East Bay real estate

East Bay real estate

Typically I avoid telling people where I'm from. Especially now that I live on the West Coast, the perception of the Hamptons is so different from my childhood and young adult experience that I'd rather just tell people I'm from Long Island than explain the reality of growing up in an area notorious for its status as a playground for the rich and famous with sky-high real estate prices and club entry fees in the hundreds of dollars.

Work is finally underway to remove telephone poles from the center of the sidewalk-level bike lane on Fruitvale Avenue, which runs from the Fruitvale BART station to Jingletown and the estuary. "The work should be done on Monday," said a uniformed AT&T worker at the intersection of Fruitvale and San Leandro. That means cutting down the old pole and filling the hole it leaves behind. As seen in the lead image, the new pole is already installed and the wires have been moved over.

A longtime Berkeley developer says he wants to build housing at the former site of Oxford Elementary School, after the Berkeley school district accepted his $3 million bid to buy the property last week. Patrick Kennedy, owner of the development firm Panoramic Interests, was the only person to bid on the former school site at 1130 Oxford St. during an auction at the school board meeting Wednesday.

At its height, Church for Today founded in 1957 by theologian, educator, and music promoter the Rev. William Hazaiah Williams, Jr. was a sonically vibrant, multiracial hub in Northwest Berkeley. The church's long-running concert series showcased Black opera stars and classical musicians. In the 1970s, a young Barbara Lee, now mayor of Oakland, had a spiritual and ethical awakening in its pews. Later, in the 1990s, church leaders were charged with fraudulently using money taken in for the concert series toward personal expenses.

"I'm not anti-car, I'm anti-speed," explained Oakland DOT director Josh Rowan, at a SPUR talk Tuesday in Rockridge. The key, he said, to making a city inviting all comes down to how it feels to walk around, and it's a big deterrent when people don't feel safe crossing the street. "We have challenges in Oakland with reckless drivers, speeding... how do we scrub some of that speed off?"

I'm thrilled that Flying Horse Investments is bringing new life to these central storefronts. This deal, along with the dedicated work of our Office of Economic Development and the Downtown Berkeley Business District, will help revitalize our downtown and draw people back to the heart of Berkeley.

The much-needed housing, which will be named in honor of disability rights activist Judith Heumann, is expected to be up and running by the start of the 2027-28 school year, university spokesperson Kyle Gibson said. What was once a green 2.8-acre lot known for being a hub for political activism and gathering place for unsheltered residents now features an 11-story concrete structure currently being wrapped with a prefabricated facade.

A vacant former youth center in East San Jose has been demolished more than a month after a fire halted plans for its restoration. Excavators knocked down what remained of the Mexican American Community Services Agency ( MACSA) building Saturday, breaking the hearts of community advocates who fought to save it. Trustees with the Alum Rock Union School District, which owns the property, previously approved demolishing the building in an emergency vote after the fire, pending a structural report on the damage.

3662 Rimini Lane Google Street View A spacious condominium in the 3600 block of Rimini Lane in Dublin has new owners. The 2,114-square-foot unit, built in 2007, was sold on Aug. 4, 2025 for $1,075,000, or $509 per square foot. This condominium has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Additionally, the condo features two parking spots, offering designated areas for parking two vehicles.

Under the mystifying label " Corridors Zoning Update," the City of Berkeley is proposing to upzone three low-rise, low-density neighborhood shopping streets-College (the Elmwood), North Shattuck, and Solano Avenues-for mostly market-rate housing. Paired with California's State Density Bonus law, the CZU would allow up to eight stories on College, 11 stories on Solano, and 12 stories on North Shattuck. The plan has four announced goals: Expand housing capacity Support local businesses Foster equity and inclusion Promote sustainability

The Soho Society argued the casino would "represent a massive intensification of gambling and alcohol-led activity" and would encourage increased crime and anti-social behaviour. Mr Axelby dismissed these concerns, saying drinks were not expected to account for more than 7% of revenue. "At the heart of the scheme is a robust operational management plan which addresses matters such as dispersal, noise and smoking so the venue operates smoothly and respectfully," he added.

With financial assistance provided by the city, Cielo Supermarket will come to Highland Square Shopping Center next summer in an effort to provide relief to nearby residents who have been left without a neighborhood grocery store since 2019. The family-owned business is expected to occupy about half of the 58,000-square-foot commercial space that has been vacant for the past six years since the closure of Food Source.