they adopt,” Webb stated. “And then we’ll use these donations to improve the quality of life of animals at the shelter.”

Webb pointed out that the regular OAS adoption guidelines will apply that weekend. And, although animals cannot be adopted free in advance of the event—and no animals can be put on “hold”—OAS encourages potential adopters to visit the shelter beforehand for prescreening, to ensure they qualify for an adoption.

“Maddie’s Matchmaker Adoptathon” is the inspiration of Maddie’s Fund, a foundation funded by Workday and PeopleSoft, founder, Dave Duffield, and his wife, Cheryl. As stated on the website, the goal of the foundation, named in memory of the Duffield family’s miniature Schnauzer, Maddie, is to create a “no-kill nation where all healthy and treatable shelter dogs and cats are guaranteed loving homes.” With the weekend’s event, Maddie’s Fund also hopes to spotlight the many groups whose efforts save countless dogs and cats each year.

Block Party, Saturday, June 12th

Gateway Park Public Workshop

Thursday, May 13th, Bike to Work Day 2010

Bike to Work Day Pancakes, Prizes and All-Day Valet Bike Parking

Bicyclists at Oakland's 17th Annual (Bay Area's 16th) Bike to Work Day celebration will enjoy:

• A free pancake breakfast (7-9am), courtesy Piedmont Grocery and Tully's Coffee

• Free Club One Day Pass (for showers and more)

• Free all-day valet bike parking, courtesy East Bay Bicycle Coalition

• AC Transit bike rack loading demos

• Free bike safety checks, courtesy of Bay Area Bikes and Wheels of Justice Cyclery

• A canvas bag with goodies (including Amtrak/Capitol Corridor companion-fare coupons, Oakland's brand new 2010 Bikeways Map, and an "I [BIKE] Oakland" bike tube sticker)

• A raffle with prizes donated by local businesses including this year's Grand Prize: round-trip tickets for two to Santa Barbara on Amtrak and a Dahon folding bike!!!!

Alameda County Energizer Stations

On the morning of May 13th, over 200 Energizer Stations will be located along local bike commute routes in all nine Bay Area counties to provide free beverages, snacks and good cheer to bicyclists. We'll be mapping the locations of the energizer stations on this page so check back and plan your Bike to Work Day commute to visit one of our Energizer Stations.

[Oakland Energizer Map]

Starting at 5:30-8:30pm, On Telegraph Avenue from 16th-18th St, Oakland, plan to wrap up the excitement of Bike to Work Day with the biggest, most extravagant ever Bike Away from Work Party, which will feature The Crucible's Art Bike Program, Beyond Bikes Art Exhibit, Cyclecide Heavy Pedal Bike Rides & Show, Big Tadoo Puppet Show, music, raffle prizes, awards, food and beer from Trumer Pils Brewery in Berkeley and sponsored by the East Bay Express.

Events Tonight and Weekend

presents

As you make your weekend plans, here’s something to make your Oakland night life a little easier to navigate. You can get free taxi rides if you’re out partying in Oakland Friday night. Three nightclubs, a local cab company and a law firm have teamed up to make Oakland an even bigger destination during the art walk this First Friday.

If you stop by at The Layover (1517 Franklin St), Penelope (11th and Clay Streets), and/or Era (19 Grand Ave), you can get coupons worth $5 each that will take care of your downtown travels. (Cab rides around downtown are usually less than $5)

These three bars found partners in Kapsack & Bair DUI Attorneys and Friendly Cabs. The coupons are valid only for one night, so if you’d like to know what a free cab ride feels like, make sure you get to one of the three bars Friday night.

From www.theoakbook.com/

www.sweetshoppefests.com/

Oakland Symphony May 14 / May 16 2010

Some Welcome News and Monthly Meetings

Potholes seem to be a common sight on streets and highways no matter what city you’re in.

The Oakland Public Works department of the City of Oakland has announced in its efforts to keep the City of Oakland’s vehicular and pedestrian traffic safe, Oakland Public Works will conduct Pothole Blitz the week of May 10th will be in West Oakland.

