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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">How We Get By\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">full series here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent Saturday afternoon, people moved shoulder to shoulder through a small shop in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-oakland\">East Oakland\u003c/a>, pausing at tables, lifting objects, and deciding what to take with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The space resembled a grandmother’s attic, crowded with mismatched objects: glassware stacked beside old electronics, knitted hats next to typewriters and rotary phones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One elementary school-aged girl gripped a lock-and-key set, turning it over in her hands as if testing its purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I guess I could put it on my suitcase,” she said. When asked who wouldn’t be allowed to open it, she didn’t hesitate: “Anybody!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moments later, she walked out of the store without paying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s how it works here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071057\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boxes filled with donated art supplies line the sidewalk outside Free Oakland UP in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026 \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a city grappling with rising costs and displacement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/freeoaklandup/\">Free Oakland UP\u003c/a> offers a hybrid model of mutual aid and art: a storefront where goods circulate freely, customers pay what they can and community interaction is as central as the items themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ‘UP’ stands for Utopian Project,” said Jocelyn Meggait, an artist and the founder of Free Oakland UP. “Wouldn’t it be great if everything was free — your housing, your medical, everything?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>From art experiment to Oakland storefront\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The store reflects Meggait’s background as a social practice artist — someone who builds experiences rather than physical art pieces. The idea first took shape nearly 15 years ago, when she was pursuing her Master of Fine Arts at Mills College in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I did start it out as a response to the economy,” she said. “After the crash in 2008, everyone was freaking out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071058\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jocelyn Meggait, the creator of Free Oakland UP, poses inside the store where donated items are sorted and future art projects are developed in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For her master’s thesis, she created a “free pile” inside the school’s art museum — a curated installation where visitors could take one item, no more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I liked the idea of it being in a gallery or museum where you’re not allowed to touch anything,” she said, “let alone take something for free.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That one-item limit was intentional. It forced visitors to weigh their choices and needs — whether they wanted to walk away with a piece of art or a mug. For Meggait, the project extends beyond that single choice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071055\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071055\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_002-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_002-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_002-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_002-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An ongoing project by artist Jocelyn Meggait, the creator of Free Oakland UP, hangs inside the space in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s about the economy, and it’s about the environment — keeping stuff out of the landfill, reusing, upcycling, the whole circular economy of it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After graduate school, Meggait expanded the concept into pop-ups across California, bringing the free-store model to places like Lake Tahoe and Venice Beach. In 2014, she settled on a permanent storefront in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I found it, I was so excited,” she said. “The neighborhood is great because [this area] needs something to get the community out and get people talking to each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A third space in a city under pressure\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Free Oakland UP sits in a quiet strip mall near an ice cream shop, an auto repair shop and a bodega. Meggait’s operation runs on small donations from customers, arts grants and plant sales, but she said it’s been hard to maintain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The business model has changed just because I’ve had to adapt to paying rent and my rent has just been raised,” she said, adding that now the shop is open an extra day in order to afford the rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071056\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071056\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacques Lafontant, a frequent patron of Free Oakland UP and Oakland resident, holds a copy of his favorite book, “The Story of the Exposition,” inside the store in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Oakland has faced a deepening affordability crisis for years, with its unhoused population \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/The-Unhoused-Community/Homelessness-and-Encampment-Response/Oaklands-Response-to-Homelessness#:~:text=@oaklandca.gov.-,Our%20Response,more%20people%20in%20their%20homes.\">doubling over the past decade\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://ccrl.stanford.edu/publications/residential-and-neighborhood-instability-in-oakland\">2021 Stanford report\u003c/a> found that East Oakland experiences some of the highest levels of financial instability and disinvestment in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Free Oakland UP stands out — a quirky, kooky, joyful space where people can find objects and community.[aside postID=news_12041474 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241010-RISEEASTDEEPDOWN-43-BL-KQED-1020x680.jpg']“It’s like an intersection between three or four different neighborhoods,” said Jacques Lafontant, a longtime Oakland resident. “People from different communities and socioeconomic environments come here and mix.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What draws people in may be the objects, but what lingers is something less tangible — the conversations that form around them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[I asked] someone last week …‘what are you going to do with those 20 Pez dispensers?’” said Angie Fryer, who lives two blocks away. “That’s not a conversation you’re going to strike up at the grocery store line.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what keeps the space alive isn’t just money — it’s movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deborah Campbell regularly donates items to the store and picks up materials to bring to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.creativegrowth.org/\">Creative Growth Art Center\u003c/a>, where adults with developmental disabilities make and sell artwork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish there was more of this going on,” she said. “I think this activates a community spirit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others come with no specific purpose at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For window shopping,” said Niem Nguyen, who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years. “Just for fun and for a happy day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_008-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_008-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_008-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_008-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A repurposed filing cabinet holds old circuit boards at Free Oakland UP in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Over time, Meggait has become a central figure within that ecosystem — a shopkeeper, a therapist, a confidant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you come in here, you realize she knows everybody,” Fryer said. “And if it’s their first visit, she knows that too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meggait sees that role a little differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hear people’s stories and their secrets,” she said. “I’m like somebody’s grandma. You can tell Grandma anything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071061\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071061\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_012-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_012-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_012-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_012-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A customer places a doll into a box of vintage handmade dolls inside Free Oakland UP in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>More than a decade after opening the storefront, Meggait said the concept still surprises people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I first opened, my customers thought I was insane,” she said. “My family up in Canada thinks I’m insane.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, she said, “I’m still here, so it seems to be working.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a city where scarcity can define daily choices, Free Oakland UP offers a different framework — one rooted in a free exchange of goods and the added bonus of community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">How We Get By\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">full series here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On a recent Saturday afternoon, people moved shoulder to shoulder through a small shop in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/east-oakland\">East Oakland\u003c/a>, pausing at tables, lifting objects, and deciding what to take with them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The space resembled a grandmother’s attic, crowded with mismatched objects: glassware stacked beside old electronics, knitted hats next to typewriters and rotary phones.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One elementary school-aged girl gripped a lock-and-key set, turning it over in her hands as if testing its purpose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I guess I could put it on my suitcase,” she said. When asked who wouldn’t be allowed to open it, she didn’t hesitate: “Anybody!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Moments later, she walked out of the store without paying.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s how it works here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071057\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071057\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Boxes filled with donated art supplies line the sidewalk outside Free Oakland UP in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026 \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In a city grappling with rising costs and displacement, \u003ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/freeoaklandup/\">Free Oakland UP\u003c/a> offers a hybrid model of mutual aid and art: a storefront where goods circulate freely, customers pay what they can and community interaction is as central as the items themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The ‘UP’ stands for Utopian Project,” said Jocelyn Meggait, an artist and the founder of Free Oakland UP. “Wouldn’t it be great if everything was free — your housing, your medical, everything?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>From art experiment to Oakland storefront\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The store reflects Meggait’s background as a social practice artist — someone who builds experiences rather than physical art pieces. The idea first took shape nearly 15 years ago, when she was pursuing her Master of Fine Arts at Mills College in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I did start it out as a response to the economy,” she said. “After the crash in 2008, everyone was freaking out.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071058\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071058\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_007-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_007-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_007-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_007-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jocelyn Meggait, the creator of Free Oakland UP, poses inside the store where donated items are sorted and future art projects are developed in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For her master’s thesis, she created a “free pile” inside the school’s art museum — a curated installation where visitors could take one item, no more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I liked the idea of it being in a gallery or museum where you’re not allowed to touch anything,” she said, “let alone take something for free.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That one-item limit was intentional. It forced visitors to weigh their choices and needs — whether they wanted to walk away with a piece of art or a mug. For Meggait, the project extends beyond that single choice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071055\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071055\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_002-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_002-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_002-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_002-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An ongoing project by artist Jocelyn Meggait, the creator of Free Oakland UP, hangs inside the space in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s about the economy, and it’s about the environment — keeping stuff out of the landfill, reusing, upcycling, the whole circular economy of it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After graduate school, Meggait expanded the concept into pop-ups across California, bringing the free-store model to places like Lake Tahoe and Venice Beach. In 2014, she settled on a permanent storefront in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I found it, I was so excited,” she said. “The neighborhood is great because [this area] needs something to get the community out and get people talking to each other.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A third space in a city under pressure\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Free Oakland UP sits in a quiet strip mall near an ice cream shop, an auto repair shop and a bodega. Meggait’s operation runs on small donations from customers, arts grants and plant sales, but she said it’s been hard to maintain.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The business model has changed just because I’ve had to adapt to paying rent and my rent has just been raised,” she said, adding that now the shop is open an extra day in order to afford the rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071056\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071056\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_004-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_004-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_004-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_004-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jacques Lafontant, a frequent patron of Free Oakland UP and Oakland resident, holds a copy of his favorite book, “The Story of the Exposition,” inside the store in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Oakland has faced a deepening affordability crisis for years, with its unhoused population \u003ca href=\"https://www.oaklandca.gov/Community/The-Unhoused-Community/Homelessness-and-Encampment-Response/Oaklands-Response-to-Homelessness#:~:text=@oaklandca.gov.-,Our%20Response,more%20people%20in%20their%20homes.\">doubling over the past decade\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://ccrl.stanford.edu/publications/residential-and-neighborhood-instability-in-oakland\">2021 Stanford report\u003c/a> found that East Oakland experiences some of the highest levels of financial instability and disinvestment in the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Here, Free Oakland UP stands out — a quirky, kooky, joyful space where people can find objects and community.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It’s like an intersection between three or four different neighborhoods,” said Jacques Lafontant, a longtime Oakland resident. “People from different communities and socioeconomic environments come here and mix.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What draws people in may be the objects, but what lingers is something less tangible — the conversations that form around them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[I asked] someone last week …‘what are you going to do with those 20 Pez dispensers?’” said Angie Fryer, who lives two blocks away. “That’s not a conversation you’re going to strike up at the grocery store line.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But what keeps the space alive isn’t just money — it’s movement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Deborah Campbell regularly donates items to the store and picks up materials to bring to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.creativegrowth.org/\">Creative Growth Art Center\u003c/a>, where adults with developmental disabilities make and sell artwork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish there was more of this going on,” she said. “I think this activates a community spirit.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others come with no specific purpose at all.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For window shopping,” said Niem Nguyen, who has lived in the neighborhood for 25 years. “Just for fun and for a happy day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071059\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071059\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_008-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_008-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_008-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_008-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A repurposed filing cabinet holds old circuit boards at Free Oakland UP in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Over time, Meggait has become a central figure within that ecosystem — a shopkeeper, a therapist, a confidant.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you come in here, you realize she knows everybody,” Fryer said. “And if it’s their first visit, she knows that too.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meggait sees that role a little differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I hear people’s stories and their secrets,” she said. “I’m like somebody’s grandma. You can tell Grandma anything.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12071061\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12071061\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_012-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_012-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_012-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/012426_FREEOAKLANDUP_GH_012-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A customer places a doll into a box of vintage handmade dolls inside Free Oakland UP in Oakland on Jan. 24, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>More than a decade after opening the storefront, Meggait said the concept still surprises people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I first opened, my customers thought I was insane,” she said. “My family up in Canada thinks I’m insane.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, she said, “I’m still here, so it seems to be working.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a city where scarcity can define daily choices, Free Oakland UP offers a different framework — one rooted in a free exchange of goods and the added bonus of community.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "cambrian-park-plaza-a-beloved-san-jose-strip-mall-awaits-a-new-future",
"title": "Cambrian Park Plaza, A Beloved San José Strip Mall, Awaits a New Future",
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"headTitle": "Cambrian Park Plaza, A Beloved San José Strip Mall, Awaits a New Future | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first thing a lot of people notice about Cambrian Park Plaza on the west side of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> is the sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s big; it’s yellow; and it has a carousel on top, complete with playful figures encircling the outside. At one point, the carousel actually rotated — but like many things in this shopping plaza — it has seen better days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plaza itself is low slung with a massive parking lot that is often empty. Storefronts are made of brick and nestle under a covered walkway. It’s not your average strip mall with a big grocery store at the center and smaller chains flanking it. Instead, there’s a bit more charm. Shops are clustered around little courtyards with white picket fences, picnic benches and trees. Some stores have window boxes with flowers. There are roses and palm trees. It’s quaint, but faded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has a circus slash English garden theme, cottage theme,” Connie Young said. “I was like, ‘This seems like an interesting place, and a place that has a lot of history.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young was visiting Cambrian Park to volunteer at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ibokrescue.org/info/display?PageID=21948\">Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Cafe\u003c/a>, a pet adoption organization located in the plaza. She was surprised to see many nostalgic memories of the place online. She wanted to learn more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A covered walkway lined with storefronts stretches through Cambrian Park Plaza on April 7, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There seem to be a lot of people who are mourning the loss of Cambrian Park Plaza, a 1950s era strip mall in San José that is set to be demolished for housing and retail space,” she wrote in to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a>. “What’s the history of that place?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Valley of Heart’s Delight\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Cambrian Park neighborhood represents the quintessential story of San José development. For a long time, San José was small, an agricultural center for the many orchards and farms nearby. But after World War II, the Defense industry was booming and more people were moving to the area for jobs. The city manager at the time, Dutch Hammond, wanted to create the Los Angeles of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Largely what got developed here was track housing, which was very cheap to build,” said Michael Brillot, a retired San José city planner. “You just knock down the cherry orchard or the apricot and prune orchard, and you plop in houses like you build Model T Fords on an assembly line, except the workers move as opposed to the product.”[aside postID=news_12077572 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-ALMADENQUICKSILVER00034_TV-KQED.jpg'] The push was to develop outwards from San José’s core and to build enough housing to supply the workforce to places like Sunnyvale and Cupertino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Cambrian Park neighborhood — and its shopping mall — was part of that history. A large landowner named Paul Schaeffer owned the orchards that became Cambrian Park. He decided to tear out the trees and build houses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He recognized people need to buy stuff,” said Peter Clarke, a Cambrian Park resident and member of the Friends of Cambrian Park group. “They need a post office and a grocery store. So he assembled this particular plaza as the only real center in this area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, many families only had one car. It was common for the breadwinner to drive north to work while the other parent stayed home with the children. During its heyday, Cambrian Park Plaza had everything families needed within walking distance of their home — a grocery store, a hardware store, clothing stores, a post office, a bowling alley, even doctors’ and dentists’ offices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was the downtown,” said Bob Burres, another local resident. “There is no ‘main street’ in the Cambrian Park area. This was it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A slow decline\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>That remained true for decades, but over time, the plaza began to fade and social patterns changed. People drove more and further for things, making the plaza less central to their needs. The Schaeffer family retained ownership of the plaza \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2022/08/05/structures-cambrian-timeline.html\">until 2015\u003c/a>. Peter Clarke guesses that it was passive income for owner Paul Schaeffer and his wife in their later years. But when they died, their children sold the plaza to a developer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When it was bought, and people said, ‘We’re going to redevelop it,’ we were in favor,” Peter Clarke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079113\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079113\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Cambrian Park Plaza sign, built in 1953 with the shopping center, features a rotating carousel and received historic status in 2016, on April 7, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Many Cambrian Park residents were ready for an updated space that might once again be the center of community life. The Friends of Cambrian Park group stayed involved as the developer, Texas-based Weingarten Realty, proposed various uses for the property. But residents did not like early proposals that resembled more traditional strip malls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The community was very clear,” Clarke said. “They wanted to see a place that was a location that people would come to linger at, that had sit-down dining. They didn’t want more fast food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They wanted something like \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepruneyard.com/\">The Pruneyard\u003c/a> in Campbell or the Los Gatos’ downtown, two locations residents currently go to for entertainment and dining.