Police arrested a man on Dec. 24 after he tried to break into an occupied home in the Elmwood, authorities said. Photo: Rory Merry
Police arrested a man on Dec. 24 after he tried to break into an occupied home in the Elmwood, authorities said. Photo: Rory Merry

Our exclusive report on a man who tried to break into a home on Hillegass Avenue and was driven back by residents, then arrested by police, drew the most readers this week. The dramatic image (above) that accompanied the story, shot by photographer Rory Merry, gave the unsettling story extra punch.

Our round-up of the restaurants, coffee shops, bars and beer spots that opened in 2013 in Berkeley and Oakland was a big hit this week. We also reminded you of favorite haunts that closed last year. To keep abreast of restaurant and food news in the East Bay, be sure to bookmark Berkeleyside Nosh, which is on Facebook and Twitter.

Our “Most important stories of 2013” post identified the issues that preoccupied people in Berkeley last year — some of which will no doubt continue to do so in 2014!

Berkeleyside works hard so you don’t have to. We go to City Council meetings, ZAB meetings, we rush out to cover shootings and trials, we track development projects as they wind their way through the city’s bureaucracy. If you value the kind of coverage that tracks the happenings in your city and your local government, please support Berkeleyside. It will only cost you pennies a day but will help ensure the site endures. 

Tracey Taylor is co-founder of Berkeleyside and co-founder and editorial director of Cityside, the nonprofit parent to Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside. Before launching Berkeleyside, Tracey wrote for...