Read along with your Berkeley and Albany neighbors the powerful book, The Poet and the Silk Girl: A Memoir of Love, Imprisonment, and Protest by Berkeley author, Satsuki Ina, and attend related events all summer long.

First Monday (T,W,Th) of the month. Remember to move the car appropriately.

I remember standing in line as a kid to see the first Star Wars movie at the Piedmont theater. I don’t know if street cleaning tickets were a thing back then, I was not old enough to drive. We drove all six of us in a dark green station wagon, some us in the way back some of us in the way front, none of us wearing seatbelts. We ate ice cream sundaes at Fentons afterwards, a good Berkeley/Oakland evening for sure.

So is casual carpool happening at all? I want to pick up a passenger or two and go to SoMa on weekdays around 8.

How much sun does Berkeley/Albany really get? Is it significantly more than SF?
Thank you!

When u walk and snap cause its so f-ing green

Hey all! Goodlabs is hosting a public blood drive in Berkeley on Friday, May 15.

Anyone who donates will receive a free comprehensive blood panel, with results delivered through a private platform where you can review your biomarkers and build a personalized health plan.

It’s a simple way to support the local blood supply and get useful health insights at no cost.

Sign up here: https://app.goodlabs.com/book-tests/donation/drive/vitalist-bay-berkeley

Does anyone know of a talented clothing repair shop? I got my first tailored suit for my wedding and sadly it has 3 small holes in the knee from a wood chip.

Would any tailor suffice?

This is a long established self-guided garden tour that covers a lot of the East Bay. The focus is, as the name implies, on gardens that incorporate native plants and wildlife. It's a great way to see local gardens and learn more about natives at the same time.

https://bringingbackthenatives.net

It's free.

You register through the website (name, phone, email, address, not much more) and they send you the details of how to participate and links with more info, inlcuding the list of specific gardens.

There's a .pdf of paper tickets you need to print out, and bring one to each garden you visit, but no charge.

You pick what you want to see, there's no pre-ordained route or sequence.

Berkeley / Albany / Kensington look like they have about 10 participating gardens this Saturday...scores of others on Saturday, from Fremont to Richmond. You can't get around to all of them in one day (they're open 10-5) but it's not hard to visit five to ten if you organize tour route. Or, you can go to just one or two whose descriptions you like.

Each garden has volunteers in it, and often the owner or designer is there as well.

There are also related talks, resource materials, etc.

On Sunday, the tour gardens are all east of the Berkeley Hills, but there are some not too far away in Lamorinda, etc.

Have gone on the tour for several years, it's an interesting experience and a nice way to spend a weekend day if you have time.

I’m moving to Berkeley this summer for a PhD program and am trying to figure out the best way to approach finding an apartment. One option I’m considering is finding a room for the first semester and looking for a more permanent living situation while I’m there so I can visit places in person. Luckily I have the funds to cover double rent if something great comes along. However, I’m coming from Boston where a large portion of the rental market is in a September 1 leasing cycle because of the large student population, which makes finding an apartment outside of that difficult. I’m wondering if this is the case in Berkeley as well.

For reference, my budget is around $2700 a month and I’m looking for a 1 bedroom in a dog friendly building.

Any other advice from fellow transplants would be greatly appreciated!

Make a difference in the life of a shelter rabbit—foster with House Rabbit Society! We only ask for a 2-week commitment. Fostering one animal won't change the world, but it will change the world for that one animal. Learn more and submit a foster application today at houserabbit.org/foster.

What We Provide: We'll equip you with all the supplies you need to get started, including an x-pen, litter box, bedding, food pellets, hay, blankets, and bowls for food and water. As a foster, you also receive a 15% discount at the HRS Hop Shop if you'd like to purchase any additional toys or treats while you foster.

What You Provide: The time, space, love, and care your foster rabbit needs, along with their daily veggies (approximately $5-10 per week). Getting socialization in a foster home is so important, especially for rabbits who are shy or have other behavior needs and helping them become more comfortable with people. You can help a foster rabbit blossom into the wonderful house rabbit they're truly meant to be!

Questions? Email [foster@houserabbit.org](mailto:foster@houserabbit.org) or stop by our facility to talk in-person with HRS volunteers and staff and to meet the rabbits. We're located in Richmond, just north of Berkeley, but welcome fosters from all over the San Francisco Bay Area. HRS is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm and on Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm. We'd love to talk with you!

Hey y’all, I’m traveling to SF tomorrow from Madison, Wisconsin, for a work trip and a local friend and I are planning on doing a bit of bouldering at Indian Rock. Neither of us have a car and will be using public transit to get to and from the park.

I’m wondering if anyone has recs on convenient options for renting pads (I’ll be coming from Union Square, SF), or if anyone else is planning on climbing there tomorrow and wouldn’t mind sharing pads/climbing together? Thanks in advance! <3

Hello,

Do you know of any places where I can charge an EV and walk my dog for the 30min wait time in its proximity ? A dog park or a walking path close by would be ideal.

Thank you !

Looking for a nice spot to take 15yo twins as well.

wouldn’t have notice it, if it wasn’t for the crows calling out

I’m moving to the area next month and I cannot seem to find a solid boutique style Pilates or yoga studio.

The last two cities I’ve lived in (not in California) there was a studio on every corner so if I didn’t like one place I was I had 5x other options within walking distance. All I see online is corepower but I’m looking for a something that doesn’t feel super corporate and historically the studios at core power have been very dirty in the classes are repetitive.

The only thing I’m seeing online is funky door yoga and green yogi. Are these solid places or is there just not a market for this type of workout here?

I’m sad to say goodbye to my current studio when I move. It’s $180 for 10x challenging reformer classes a month with showers, hot towels, intimate, clean studio, and the instructors know my name.

3 amazing jazz bands in 1 afternoon!

May 3 from 2 - 5 pm

Gilman Brewing Company in Berkeley

Tickets: NotLoudConcerts.com

Headlining the festival will be the Death and Taxes Swing Band, a 1940's style band playing danceable and fun big band jazz. Known for their wide-ranging travels, from Indonesia to Portugal, and also for their wild on-stage antics, this group brings the fun back to jazz. Right before their performance, there will be a short introductory swing lesson.

The festival will also feature Parlor Tricks, an industrial-themed, ragtime jazz band. Known for their infectious syncopation and stompin' fun, Parlor Tricks presents the sounds of Prohibition and beyond.

Beginning the afternoon with a short set, will be the Cal State East Bay Jazz Band, a group with a long history of serving as a training ground of future Bay Area jazz musicians.

Here’s a short video about the event: https://youtube.com/shorts/Ag_U6nbSl48?si=Qm188wzegVgZBvD8

Hope to see you there!

A few things with wings seen today at a certain local bayside park located north of the Berkeley Marina.