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>An iterative process\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2022/08/05/structures-cambrian-timeline.html\">Over many years,\u003c/a> after lots of city planning meetings featuring \u003cem>some\u003c/em> yelling, there’s finally a proposal on the table that many residents can get behind. It was approved by the city council in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new development would include underground parking, retail with apartments built above, a central plaza, a hotel, an assisted living facility, 48 single-family homes and 25 townhouses.[aside postID=news_12078615 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00242_TV-KQED.jpg'] But four years later and nothing has been built yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The plan that you can look through on the city’s website is not economically feasible to build,” said Kelly Snider, a professor at San José State University and a development consultant. “There’s just a lot going on in a very small parcel. It’s a little bit of a Frankenstein.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said no one developer specializes in all those various uses. On top of that, very few big projects like this are moving forward anywhere in the Bay Area. The economics just don’t work out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Interest rates are high, construction materials and labor are expensive and people’s work and consumer habits have changed. Brick-and-mortar retail stores have a lot of competition online. There’s fewer business travelers in San José. More people are working remotely, so office spaces sit empty.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Will the Cambrian Park project ever get built?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“I think that the interest rates, at some point, [will] come down,” Brilliot said. “And I think some projects will come back. But I think it’s gonna be slower, more flat growth. And because of that, I don’t think you’re gonna see a massive amount of development like you did in the dot-com boom when things were just going crazy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For their part, Bob Burres and Peter Clarke are waiting nervously to see how it all turns out. They know that of all the elements in the approved plan, the single-family homes and townhouses will be the easiest for the developer to recoup investment. After all, housing is always in demand in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079109\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red roses rise above a white picket fence in a garden at Cambrian Park Plaza on April 7, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Once you put up housing on any piece of commercial land, it’s never going to be commercial again,” Peter Clarke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if that happens, the neighbors’ dream of a central gathering spot — like the Pruneyard — will never come to be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The permit for the current \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/planning-building-code-enforcement/planning-division/major-development-projects/cambrian-park-plaza-signature-project\">Cambrian Park Signature Project\u003c/a> will expire in 2028. But the developer recently applied to alter the permit so they can build the housing part of the plan first and extend the permit up to 4 years in the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city is currently reviewing the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>*An earlier version of this article called this project the “Cambrian Park Urban Village” when in fact its official name is “Cambrian Park Signature Project.” A Signature Project is one element of a larger urban village area. We regret the error.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">\u003c/a>Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes questions come from the most random places.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I volunteer for a San José-based kitten rescue and it’s called Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Cafe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Connie Young, from Mountain View.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So we have adoptable foster kittens that come every weekend. And there’s two playrooms. And you can book a 50-minute slot.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The kitten cafe where she volunteers is located in Cambrian Park Plaza on the west side of San José.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So I went there to volunteer and I saw that plaza and it was kind of different than the other strip mall plazas in the area. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cambrian Park Plaza isn’t one long flat fronted building like a typical strip mall. It was built to mimic the experience of a town’s main street, so the facade turns often, creating little plazas with white picket fences and brickwork. There are window boxes and roses.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has kind of like a circus slash like English garden theme, cottage theme.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Circus because one of the defining features of this plaza is a huge yellow sign with a carousel on top. The figures \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">used\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to rotate, although like many things in this plaza, it has seen better days.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was like, this seems like an interesting place and a place that has a lot of history. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This shopping mall is slated for redevelopment, and Connie wants to know more about its history and what it could become. Connie also noticed that online many people have shared fond memories of this plaza’s heyday in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Let’s hear a few…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jaime Portillo: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I remember driving by Cambrian Plaza and seeing the carousel from when we first arrived in San José.\u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was always a grocery store there when I was a little kid. So we’d walk up to the grocery store to do our shopping for the day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jaime Portillo: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was a go-to. I mean, you could do everything there. You could go to a delicatessen and get your meats and cheeses, \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There was Ben Franklin, which was the coolest store on the face of the planet. It was like a dime store and you could get anything there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Janet Gillis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were hardware stores there. There were pet shops, as I said, the clothing stores, very lot of practical things that, you know, people would need.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jaime Portillo: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And it was in walking distance.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The minute I think of the smell of bubblegum ice cream, which for a four-year-old that was like Nirvana, I picture myself inside that ice cream parlor. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jaime Portillo: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I remember going to the bowling alley. We used to go there a lot during high school and hang out with the other teenagers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To this day remember the sound of the pins hitting the the back wall and the balls striking and people laughing and having a good time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Janet Gillis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We’d go down in a little group of you know five or six or eight kids and be back before dinner. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were so many things that, that as a kid, it made my life feel a little bit bigger and richer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those were nearby residents Jaime Portillo, Carolyn Robinson and Janet Gillis sharing their memories.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bay Curious editor and producer Katrina Schwartz headed to San José to find out more about the fate of Cambrian Park Plaza. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first Cambrian Park neighbors I meet are characters…they’ve been attending city meetings and organizing their neighbors to influence what gets built here for years. And they aren’t shy about some of the tactics they used..\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I’m the guy who kicked over the apple cart, repeatedly. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Bob Burres — a proud instigator. His friend and neighbor, Peter Clarke, has a different approach he says…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He’s nice, he’s polite, he’s a proper English gentleman.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am the Brit, which is the funny accent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bob and Peter like this neighborhood for its views of the mountains and quiet, neighborly charm. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This area was originally all farmland. Then the farmers decided they could make more money by essentially selling up and having housing developed on the periphery. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The guy who owned all the land that became the neighborhood of Cambrian Park was named Paul Schaeffer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But then he recognized, you know, people need to buy stuff.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This area was the heart of Cambrian Park. This was the downtown. There is no main street in Cambrian park area. This was it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Peter and Bob are showing me around it’s clear this mall is no longer the heart of the neighborhood. But the neighbors hope it could be again. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you go through you see there’s numerous little plazas and sitting spaces all around.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plaza has a faded quality. We walk down the outside of the building, which has covered walkways that protect us from the rain that’s falling. Many storefronts are empty and I hear just as much about what it \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">used to be\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as what it is now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This used to be the Cambrian Post office for years.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That used to be a Mexican restaurant, but closed down.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The things that are left… a boxing gym, a pet adoption agency, a store for kids baseball gear…are on short term leases. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can’t put a lot of investment into a retail space for a six month lease.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peter and Bob have both lived in Cambrian Park for 30 years… but even back in the late 80s and early 90s the plaza was already in slow decline. The Schaeffer family owned it for most of its existence, but stopped keeping it up in later years. When Paul Schaffer and his wife died, their children sold it to a developer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it was bought and people said we’re going to redevelop it, we were in favor.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peter and Bob are part of a group called the Friends of Cambrian Park Plaza. They’ve been pushing the city and developers to create a vibrant place to live, shop and gather.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> We have hopes that something beautiful will come out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They look to a place like The Pruneyard in Campbell as their model. It’s got local businesses alongside chains..and is a pleasant place to hang out.We’ll dig into the details of what could be built here and explore why achieving that vision could be a tough sell in San José right now. All that, coming up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SPONSOR MESSAGE\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Almost a million people live in San José. It’s the largest city in Northern California, but its development hasn’t followed the pattern of a typical big city. That’s why despite being dubbed the Heart of Silicon Valley…many people think a more apt term would be “the bedroom” of Silicon Valley. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you look at San José, it very much feels like you’re in the San Fernando Valley or somewhere in Los Angeles, not the old urban part, but the more auto suburban track housing part of LA. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michel Brilliot worked for the city of San José for 27 years…retiring as the deputy director of long range projects. He says the sprawling, residential character of the city can be traced back to one man\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michalel Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dutch Hammond. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like Cambrian Park, the rest of San José was mostly agricultural. Before Dutch Hammond came along, there were fruit trees as far as the eye could see. But after World War II, the defense industry was booming and Hammond understood its workers needed somewhere to live. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Largely what got developed here was track housing which was very cheap to build you just knock down the cherry orchard or the apricot and prune orchard and you just you plop in houses like you build model t fords on an assembly line except the workers move as opposed to the product.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Cambrian Park neighborhood was part of this era…built in the late 1950s. The homes are largely ranch style with yards and garages. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People historically would have a family and settle down and work and they would drive north for their job in what became and is now Silicon Valley. And that to a large extent has not changed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem with that, Michael says, is that running a city that is mostly residential, with few big businesses, is expensive. Residents want services.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They want code enforcement to deal with the RV that someone’s living in down the street or parks and maintaining the parks and they want libraries and. So they want all these things which cost money. Businesses generally don’t want as much services from the city.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As early as the 1970s, San José city leaders realized it needed a better balance of businesses and homes. The goal was to bring more jobs into the city itself, to increase the tax base and to reduce congestion on the roads. Those are still the goals of city planners, says Michael.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the idea now is really to, instead of growing out, growing up, and growing up really along transit corridors and transit stations and in the downtown and create these places that are called urban villages.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proposed plan for Cambrian Park Plaza is one of these urban villages – a cluster of amenities, housing and jobs near a transit corridor.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Music to emphasize back and forth\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It would have underground parking with retail above.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A six-story apartment block on top of retail. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shops would be built around a central plaza for families and neighbors to gather. Then there’d be…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An assisted living building\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">48 single family homes, 25 townhouses, and…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A hotel.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Music ends\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But nothing has actually been built by the developer, Kimco Realty.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So we’ve seen very little higher density projects break ground. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kelly Snider:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The plan that you can look through on the city’s website is not economically feasible to build.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly Snider is an adjunct professor at San José State and a development consultant. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kelly Snider: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There’s just a lot going on in a very small parcel. It’s a little bit of a Frankenstein.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly says there’s no one developer who specializes in so many different types of buildings…hotels, assisted living, single family homes… retail..they’re all very different. And the economic picture right now makes it \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">even less likely \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this project will be completed anytime soon. It’s a story we see around the Bay Area. Labor is expensive. Construction materials cost more than ever… and interest rates aren’t favorable. Plus, Michael Brilliot says, the population of San José is now shrinking, not growing.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, will the Cambrian Park urban village ever get built?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think that when the interest rates, at some point, they’ll come down. And I think some projects will come back. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But I think it’s gonna be a slower, more flat growth and because of that, I don’t think you’re gonna see masses of amount of development like you did in the dot-com boom when things were just going crazy. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a post-COVID world, it may not make sense to build hotels and offices. Brick and mortar stores have to compete with online retailers. It’s a different real estate picture now than when this plan was conceived a few years ago.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bob Burres, Peter Clarke and the other Friends of Cambrian Park are watching this play out nervously. They worry the only economically feasible thing to do with the property is to build townhouses…after all, in the Bay Area, housing is always in high demand.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the things that we have heard over and over from the folks in the city is developers come in with fairly grand plans. And they’re gonna do some housing, and they’re going to do some sort of commercial, and they are going to something else. Well, housing is the only thing that’s profitable. And so they decide to build, we’re going to build the housing first. And then phase two and phase three will have these other things. They build the housing and then they say, sorry, it doesn’t pencil and they abandon the project. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you put up housing on any piece of commercial land it’s never going to be commercial again.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if that happens, their dream of a gathering spot like the one in Campbell…the Pruneyard…will never become a reality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I brought all this back to Connie Young, our question asker. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I can see why they would want to kind of redevelop it into something more community focused. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connie grew up in the South Bay and remembers wishing there was more to do…more places she could go without a ride from her parents. Now she’s living in Mountain View and has enjoyed the way streets have been closed downtown to make space for dining and gathering.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I feel like that’s what the South Bay is missing in a lot of the cities, especially San José, like a central plaza or the neighborhood where everybody gathers in the evening and their kids run around and play. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The permit for the current Cambrian Park Urban Village plan will expire in 2028. Getting new ones would be expensive for the developer…maybe that’s why the company recently applied to alter the permit so they can build the housing part of the plan first and extend the permit up to 4 years in the process. The city is currently reviewing the proposal.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was Bay Curious editor and producer, Katrina Schwartz. Thanks to Connie Young for asking this week’s question. It was selected by you in a monthly voting round on Bay \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://curious.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curious.or\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">g. That’s one of the things I think makes Bay Curious unique… it is driven by you – your questions, about your community. And, it’s funded by you too. We need your support to keep things going, so please consider making a donation to KQED today. It only takes a few minutes. You can do it right from your phone. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/donate\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KQED.org/donate\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the place to do it. Thanks!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our show is produced by Christopher Beale, Katrina Schwartz and Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With extra support from Maha Sanad, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on team KQED.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "Cambrian Park Plaza, A Beloved San José Strip Mall, Awaits a New Future | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first thing a lot of people notice about Cambrian Park Plaza on the west side of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> is the sign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s big; it’s yellow; and it has a carousel on top, complete with playful figures encircling the outside. At one point, the carousel actually rotated — but like many things in this shopping plaza — it has seen better days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plaza itself is low slung with a massive parking lot that is often empty. Storefronts are made of brick and nestle under a covered walkway. It’s not your average strip mall with a big grocery store at the center and smaller chains flanking it. Instead, there’s a bit more charm. Shops are clustered around little courtyards with white picket fences, picnic benches and trees. Some stores have window boxes with flowers. There are roses and palm trees. It’s quaint, but faded.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has a circus slash English garden theme, cottage theme,” Connie Young said. “I was like, ‘This seems like an interesting place, and a place that has a lot of history.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Young was visiting Cambrian Park to volunteer at the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ibokrescue.org/info/display?PageID=21948\">Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Cafe\u003c/a>, a pet adoption organization located in the plaza. She was surprised to see many nostalgic memories of the place online. She wanted to learn more.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079115\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079115\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_015_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A covered walkway lined with storefronts stretches through Cambrian Park Plaza on April 7, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There seem to be a lot of people who are mourning the loss of Cambrian Park Plaza, a 1950s era strip mall in San José that is set to be demolished for housing and retail space,” she wrote in to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a>. “What’s the history of that place?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Valley of Heart’s Delight\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Cambrian Park neighborhood represents the quintessential story of San José development. For a long time, San José was small, an agricultural center for the many orchards and farms nearby. But after World War II, the Defense industry was booming and more people were moving to the area for jobs. The city manager at the time, Dutch Hammond, wanted to create the Los Angeles of Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Largely what got developed here was track housing, which was very cheap to build,” said Michael Brillot, a retired San José city planner. “You just knock down the cherry orchard or the apricot and prune orchard, and you plop in houses like you build Model T Fords on an assembly line, except the workers move as opposed to the product.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> The push was to develop outwards from San José’s core and to build enough housing to supply the workforce to places like Sunnyvale and Cupertino.