Hey all, my students have put a ton of work into developing this series of 6 events to be held at the MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline for the next 6 Saturdays. Free to attend! The events will be imaginative, educational, and make a tangible difference for the shoreline. More info here: https://linktr.ee/myceliumyouth

Thoughts on this? I've lived in Oakland for nearly two decades and would say the last 5 years have truly been the worst when it comes to all levels of crime, encampments full of drug addicts and people struggling with mental illness, trash, poorly maintained roads and parks, and perhaps worst of all, declining school performance, high taxes, high insurance costs, etc.

All of these issues need $$$ and resources to improve, yet our mayor and city council seems focused on continuing to spend our tax dollars on challenges like homeless and encampments even though the problem remains terrible and getting worse. I don't think I've heard our city leaders talk about focusing on our schools, parks, roads, etc.

For my entire life, i've voted to support raising taxes or investing tax dollars towards these initiatives. Things are only getting worse, and I will not support new measures trying to get more money from us citizens without any accountability measures in place for how the money is being spent and the results.

I'm convinced now we need to focus back to the basics for the people who live here - improve the schools, parks, roads, reduce crime. If the city needs more money to spend, then entice businesses to set up shop here. That is a win for everyone - less vacant storefronts, more tax revenue, more businesses servicing our communities. We should do this instead of just increasing the taxes every year or two on everyone who lives here or does business here.

I wish Barbara Lee was more of a change agent like Lurie. She is status quo.

Lurie's plan will likely make San Francisco an even better place to live (yes, if you can afford it). Unfortunately, this change in San Francisco is going to push more benefit seeking drug addicts and mental illness cases to Oakland.

I actually don’t mind these screens. I recognize that they can be a source of revenue, as well as a way for people to learn about events and find themselves if they are lost. However, don’t we have standards?

I recently moved to east oakland and I'm very happy to be here. I found a nice pocket

I wanted to post here to see if I could get an answer to understand what locals expect when it comes to USPS services and receiving packages in Oakland. Ive had two packages that keep getting flagged as the delivery location is not accessible from USPS

I know this is not the case and it's likely because USPS is behind on mail. Especially since I haven't received any new paper mail for 4 days already.

Ive read about the severe understaffing issues in this area.

Is mail almost always delayed? I understand it's a tough situation but I just wanted to know what I should expect for myself when ordering things. Or when I'm expecting mail while living out here. Also if any locals have any advice on how to navigate this situation that would be much appreciated!

I recently learned about some issues related to my rental situation. I was wondering if any of you had experience with something similar, or advice on which direction I should take. 

I currently rent the lower unit in a converted-house in Oakland, where I’ve been about 18 months. There is a single utility meter for the house (gas, electric and water). Before signing the lease, I was told by the landlord that the utilities are to be split 50/50 with the tenant who rents the unit above me. The landlord pays the utilities, and sends both of us a balance each month. This varies month-to-month but has averaged around $240.

I recently learned that this utility splitting arrangement is Illegal. I emailed a RAP counselor, and they confirmed that A) my unit is a rent-controlled unit, and B) that when multiple units are serviced by a single meter, then they need to either install separate units (basically impossible for our house), or pay the utilities and consider that when setting the initial rent. 

I have told my landlord this. I think he realizes that he messed up, and wants to come up with a solution. The landlord has suggested that we increase my rent by $200 to cover the utilities going forward. I understand that this seems fair, but it also seems like it might be an illegal rent increase since it’s above the maximum amount allowed by the RAP. I guess it depends on if the variable rent payments counted towards my total rent or not. 