Eight Public Works crews will fill potholes during this week.

Until additional resources are provided to repave streets, we’ll continue to patch, patch and patch some more. If you have a favorite pothole, please call us at 510.615.5566 and we’ll send crews to fix it,” said Interim Public Works Director Vitaly Troyan.

The public is encouraged to “Report a Problem” using the online form at http://www.oaklandpw.com/  or to notify the Public Works Call Center at 510. 615.5566 of the pothole locations.

The Oakland Public Works department is requesting the public’s assistance by slowing down when they see crews working on the roadways is also greatly appreciated.

I am requesting that the Central Station community members report Potholes and their locations ASAP, so they can repaired during this blitz.

Some Online Forms:

Pot Holes: http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/srwebsite/RequestInfo.aspx?ProbID=3630

Graffiti: http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/srwebsite/RequestInfo.aspx?ProbID=4294

Illegal Dumping - debris, appliances, etc. http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/srwebsite/RequestInfo.aspx?ProbID=4295

Illegal Dumping – mattress/boxspring http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/srwebsite/RequestInfo.aspx?ProbID=4394

Service Request Directory: http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/srwebsite/Intro.aspx

Service Request Status Check: http://gismaps.oaklandnet.com/srwebsite/CheckStatus.aspx

Prescott NCPC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 13th 2010, 6:00pm at the OHA Administration, 935 Union St, Oakland. For more information, contact NSC Sandra V. Sanders-West, 510.773.0462

West Oakland Project Area Committee (WOPAC) is scheduled for Wednesday, May 12th 2010, 6:30 – 9:00pm at the West Oakland Senior Center, 1724 Adeline Street, Oakland. For more information, contact Project Manager Hui-Chang Li, 510.238.6430

WOPAC Subcommittee Meetings:

Community Outreach / Equitable Development, Wednesday, May 5th 2010, 6:30 – 8:30pm at the Willie Keyes Recreation Center, 3131 Union Street, Oakland

Neighborhood Planning and Projects, Thursday, May 6th 2010, 6:30 – 8:30pm at the West Oakland Senior Center

Taste of Spring, held on Thursday, May 6th 2010; 5:30 -8:00pm at the Rotunda Building in downtown Oakland. Taste of Spring the annual fundraiser for the Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation. This event features superb wines, gourmet food, live and silent auctions, and highflying entertainment.

This outstanding organization raises funds to support recreation programs for Oakland's youth, as well as capital funds for park renovations. Their biggest park project was the $5 million renovation of Raimondi Park in here in the Prescott Oakland Point neighborhood, completed in 2008. For more information or to purchase tickets in advance, contact: Friends of Oakland Parks & Recreation at 510.465.1850 or visit http://www.oaklandparks.org/.

City of Oakland, Community Workshops on Draft Energy and Climate Action Plan

On Thursday, May 6th 2010, at the Elihu M Harris State Building, 1515 Clay Street (between 15th St & 16th St), and Meeting Room 1. Two identical Community Workshops to identify actions the City can take to help minimize energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout the Oakland community, will be held to provide an overview of content in the draft Energy and Climate Action Plan and receive public comments. The first Workshop Session 1: 3-5:00pm and the second will be held from 7-9:00pm. To assist with planning for needed space, please RSVP, identifying which workshop session you plan to attend, to climateaction@oaklandnet.com.

The next scheduled Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) meeting is on Thursday, May 13th 2010, 7-9:00pm at the West Oakland Senior Center. The City distributes Community Development Funds through the federal CDBG program. Each year, the federal government distributes CDBG funds to cities for their local community development projects. The major focus of Oakland's CDBG program is physical development activities--community-wide housing, public facilities and improvements, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development. A restricted portion of the grant funds can be expended for public services activities. For more information, contact Michele Byrd, Manager; 510.238.3716 or http://www.blogger.com/mbyrd@oaklandnet.com

National Pet Week May 2-8th

Petsmart kicked off the National Pet Week once again with its annual Second Chance for Love – National Adoption Weekend.