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Cambrian Park neighborhood — and its shopping mall — was part of that history. A large landowner named Paul Schaeffer owned the orchards that became Cambrian Park. He decided to tear out the trees and build houses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He recognized people need to buy stuff,” said Peter Clarke, a Cambrian Park resident and member of the Friends of Cambrian Park group. “They need a post office and a grocery store. So he assembled this particular plaza as the only real center in this area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, many families only had one car. It was common for the breadwinner to drive north to work while the other parent stayed home with the children. During its heyday, Cambrian Park Plaza had everything families needed within walking distance of their home — a grocery store, a hardware store, clothing stores, a post office, a bowling alley, even doctors’ and dentists’ offices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This was the downtown,” said Bob Burres, another local resident. “There is no ‘main street’ in the Cambrian Park area. This was it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>A slow decline\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>That remained true for decades, but over time, the plaza began to fade and social patterns changed. People drove more and further for things, making the plaza less central to their needs. The Schaeffer family retained ownership of the plaza \u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2022/08/05/structures-cambrian-timeline.html\">until 2015\u003c/a>. Peter Clarke guesses that it was passive income for owner Paul Schaeffer and his wife in their later years. But when they died, their children sold the plaza to a developer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When it was bought, and people said, ‘We’re going to redevelop it,’ we were in favor,” Peter Clarke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079113\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079113\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_013_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Cambrian Park Plaza sign, built in 1953 with the shopping center, features a rotating carousel and received historic status in 2016, on April 7, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Many Cambrian Park residents were ready for an updated space that might once again be the center of community life. The Friends of Cambrian Park group stayed involved as the developer, Texas-based Weingarten Realty, proposed various uses for the property. But residents did not like early proposals that resembled more traditional strip malls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The community was very clear,” Clarke said. “They wanted to see a place that was a location that people would come to linger at, that had sit-down dining. They didn’t want more fast food.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They wanted something like \u003ca href=\"https://www.thepruneyard.com/\">The Pruneyard\u003c/a> in Campbell or the Los Gatos’ downtown, two locations residents currently go to for entertainment and dining.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>An iterative process\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2022/08/05/structures-cambrian-timeline.html\">Over many years,\u003c/a> after lots of city planning meetings featuring \u003cem>some\u003c/em> yelling, there’s finally a proposal on the table that many residents can get behind. It was approved by the city council in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The new development would include underground parking, retail with apartments built above, a central plaza, a hotel, an assisted living facility, 48 single-family homes and 25 townhouses.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> But four years later and nothing has been built yet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The plan that you can look through on the city’s website is not economically feasible to build,” said Kelly Snider, a professor at San José State University and a development consultant. “There’s just a lot going on in a very small parcel. It’s a little bit of a Frankenstein.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said no one developer specializes in all those various uses. On top of that, very few big projects like this are moving forward anywhere in the Bay Area. The economics just don’t work out.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Interest rates are high, construction materials and labor are expensive and people’s work and consumer habits have changed. Brick-and-mortar retail stores have a lot of competition online. There’s fewer business travelers in San José. More people are working remotely, so office spaces sit empty.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Will the Cambrian Park project ever get built?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“I think that the interest rates, at some point, [will] come down,” Brilliot said. “And I think some projects will come back. But I think it’s gonna be slower, more flat growth. And because of that, I don’t think you’re gonna see a massive amount of development like you did in the dot-com boom when things were just going crazy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For their part, Bob Burres and Peter Clarke are waiting nervously to see how it all turns out. They know that of all the elements in the approved plan, the single-family homes and townhouses will be the easiest for the developer to recoup investment. After all, housing is always in demand in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12079109\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12079109\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/040726Bay-Curious_Cambrian-Plaza_GH_005_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Red roses rise above a white picket fence in a garden at Cambrian Park Plaza on April 7, 2026, in San José. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Once you put up housing on any piece of commercial land, it’s never going to be commercial again,” Peter Clarke said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And if that happens, the neighbors’ dream of a central gathering spot — like the Pruneyard — will never come to be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The permit for the current \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/planning-building-code-enforcement/planning-division/major-development-projects/cambrian-park-plaza-signature-project\">Cambrian Park Signature Project\u003c/a> will expire in 2028. But the developer recently applied to alter the permit so they can build the housing part of the plan first and extend the permit up to 4 years in the process.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The city is currently reviewing the proposal.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>*An earlier version of this article called this project the “Cambrian Park Urban Village” when in fact its official name is “Cambrian Park Signature Project.” A Signature Project is one element of a larger urban village area. We regret the error.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">\u003c/a>Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes questions come from the most random places.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I volunteer for a San José-based kitten rescue and it’s called Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Cafe. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Connie Young, from Mountain View.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So we have adoptable foster kittens that come every weekend. And there’s two playrooms. And you can book a 50-minute slot.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The kitten cafe where she volunteers is located in Cambrian Park Plaza on the west side of San José.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So I went there to volunteer and I saw that plaza and it was kind of different than the other strip mall plazas in the area. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cambrian Park Plaza isn’t one long flat fronted building like a typical strip mall. It was built to mimic the experience of a town’s main street, so the facade turns often, creating little plazas with white picket fences and brickwork. There are window boxes and roses.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has kind of like a circus slash like English garden theme, cottage theme.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Circus because one of the defining features of this plaza is a huge yellow sign with a carousel on top. The figures \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">used\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to rotate, although like many things in this plaza, it has seen better days.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I was like, this seems like an interesting place and a place that has a lot of history. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This shopping mall is slated for redevelopment, and Connie wants to know more about its history and what it could become. Connie also noticed that online many people have shared fond memories of this plaza’s heyday in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Let’s hear a few…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jaime Portillo: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I remember driving by Cambrian Plaza and seeing the carousel from when we first arrived in San José.\u003c/span>\u003cb> \u003c/b>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was always a grocery store there when I was a little kid. So we’d walk up to the grocery store to do our shopping for the day. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jaime Portillo: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was a go-to. I mean, you could do everything there. You could go to a delicatessen and get your meats and cheeses, \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> There was Ben Franklin, which was the coolest store on the face of the planet. It was like a dime store and you could get anything there.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Janet Gillis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were hardware stores there. There were pet shops, as I said, the clothing stores, very lot of practical things that, you know, people would need.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jaime Portillo: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And it was in walking distance.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The minute I think of the smell of bubblegum ice cream, which for a four-year-old that was like Nirvana, I picture myself inside that ice cream parlor. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jaime Portillo: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I remember going to the bowling alley. We used to go there a lot during high school and hang out with the other teenagers.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To this day remember the sound of the pins hitting the the back wall and the balls striking and people laughing and having a good time. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Janet Gillis: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We’d go down in a little group of you know five or six or eight kids and be back before dinner. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Carolyn Robinson: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There were so many things that, that as a kid, it made my life feel a little bit bigger and richer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Those were nearby residents Jaime Portillo, Carolyn Robinson and Janet Gillis sharing their memories.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bay Curious editor and producer Katrina Schwartz headed to San José to find out more about the fate of Cambrian Park Plaza. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first Cambrian Park neighbors I meet are characters…they’ve been attending city meetings and organizing their neighbors to influence what gets built here for years. And they aren’t shy about some of the tactics they used..\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I’m the guy who kicked over the apple cart, repeatedly. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is Bob Burres — a proud instigator. His friend and neighbor, Peter Clarke, has a different approach he says…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He’s nice, he’s polite, he’s a proper English gentleman.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am the Brit, which is the funny accent.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bob and Peter like this neighborhood for its views of the mountains and quiet, neighborly charm. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This area was originally all farmland. Then the farmers decided they could make more money by essentially selling up and having housing developed on the periphery. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The guy who owned all the land that became the neighborhood of Cambrian Park was named Paul Schaeffer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But then he recognized, you know, people need to buy stuff.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This area was the heart of Cambrian Park. This was the downtown. There is no main street in Cambrian park area. This was it. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As Peter and Bob are showing me around it’s clear this mall is no longer the heart of the neighborhood. But the neighbors hope it could be again. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you go through you see there’s numerous little plazas and sitting spaces all around.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plaza has a faded quality. We walk down the outside of the building, which has covered walkways that protect us from the rain that’s falling. Many storefronts are empty and I hear just as much about what it \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">used to be\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as what it is now.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This used to be the Cambrian Post office for years.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That used to be a Mexican restaurant, but closed down.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The things that are left… a boxing gym, a pet adoption agency, a store for kids baseball gear…are on short term leases. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can’t put a lot of investment into a retail space for a six month lease.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peter and Bob have both lived in Cambrian Park for 30 years… but even back in the late 80s and early 90s the plaza was already in slow decline. The Schaeffer family owned it for most of its existence, but stopped keeping it up in later years. When Paul Schaffer and his wife died, their children sold it to a developer.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it was bought and people said we’re going to redevelop it, we were in favor.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peter and Bob are part of a group called the Friends of Cambrian Park Plaza. They’ve been pushing the city and developers to create a vibrant place to live, shop and gather.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> We have hopes that something beautiful will come out. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They look to a place like The Pruneyard in Campbell as their model. It’s got local businesses alongside chains..and is a pleasant place to hang out.We’ll dig into the details of what could be built here and explore why achieving that vision could be a tough sell in San José right now. All that, coming up.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SPONSOR MESSAGE\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Almost a million people live in San José. It’s the largest city in Northern California, but its development hasn’t followed the pattern of a typical big city. That’s why despite being dubbed the Heart of Silicon Valley…many people think a more apt term would be “the bedroom” of Silicon Valley. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you look at San José, it very much feels like you’re in the San Fernando Valley or somewhere in Los Angeles, not the old urban part, but the more auto suburban track housing part of LA. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michel Brilliot worked for the city of San José for 27 years…retiring as the deputy director of long range projects. He says the sprawling, residential character of the city can be traced back to one man\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michalel Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dutch Hammond. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like Cambrian Park, the rest of San José was mostly agricultural. Before Dutch Hammond came along, there were fruit trees as far as the eye could see. But after World War II, the defense industry was booming and Hammond understood its workers needed somewhere to live. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Largely what got developed here was track housing which was very cheap to build you just knock down the cherry orchard or the apricot and prune orchard and you just you plop in houses like you build model t fords on an assembly line except the workers move as opposed to the product.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Cambrian Park neighborhood was part of this era…built in the late 1950s. The homes are largely ranch style with yards and garages. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People historically would have a family and settle down and work and they would drive north for their job in what became and is now Silicon Valley. And that to a large extent has not changed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The problem with that, Michael says, is that running a city that is mostly residential, with few big businesses, is expensive. Residents want services.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They want code enforcement to deal with the RV that someone’s living in down the street or parks and maintaining the parks and they want libraries and. So they want all these things which cost money. Businesses generally don’t want as much services from the city.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As early as the 1970s, San José city leaders realized it needed a better balance of businesses and homes. The goal was to bring more jobs into the city itself, to increase the tax base and to reduce congestion on the roads. Those are still the goals of city planners, says Michael.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And the idea now is really to, instead of growing out, growing up, and growing up really along transit corridors and transit stations and in the downtown and create these places that are called urban villages.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The proposed plan for Cambrian Park Plaza is one of these urban villages – a cluster of amenities, housing and jobs near a transit corridor.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Music to emphasize back and forth\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It would have underground parking with retail above.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A six-story apartment block on top of retail. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shops would be built around a central plaza for families and neighbors to gather. Then there’d be…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An assisted living building\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">48 single family homes, 25 townhouses, and…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A hotel.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Music ends\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But nothing has actually been built by the developer, Kimco Realty.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So we’ve seen very little higher density projects break ground. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kelly Snider:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The plan that you can look through on the city’s website is not economically feasible to build.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly Snider is an adjunct professor at San José State and a development consultant. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Kelly Snider: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There’s just a lot going on in a very small parcel. It’s a little bit of a Frankenstein.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly says there’s no one developer who specializes in so many different types of buildings…hotels, assisted living, single family homes… retail..they’re all very different. And the economic picture right now makes it \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">even less likely \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">this project will be completed anytime soon. It’s a story we see around the Bay Area. Labor is expensive. Construction materials cost more than ever… and interest rates aren’t favorable. Plus, Michael Brilliot says, the population of San José is now shrinking, not growing.\u003c/span> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, will the Cambrian Park urban village ever get built?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Michael Brilliot: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think that when the interest rates, at some point, they’ll come down. And I think some projects will come back. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But I think it’s gonna be a slower, more flat growth and because of that, I don’t think you’re gonna see masses of amount of development like you did in the dot-com boom when things were just going crazy. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a post-COVID world, it may not make sense to build hotels and offices. Brick and mortar stores have to compete with online retailers. It’s a different real estate picture now than when this plan was conceived a few years ago.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bob Burres, Peter Clarke and the other Friends of Cambrian Park are watching this play out nervously. They worry the only economically feasible thing to do with the property is to build townhouses…after all, in the Bay Area, housing is always in high demand.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Bob Burres: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the things that we have heard over and over from the folks in the city is developers come in with fairly grand plans. And they’re gonna do some housing, and they’re going to do some sort of commercial, and they are going to something else. Well, housing is the only thing that’s profitable. And so they decide to build, we’re going to build the housing first. And then phase two and phase three will have these other things. They build the housing and then they say, sorry, it doesn’t pencil and they abandon the project. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Peter Clarke: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you put up housing on any piece of commercial land it’s never going to be commercial again.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And if that happens, their dream of a gathering spot like the one in Campbell…the Pruneyard…will never become a reality. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I brought all this back to Connie Young, our question asker. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I can see why they would want to kind of redevelop it into something more community focused. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connie grew up in the South Bay and remembers wishing there was more to do…more places she could go without a ride from her parents. Now she’s living in Mountain View and has enjoyed the way streets have been closed downtown to make space for dining and gathering.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Connie Young: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I feel like that’s what the South Bay is missing in a lot of the cities, especially San José, like a central plaza or the neighborhood where everybody gathers in the evening and their kids run around and play. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Katrina Schwartz: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The permit for the current Cambrian Park Urban Village plan will expire in 2028. Getting new ones would be expensive for the developer…maybe that’s why the company recently applied to alter the permit so they can build the housing part of the plan first and extend the permit up to 4 years in the process. The city is currently reviewing the proposal.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That was Bay Curious editor and producer, Katrina Schwartz. Thanks to Connie Young for asking this week’s question. It was selected by you in a monthly voting round on Bay \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://curious.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Curious.or\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">g. That’s one of the things I think makes Bay Curious unique… it is driven by you – your questions, about your community. And, it’s funded by you too. We need your support to keep things going, so please consider making a donation to KQED today. It only takes a few minutes. You can do it right from your phone. \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/donate\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">KQED.org/donate\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is the place to do it. Thanks!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bay Curious is made in San Francisco at member-supported KQED. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our show is produced by Christopher Beale, Katrina Schwartz and Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With extra support from Maha Sanad, Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on team KQED.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Have a great week!