Today’s Partner:

It’s the last weekend of May…

Where my grads at??

In this issue:

We vote next Tuesday
Lakeshore has a street fest
82,000 tickets and counting

- 8 minutes today.

P.S. And the winner is…

Congrats to Oaktown reader Isela!! You won a court rental for 6 from Pickle Athletics.

Thanks to everyone who entered last week.

Make sure to peep Pickle Athletics public events page. Next week, Temescal Brewery is stopping by to host a public tasting, because (surprise) Pickle’s got a bar.

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Elections

Oakland Primaries are June 2nd

Have you voted yet???

The California State Primaries are set for June 2nd, next Tuesday.

Normally, primaries are a bit of a snooze fest marked by low voter turnout.

But this year, WAKE UP… especially if you’re an Oakland voter.

This primary will determine several important issues for the city of Oakland including:

Alameda County District Attorney
Measure C - Business tax relief
Measure E - Additional parcel tax
Local judges and other ballot measures

Important upcoming dates:

May 30 - Most voting centers open
June 2 - Last day to vote. Prelim results by 8pm.

If you plan on voting by mail, as of now (5/28), it’s recommended to drop it off in a ballot drop box. You can find the nearest one here.

While Oaktown makes no endorsements, here’s a few popular voting guides and resources.

Do your part! Vote. It’s a privilege and regardless of how hot the Fed dumpster fire is burning — local elections matter. A lot.

Town Sponsor

Where to find Yoga in Oakland?

If you’re looking for:

Breathwork
Vinyasa
Beginner yoga
Restorative
Infant/Toddler Open Gym
Somatic Dance & Embodiment
Grief Club

…and so much more, then you gotta check out The Abundance Collective, a donation-based, female-owned wellness studio just off 40th and Broadway.

The Abundance Collective offers a full lineup of yoga and wellness classes each week in a welcoming environment fit for any level.

And this week, instructor Sarah is offering your Thursday evening Alignment Yoga class for FREE to any Oaktown reader. Just use the link below.

Grab your spot →

(Can’t make it tonight? Check out their full class schedule here. Or book your free class 6/11 with Sarah here. )

Your Weekend

Top 8 Events for this weekend

Your curated selection of events for the weekend.

All Weekend, May 28-31

See CATS at the Berkeley Playhouse
Take in some local theater this weekend with Cats at the Berkeley Playhouse. Guaranteed to be better than the one with Taylor Swift AND you’ll be supporting local theater. | Showtimes Friday through Sunday, Berkeley Playhouse, See Times →

Bay Area Book Festival
The two-day festival takes over downtown Berkeley this weekend with 250+ authors and 15 stages. The festival focuses on a variety of literary issues and topics with everything from Youthlit to democracy dialogues.

Events include:

Writers Workshops | Sunday, 11-5pm
Bookworm Block Party | Sunday, 11-5pm
Headline Speakers | Friday - Sunday, 5:30 & 7pm

You can see the full lineup of events here.

Berkeley be bookin’.

Thursday, May 28

Beauty & The Brew Drag Bingo
I’ve been to a drag bingo. I’ve been to Drake’s. Never have I been to a drag bingo at Drake’s. Tonight the two come together. Also props to the Drake’s events organizer, they’ve been busy lately. | Thursday doors @ 6:30pm, 2325 Broadway, See Details →

Friday, May 29

Bay Area Youth Market at Hotel California
Stop by to browse and support a variety of youth vendors and entrepreneurs. Then stay and enjoy live performances from youth across the Bay. Hosted by Storefront Market — an open-air market series founded by Fantastic Negrito. | Friday 4:30-8pm, 3501 San Pablo Ave., See Details →

Saturday, May 30

The Inaugural Lakeshore Spring Festival
It’s the FIRST one, and based on the description… it won’t be the last. Lakeshore Ave. is home to a ton of great local restaurants, bars, and businesses. Saturday they’re turning out for the Ave’s first street fair in 10+ years. This is an easy must go. | Saturday, 11-7pm, Lakeshore Ave., See Details →