There is some great work here at the Oakland Animal Services that I wish to acknowledge in regards to Lucy, titled “From Shelter Dog to Search & Rescue Dog.”

Here’s one of the great stories found at http://oaklandanimalservices.org/

Lucy has been at Oakland Animal Services for almost 8 months! We quickly realized that Lucy is a special dog - extremely intelligent and very ball driven. We put her through several tests to assess her ability to be able to train to be a Search and Rescue Dog and she passed all of them! These tests included throwing a ball and then spinning her around in circles to see if she would still go look and find the ball and hiding a ball to see if she was able to get it. Even though Lucy passed these difficult tests, we were unable to find a group who would take her into their program because she is part pit bull.

We didn't give up though! Volunteers made calls to groups all over the country. And, Amy, one of our volunteer mentors, and Martha, our Animal Care Coordinator, made a video of Lucy and publicized it all over the internet. The video went viral and finally nearly 8 months after she came to the Shelter, we got a call from a woman in Las Vegas who was looking for a dog to train for search and rescue! She saw Lucy on the video and knew Lucy was the one! Friends of Oakland Animal Services paid for Lucy's fligt to Las Vegas and she was sent today to start her new life!

Headed for Search/Rescue After 8 Months!

Something about Shepherds named Buddy

There something synonymous about “rescue”, the name “Buddy” and German shepherds.

In April 2010, Buddy an untrained 5-year-old German shepherd guided Alaska State Troopers through winding back roads to a fire at his owners' workshop.

Caught on a patrol car's dashcam video, shows Buddy meeting the trooper's vehicle, then dashing to their property about 55 miles north of Anchorage.

"He's my hero," owner Ben Heinrichs said, his voice breaking. "If it wasn't for him, we would have lost our house."

The dashcam video shows Buddy meeting the trooper's vehicle, then dashing to their property about 55 miles north of Anchorage on April 4.

Buddy’s owner was working on parts for his truck when a spark hit some gasoline and ignited, lighting his clothes blaze. The man ran outside to stomp out the flames by rolling in the snow, closing the door to keep the blaze from spreading, but realized Buddy was still inside the burning building and let the dog out.

Buddy ran into the nearby woods where the dog encountered a trooper, whose global positioning device had failed while responding to a call about the fire.



The video shows Buddy occasionally looking back at the patrol car as he raced ahead, galloping around three turns before arriving in front of the blaze, which was very close to the home.

CELEBRATE the joy your pet brings to your household. If you don’t have a pet, you should consider the benefits of pet ownership and support pet adoption.

More at the POPna site

National ASLA Award for Pacific Cannery Lofts

The American Society of Landscape Architects has awarded Pacific Cannery Lofts with a national honor award. The beautiful gardens and outside rooms were conceptualized, designed and created by Miller Company Landscape Architects based in San Francisco, Ca. under the creative eye of Jeff Miller pictured here on the right. If you live at PCL you walk through these masterpieces everyday providing a sense of calm when coming home from work, or a place to unwind and chat with neighbors right outside your door. Courtyard and outside rooms have been an important feature of Holliday Development housing since the early 1990's starting with the Clocktower in San Francisco and the Emeryville Warehouse. If you want to read more about the award, grab your computer and sit in one of the three large green courtyards at PCL and surf the following link.

Moving? It's time for new appliances.

California has been allocated $35.2 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to participate in the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP). The California Energy Commission will administer the SEEARP that will provide rebates to consumers for purchasing qualified home appliances during the rebate period.

The rebate program will:

• Save energy by replacing inefficient appliances with more efficient ones.
• Make rebates for efficient appliances available to residential consumers.
• Leverage the ARRA funds with existing rebate programs and partnerships.
• Keep administrative costs low while meeting the federal monitoring and evaluation requirements.
• Provide state and national rebate tracking and accountability.
• Use current ENERGY STAR® consumer education and outreach materials.

Two Important Details

The program begins on Earth Day, April 22, 2010, and continues at most through May 23, 2010, but rebates will only be available as long as the rebate funds last. R ebates are first-come, first-serve and will be processed as received until funds are depleted. When funds run out, no more rebates will be issued, so act now!