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">How We Get By\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">full series here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Annie Malekzadeh was shopping at a Joanne Fabrics store in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/concord\">Concord\u003c/a> a couple of years ago when she had an encounter that stung her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An older woman who saw her pregnant while pushing her toddler son in a shopping cart, told her: “I don’t know why you would want more than two [children]. It’s basically impossible in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the time I was like, how dare she?” she said. “But now I’m like, oh, [she] was right. It’s really hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malekzadeh wound up having another baby, and the decision to have three kids pushed her child care expenses to roughly $56,000 a year and ultimately changed the course of her career.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061802/how-are-child-care-costs-affecting-the-lives-of-bay-area-families-you-told-us\">Rising child care costs in the Bay Area\u003c/a> are forcing parents to make painful tradeoffs, either by passing up career opportunities, cutting back work hours, or quitting altogether. For families with multiple young children, these expenses can surpass a parent’s entire salary, disproportionately affecting mothers and shaping their long-term economic security.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malekzadeh’s story is just one example of how the gap between what families can afford and the actual cost of care is pushing parents to find creative solutions — and prompting calls for systemic change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Child care has long been expensive for parents, but recently it’s been even more so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078461\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078461\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00035_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00035_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00035_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00035_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Malekzadeh, a mom who quit her teaching job to save on child care and is now pursuing her master’s degree in mathematics, studies at Pleasant Hill Library in Pleasant Hill on April 1, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Prices shot up almost 30% between 2020 and 2024, outpacing inflation by 7 percentage points, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.childcareaware.org/price-landscape24/\">a survey of child care resource and referral organizations \u003c/a>around the country. In just the last year, 40% of child care programs in California \u003ca href=\"https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/user-174467/2026_survey_brief.pdf\">reported raising tuition \u003c/a>to offset rising operating costs like insurance and food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four years ago, Malekzadeh was a math teacher at a private middle school, earning roughly $32,000 annually and working 25 hours per week. At the time, her son was in kindergarten and her daughter in preschool. Her husband is a psychiatrist, she said, and because he earned more money and worked more hours, most of the parenting responsibilities went to her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With their joint income, the cost of preschool and before- and afterschool care was manageable for the Pleasant Hill couple. But when their baby boy came along in July 2022, and needed full-time infant care, the amount for all three kids’ care — about $4,700 per month — was almost double her teacher’s salary.[aside postID=news_12070762 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/240911-CHILDCARE-REAX-MD-01_qed.jpg']“It didn’t make sense,” she said. “My job wasn’t really making enough of a contribution to justify that kind of expense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time the school year ended, Malekzadeh decided to quit, even though she didn’t want to leave a profession she loved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My grandparents were both educators,” she said. “They were beloved by their community, and they were really excited when I chose to become a teacher. So that was my plan, and I didn’t ever expect to deviate from that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move is saving about $600 a week in child care. The older two are in public school, and the youngest is still in preschool. While he’s in care, Malekzadeh takes classes at Diablo Valley College as she pursues a master’s degree in math, which she hopes will ultimately lead to a higher-paying job to make up for time away from the labor market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you quit to stay home with your kids, it creates gaps in your resume that a lot of places don’t necessarily look nicely at,” Melakzadeh said. “You have to have some kind of explanation for that, which might translate into less pay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Child care prices vary by region and depend on a child’s age and the type of provider. In California, full-time infant care in 2024 cost an average of $22,628, which is 16% of the average married couple’s income and 50% of a single parent’s. Bay Area families pay the highest child care prices \u003ca href=\"https://tootris.com/edu/blog/parents/cost-of-child-care-in-california-by-city-age-and-type-of-care-provider/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">compared to other parts of California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078462\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078462 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00228_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00228_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00228_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00228_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Malekzadeh plays a card game with her daughter as they wait for her older son to finish school at Valhalla Elementary School in Pleasant Hill on April 1, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The spike in prices came as companies began mandating employees return to work and \u003ca href=\"https://rapidsurveyproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/arpa-funding-factsheet-aug2023.pdf\">child care providers lost federal funds\u003c/a> meant to help them recover from the pandemic. Less flexibility and high costs led to a decline in labor force participation for moms of children under the age of 5, and college-educated moms in particular, according to\u003ca href=\"https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2025/october-2025-the-great-exit.html\"> an analysis by the financial firm KPMG.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their labor force participation declined by 2.3 percentage points, while the number of college-educated dads of young children who were working or seeking a job continued to increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Families are facing child care prices that are higher than the price of rent or mortgage. So this is a huge problem. It’s one of the biggest expenses in a family’s budgets,” said Julie Kashen, a researcher at The Century Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078476\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078476\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nolan Cruz eats oatmeal for breakfast in the morning on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The progressive think tank conducted an October survey of 1,400 voters about their affordability concerns. Kashen said that while all families are facing rising costs, it’s women who experience a greater threat to their economic security.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Women are faring worse in terms of taking on debt to cover their basics, borrowing from friends and families to pay the bills,” she said. “So when you add child care on top of that, I think it’s incredibly challenging.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those challenges led Amy Cruz to walk away from a six-figure nursing job to freelance as a dance teacher and care for her 3-year-old son, Nolan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078474\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-02-KQED-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-02-KQED-1536x1034.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brandon and Nolan Cruz cook oatmeal for breakfast on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until he was about two years old, Cruz paid $3,000 per month to share a nanny with another family for just four days a week of child care (on the fifth day, she leaned on family members to look after him). While child care wasn’t the only reason she left her job, it was a significant factor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Essentially, half of my monthly income was going to child care,” Cruz said. “Watching that much money leave our account every month was tough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once Nolan was old enough to start preschool, she enrolled him in a three-day program near her Berkeley home, which cut her child care costs in half. When he’s there, she teaches dance — something she did professionally before going to nursing school — to afford his tuition. With a second baby on the way, she also figured that it was “worth it to make a little less money but be able to be with my kids more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amy Cruz picks raspberries for her son Nolan’s breakfast in the morning on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Economists call child care a broken market because the actual cost of providing care is a lot more than what families can afford to pay. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://rrnetwork.org/assets/general-files/California.pdf\">the demand for licensed infant care exceeds supply\u003c/a> because it’s the most expensive and labor-intensive. Babies need constant care, and California has strict rules limiting the number of children each adult can care for in a licensed child care home or center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, low pay and benefits have made it tough for child care providers to attract or retain early educators. In January, nearly half of providers said they didn’t have enough staff to enroll children at capacity, according to a survey by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For providers, energy costs, food, insurance have all gone up,” said Matthew Nestler, senior economist at KPMG. “They can’t necessarily raise their workers’ wages to the degree that they would like to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Brandon, Amy and Nolan Cruz prepare breakfast and pack a lunch for Nolan in the morning on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The shortage can cause parents to weave in and out of the workforce. Malezadeh first left her job when her eldest child was born eight years ago, and she couldn’t find an open infant care slot when her maternity leave ended. She didn’t know she had to reserve months in advance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We didn’t actually find any kind of daycare spot for him until he was two, and by then, I was already expecting my second child,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malekzadeh stayed out of teaching for four years and went back to work when her first two kids were a little older.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after a year, the costs of infant care for her youngest, combined with her older children’s care, were too great, and she left her job again.[aside postID=news_12078480 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Lede.jpg']Kashen, from The Century Foundation, said public investment can help close the gap between what parents like Malekzadeh and Cruz can afford and what it actually costs to provide child care. As an example, she pointed to New Mexico’s recent move to offer free child care for all residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When governments invest in child care, that is the biggest thing that we can do because right now what we have is essentially a DIY, do-it-yourself, system for families where everyone’s on their own,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, Cruz gave birth to a daughter. During her pregnancy, she considered becoming a nanny so she could take care of her baby alongside someone else’s, allowing her to make some money. She also thought about continuing to teach dance part-time, and while she’s at work, trading child care responsibilities with other parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been thinking about it more and more, because I can make more money teaching dance than doing my own nanny share,” Cruz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Building a community with other parents has helped Malekzadeh get by when she’s in a child care pinch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re gonna be five minutes late to pick up, you have to have someone else that you can text, and be like, ‘Can you grab my kid for me real quick?’” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078901\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-affordabilitychildcare00326_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-affordabilitychildcare00326_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-affordabilitychildcare00326_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-affordabilitychildcare00326_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Malekzadeh walks her kids home after school in Pleasant Hill on April 1, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Malekzadeh tutors on the side to make some money and said she’s constantly revising the family budget as grocery and health insurance prices go up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m looking at where can we cut costs and what bundle can I use or coupon can I use to save money? I do most of our shopping at Costco now because buying in bulk is usually cheaper,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her family is also taking fewer trips, but Malezadeh said, despite these compromises, she’s grateful she has been able to afford raising three kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel very fortunate that I got through having our second kid and didn’t feel done,” she said. “Instead of living with the potential of regretting it for the rest of my life, I was able to say, ‘Hey, can we have another one? Can we work that into the budget?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">How We Get By\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">full series here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Annie Malekzadeh was shopping at a Joanne Fabrics store in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/concord\">Concord\u003c/a> a couple of years ago when she had an encounter that stung her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An older woman who saw her pregnant while pushing her toddler son in a shopping cart, told her: “I don’t know why you would want more than two [children]. It’s basically impossible in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“At the time I was like, how dare she?” she said. “But now I’m like, oh, [she] was right. It’s really hard.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malekzadeh wound up having another baby, and the decision to have three kids pushed her child care expenses to roughly $56,000 a year and ultimately changed the course of her career.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12061802/how-are-child-care-costs-affecting-the-lives-of-bay-area-families-you-told-us\">Rising child care costs in the Bay Area\u003c/a> are forcing parents to make painful tradeoffs, either by passing up career opportunities, cutting back work hours, or quitting altogether. For families with multiple young children, these expenses can surpass a parent’s entire salary, disproportionately affecting mothers and shaping their long-term economic security.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malekzadeh’s story is just one example of how the gap between what families can afford and the actual cost of care is pushing parents to find creative solutions — and prompting calls for systemic change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Child care has long been expensive for parents, but recently it’s been even more so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078461\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078461\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00035_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00035_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00035_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00035_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Malekzadeh, a mom who quit her teaching job to save on child care and is now pursuing her master’s degree in mathematics, studies at Pleasant Hill Library in Pleasant Hill on April 1, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Prices shot up almost 30% between 2020 and 2024, outpacing inflation by 7 percentage points, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.childcareaware.org/price-landscape24/\">a survey of child care resource and referral organizations \u003c/a>around the country. In just the last year, 40% of child care programs in California \u003ca href=\"https://www.naeyc.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/user-174467/2026_survey_brief.pdf\">reported raising tuition \u003c/a>to offset rising operating costs like insurance and food.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four years ago, Malekzadeh was a math teacher at a private middle school, earning roughly $32,000 annually and working 25 hours per week. At the time, her son was in kindergarten and her daughter in preschool. Her husband is a psychiatrist, she said, and because he earned more money and worked more hours, most of the parenting responsibilities went to her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>With their joint income, the cost of preschool and before- and afterschool care was manageable for the Pleasant Hill couple. But when their baby boy came along in July 2022, and needed full-time infant care, the amount for all three kids’ care — about $4,700 per month — was almost double her teacher’s salary.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It didn’t make sense,” she said. “My job wasn’t really making enough of a contribution to justify that kind of expense.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the time the school year ended, Malekzadeh decided to quit, even though she didn’t want to leave a profession she loved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“My grandparents were both educators,” she said. “They were beloved by their community, and they were really excited when I chose to become a teacher. So that was my plan, and I didn’t ever expect to deviate from that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The move is saving about $600 a week in child care. The older two are in public school, and the youngest is still in preschool. While he’s in care, Malekzadeh takes classes at Diablo Valley College as she pursues a master’s degree in math, which she hopes will ultimately lead to a higher-paying job to make up for time away from the labor market.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When you quit to stay home with your kids, it creates gaps in your resume that a lot of places don’t necessarily look nicely at,” Melakzadeh said. “You have to have some kind of explanation for that, which might translate into less pay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Child care prices vary by region and depend on a child’s age and the type of provider. In California, full-time infant care in 2024 cost an average of $22,628, which is 16% of the average married couple’s income and 50% of a single parent’s. Bay Area families pay the highest child care prices \u003ca href=\"https://tootris.com/edu/blog/parents/cost-of-child-care-in-california-by-city-age-and-type-of-care-provider/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\">compared to other parts of California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078462\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078462 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00228_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00228_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00228_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AFFORDABILITYCHILDCARE00228_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Malekzadeh plays a card game with her daughter as they wait for her older son to finish school at Valhalla Elementary School in Pleasant Hill on April 1, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The spike in prices came as companies began mandating employees return to work and \u003ca href=\"https://rapidsurveyproject.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/arpa-funding-factsheet-aug2023.pdf\">child care providers lost federal funds\u003c/a> meant to help them recover from the pandemic. Less flexibility and high costs led to a decline in labor force participation for moms of children under the age of 5, and college-educated moms in particular, according to\u003ca href=\"https://kpmg.com/us/en/articles/2025/october-2025-the-great-exit.html\"> an analysis by the financial firm KPMG.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their labor force participation declined by 2.3 percentage points, while the number of college-educated dads of young children who were working or seeking a job continued to increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Families are facing child care prices that are higher than the price of rent or mortgage. So this is a huge problem. It’s one of the biggest expenses in a family’s budgets,” said Julie Kashen, a researcher at The Century Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078476\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078476\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-04-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nolan Cruz eats oatmeal for breakfast in the morning on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The progressive think tank conducted an October survey of 1,400 voters about their affordability concerns. Kashen said that while all families are facing rising costs, it’s women who experience a greater threat to their economic security.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Women are faring worse in terms of taking on debt to cover their basics, borrowing from friends and families to pay the bills,” she said. “So when you add child care on top of that, I think it’s incredibly challenging.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those challenges led Amy Cruz to walk away from a six-figure nursing job to freelance as a dance teacher and care for her 3-year-old son, Nolan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078474\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078474\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1346\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-02-KQED-160x108.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-02-KQED-1536x1034.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brandon and Nolan Cruz cook oatmeal for breakfast on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Until he was about two years old, Cruz paid $3,000 per month to share a nanny with another family for just four days a week of child care (on the fifth day, she leaned on family members to look after him). While child care wasn’t the only reason she left her job, it was a significant factor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Essentially, half of my monthly income was going to child care,” Cruz said. “Watching that much money leave our account every month was tough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once Nolan was old enough to start preschool, she enrolled him in a three-day program near her Berkeley home, which cut her child care costs in half. When he’s there, she teaches dance — something she did professionally before going to nursing school — to afford his tuition. With a second baby on the way, she also figured that it was “worth it to make a little less money but be able to be with my kids more.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078475\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078475\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Amy Cruz picks raspberries for her son Nolan’s breakfast in the morning on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Economists call child care a broken market because the actual cost of providing care is a lot more than what families can afford to pay. In California, \u003ca href=\"https://rrnetwork.org/assets/general-files/California.pdf\">the demand for licensed infant care exceeds supply\u003c/a> because it’s the most expensive and labor-intensive. Babies need constant care, and California has strict rules limiting the number of children each adult can care for in a licensed child care home or center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, low pay and benefits have made it tough for child care providers to attract or retain early educators. In January, nearly half of providers said they didn’t have enough staff to enroll children at capacity, according to a survey by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“For providers, energy costs, food, insurance have all gone up,” said Matthew Nestler, senior economist at KPMG. “They can’t necessarily raise their workers’ wages to the degree that they would like to.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078473\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078473\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251027-CHILD-CARE-PRICES-MD-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Brandon, Amy and Nolan Cruz prepare breakfast and pack a lunch for Nolan in the morning on Oct. 27, 2025. \u003ccite>(Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The shortage can cause parents to weave in and out of the workforce. Malezadeh first left her job when her eldest child was born eight years ago, and she couldn’t find an open infant care slot when her maternity leave ended. She didn’t know she had to reserve months in advance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We didn’t actually find any kind of daycare spot for him until he was two, and by then, I was already expecting my second child,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Malekzadeh stayed out of teaching for four years and went back to work when her first two kids were a little older.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But after a year, the costs of infant care for her youngest, combined with her older children’s care, were too great, and she left her job again.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Kashen, from The Century Foundation, said public investment can help close the gap between what parents like Malekzadeh and Cruz can afford and what it actually costs to provide child care. As an example, she pointed to New Mexico’s recent move to offer free child care for all residents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When governments invest in child care, that is the biggest thing that we can do because right now what we have is essentially a DIY, do-it-yourself, system for families where everyone’s on their own,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Last month, Cruz gave birth to a daughter. During her pregnancy, she considered becoming a nanny so she could take care of her baby alongside someone else’s, allowing her to make some money. She also thought about continuing to teach dance part-time, and while she’s at work, trading child care responsibilities with other parents.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been thinking about it more and more, because I can make more money teaching dance than doing my own nanny share,” Cruz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Building a community with other parents has helped Malekzadeh get by when she’s in a child care pinch.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If you’re gonna be five minutes late to pick up, you have to have someone else that you can text, and be like, ‘Can you grab my kid for me real quick?’” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078901\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078901\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-affordabilitychildcare00326_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-affordabilitychildcare00326_TV_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-affordabilitychildcare00326_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-affordabilitychildcare00326_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annie Malekzadeh walks her kids home after school in Pleasant Hill on April 1, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Malekzadeh tutors on the side to make some money and said she’s constantly revising the family budget as grocery and health insurance prices go up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m looking at where can we cut costs and what bundle can I use or coupon can I use to save money? I do most of our shopping at Costco now because buying in bulk is usually cheaper,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her family is also taking fewer trips, but Malezadeh said, despite these compromises, she’s grateful she has been able to afford raising three kids.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I feel very fortunate that I got through having our second kid and didn’t feel done,” she said. “Instead of living with the potential of regretting it for the rest of my life, I was able to say, ‘Hey, can we have another one? Can we work that into the budget?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "rattlesnakes-bay-area-warning-venom-bites-rattlesnake-vs-gophersnake",