Abracanasty Magic Show at Eli’s
Eli’s hosts comedian and magician Sean Francisco and 6 other performers for a night of magic and burlesque. Tix are $25, but the move is: upgrade to VIP for a private 2-top, bottle of wine or pitcher, and a charcuterie board. Sexy date night? Yup. | Saturday doors @ 8pm, 3629 MLK Jr. Way., See Tickets →

Oakland Roots Home Game
The Roots are back home this weekend playing against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. With a kickoff time of 5pm, it’s in the pocket for a, “I can bring my kids to this and not ruin tomorrow,” type of event. | Saturday @ 5pm, Oakland Coliseum, See Tickets →

Sunday 5/31

The Kids Are All Right fundraiser at 924 Gilman
Make the pilgrimage to a place of punk history at 924 Gilman this Sunday for a fundraiser supporting the Bay Area Girls Rock Camp. Hosted by Doll Fest. No pre-sale, gotta show up to get in. | Sunday @ 5pm, 924 Gilman St., See Details →

Town Radar

What’s happening in June?

Grab the calendar. Take notes.

1v1 Dance Battle at Drexl | Next Saturday, June 6
This just sounds fun. 1v1 open style dance battle with funk, disco, and 80s electro tunes. No cover and it’s totally cool just to watch. 8pm-midnight. | See Details →

BART Prom at Rockridge Station | Next Saturday, June 6
Prom? In a BART station? Somebody took the marketing intern’s suggestion too far. | See Details →

Pints for Paws | Next Saturday, June 6
Come drink beer for a good cause. Enjoy unlimited tastings from local craft brewers while you enjoy live music, games, and hang with 300+ dogs. Fun fact: This event has been voted the #1 fundraising event in the East Bay 6 years running. | Grab Tickets →

Want more June events? I know, I know. I’m working on a full lineup. Will share next week.

Top Tickets

What shows are coming to Oakland?

A look at the hot tickets coming to Oakland venues.

Juvenile at The Fox Theater
June 5 | See Tickets →
Ariana Grande at Oakland Arena
June 6, 9, 10 | See Tickets →
James Blake at Greek Theater
June 11 | See Tickets →
Bob Dylan at Greek Theater
June 13 & 14 | See Tickets →
DaBoyDame & Friends at The Fox Theater
June 19 | See Tickets →
[NEW] Dillstradamus at The Fox Theater
June 26 | See Tickets →
[NEW] Khalid at Greek Theater
June 26 | See Tickets →

Your East Bay Real Estate Digest

Prepared by Oaktown Partner, Martin Kojnok

OAKTOWN FAVORITE

3231 Wisconsin St, Oakland
3 Bed, 1 Bath | 1,542 sqft | $695,000

Oaktown’s Take: I’m a sucker for 2 things in houses: original wood paneling and unfinished basements. This house has both… and a 2-car garage. Is it a fixer? Maybe. Are the bones there? Most def.

View Listing →

7253 Sayre Dr, Oakland
3 Bed, 2 Bath | 1,666 sqft
$899,000

See More →

389 Belmont Street, 103, Oakland
1 Bed, 1 Bath | 900 sqft
$468,000

See More →

ASK A REALTOR

Q: “Who takes care of the sidewalk?”

A: In Oakland, the property owner is responsible for the sidewalk in front of their place — not the city. The city technically owns it, but keeping it safe and walkable is on you.

Repairs get triggered by:

Selling your place — sidewalk condition gets sorted between buyer and seller
Big renovations ($100k+) — major overhauls require the sidewalk to be up to code too
A city notice — from an inspection or a neighbor's 311 report

One thing working in your favor — if a city-owned street tree caused the damage, Oakland may chip in or cover the repair.

- Martin

Got a question about real estate in the Bay? Reply to this email with your question, we’ll get it answered by an actual expert AND maybe feature it (anonymously ofc).

Pet of the Week

Meet Zotzot from Piedmont.

He just feels regal, you know?

Favorite Place: Piedmont’s Ace Hardware
Favorite Chant: UCI’s anteater chant.

Much love Zotzot, RIP.

Want your pet to be a star? Hit reply, send me a photo, their name and their neighborhood. Cats welcome.