The rebates are available to all California residential consumers who 1) Purchase a new, qualified appliance model in-store at a California retail location during the rebate period (April 22, 2010 - May 23, 2010); 2) Recycle an old appliance of the same type through a Certified Appliance Recycler; and 3) Submit the required rebate application materials no more than 30 days after the date of purchase of the new model.

Other Consumer Rebates and Incentives

If you are looking for consumer rebates and incentives available now, please visit the Flex your Power website.

Short window for triple credits

 

Some changes in the 2010 Tax Credit for New Home / First-Time Buyer since my April 1st posting titled “Timing is everything!” are:

• Applications must be faxed after escrow closes.
• Taxpayers may apply for the tax credits if they have entered into a contract before May 1, 2010, as long as escrow closes on or after May 1, 2010.
• If a taxpayer is allocated $10,000 for the New Home Credit, the $100 million cap for the New Home Credit will only be reduced by $7,000. If a taxpayer is allocated $10,000 for the First-Time Buyer Credit, the $100 million cap for the First-Time Buyer Credit will only be reduced by $5,700. The 70 and 57 percent reductions do not impact the amount that can be claimed by the taxpayer.
• A first-time buyer is any individual (and the individual’s spouse/RDP, if married on the date of purchase) who did not have an ownership interest in a principal residence, either in or out of California, during the preceding 3 year period ending on the date of the purchase of the qualified principal residence. If the buyer is married on the date of purchase and either the buyer or the buyer's spouse/RDP had an ownership interest in a principal residence during the preceding 3 year period, the buyer does not qualify for the First-Time Buyer Credit even if the spouse/RDP is not going to be on title.
• They accept applications by fax only beginning May 1, 2010.
•  Do not use the 2009 application. We will post more information by May 1, 2010.
•  A reservation will "hold the taxpayer's place in line" until 2 weeks after escrow closes.

For more information call 510.250.1800 or email info@pclofts.com

Article: Short window for triple credits at Pacific Cannery Lofts

For the latest Tax credit information, go to Franchise Tax Board website  at http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/new_home_credit.shtml

Be sure to check this page often. They add updates as they become available.

Call for Volunteers!

For the past few of years Holliday Development (HD) and Cannon Constructors have paired up to sponsor and work on a house in need for Rebuilding Together Oakland. This year is not different.

On Saturday, April 24th 2010 from 8:00am-4:00pm HD and Cannon will be painting, planting, laying flooring, and doing electrical work at the house located at 2443 12th Ave, Oakland.

If you are still feeling the Earth Day spirit come out and join the HD staff, family and friends. Upon arrival, look for Ken (Cannon Constructors) and say “I am here to help Holliday Development!”

Gateway Park planned at base of new Bay Bridge East Span

As John King, Chronicle Urban Design Writer reported in his March 1st article titled, Big ideas sought for Oakland Bay Bridge Park, “There's no design and no budget - yet. The public process is only now getting under way."

In February, Oakland, Emeryville and greater Bay Area community members were invited to a public workshop to help plan Gateway Park planned at the base of the new Bay Bridge East Span. The next public workshop will be held in June 2 2010, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at 111 Grand Avenue, Oakland.

Gateway Park will provide a new landscape at the entrance to Oakland and the East Bay. It will be a place of history, grandeur, and inspiration and will offer a departure point for pedestrians and bicyclists traveling to Yerba Buena Island and Treasure Island. The proposed park is envisioned to draw visitors from the Bay Area and around the world.

Gateway Park has many potential uses, such as: inclusion of a museum, space for recreational sports, public art, or simply as a place to relax.

Design ideas are beginning to be developed, but there is still time for you to tell us what you would like to see at Gateway Park.

To view the February workshop materials and other information, please visit BayBridgeGatewayPark.org.

If you have an interest in weighing in on the deisgn of Gateway Park, complete their on-line survey by April 19th 30th, 2010.

On April 9th, Prescott Circus Theatre presents...

Timing is everything!

