East Bay Yesterday
@eastbayyesterday
Local history podcast, tours, events, and even a puzzle. #oakland
Going to this place feels like being in one of those ‘80s movies where a kid finds a magic book and gets sucked into a fantasy world... www.youtube.com/shorts/S5NR_...
Why didn't anyone tell me that A View to a Kill is about a deranged Christopher Walken trying to destroy Silicon Valley? Not a great film, but I give it 4 stars because "evil blimp guy vs. techies" is a hilarious plot
From Jim Crow to Oscar Grant: Walter Riley shares lessons from a lifetime of organizing pod.link/1158506231/e...
I try not to get too nostalgic but hearing stories about how unsupervised kids were allowed to roam the Berkeley pier all day makes me sad places like this no longer exist...
13 East Bay churches are closing – what will happen to the property? I looked at the options, ranging from senior housing to rooftop jacuzzis and goth yoga...
Riles supported affordable housing, funding for school programs, defeated a private detention facility from being set up in Oakland, and was a leader in the anti-apartheid movement. You can read more about his legacy here localwiki.org/oakland/Wils...
Wilson Riles, Oakland police commissioner and former council member, passed away last night, according to his family #RestInPeace
My new podcast is all about two pioneers of psychedelic therapy - Sasha and Ann Shulgin. Listen to the episode to hear why the DEA hated their romantic memoir... eastbayyesterday.com/episodes/no-...
You know you're getting old when you see parties you went to in your 20s getting mentioned in a grad school thesis paper
Rest in peace to the great Oakland artist and muralist Dan Fontes localwiki.org/oakland/Dan_...
This is the most Ferris Bueller thing I've ever said in an interview bayareacurrent.com/unseen-worke...
I wrote about a book that's saving me from doomscroll despair... eastbayyesterday.substack.com/p/bad-boys-a...
Fortunately @oaklandfireca.bsky.social was on the scene quickly, or this would've been much worse
I'm taking a little break from history stuff to play some of my favorite records at Bar Shiru in Oakland tomorrow - come grab a drink and say hi!
This is the first photo show I've ever curated! Come to the opening party in Oakland Chinatown on April 3 www.ebpco.org/calendar/ope...
In Defense of Nostalgia eastbayyesterday.substack.com/p/in-defense...
I’m DJing in downtown Oakland tomorrow - come grab a drink and say hi!
If you want to see a statue of Oakland's official bird, the black-crowned night heron, constructed out of Lake Merritt garbage, check out the new "Museum of Trash" eastbayyesterday.substack.com/p/this-museu...
If you want to see more, I'll be posting a whole article on my Substack this week eastbayyesterday.substack.com
In preparation for the relaunch of Henry J Kaiser Center (formerly known as Oakland Auditorium), I went digging through archives at @oaklibrary.bsky.social - here are a few flyers from the past century of events!
Calling all photographers! If you want to submit to this show I'm co-curating, you've got 2 weeks... www.ebpco.org/btseastbay
Come to @oaklibrary.bsky.social and be a part of preserving local history!
“That’s where my power came from”: Betty Reid Soskin's century of chaos and hope pod.link/1158506231/e...
My first event of 2026 will be a celebration of PUNK history!
What do these vintage aerial photographs reveal about the Bay Area’s ongoing transformation? Come find out... www.eventbrite.com/e/east-bay-y...
May you rest in peace, Betty Reid Soskin. Your long, beautiful life will always be an inspiration. 1921-2025
In tomorrow's newsletter: 2026 tour dates, an event announcement, and an unsanctioned trip to one of Oakland's most endangered properties. Subscribe (free) here: eastbayyesterday.substack.com