Shop Talk: Rad Power Bikes glides into town; the Berkeley Bag is back again
Rad Power Bikes has opened on San Pablo Avenue. Catch up on this and other retail and small business news.
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Top Stories
This Queer Oakland cafe works to fight anti-immigrant sentiment
Cafe Gabriela serves up resistance and resilience alongside its menu of salads and sandwiches.
Eccentric new Curiosity Shop has 45,000 pieces of costume jewelry and a feminist bent
The downtown Berkeley shop’s elusive owner, Bryce Kalousek-Maritano, has operated curiosity shops on the Venice Beach Boardwalk and in a caboose in Oregon.
Commercial development
Photos: Take a first look inside the hotel that has reshaped Berkeley’s skyline
The new Residence Inn by Marriott, which opens Friday in downtown, is the fourth-tallest building in Berkeley and the city’s biggest in half a century.
Council approves $33M Bayer development agreement
The deal paves the way for a building boom at the Bayer campus in West Berkeley, which could add 1,000 new jobs.
No more free parking? City could charge for spots in much of Elmwood, Southside
Berkeley’s solution to the “shuffle” of drivers moving their cars every two hours is getting pushback from some businesses and residents.
California Theatre closing: Landmark won’t reopen Berkeley’s movie palace
Landmark Theatres is vacating the century-old theater. One of downtown’s most distinctive buildings now faces an uncertain future.
Bayer, city agree on $33M community benefits package tied to big expansion
The benefits are part of a broader 30-year development agreement for a major expansion at Bayer’s West Berkeley campus.
Shop Talk
Shop Talk: A Priori slides down Vine Street; Moe’s Books union; a big B-day for The Potters’ Studio
A Priori has moved down the street into the Earthly Goods space. Catch up on this and other local business news.
Shop Talk: New furniture store is all about teak; Storey Framing to close
Teak Me Home, which sells handcrafted Indonesian teak wood furniture, has opened a location in West Berkeley.
Shop Talk: Eudemonia, hot spot for fantasy games, closes; sneaker store comes to Telegraph
Eudemonia, a popular tabletop card store that had been a refuge for Berkeley gamers of all ages, closed after 18 years.
Shop Talk: Paraiso Plant Studio; Title Nine; Jest Jewels; Sola Lucy
A plants and design store has opened in Trumpetvine Court downtown; Jest Jewels and Sola Lucy are closing up shop; and Title IX is on the move.
Nosh
All the East Bay restaurants that closed in December
Restaurants of note that closed in Berkeley, Oakland and beyond for December 2021.
All the East Bay restaurants that opened in December
New restaurants that opened in Berkeley, Oakland and beyond in December 2021.
The East Bay’s saddest restaurant closures of 2021
These are the restaurants in Berkeley, Oakland and beyond we’ll miss the most.
Coronavirus
Berkeley’s vaccination requirement goes into effect Friday
Proof of vaccination will be required at restaurants, bars, clubs, gyms, dance and yoga studios, and events with at least 1,000 attendees. Also: theaters where food or drinks are sold.
Berkeley to require proof of vaccination at indoor restaurants, bars, gyms and more
Workers at those businesses and several others will also be required either to get vaccinated or receive weekly COVID-19 tests.
So long, social distancing: What ‘back to normal’ day was like in Berkeley
With the mask mandate lifted, businesses are weighing employee and customer safety in deciding new rules.
Related stories
No rest on Sunday: Free meter parking could end in Berkeley
Supporters say enforcing parking meters on Sundays could help shore up Berkeley’s parking fund, which has been battered by the pandemic.
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San Francisco is closer than ever before, via new routes on SF Bay Ferry
The boats are back on the bay, with more departures, lower fares, and new non-stop service, along with fresh air and great views.
Berkeley’s Lanesplitter pizza closes; Babette, leaving BAMPFA, will take its place
After 23 years of pizza and beer, Lanesplitter’s Berkeley spot is shutting down — but it won’t be dark for long.
New bioresearch hub is sculpted from UC Berkeley’s brutalist former art museum
The Bakar BioEnginuity Hub will open in February 2022 in the bunker-like concrete building on Bancroft Way, once home to the Berkeley Art Museum.
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Where to go when you don’t do snow?
Head to Sonoma Valley for a winery tasting, a hike in the green hills, and dinner at one of the area’s many dazzling restaurants.