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation AB 183 to extend and expand the homebuyer tax credit. Authored by Assembly member Anna Caballero (D-Salinas) and Senator Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield), this tax credit will provide up to $10,000 to Californians who are buying their first home or purchasing a brand new home.

This legislation, part of the Governor’s larger California Jobs Initiative, will play a key role in getting our economy moving again by encouraging home ownership and stimulating job creation.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stated:

“I have been up and down the state pushing this important housing bill that will get people off the fence and into homes… “

Some home buyers in California could get both federal and state tax credits worth up to $18,000 if they time their purchase just right over the next three months.

Want Both?

• Both credits require you to buy the home as your primary residence.
• Both define a first-time buyer as someone who has not owned a home in the three years prior to purchase.
• To get both credits you must be in contract on or before April 30 and close between May 1 and June 30 - and meet all other requirements. For more information contact info@pclofts.com
• Buyers who are already in contract and want to postpone their closing need to get the seller and lender to agree.

Federal credit:

• The credit is 10 percent of the purchase price,
• up to a maximum credit of $8,000 for first-time home buyers or
• $6,500 for longtime homeowners who buy a replacement home.
• Either type of buyer can purchase a new or existing home.
• Buyers will be able to claim the federal credit when they file their tax return (or amend the prior year's return).
• This credit is refundable: The full amount will be paid out, even if you have zero federal tax liability or the credit is bigger than your federal tax.
• You cannot get the federal credit if your income is too high or the home was purchased after Nov. 6, 2009, and cost more than $800,000.

State credit:

• The credit is the lesser of 5 percent of the purchase price or $10,000.
• First-time buyers can purchase a new or existing home but repeat buyers can only purchase a new home that has never been occupied.
• The California credit is spread over three years, up to $3,333 per year.
• It is not refundable: If you owe less than $3,333 in one (or more) of those years, you lose the difference that year. Even if you owed $3,333 before you owned a house, you might owe less after because of all the new tax deductions.
• No income or purchase-price limits. Buyers who fall below the income limits for the federal credit might not owe enough California tax to get the full benefit of the state credit.
• You must close escrow between May 1 and either Dec. 31 or whenever the money set aside for the program runs out, whichever comes first.
• The money is likely to run out long before Dec. 31.
• You can reserve a state credit for new construction by entering into a binding contract between May 1 and Dec. 31 and closing before Aug. 1, 2011. People who do this won't get the federal credit because they entered a contract after April 30.

Buyers should consult a well-informed tax person and make sure they understand both credits.

NEWS: Prescott-Oakland Point expanded transit options

Improved and Expanded Transit Options

According to AC Transit, starting March 28th 2010, the Prescott-Oakland Point neighborhood will have improved and expanded bus services to augment the numerous transit options available.

For example AC Transit Bus Line 26 (which replaced Line 13) will be GPS enabled, have peak hour runtimes of 15 minutes apart, off peak 30 minutes apart, starting 5:56am ending 12.58am (westbound) and starting 5:22 am, ending 12:22 am (eastbound) from the 12th and wood street bus stop.

Line 26 connects commuters to four (MacArthur, West Oakland, Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt) different BART stations providing access to Temescal Restaurants, Marcus Book Store, Emery-Go Round, East Bay Bridge Retail, Oakland City Hall, Old Oakland, Oakland Downtown, Oakland City Center, Oakland Chinatown, Laney College, Oakland Museum and Lake Merritt.

For those in the Prescott-Oakland Point neighborhood wanting to go to West Oakland BART, Temescal Restaurants, Marcus Book Store, Emery-Go Round, East Bay Bridge Retail, you would take the Line 26 with the "MacArthur BART" station end destination.

For those in the Prescott-Oakland Point neighborhood wanting to go to Oakland City Hall, Old Oakland, Oakland Downtown, Oakland City Center, Oakland Chinatown, Laney College, Oakland Museum and Lake Merritt, you would take the Line 26 with the "Lake Merritt BART" station end destination.