"title": "If You Encounter a Rattlesnake in the Bay Area, What Should You Do?",
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"headTitle": "If You Encounter a Rattlesnake in the Bay Area, What Should You Do? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>With summer and warmer temperatures just around the corner, the Bay Area’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985496/best-bay-area-hikes-wildlife-near-me\">parks and trails are starting to bustle even more with wildlife\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are a few critters that hikers should look to avoid — and rattlesnakes are definitely one of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/about-us/whats-new/news/rattlesnake-advisory\">East Bay Regional Parks District issued an advisory\u003c/a> warning hikers about the potential dangers of encountering rattlesnakes on local trails, stressing the threat these venomous creatures can pose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#rattlesnake-bite-what-to-do\">What should I do if a rattlesnake bites me?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>And\u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/06/california-sixth-person-bitten-rattlesnake\"> two people \u003c/a>have already died in 2026 after being bitten by rattlesnakes in California, both in Ventura County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Native to California and the Bay Area, rattlesnakes are common on local trails in areas like \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/maps\">Anthony Chabot, Tilden and Diablo Foothills regional parks\u003c/a> – but you should take them seriously, EBRPD spokesperson Dave Mason told KQED in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s definitely important to be cautious for us humans – and also our pets,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So if you or your pup stumble across a rattlesnake in the wild, what should you do?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>First off: How can I recognize a rattlesnake?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/common_snakes.pdf\">The rattlesnakes local to the Bay Area\u003c/a> tend to be brown or black, matching the general color of the soil they inhabit. Their skin is dull-colored with large blotches, and their head is flat and triangular with folds of skin at its tail forming a “rattle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, you may be more likely to recognize a rattlesnake by ear. True to their name, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nYnVPba4g\">they make a “rattling” sound\u003c/a> that makes them easy to distinguish from other, less harmful snakes:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nYnVPba4g\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2bBSdxIEjs\">Rattlesnakes are often confused with gopher snakes\u003c/a>, which have similar coloration and length. The key differences to keep are the gopher snake’s glossy skin and more slender head and body. Unlike rattlesnakes, gopher snakes are not venomous.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>When should I most watch out for rattlesnakes — and where? \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>EBRPD’s Mason said that like all reptiles, rattlesnakes become more active in warmer weather — as do humans. This is the reason that \u003ca href=\"https://calpoison.org/about-rattlesnakes\">encounters between the two species tend to happen most between April and October\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While snakes can be found all over these East Bay parks and preserves, many encounters happen out on hiking trails and fire roads, Mason said — often in grassy areas. This is why he advises: “Don’t go off the trails into the grass.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11743401\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1335px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11743401\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/image-from-ios-1-_wide-a3f0899f95013c976164e2ee22a7ab7e85f9be71-e1556467826638.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1335\" height=\"751\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photographer Michael Lee Jackson hops out of his Toyota to capture a closer view of a rattlesnake sunning itself on the dirt road. \u003ccite>(Kirk Siegler/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to staying on designated trails, try to scan the ground while walking. When sitting down, examine your chosen spot first and try not to put your hands or feet anywhere you can’t clearly see. Keep your dog on a leash to keep yourself and your pet safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember, hiking alone means it might be harder to find speedy medical attention if you do get bitten — so consider finding a hiking buddy during these warmer months when the risks of rattlesnake encounters are higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What should I do if I see a rattlesnake?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Give the snake plenty of space immediately, Mason advised. Do not try to capture or harm a snake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, you will hear a rattlesnake before you see it — so when that happens, “be wary, look around and get away from it as quickly as possible,” he said. “Go around it. Leave it alone. They are part of nature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re out hiking with your dog and you see a snake, calmly and slowly steer them away from it. \u003ca href=\"https://napahumane.org/rattlesnake-season-safety-tips-and-rattlesnake-avoidance-training-options/\">Some experts even recommend rattlesnake avoidance training\u003c/a> for your dog. If you’re interested, make sure you find a certified training professional using humane science-based methods, which can help teach dogs to respond to scents and cues to avoid bites.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"rattlesnake-bite-what-to-do\">\u003c/a>If a rattlesnake bites me, what should I do?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5393596.pdf\">Around 8,000 people in the U.S. are bitten by rattlesnakes every year\u003c/a>, usually on the hands, feet and ankles. Somewhere between 5 and 15 of those cases are fatal each year, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/venomous-snakes.html\">the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u003c/a> and the Food and Drug Administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Usually, rattlesnake bites will leave two puncture marks, and you’ll feel an intense, burning pain. If this happens, “focus on how to get medical attention as soon as possible,” Mason said.[aside postID=news_12035515 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GettyImages-1366211065_qed-1020x681.jpg']After immediately calling 911, try to sit or lie down, keeping the bite below your heart. Most importantly, keep the area of the bite in a neutral, comfortable position. If possible, you should gently wash the wound with any clean water you have nearby — like from your water bottle or a fast-moving stream — and soap if you have it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/venomous-snakes.html\">The CDC recommends\u003c/a> taking note of the time the bite occurred by actually writing it on your skin next to the wound and removing any jewelry or watches that might constrict swelling. Around 25% of bites are “dry,” meaning the snake did not use venom, but even those bites still need to be treated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EBRPD advised against using tourniquets or snakebite kits (more on this below) and said \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to try sucking out the venom. You also shouldn’t take any medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re bitten while hiking alone, walk slowly to get help. While this might feel counterintuitive, the CDC warns that running increases your heart rate and could spread the venom more quickly throughout your body, as could driving yourself to the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/common_snakes.pdf\">Other types of snake bites\u003c/a> — like a bite from the Pacific gopher snake — can be treated with soap and water, but medical attention is still advised.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Why shouldn’t I use a snakebite kit?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts \u003ca href=\"https://www.snakebitefoundation.org/blog/the-truth-about-commercial-snakebite-kits-including-the-venom-extractor\">warn against using commercially sold snakebite kits\u003c/a>. While the idea of “sucking out the poison” using a tool seems like a solution, the reality is that snake venom instantly diffuses away from the wound and cannot be extracted this way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some cases, extraction tools can even force the venom further into your body or harm the site of the bite. \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431065/\">The antivenom you receive at the hospital is most effective\u003c/a> the sooner it is administered, so getting help should be your first priority.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Other potential risks for Bay Area hikers to watch for\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11801419\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11801419\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A coyote pair enjoys a relaxed afternoon in a secluded part of a park. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Janet Kessler)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Poison oak\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7431.html\">Poison oak,\u003c/a> whose three-sided leaves look oily, will leave a reaction on most peoples’ skin. Staying on trail is your best bet to avoid a rash, but if you do touch any irritating plants, wash your skin immediately and see a doctor if the rash spreads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ticks\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bayarealyme.org/about-lyme/what-causes-lyme-disease/blacklegged-tick/\">Ticks, which position themselves on long grasses hoping to grab hold as you brush by, can carry Lyme disease\u003c/a>. Wear long-sleeved clothing, use insect repellent and stay on trails to avoid ticks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to staying on designated trails and out of dense foliage, Mason advises checking yourself and your pets for ticks after any outdoor activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Give them a once-over, once you get back to your car or back away from the trail,” Mason said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you do find a tick on your skin, remove it using tweezers or a tissue and scrape the skin (a credit card works great for this) to remove any of its body parts left behind. Then wash your hands and the bite area thoroughly, and seek medical attention if you later recognize \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs-symptoms/index.html\">any symptoms of Lyme disease\u003c/a>, which include a rash, fever, headache and stiffness around the bite area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11880481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11880481\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/ticks_types-jpeg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/ticks_types-jpeg.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/ticks_types-jpeg-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Six common types of adult female ticks. Top row, left to right: Lone star, Black-legged, Asian long-horned. Bottom row, left to right: Gulf coast, American dog, Rocky mountain wood \u003ccite>((Top row, left to right) Public Health Image Library, Wikimedia Commons, James Gathany/CDC (Bottom row, left to right) Public Health Image Library, Patrick Gorring/iNaturalist, Public Health Image Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Roaming animals\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parks department advises keeping your distance around cattle and avoiding getting between a mother and her calf. Don’t try to touch or pet cows, and keep dogs and kids away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/safety/wildlife-encounters\">That goes for any other wild animals, too\u003c/a>. Coyotes, deer and mountain lions all inhabit local parks but should never be fed, approached or petted. Even though most aren’t dangerous by nature, they can become unpredictable if surprised.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The important thing really is knowing that when you’re going out there that you’re in a wild area — and to be cautious of your surroundings,” Mason said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCeDp_MY_h4G6VWj_-VPl-BJlQ3Uya2H0vxRZZd_47BpXwVA/viewform?embedded=true\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "With another alert for rattlesnake activity issued for the East Bay, here’s how to stay aware while hiking in the Bay Area this spring – and what to do if you’re bitten.",
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"title": "If You Encounter a Rattlesnake in the Bay Area, What Should You Do? | KQED",
"description": "With another alert for rattlesnake activity issued for the East Bay, here’s how to stay aware while hiking in the Bay Area this spring – and what to do if you’re bitten.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>With summer and warmer temperatures just around the corner, the Bay Area’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/1985496/best-bay-area-hikes-wildlife-near-me\">parks and trails are starting to bustle even more with wildlife\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there are a few critters that hikers should look to avoid — and rattlesnakes are definitely one of them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Monday, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/about-us/whats-new/news/rattlesnake-advisory\">East Bay Regional Parks District issued an advisory\u003c/a> warning hikers about the potential dangers of encountering rattlesnakes on local trails, stressing the threat these venomous creatures can pose.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>Jump to: \u003ca href=\"#rattlesnake-bite-what-to-do\">What should I do if a rattlesnake bites me?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>And\u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/06/california-sixth-person-bitten-rattlesnake\"> two people \u003c/a>have already died in 2026 after being bitten by rattlesnakes in California, both in Ventura County.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Native to California and the Bay Area, rattlesnakes are common on local trails in areas like \u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/maps\">Anthony Chabot, Tilden and Diablo Foothills regional parks\u003c/a> – but you should take them seriously, EBRPD spokesperson Dave Mason told KQED in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s definitely important to be cautious for us humans – and also our pets,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So if you or your pup stumble across a rattlesnake in the wild, what should you do?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>First off: How can I recognize a rattlesnake?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/common_snakes.pdf\">The rattlesnakes local to the Bay Area\u003c/a> tend to be brown or black, matching the general color of the soil they inhabit. Their skin is dull-colored with large blotches, and their head is flat and triangular with folds of skin at its tail forming a “rattle.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>However, you may be more likely to recognize a rattlesnake by ear. True to their name, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nYnVPba4g\">they make a “rattling” sound\u003c/a> that makes them easy to distinguish from other, less harmful snakes:\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/d0nYnVPba4g'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/d0nYnVPba4g'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2bBSdxIEjs\">Rattlesnakes are often confused with gopher snakes\u003c/a>, which have similar coloration and length. The key differences to keep are the gopher snake’s glossy skin and more slender head and body. Unlike rattlesnakes, gopher snakes are not venomous.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>When should I most watch out for rattlesnakes — and where? \u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>EBRPD’s Mason said that like all reptiles, rattlesnakes become more active in warmer weather — as do humans. This is the reason that \u003ca href=\"https://calpoison.org/about-rattlesnakes\">encounters between the two species tend to happen most between April and October\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While snakes can be found all over these East Bay parks and preserves, many encounters happen out on hiking trails and fire roads, Mason said — often in grassy areas. This is why he advises: “Don’t go off the trails into the grass.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11743401\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1335px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11743401\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/04/image-from-ios-1-_wide-a3f0899f95013c976164e2ee22a7ab7e85f9be71-e1556467826638.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1335\" height=\"751\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photographer Michael Lee Jackson hops out of his Toyota to capture a closer view of a rattlesnake sunning itself on the dirt road. \u003ccite>(Kirk Siegler/NPR)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In addition to staying on designated trails, try to scan the ground while walking. When sitting down, examine your chosen spot first and try not to put your hands or feet anywhere you can’t clearly see. Keep your dog on a leash to keep yourself and your pet safe.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Remember, hiking alone means it might be harder to find speedy medical attention if you do get bitten — so consider finding a hiking buddy during these warmer months when the risks of rattlesnake encounters are higher.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>What should I do if I see a rattlesnake?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Give the snake plenty of space immediately, Mason advised. Do not try to capture or harm a snake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Often, you will hear a rattlesnake before you see it — so when that happens, “be wary, look around and get away from it as quickly as possible,” he said. “Go around it. Leave it alone. They are part of nature.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re out hiking with your dog and you see a snake, calmly and slowly steer them away from it. \u003ca href=\"https://napahumane.org/rattlesnake-season-safety-tips-and-rattlesnake-avoidance-training-options/\">Some experts even recommend rattlesnake avoidance training\u003c/a> for your dog. If you’re interested, make sure you find a certified training professional using humane science-based methods, which can help teach dogs to respond to scents and cues to avoid bites.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>\u003ca id=\"rattlesnake-bite-what-to-do\">\u003c/a>If a rattlesnake bites me, what should I do?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5393596.pdf\">Around 8,000 people in the U.S. are bitten by rattlesnakes every year\u003c/a>, usually on the hands, feet and ankles. Somewhere between 5 and 15 of those cases are fatal each year, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/venomous-snakes.html\">the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u003c/a> and the Food and Drug Administration.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Usually, rattlesnake bites will leave two puncture marks, and you’ll feel an intense, burning pain. If this happens, “focus on how to get medical attention as soon as possible,” Mason said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>After immediately calling 911, try to sit or lie down, keeping the bite below your heart. Most importantly, keep the area of the bite in a neutral, comfortable position. If possible, you should gently wash the wound with any clean water you have nearby — like from your water bottle or a fast-moving stream — and soap if you have it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/venomous-snakes.html\">The CDC recommends\u003c/a> taking note of the time the bite occurred by actually writing it on your skin next to the wound and removing any jewelry or watches that might constrict swelling. Around 25% of bites are “dry,” meaning the snake did not use venom, but even those bites still need to be treated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>EBRPD advised against using tourniquets or snakebite kits (more on this below) and said \u003cem>not \u003c/em>to try sucking out the venom. You also shouldn’t take any medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re bitten while hiking alone, walk slowly to get help. While this might feel counterintuitive, the CDC warns that running increases your heart rate and could spread the venom more quickly throughout your body, as could driving yourself to the hospital.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/sites/default/files/common_snakes.pdf\">Other types of snake bites\u003c/a> — like a bite from the Pacific gopher snake — can be treated with soap and water, but medical attention is still advised.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Why shouldn’t I use a snakebite kit?\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Experts \u003ca href=\"https://www.snakebitefoundation.org/blog/the-truth-about-commercial-snakebite-kits-including-the-venom-extractor\">warn against using commercially sold snakebite kits\u003c/a>. While the idea of “sucking out the poison” using a tool seems like a solution, the reality is that snake venom instantly diffuses away from the wound and cannot be extracted this way.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In some cases, extraction tools can even force the venom further into your body or harm the site of the bite. \u003ca href=\"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431065/\">The antivenom you receive at the hospital is most effective\u003c/a> the sooner it is administered, so getting help should be your first priority.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Other potential risks for Bay Area hikers to watch for\u003c/h2>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11801419\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11801419\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-1044x783.jpg 1044w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-632x474.jpg 632w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/RS41107_Coyote-Pair-qut-536x402.jpg 536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A coyote pair enjoys a relaxed afternoon in a secluded part of a park. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Janet Kessler)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Poison oak\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7431.html\">Poison oak,\u003c/a> whose three-sided leaves look oily, will leave a reaction on most peoples’ skin. Staying on trail is your best bet to avoid a rash, but if you do touch any irritating plants, wash your skin immediately and see a doctor if the rash spreads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ticks\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.bayarealyme.org/about-lyme/what-causes-lyme-disease/blacklegged-tick/\">Ticks, which position themselves on long grasses hoping to grab hold as you brush by, can carry Lyme disease\u003c/a>. Wear long-sleeved clothing, use insect repellent and stay on trails to avoid ticks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition to staying on designated trails and out of dense foliage, Mason advises checking yourself and your pets for ticks after any outdoor activity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Give them a once-over, once you get back to your car or back away from the trail,” Mason said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you do find a tick on your skin, remove it using tweezers or a tissue and scrape the skin (a credit card works great for this) to remove any of its body parts left behind. Then wash your hands and the bite area thoroughly, and seek medical attention if you later recognize \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs-symptoms/index.html\">any symptoms of Lyme disease\u003c/a>, which include a rash, fever, headache and stiffness around the bite area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11880481\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11880481\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/ticks_types-jpeg.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"531\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/ticks_types-jpeg.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/ticks_types-jpeg-160x106.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Six common types of adult female ticks. Top row, left to right: Lone star, Black-legged, Asian long-horned. Bottom row, left to right: Gulf coast, American dog, Rocky mountain wood \u003ccite>((Top row, left to right) Public Health Image Library, Wikimedia Commons, James Gathany/CDC (Bottom row, left to right) Public Health Image Library, Patrick Gorring/iNaturalist, Public Health Image Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Roaming animals\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parks department advises keeping your distance around cattle and avoiding getting between a mother and her calf. Don’t try to touch or pet cows, and keep dogs and kids away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.ebparks.org/safety/wildlife-encounters\">That goes for any other wild animals, too\u003c/a>. Coyotes, deer and mountain lions all inhabit local parks but should never be fed, approached or petted. Even though most aren’t dangerous by nature, they can become unpredictable if surprised.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The important thing really is knowing that when you’re going out there that you’re in a wild area — and to be cautious of your surroundings,” Mason said.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cdiv class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__shortcodes__shortcodeWrapper'>\n \u003ciframe\n src='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCeDp_MY_h4G6VWj_-VPl-BJlQ3Uya2H0vxRZZd_47BpXwVA/viewform?embedded=true?embedded=true'\n title='https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCeDp_MY_h4G6VWj_-VPl-BJlQ3Uya2H0vxRZZd_47BpXwVA/viewform?embedded=true'\n width='760' height='500'\n frameborder='0'\n marginheight='0' marginwidth='0'>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/div>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Fire, Bike Officials Urge Caution After E-Bike Fire Death in San José",