My options I’ve thought about are:

1. Accept a $200/month increase in rent and ignore the fact that it might be an illegal rent increase. This keeps the peace with the landlord.
2. Tell the landlord I’ll accept a $200/month increase temporarily, but that I’ll file a petition with RAP to have them rule on whether it was an allowed increase or not.
3. Tell the landlord that I feel that it would be an illegal rent increase, and say I only want to pay my rent going forward, and that he can file a petition with RAP to increase my rent to compensate for the utilities (from the research I’ve done, he would likely lose this).
4. Tell the landlord that I’ll keep paying utilities as I have been with the agreed split, and that I’ll file a petition with RAP to have them rule on the arrangement. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on what I should do? I’m planning to move sometime the next year so it’s not like I’m making an arrangement that will affect things long-term, but I also don’t want to be totally screwing myself either. I’m okay paying the $200/month increase, but also it seems like fixing one illegal situation with another. What should I do?

TLDR; Landlord has been charging me utilities with an illegal setup. How do we figure out an arrangement going forward? 

New details are still coming out, but this house went from smoking to fully engulfed so quickly and they seemed to get it under control before it spread. You can see a couple of them on the roof of the house next door in one of the photos.

Might want to keep your windows closed if you're anywhere near 23rd/22nd.​

edit for clarity — anywhere near the intersection of 23rd ave and 22nd ave.

2008 Honda CRV desperately in need of oil change, potentially out. Any recommendations on a same day mobile mechanic in Oakland?

If exit interviews are to be believed, it's not the pay.

There's always the question how candid people are in exit interviews.

Don't know what percentage of departing officers agreed to be interviewed.

And some residents would want cops to leave if they didn't like heavy discipline or oversight.

March 2026 summarized reasons listed:

1 Heavy discipline

2 Commute

3 Negotiated Settlement Agreement (NSA) oversight

The latest report that includes the exit-interview themes is the March 9, 2026 OPD Staffing Report, presented to the Public Safety Committee on March 24, 2026.

Direct PDF:

https://www.mercurynews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/030926-OPD-Staffing-Report-March-2026.pdf

City meeting item (file 26-0503):

https://oakland.granicusideas.com/meetings/8881-star-public-safety-committee-on-2026-03-24-6-00-pm/agenda_items/69b3690c7d7965370600c3fd-4-26-0503-subject-opd-staffing-report-from

You can also find it by searching “OPD Staffing Report” on oakland.legistar.com

In Oakland

My front bumper has had too many bumps and is popping off. Looking for a shop that'll Macgyver it into place for me. I can't replace it and it'll cost 1/3 of the price of the car anyhow. Thanks!

Hi, we applied for a permit to do a deck/kitchen remodel and had to pay for a tree permit to finish the planning process. When I asked the planning department what the next step was for the tree permit, they said an arborist would be in touch eventually. That was a month ago and I have no idea when this might happen or who to ask. Anyone have a clue? Thanks

Thanks so much for the quick response to the truck fire in Dimond District last night! You folks were there in seconds, and likely prevented a lot of further damage to the neighborhood. Really appreciate it.

Just wanted to make sure people saw where to report illegal dumping. Barbara Lee shared on her instagram https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcmgGpvvrag/?igsi=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

Email your pictures to stopdumping@oaklandca.gov

On Sunday, September 6, we're co-hosting a BART Speedrun in direct coordination with BART, bringing riders together for an attempt to travel through all 50 BART stations in a single coordinated trip.

This year’s event is especially significant because we are aiming to break the all-time record set last year, when 70 riders participated in what BART described as the largest group known to have speedrun a transit agency.

We are working directly with BART on the event, and BART representatives are also expected to attend and speak to participants. The event will bring together transit advocates, students, BART staff and representatives, and members of the broader Bay Area community.

The speedrun will cover all 50 BART stations and 131 miles of track, beginning at Berryessa/North San José. Participants can complete the entire route or join for a portion of the journey. We hope to see ya'll there!

Event Details
Sunday, September 6
Berryessa/North San José BART Station
Departure: 10:37 AM
RSVP: luma.com/b3ke0kmi

BART’s official announcement:
https://www.bart.gov/news/articles/2026/news20260825-0