The Bus Line 31 (which replaces the Line 19) offers similar options with links to Emeryville Amtrak station, Emery Bay Public Market, Bay Street Center, East Bay Bridge Center, Emery-Go-Round, West Oakland BART, Jack London Gateway Center, 12th Street BART, Alameda Marina Center, College of Alameda.

Ease of Use

With AC Transit buses now GPS enabled, commuters using NextBus will have the ability to see “real-time data” using maps, which depict connections and times using the home computer, laptops and smart phones while providing more efficient use of both personal and business time and certainty in transit options.

The Prescott-Oakland Point neighborhood located on the Western periphery of Oakland, with its many transit options, is slowly becoming the unofficial epicenter of the Bay Area and proves the relevance of “Location Efficiency.”

Oakland Run Festival (March 27th-28th 2010)

Oakland Running Festival

If you are not participate as a runner or volunteer, grab your lawn chair and watch the Oakland Running Festival marathon and half marathon route which will enter the Prescott-Oakland Point neighborhood, after the 18th mile mark at 7th and Mandela Parkway, where runners make a right onto Market Street and enter West Oakland. Once again you pass a BART station with Mandela Transit Village, a mixed retail and residential development bordering the West Oakland BART station. This was one of the earliest neighborhoods in Oakland to be settled and in1869, West Oakland became the terminus of the transcontinental railroad.

Many of the homes in this area date back to the mid-1800’s and were built in the Victorian style, giving it its quaint look. It should be noted that African Americans have historically played an important role in Oakland and especially West Oakland. In the early 1900’s because of the importance of railroads, many porters lived here and the headquarters of their union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was located in this neighborhood. Then in the 1930s, Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association had its West Coast headquarters at 8th and Chester Streets. During the 1960’s, during the social turmoil of the time, the “Black Panthers” originated in this area. After years of decline, this neighborhood too has started to experience renewal, as new residential developments have sprung up and many of the Victorian homes have been remodeled to their former glory.

As you run along the Mandela Parkway, mile 19, some may recall that this was the site of the Cypress Freeway collapse, an elevated, double deck freeway that collapsed onto itself during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Several people were killed despite heroic rescue efforts by West Oakland residents. The freeway was replaced by Mandela Parkway, a wide thoroughfare with a pedestrian path and greenway in its median, including a park commemorating the 1989 earthquake. It is lined with condominiums and new and established businesses.

The Oakland Running Festival website contains all the information you will need including volunteering.

Check out these videos of the course: Marathon Course and Half Marathon Course.

There is an interactive map that features the marathon, half-marathon, 5K routes and sponsoring restaurants.

The Oakland Running Festival Handbook can be found here

Diversity in the Prescott-Oakland Point Neighborhood will be validated!

Since 2000, the Prescott-Oakland Point neighborhood has experience some amazing diversity. New residents from all continents - Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, South America and other parts of North America now share the Prescott-Oakland Point neighborhood.

The 2010 census survey includes counting same sex couples, will validate what some residents already know, by providing local government a accurate accounting of the diversity we have experienced.  City services and others should take note.

Census History

The Constitution of the United States Article 1, section 2 ratified in 1789, mandated that an "actual Enumeration" of the nation's population be made at ten-year intervals anticipating geographic and demographic dynamism.

The intent of the census was to provide a snapshot of the nation and illustrate the issues most relevant.

The first census, which was more than just a head count but used to divide political representation, was taken in 1790, where enumerators asked for the name of the head of the family and number of persons in each household within specific categories.

The 1850 census included "social statistics" questions about taxes, schooling, crime, "pauperism" and also took censuses of industry, agriculture, and mortality.

The 2010 Census promises to be the shortest in history: 10 questions in 10 minutes. The questions will include: name, age, sex, date of birth, Hispanic origin, race, ethnicity, relationship (to the first name listed on the form), and housing tenure (whether a family owns or rents their home). Same-sex married couples will be counted for the first time.

The longer portion of the census was replaced by the once every five years American Community Survey which samples a small number of households across the country on a regular basis to obtain important data about the demographics of the country.