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"content": "\u003cp>Fire officials and bike advocates are warning people to take precautions when buying, charging and storing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/e-bikes\">e-bikes\u003c/a> following the death of a man who tried to extinguish a battery fire in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/south-bay\">South Bay\u003c/a> last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the popularity of e-bikes grows, so does the risk of fires from damaged, failing or lower-quality battery packs that power them. Taking safety measures, such as never leaving an e-bike charging unattended, can help reduce the likelihood of a fire, injuries or death if the batteries do ignite, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All across the country, we’re seeing a rapid increase in lithium-ion battery fires,” San José Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Fielding said Monday during a news conference. “It is becoming a much more common problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around 8:30 a.m. on Friday, fire officials received reports of a fire in an apartment on Norwalk Drive in West San José. Firefighters arrived to find one person collapsed in a hallway, and another who had escaped the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the incident report from SJFD, a woman who lived in the apartment told fire investigators she heard “buzzing and popping” coming from the e-bike, and it immediately caught fire, looking like “it had fireworks coming from it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The woman ran to the balcony, while a man came out of a bedroom and tried to extinguish the fire amid thick smoke. The man went out to the balcony briefly, as he was struggling to breathe, then went back in to attempt to control the fire before going to the hallway, where he collapsed, officials and the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078946\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1770px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078946\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1770\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-1_qed.jpg 1770w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-1_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-1_qed-1536x1157.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1770px) 100vw, 1770px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Battalion Chief Jeff Fielding of the San José Fire Department speaks about an e-bike fire during a press conference on April 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A neighbor ran to the balcony to rescue the woman, and then performed CPR on the man, who was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. He has not yet been publicly identified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire department said the cause of the fire was the failure of the battery, which ignited while it was plugged into a wall outlet. The crews were able to contain the fire quickly enough that there was little damage to the structure, and it didn’t spread outside of the apartment where the bike was stored.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fielding said that when lithium-ion batteries fail or catch fire, they do so with little to no warning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fire spreads very rapidly and produces a very large amount of toxic smoke that spreads very quickly,” he said. ”It can overwhelm victims very quickly and can also make it very, very difficult to escape the fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of toxic chemicals in them, a lot of heavy metals, a lot of different chemicals in that smoke that is very, very much different than traditional structure-fire smoke, which is what makes them so deadly,” he said.[aside postID=news_12070694 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250805-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED-1.jpg']Lithium-ion batteries power many consumer products, from cell phones to vacuum cleaners, as well as electric vehicles, and the e-bike market is a fast-growing one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Battery packs for e-bikes are much larger than those for personal electronics, and they are exposed to the elements more. Bicycle advocates and fire officials have raised concerns about regulations on manufacturing standards, user modifications to enhance speed or power and the risk of damage to the batteries from impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fielding said if e-bike users notice a battery beginning to show signs that it might be damaged, like an odor, bulging shape, or if it is starting to smoke, and they have time, they can take it outside to avoid a fire in a living space. But more often, he said, firefighters recommend simply evacuating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Try and enclose that living space and get out. Your life is not worth any property, so close that living place, shut all the doors, get out and call 911. It’s the best advice,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have been an estimated 198,000 lithium-ion battery fires in structures since 2011, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.nist.gov/publications/understanding-risk-lithium-ion-battery-fires-multi-source-data-analysis\">analysis\u003c/a> of multiple data sources on such incidents by the National Institute of Standards and Technology last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consumer-level lithium-ion battery fires appear to be growing at a rate of about 10% per year, the analysis said. Fires starting with e-bikes and micromobility devices “are among the leading causes of home-related lithium-ion battery fires, especially in urban areas,” the analysis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078945\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1066px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078945\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1066\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-2_qed.jpg 1066w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-2_qed-160x200.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1066px) 100vw, 1066px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San José Fire Department shared this photo of an e-bike that ignited causing a fire at an apartment on Friday, April 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of San José Fire Department)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fielding and biking advocates said following some simple steps can help avoid a fire in the first place, including only charging e-bike batteries under supervision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When a lithium e-bike battery is plugged in for too long, it can get overheated and for a variety of reasons, it can catch on fire. Not leaving your battery plugged in overnight is key, and then keeping an eye on it while it’s charging is very important,” said Jared Sanchez, the policy director at the nonprofit California Bicycle Coalition, known as CalBike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, California passed SB 1271, a law that went into effect this year and requires all e-bikes sold in the state to include batteries that meet certain standards based on lab testing. But Sanchez said it’s still important to verify that an e-bike a rider is considering buying or renting meets and displays those certifications, and to use manufacturer parts if anything needs to be replaced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As we often see, most battery fires are in unregulated or aftermarket products that will often be more likely to catch fire than the certified ones,” he said. “Make sure the battery is designed for the motor for your particular bike. Extension cords have been linked to battery fires, so always plug in your battery charger directly into an outlet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery displaced dozens of residents of an apartment building in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, lawmakers there are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078969/sf-legislation-aims-to-crack-down-on-uncertified-batteries-as-fires-grow-more-common\">considering legislation\u003c/a> to outlaw uncertified batteries and devices in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A good way for cyclists to ensure they are purchasing a quality product is to buy directly from a reputable bike store or dealer. They will be required to follow the laws around battery certification, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned about making the right choices, you can also seek help or advice from local organizations, like the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, which offers an “\u003ca href=\"https://bikesiliconvalley.org/learn-ride/learn\">E-Bike Basics\u003c/a>” class in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As we see e-bikes really surge in popularity, it’s so important that people know what they’re buying so that they can use this transportation tool that really does have the power to be transformative safely and effectively and never put themselves in harm’s way,” said Amy Thomson, the policy director at Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051118\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051118\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250729-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250729-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250729-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250729-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An electric bicycle sits on display at Tam Bikes in Mill Valley on July 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said the class helps people understand what they’re buying, including whether the products have the proper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070694/these-bay-area-researchers-say-the-e-bike-problem-may-be-an-e-moto-problem\">power levels\u003c/a>. Many products on the market have motors with too much power and too high a top speed — above 28 miles per hour — to be classified as an e-bike in California. Instead, experts say those devices are more akin to an e-motorcycle or an e-moped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of options out there, and not all of them are legitimate. We see e-devices called e-bikes when they are not legal e-bikes. And you run the same risk with the battery that’s inside the bike,” Thomson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thomson said that because an e-bike can be plugged in, some consumers might think it can be treated like any rechargeable home item.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a transportation tool. It’s a powerful device, and that brings us really great mobility in terms of getting places more comfortably, in terms of carrying heavy objects or putting children on the back,” she said. “But that does require more powerful batteries, and so it is necessary to know what you’re buying and take a look at the instructions on how to charge it, how to take care of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Fire officials and bike advocates are warning people to take precautions when buying, charging and storing \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/e-bikes\">e-bikes\u003c/a> following the death of a man who tried to extinguish a battery fire in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/south-bay\">South Bay\u003c/a> last week.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As the popularity of e-bikes grows, so does the risk of fires from damaged, failing or lower-quality battery packs that power them. Taking safety measures, such as never leaving an e-bike charging unattended, can help reduce the likelihood of a fire, injuries or death if the batteries do ignite, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All across the country, we’re seeing a rapid increase in lithium-ion battery fires,” San José Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Fielding said Monday during a news conference. “It is becoming a much more common problem.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Around 8:30 a.m. on Friday, fire officials received reports of a fire in an apartment on Norwalk Drive in West San José. Firefighters arrived to find one person collapsed in a hallway, and another who had escaped the fire.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to the incident report from SJFD, a woman who lived in the apartment told fire investigators she heard “buzzing and popping” coming from the e-bike, and it immediately caught fire, looking like “it had fireworks coming from it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The woman ran to the balcony, while a man came out of a bedroom and tried to extinguish the fire amid thick smoke. The man went out to the balcony briefly, as he was struggling to breathe, then went back in to attempt to control the fire before going to the hallway, where he collapsed, officials and the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078946\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1770px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078946\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-1_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1770\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-1_qed.jpg 1770w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-1_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-1_qed-1536x1157.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1770px) 100vw, 1770px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Battalion Chief Jeff Fielding of the San José Fire Department speaks about an e-bike fire during a press conference on April 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A neighbor ran to the balcony to rescue the woman, and then performed CPR on the man, who was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. He has not yet been publicly identified.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fire department said the cause of the fire was the failure of the battery, which ignited while it was plugged into a wall outlet. The crews were able to contain the fire quickly enough that there was little damage to the structure, and it didn’t spread outside of the apartment where the bike was stored.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fielding said that when lithium-ion batteries fail or catch fire, they do so with little to no warning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fire spreads very rapidly and produces a very large amount of toxic smoke that spreads very quickly,” he said. ”It can overwhelm victims very quickly and can also make it very, very difficult to escape the fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a lot of toxic chemicals in them, a lot of heavy metals, a lot of different chemicals in that smoke that is very, very much different than traditional structure-fire smoke, which is what makes them so deadly,” he said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Lithium-ion batteries power many consumer products, from cell phones to vacuum cleaners, as well as electric vehicles, and the e-bike market is a fast-growing one.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Battery packs for e-bikes are much larger than those for personal electronics, and they are exposed to the elements more. Bicycle advocates and fire officials have raised concerns about regulations on manufacturing standards, user modifications to enhance speed or power and the risk of damage to the batteries from impacts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fielding said if e-bike users notice a battery beginning to show signs that it might be damaged, like an odor, bulging shape, or if it is starting to smoke, and they have time, they can take it outside to avoid a fire in a living space. But more often, he said, firefighters recommend simply evacuating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Try and enclose that living space and get out. Your life is not worth any property, so close that living place, shut all the doors, get out and call 911. It’s the best advice,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have been an estimated 198,000 lithium-ion battery fires in structures since 2011, according to an \u003ca href=\"https://www.nist.gov/publications/understanding-risk-lithium-ion-battery-fires-multi-source-data-analysis\">analysis\u003c/a> of multiple data sources on such incidents by the National Institute of Standards and Technology last month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Consumer-level lithium-ion battery fires appear to be growing at a rate of about 10% per year, the analysis said. Fires starting with e-bikes and micromobility devices “are among the leading causes of home-related lithium-ion battery fires, especially in urban areas,” the analysis said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078945\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 1066px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078945\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1066\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-2_qed.jpg 1066w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-EBIKEFIRE-KQED-2_qed-160x200.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1066px) 100vw, 1066px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San José Fire Department shared this photo of an e-bike that ignited causing a fire at an apartment on Friday, April 3, 2026. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of San José Fire Department)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fielding and biking advocates said following some simple steps can help avoid a fire in the first place, including only charging e-bike batteries under supervision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When a lithium e-bike battery is plugged in for too long, it can get overheated and for a variety of reasons, it can catch on fire. Not leaving your battery plugged in overnight is key, and then keeping an eye on it while it’s charging is very important,” said Jared Sanchez, the policy director at the nonprofit California Bicycle Coalition, known as CalBike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2024, California passed SB 1271, a law that went into effect this year and requires all e-bikes sold in the state to include batteries that meet certain standards based on lab testing. But Sanchez said it’s still important to verify that an e-bike a rider is considering buying or renting meets and displays those certifications, and to use manufacturer parts if anything needs to be replaced.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As we often see, most battery fires are in unregulated or aftermarket products that will often be more likely to catch fire than the certified ones,” he said. “Make sure the battery is designed for the motor for your particular bike. Extension cords have been linked to battery fires, so always plug in your battery charger directly into an outlet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After a fire sparked by a lithium-ion battery displaced dozens of residents of an apartment building in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, lawmakers there are \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078969/sf-legislation-aims-to-crack-down-on-uncertified-batteries-as-fires-grow-more-common\">considering legislation\u003c/a> to outlaw uncertified batteries and devices in the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A good way for cyclists to ensure they are purchasing a quality product is to buy directly from a reputable bike store or dealer. They will be required to follow the laws around battery certification, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’re concerned about making the right choices, you can also seek help or advice from local organizations, like the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, which offers an “\u003ca href=\"https://bikesiliconvalley.org/learn-ride/learn\">E-Bike Basics\u003c/a>” class in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As we see e-bikes really surge in popularity, it’s so important that people know what they’re buying so that they can use this transportation tool that really does have the power to be transformative safely and effectively and never put themselves in harm’s way,” said Amy Thomson, the policy director at Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12051118\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12051118\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250729-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250729-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250729-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/08/250729-MARINEBIKES-03-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An electric bicycle sits on display at Tam Bikes in Mill Valley on July 29, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She said the class helps people understand what they’re buying, including whether the products have the proper \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12070694/these-bay-area-researchers-say-the-e-bike-problem-may-be-an-e-moto-problem\">power levels\u003c/a>. Many products on the market have motors with too much power and too high a top speed — above 28 miles per hour — to be classified as an e-bike in California. Instead, experts say those devices are more akin to an e-motorcycle or an e-moped.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There are a lot of options out there, and not all of them are legitimate. We see e-devices called e-bikes when they are not legal e-bikes. And you run the same risk with the battery that’s inside the bike,” Thomson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Thomson said that because an e-bike can be plugged in, some consumers might think it can be treated like any rechargeable home item.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a transportation tool. It’s a powerful device, and that brings us really great mobility in terms of getting places more comfortably, in terms of carrying heavy objects or putting children on the back,” she said. “But that does require more powerful batteries, and so it is necessary to know what you’re buying and take a look at the instructions on how to charge it, how to take care of it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area",