Global Positioning Systems

The Census Bureau will use Global Positioning Systems (GPS) to determine the exact geographic location of each housing unit which is critical to ensure that when they publish the census results for the entire country, broken down by various geographic areas ranging from states, counties, and cities, to census blocks, they accurately represent the data for the area.

Fines

Those living under the radar should note that the U.S. Census Bureau can impose fines for failing to answer the 2010 Census questions or for intentionally providing false information. According to Title 13, Section 221 (Census, Refusal or neglect to answer questions; false answers) of the United States Code, persons who fail or refuse to respond to the mail-back census form, or refuse to respond to a follow-up census taker can be fined up to $100. Persons who knowingly provide false information to the census can be fined up to $500.

Prescott-Oakland Point Artist Gina Telcocci announce permanent installation

Prescott-Oakland Point Artist Gina Telcocci announces permanent installation

The San Francisco Arts Commission announced a new public artwork installation by Prescott-Oakland Point artist Gina Telcocci for the Potrero Branch Library, which opens on Saturday, March 6, 2010.

Gina Telcocci’s artwork incorporated local plants and other materials based the form of here and past here on the nut of a California Buckeye, a native tree that was an important resource for the Muwekma Ohlone Indian Tribe who once occupied the Potrero Hill area, will be suspended in the open atrium of the new renovated Potrero Hill Library located at 1616 20th Street & Connecticut in San Francisco.

“Gina Telcocci’s artwork encourages reflection on the unique cultural and natural history of Potrero Hill,” stated District 10 Supervisor Sophie Maxwell. “It is a beautiful work of art and a wonderful symbol for neighborhood.” For Gina website, click here.

On a different topic, we may be losing our Saturday mail delivery.

Reading the SF Chronicle article, I found some interesting information.

Moving the mail:

How much mail: 584 million pieces of mail were handled daily in 2009. That's down from 716 million per day in 2006.*

Payroll: Every two weeks, salary and benefits total $2.1 billion.

Vehicles operated: 218,684

Address changes: 43.8 million were processed last year.

Additions: 923,595 new delivery addresses were added to the mail system last year.

*Based on total volume of mail divided by the number of workdays in a year.

Fun facts

Transport: The post office moves mail on planes, trains, trucks, cars, boats, ferries, helicopters, subways, hovercraft, streetcars, bicycles, human feet and even mules. Those mules carry mail to Indians living at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Because some of that mail is food, the post office at Peach Springs, Ariz., has freezers to store it until delivery.

Oldest post office (in the same building): Hinsdale, N.H., 1816.

Smallest post office: Ochopee, Fla., 8 feet, 4 inches by 7 feet, 3 inches.

Floating post office: Post boat J.W. Westcott delivers mail to ships passing in the Detroit River. The boat has its own ZIP code, 48222.

Longest rural route: Route 1, Fordsville, N.D., 176.5 miles daily to serve 174 mailboxes.

Web portal promotes East Bay arts, culture

510arts.com

The tag line for 510Arts.com is "World Culture in the East Bay." That's the first smart-marketing message being pushed by this online portal for artists and art organizations from the so-called East Bay Cultural Corridor, which comprises Berkeley, Emeryville, Oakland and Richmond.

While San Francisco still draws larger crowds to its theaters, music halls and museums, the East Bay is where most artists live these days. There are now more than 6,000 professional artists working in the East Bay - increasingly in the more affordable cities of Emeryville and Richmond - as well as hundreds of nonprofit visual arts, music, dance and theater organizations, according to the four cities' cultural departments. Plus, the East Bay is the melting pot of the region; more than 150 languages are spoken there, with residents hailing from every corner of the globe.

The online portal launched Oct. 2 as a public-private-community partnership, with sign-on from the cities' four mayors and funding from the East Bay Community Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the James Irvine Foundation and Leveraging Investments in Creativity. The organization's goals are to help market local artists and arts institutions, forge relationships among them and use the arts as a catalyst for economic development. [more]

A worthy repost from the Chronicle: Tamara Straus, Special to The Chronicle, Wednesday, February 24, 2010 Edition

Enjoy! Marcus