"title": "Housing, Tech and Taxes: 50 Years of Unaffordability in the Bay Area",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">How We Get By\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">full series here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The carefully curated flower pots, matcha mixing bowls and Buddhist prayer beads at Kogura Co. in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José’s\u003c/a> Japantown have drawn shoppers for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard Kogura’s family has operated the Japanese gift and home goods store, now near the corner of Jackson and North Sixth streets, since his grandfather Kohei Kogura started the company in 1928.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the decades, the store’s inventory has shifted — from radios and sewing machines to home goods and gifts — mirroring the changes unfolding outside its doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just as the wares have changed over the years, so has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904788/san-jose-japantown-changes-minato-gombei-shuei-do-santo-market\">Japantown\u003c/a>: evolving from a working-class neighborhood to a haven of high-priced apartments as handsomely paid tech workers and developers have flocked to the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As I look at folks that are moving into our neighborhood,” Kogura said, “the only people who can afford to move into the neighborhood right now are the high-tech.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the street from his shop is Sixth and Jackson, a 518-apartment complex opened two years ago that lists studios for rent beginning at roughly $3,000 per month, climbing to roughly $11,000 for the highest-end three-bedroom units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The sponsors of our Little League teams were the Plumbers, the Carpenters, the Teamsters,” Kogura, 70, recalled as he walked the aisles of his family’s shop on a sunny Tuesday in March and reflected on his upbringing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077577\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077577 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00054_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00054_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00054_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00054_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard Kogura, a third-generation resident of Japantown and co-owner of Kogura Company, poses for a portrait at Kogura Company in San José on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If you needed a job, there was always work because of the canneries,” he said, referring to companies like Del Monte that once anchored the local economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those jobs are gone. In their place: a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/lowdown/category/silicon-valley\">tech-driven economy\u003c/a> that brought immense wealth — and costs that many longtime residents can no longer afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the past half-century, the Bay Area has transformed from a region where working- and middle-class families could build stable lives into one of the most expensive places in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That shift was driven by the collision of explosive tech-fueled wealth with decades of constrained housing growth, shaped by local opposition to development, environmental regulation and tax policies like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/proposition-13\">Proposition 13\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077583\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077583 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00657_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00657_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00657_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00657_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cards made by Tracie Kogura, Richard Kogura’s daughter, are sold at Kogura Company in San José on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The result is a region where soaring home prices and rents have outpaced wages, deepened inequality and pushed longtime residents to the margins or out altogether — forces now \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952476/san-jose-japantown-photo-night-cukui\">reshaping communities like San José’s Japantown\u003c/a> and affecting the people struggling to remain in them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Powered by decades of tech expansion, limited housing construction and policies that restrict turnover and development, the region’s cost of living first got out of sync with the rest of the country around 50 years ago, experts say, with more recent tech booms only furthering sky-high costs and wide disparities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Bay Area is rich and prosperous, and that creates a very high demand for housing, and that drives up prices,” said Richard Walker, professor emeritus of geography at UC Berkeley and an expert on California history.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Spurning growth\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Beginning in the 1970s, communities across the Bay Area pushed back against rapid development, reshaping how — and whether — new housing would be built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A hard shift toward anti-growth policies and environmental regulation flourished, as residents fought displacement and sprawl caused by major urban and suburban development efforts, such as highways and commercial projects. Their effects linger today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077579\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077579\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00483_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00483_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00483_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00483_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Customers browse at Kogura Company in San José on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“In the same way that California was the poster child for uncontrolled growth in the first two and a half decades of the post-war era from the mid-1940s to the mid to late 1960s, not coincidentally, it is the epicenter of the most concerted and most politically successful effort to reign in growth into the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s,” said Jacob Anbinder, a research fellow at Cornell University, who is writing a book about the roots of America’s housing crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until last year, when the Legislature enacted major reforms, the California Environmental Quality Act — the state’s landmark environmental law, passed in 1970 — hamstrung projects of all stripes. Meanwhile, a Byzantine patchwork of county and local policies slows down and limits new housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The region’s collective failure to build enough homes has made it tougher for everyday workers to secure reasonably priced housing. Over the last nearly 50 years, the Bay Area has had one of the lowest permitting rates for new homes per capita in the nation, compared to other major metros, according to an analysis by the \u003ca href=\"https://siepr.stanford.edu/\">Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research\u003c/a> performed for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Housing Permits, 1980-Present\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-MXDLW\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MXDLW/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"575\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phil Cosentino’s livelihood has been shaped by the rise and fall of that pro-building ethos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After World War II, as defense and technology companies grew and hastened the rise of Silicon Valley, developers built out suburbs that sprawled farther and farther from job centers, prompting the construction of more roads and highways to transport more workers to offices throughout San José and the Peninsula.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Cosentino’s father opened a family farm in South San José 81 years ago, the property stretched 10 acres. But it was whittled to about two acres after California officials used eminent domain to buy the land in the 1950s to build what is now Highway 85, which cuts along the edge of the farm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077607\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077607\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-022-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-022-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-022-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-022-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heidi Shimamoto shops at J&P Cosentino Family Farm in San José on Oct. 17, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, the 96-year-old’s small farm is sandwiched between the highway and a residential neighborhood that sprouted over the decades as developers bought up neighboring farms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was closing in, closing in, closing in, and there was nothing we could do about it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, homes in the area sell for well above $1 million to tech workers drawn in part by easy access to the highway. The orchards that helped sustain generations of Cosentinos, however, some years fail to break even.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077605 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-005-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-005-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-005-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-005-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A drone photo of the farm and a family photo hang on the wall at J&P Cosentino Family Farm in San José on Oct. 17, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The situation we’re living in today is the product of decisions that were made not just 10, 20 years ago, but 50, 60, even 70 years ago,” Anbinder said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even as a range of factors constrained housing supply, the region’s economy continued to boom, bringing in more residents and driving up demand and prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“About 50 years ago, you can start to see a very clear upward movement in housing prices that deviates from the rest of the country by California, and also even more so by the Bay Area,” Walker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rising housing costs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Around 1970, the median home value in the U.S. was about $20,000. In California, it was roughly $23,000, and in the Bay Area it was higher still — reaching $28,000 in San Francisco, according to the U.S. Census.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 2024, the census found, the median home value in the city was around $1.4 million, compared to less than $400,000 nationally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077584\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077584 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00764_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00764_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00764_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00764_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carolyn Kogura (center right), a third-generation resident of Japantown and co-owner of Kogura Company, helps customer Nick Marozick (left) at the cash register at Kogura Company in San José on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/housing\">rise in real estate values\u003c/a> has far outstripped the growth in average wages, greatly diminishing buying power for many.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the tech industry has fueled extreme wealth and financial stability for a significant number of residents capable of scooping up much of the available supply of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why is our housing more expensive than anywhere in the country? It’s because we are richer than anywhere in the country, on average,” Walker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Home Values on Zillow\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-FmS51\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/FmS51/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"486\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kogura and his grown children have been able to maintain family-owned homes in Japantown. But that’s largely because his grandfather and parents were able to buy and pass on properties before prices skyrocketed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He doesn’t think his kids would be able to buy their own homes now due to the high prices and property taxes, which he said are exacerbated by investors who buy and sell historic buildings in the area in hopes of redeveloping them and cashing in on the neighborhood’s cachet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Median Income for Select Professions\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-iiZQd\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/iiZQd/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"675\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erika McEntarfer, the former head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and a research scholar at SIEPR, said that while tech wages have long dwarfed those of other professions like nurses, teachers and retail or sales workers, a tech boom in the years following the great financial crisis of 2008 pushed compensation in that industry even higher, with direct impacts on housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can see it in the housing price statistics. You can see it in income data. The Bay Area starts to have housing prices that increase faster than other cities, right as the tech boom is taking off and incomes are also going way up,” McEntarfer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That takeoff in earnings didn’t happen for everybody. The latest U.S. Census data shows median Bay Area tech worker income hovering a little above $180,000 annually in 2024, compared with just over $120,000 for nurses, while teachers and sales workers earned less than half of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tech compensation\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Rachel Massaro, vice president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a think tank that studies the region, said inequality is “escalating exponentially” in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What high earners are able to pay for a good or service affects what people will charge, Massaro said, which impacts everyone. Tech workers are willing and able to pay more for everyday essentials, from housing to child care, influencing costs for the whole region and exacerbating historic imbalances.[aside postID=news_12078480 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Lede.jpg']This year’s \u003ca href=\"https://jointventure.org/13-publications/silicon-valley-index\">Silicon Valley Index\u003c/a>, an annual snapshot of the region published by the nonprofit, highlighted that investment income — such as dividends from stock portfolios and earnings from rental properties — is “overwhelmingly concentrated among higher-income households,” bringing in $200,000 or more each year. For households earning less than that, “investment income is nearly absent,” the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those investments, Massaro said, can generate much more income than wages alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In practice, those assets for tech workers can feel like bonuses, making it easier to snap up a rental property or to upgrade to a bigger home, “things that might seem out of reach for a lot of other people in our region,” Massaro said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Compounding all of this is the fact that the Bay Area — in addition to being flush with well-paid product managers, engineers, programmers and marketers — has one of the highest concentrations of billionaires in the country. Executives and founders like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang are some of the 126 billionaires who call the area home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people across the country talk about the wealth gap in terms of the top 1%. But in Silicon Valley, the concentration goes way beyond that. It’s the top 0.001% alone that holds 18% of all of our liquid wealth,” Massaro said. “And the top 1% hold roughly a third. So things are different here, particularly because of billionaire liquid wealth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other indicators reaffirm the Bay Area’s higher cost of living, including data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which researchers from SIEPR analyzed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Far Does $100,000 Go?\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-44DiX\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/44DiX/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"550\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Between 2012 and the pandemic, prices in the Bay Area increased faster than other metros and the nation at large,” researchers at SIEPR said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One way to think of this is that if you make $100,000 in San Francisco, the purchasing power it gives you relative to living in Houston is $85,000,” McEntarfer said. “And relative to living in Birmingham, Alabama, that money would go [as far as] $110,000.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area workers looking to stretch their dollars have fled San Francisco and Silicon Valley for the East Bay and beyond in search of a lower cost of living. But as more people make that move, the limited housing supply has meant rising prices in previously affordable neighborhoods, which has pushed many families out of the region entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Proposition 13\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>McEntarfer said economists sometimes compare housing stock to lasagna, where layers accommodate the different circumstances people experience in their lives and careers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s controversial Proposition 13 and high home prices have complicated that notion locally, with many older residents staying in larger homes after their children have moved out and partners have died because downsizing is too expensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00642_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00642_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00642_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00642_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages is located on 609 North 13th St., in San José, on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For those who have already secured a home in the Bay Area, especially members of the Baby Boomer generation, the nearly 50-year-old Proposition 13 has shielded them from high annual property tax increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enacted in 1978 by California voters frustrated about unpredictable inflationary pressures and increasing property tax bills, Proposition 13 requires the state to assess properties based on their purchase price, not current market value, and caps the annual increase in assessed value at 2%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It means, for instance, that the buyer of a house who purchased the property in 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://projects.scpr.org/prop-13/\">pays dramatically more\u003c/a> in property taxes than their neighbor who bought a comparable home in the 1970s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077591\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077591\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00664_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00664_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00664_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00664_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dried pasta and sauce are sold at Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The law benefits residential and commercial property owners, but disincentivizes them from moving and severely \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11701044/how-proposition-13-transformed-neighborhood-public-schools-throughout-california\">limits funding for schools\u003c/a> and other municipal services, prompting officials to more frequently ask local voters for tax increases and bond measures.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>“It definitely transfers the burden of paying for all of the expensive services that we have to pay for in communities to the younger up-and-coming working families,” said Kelly Snider, a developer and professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at San José State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077593\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077593\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00682_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00682_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00682_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00682_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Louis Chiaramonte, owner of Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages, poses for a portrait at Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some analyses have shown that Proposition 13 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11911156/prop-13-offers-bigger-tax-breaks-to-homeowners-in-wealthy-white-neighborhoods\">disproportionately benefits white and wealthier homeowners\u003c/a> in higher-value neighborhoods because the difference between their homes’ assessed value and market value is greater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The upshot, McEntarfer said, is that in the Bay Area, “even relatively well-off working professionals like the nurses, educators, people with good middle-class jobs, they can’t afford to buy a house anymore, so they’re renting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Average rental rates in the San José and San Francisco metro areas hover around $3,000 a month for apartments, and about $4,200 a month for single-family homes, the Silicon Valley index reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077594\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077594\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00690_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00690_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00690_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00690_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A.J. Fernandez makes a sandwich at Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A.J. Fernandez pays far less than that — just $600 a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s the grand-nephew of Louis Chiaramonte, the 81-year-old proprietor of Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José’s Northside neighborhood, which has operated for 118 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chiaramonte said people of his generation could buy a home “even with a regular type of job where you didn’t have to have a special education or special talents,” but Fernandez said he “couldn’t do that in my lifetime.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Share of Super-Commuters\" aria-label=\"Grouped column chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-sYKh5\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/sYKh5/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"601\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 34-year-old, who works crafting the deli’s housemade Italian sausage sandwiches, rents a room in a family-owned home with his grandmother. “They charge me very modestly, and even then, it’s hard to live in the Bay Area,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s this huge crunch in terms of how expensive it is to just simply have a roof over your head,” said Stasia Hansen, the research and policy director for \u003ca href=\"https://workingeastbay.org/\">East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy\u003c/a>, a nonprofit that advocates for economic, racial, and social justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hansen said that when the pinch of increasing housing costs pushes people farther from the region’s major job centers, it disconnects them from their families and communities and adds to their transportation costs as commutes increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077592\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077592\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00673_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00673_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00673_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00673_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Old photos of Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages from the 1920s and onward are hung on a shelf at Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Moving from bigger cities like Oakland to smaller burbs in Contra Costa and Solano counties also means tenants often give up renter protections, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One consequence of all that movement has been an explosion of supercommuters, people who commute more than an hour to their workplaces. In the Bay Area in 2019, just under 9% of regional workers identified as supercommuters, according to U.S. Census data, nearly double the national rate at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pandemic-driven remote work wave “took the edge off of the number of supercommuters in the Bay Area,” McEntarfer said, but the percentage of these commuters in the region in 2024 was still well above the national average.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Increasing strain\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As more people fan out in search of housing they can afford, that puts pressure on lower-income neighborhoods and the people who live there. Black workers have historically been underrepresented in tech and other white-collar sectors, Hansen said. They are also more likely, according to the index, to be paid less even when they do hold the same degrees and jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About half of Black workers in the East Bay were considered rent burdened, meaning they paid more than 30% of their income toward rent, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058985\">an October report\u003c/a> from UC Berkeley’s Labor Center. More than four in every 10 Latino workers were rent-burdened, compared to about a third of white renters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078837\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078837\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00285_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00285_TV_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00285_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00285_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twenty-four-year-old Kassandra Gutierrez embraces her 4-year-old son Esteban while getting him ready for school at her mother’s home in Oakland on April 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kassandra Gutierrez said the financial strain of trying to stay in the Bay Area has taken a huge toll on her emotional well-being. She works full-time and is a single parent to a 4-year-old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been trying to see if I can get a second job just to make sure I can maintain a roof over my son’s head. It’s very mentally frustrating, mentally draining,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gutierrez, 24, is a case worker at a mental health care agency in Oakland, where she serves up to 30 clients at a time. Despite living in an affordable apartment complex in Richmond, she worries she could face eviction because she’s struggling to pay a recent $250 increase in rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078834\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078834\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00217_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00217_TV_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00217_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00217_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kassandra Gutierrez, a single mother, gets ready at her mother’s home in Oakland on April 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Raised in Oakland, she said, “everything was easier” when she was younger, and it’s been painful to see the costs of daily life spiking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I first started driving, gas was like $2.50, so filling up [my car]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>wasn’t such an issue. Just seeing that increase in gas, seeing an increase in groceries, just buying a pack of strawberries is already almost 10 bucks, or a gallon of milk is six bucks,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s such a fast increase that no one can really catch up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What comes next?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Walker, the Berkeley professor emeritus, said the inequality gripping the Bay Area is difficult to escape without drastic action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What comes next? Well, nothing. It’ll just be more of the same unless you get a mass popular movement and significant political change. We need to reclaim our state and reclaim our country from the rich,” Walker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He suggested everything from higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations, to stricter AI regulation and more subsidized housing like the public housing projects of the New Deal era that helped house the burgeoning workforce of the Bay Area after WWI. A proposed one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state has gained momentum in recent months but faces vehement opposition from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/business/california-billionaire-tax-ballot-opposition-6a00047d?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqcxAnMF28subEWffDfgqSmdc38fyPNQOMOVQdP7pWka8zRT2Z8xERxYnwFSNLk%3D&gaa_ts=69c6c184&gaa_sig=tcbkMNY46yjBYaXnaTCAb1Os9mLrNtN7ZWT_ZDJ86L2LPBzWIWU-my8nNz26ctCDKI4uHEyUIv61kij89en1Cw%3D%3D\">subjects of the tax\u003c/a>.[aside postID=news_12069608 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/019_KQED_RichmondHousing_08162022_qed.jpg']McEntarfer, who moved from Washington, D.C., to the Bay Area in the fall and lived in accessory dwelling units before finding an apartment, said she loves the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really easy to see why the area is in high demand,” she said. “There is great weather, natural beauty and a lot of jobs. There are very few places in the U.S. that are blessed with all three of those things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those blessings come with a downside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Silicon Valley, San Francisco — they’ve created an enormous number of jobs, but they haven’t built enough housing to house all of those workers. And it’s pushing up prices, it’s pushing people to take very long commutes to try and find some affordable housing,” she said. “Consistently, what you hear on the East Coast about San Francisco and the Bay Area is that it’s lovely but it’s unaffordable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Kogura, whose family business is approaching the century mark in Japantown, the rising costs are eroding the close-knit neighborhood he grew up in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our people know each other, and it’s a real small community,” he said. “But we’re losing that, and it’s almost inevitable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ebaldassari\">\u003cem>Erin Baldassari\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "Housing, Tech and Taxes: 50 Years of Unaffordability in the Bay Area | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">How We Get By\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">full series here\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The carefully curated flower pots, matcha mixing bowls and Buddhist prayer beads at Kogura Co. in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José’s\u003c/a> Japantown have drawn shoppers for decades.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Richard Kogura’s family has operated the Japanese gift and home goods store, now near the corner of Jackson and North Sixth streets, since his grandfather Kohei Kogura started the company in 1928.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the decades, the store’s inventory has shifted — from radios and sewing machines to home goods and gifts — mirroring the changes unfolding outside its doors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just as the wares have changed over the years, so has \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13904788/san-jose-japantown-changes-minato-gombei-shuei-do-santo-market\">Japantown\u003c/a>: evolving from a working-class neighborhood to a haven of high-priced apartments as handsomely paid tech workers and developers have flocked to the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As I look at folks that are moving into our neighborhood,” Kogura said, “the only people who can afford to move into the neighborhood right now are the high-tech.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Across the street from his shop is Sixth and Jackson, a 518-apartment complex opened two years ago that lists studios for rent beginning at roughly $3,000 per month, climbing to roughly $11,000 for the highest-end three-bedroom units.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The sponsors of our Little League teams were the Plumbers, the Carpenters, the Teamsters,” Kogura, 70, recalled as he walked the aisles of his family’s shop on a sunny Tuesday in March and reflected on his upbringing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077577\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077577 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00054_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00054_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00054_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00054_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard Kogura, a third-generation resident of Japantown and co-owner of Kogura Company, poses for a portrait at Kogura Company in San José on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“If you needed a job, there was always work because of the canneries,” he said, referring to companies like Del Monte that once anchored the local economy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those jobs are gone. In their place: a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/lowdown/category/silicon-valley\">tech-driven economy\u003c/a> that brought immense wealth — and costs that many longtime residents can no longer afford.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the past half-century, the Bay Area has transformed from a region where working- and middle-class families could build stable lives into one of the most expensive places in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That shift was driven by the collision of explosive tech-fueled wealth with decades of constrained housing growth, shaped by local opposition to development, environmental regulation and tax policies like \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/proposition-13\">Proposition 13\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077583\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077583 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00657_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00657_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00657_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00657_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cards made by Tracie Kogura, Richard Kogura’s daughter, are sold at Kogura Company in San José on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The result is a region where soaring home prices and rents have outpaced wages, deepened inequality and pushed longtime residents to the margins or out altogether — forces now \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13952476/san-jose-japantown-photo-night-cukui\">reshaping communities like San José’s Japantown\u003c/a> and affecting the people struggling to remain in them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Powered by decades of tech expansion, limited housing construction and policies that restrict turnover and development, the region’s cost of living first got out of sync with the rest of the country around 50 years ago, experts say, with more recent tech booms only furthering sky-high costs and wide disparities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Bay Area is rich and prosperous, and that creates a very high demand for housing, and that drives up prices,” said Richard Walker, professor emeritus of geography at UC Berkeley and an expert on California history.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Spurning growth\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Beginning in the 1970s, communities across the Bay Area pushed back against rapid development, reshaping how — and whether — new housing would be built.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A hard shift toward anti-growth policies and environmental regulation flourished, as residents fought displacement and sprawl caused by major urban and suburban development efforts, such as highways and commercial projects. Their effects linger today.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077579\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077579\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00483_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00483_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00483_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00483_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Customers browse at Kogura Company in San José on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“In the same way that California was the poster child for uncontrolled growth in the first two and a half decades of the post-war era from the mid-1940s to the mid to late 1960s, not coincidentally, it is the epicenter of the most concerted and most politically successful effort to reign in growth into the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s,” said Jacob Anbinder, a research fellow at Cornell University, who is writing a book about the roots of America’s housing crisis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Until last year, when the Legislature enacted major reforms, the California Environmental Quality Act — the state’s landmark environmental law, passed in 1970 — hamstrung projects of all stripes. Meanwhile, a Byzantine patchwork of county and local policies slows down and limits new housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The region’s collective failure to build enough homes has made it tougher for everyday workers to secure reasonably priced housing. Over the last nearly 50 years, the Bay Area has had one of the lowest permitting rates for new homes per capita in the nation, compared to other major metros, according to an analysis by the \u003ca href=\"https://siepr.stanford.edu/\">Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research\u003c/a> performed for KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Housing Permits, 1980-Present\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-MXDLW\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MXDLW/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"575\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Phil Cosentino’s livelihood has been shaped by the rise and fall of that pro-building ethos.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After World War II, as defense and technology companies grew and hastened the rise of Silicon Valley, developers built out suburbs that sprawled farther and farther from job centers, prompting the construction of more roads and highways to transport more workers to offices throughout San José and the Peninsula.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Cosentino’s father opened a family farm in South San José 81 years ago, the property stretched 10 acres. But it was whittled to about two acres after California officials used eminent domain to buy the land in the 1950s to build what is now Highway 85, which cuts along the edge of the farm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077607\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077607\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-022-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-022-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-022-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-022-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heidi Shimamoto shops at J&P Cosentino Family Farm in San José on Oct. 17, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, the 96-year-old’s small farm is sandwiched between the highway and a residential neighborhood that sprouted over the decades as developers bought up neighboring farms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was closing in, closing in, closing in, and there was nothing we could do about it,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, homes in the area sell for well above $1 million to tech workers drawn in part by easy access to the highway. The orchards that helped sustain generations of Cosentinos, however, some years fail to break even.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077605\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077605 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-005-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-005-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-005-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/231017-COSENTINOFARM-005-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A drone photo of the farm and a family photo hang on the wall at J&P Cosentino Family Farm in San José on Oct. 17, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The situation we’re living in today is the product of decisions that were made not just 10, 20 years ago, but 50, 60, even 70 years ago,” Anbinder said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even as a range of factors constrained housing supply, the region’s economy continued to boom, bringing in more residents and driving up demand and prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“About 50 years ago, you can start to see a very clear upward movement in housing prices that deviates from the rest of the country by California, and also even more so by the Bay Area,” Walker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Rising housing costs\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Around 1970, the median home value in the U.S. was about $20,000. In California, it was roughly $23,000, and in the Bay Area it was higher still — reaching $28,000 in San Francisco, according to the U.S. Census.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 2024, the census found, the median home value in the city was around $1.4 million, compared to less than $400,000 nationally.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077584\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077584 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00764_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00764_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00764_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260320-KOGURACOMPANY00764_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Carolyn Kogura (center right), a third-generation resident of Japantown and co-owner of Kogura Company, helps customer Nick Marozick (left) at the cash register at Kogura Company in San José on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/housing\">rise in real estate values\u003c/a> has far outstripped the growth in average wages, greatly diminishing buying power for many.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, the tech industry has fueled extreme wealth and financial stability for a significant number of residents capable of scooping up much of the available supply of homes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Why is our housing more expensive than anywhere in the country? It’s because we are richer than anywhere in the country, on average,” Walker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Home Values on Zillow\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-FmS51\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/FmS51/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"486\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kogura and his grown children have been able to maintain family-owned homes in Japantown. But that’s largely because his grandfather and parents were able to buy and pass on properties before prices skyrocketed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He doesn’t think his kids would be able to buy their own homes now due to the high prices and property taxes, which he said are exacerbated by investors who buy and sell historic buildings in the area in hopes of redeveloping them and cashing in on the neighborhood’s cachet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Median Income for Select Professions\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-iiZQd\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/iiZQd/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"675\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Erika McEntarfer, the former head of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and a research scholar at SIEPR, said that while tech wages have long dwarfed those of other professions like nurses, teachers and retail or sales workers, a tech boom in the years following the great financial crisis of 2008 pushed compensation in that industry even higher, with direct impacts on housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can see it in the housing price statistics. You can see it in income data. The Bay Area starts to have housing prices that increase faster than other cities, right as the tech boom is taking off and incomes are also going way up,” McEntarfer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That takeoff in earnings didn’t happen for everybody. The latest U.S. Census data shows median Bay Area tech worker income hovering a little above $180,000 annually in 2024, compared with just over $120,000 for nurses, while teachers and sales workers earned less than half of that.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Tech compensation\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Rachel Massaro, vice president of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a think tank that studies the region, said inequality is “escalating exponentially” in the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What high earners are able to pay for a good or service affects what people will charge, Massaro said, which impacts everyone. Tech workers are willing and able to pay more for everyday essentials, from housing to child care, influencing costs for the whole region and exacerbating historic imbalances.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This year’s \u003ca href=\"https://jointventure.org/13-publications/silicon-valley-index\">Silicon Valley Index\u003c/a>, an annual snapshot of the region published by the nonprofit, highlighted that investment income — such as dividends from stock portfolios and earnings from rental properties — is “overwhelmingly concentrated among higher-income households,” bringing in $200,000 or more each year. For households earning less than that, “investment income is nearly absent,” the report said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Those investments, Massaro said, can generate much more income than wages alone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In practice, those assets for tech workers can feel like bonuses, making it easier to snap up a rental property or to upgrade to a bigger home, “things that might seem out of reach for a lot of other people in our region,” Massaro said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Compounding all of this is the fact that the Bay Area — in addition to being flush with well-paid product managers, engineers, programmers and marketers — has one of the highest concentrations of billionaires in the country. Executives and founders like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia’s Jensen Huang are some of the 126 billionaires who call the area home.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A lot of people across the country talk about the wealth gap in terms of the top 1%. But in Silicon Valley, the concentration goes way beyond that. It’s the top 0.001% alone that holds 18% of all of our liquid wealth,” Massaro said. “And the top 1% hold roughly a third. So things are different here, particularly because of billionaire liquid wealth.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other indicators reaffirm the Bay Area’s higher cost of living, including data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, which researchers from SIEPR analyzed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How Far Does $100,000 Go?\" aria-label=\"Line chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-44DiX\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/44DiX/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"550\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Between 2012 and the pandemic, prices in the Bay Area increased faster than other metros and the nation at large,” researchers at SIEPR said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One way to think of this is that if you make $100,000 in San Francisco, the purchasing power it gives you relative to living in Houston is $85,000,” McEntarfer said. “And relative to living in Birmingham, Alabama, that money would go [as far as] $110,000.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Area workers looking to stretch their dollars have fled San Francisco and Silicon Valley for the East Bay and beyond in search of a lower cost of living. But as more people make that move, the limited housing supply has meant rising prices in previously affordable neighborhoods, which has pushed many families out of the region entirely.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Proposition 13\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>McEntarfer said economists sometimes compare housing stock to lasagna, where layers accommodate the different circumstances people experience in their lives and careers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California’s controversial Proposition 13 and high home prices have complicated that notion locally, with many older residents staying in larger homes after their children have moved out and partners have died because downsizing is too expensive.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00642_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00642_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00642_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00642_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages is located on 609 North 13th St., in San José, on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For those who have already secured a home in the Bay Area, especially members of the Baby Boomer generation, the nearly 50-year-old Proposition 13 has shielded them from high annual property tax increases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Enacted in 1978 by California voters frustrated about unpredictable inflationary pressures and increasing property tax bills, Proposition 13 requires the state to assess properties based on their purchase price, not current market value, and caps the annual increase in assessed value at 2%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It means, for instance, that the buyer of a house who purchased the property in 2022 \u003ca href=\"https://projects.scpr.org/prop-13/\">pays dramatically more\u003c/a> in property taxes than their neighbor who bought a comparable home in the 1970s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077591\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077591\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00664_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00664_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00664_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00664_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dried pasta and sauce are sold at Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The law benefits residential and commercial property owners, but disincentivizes them from moving and severely \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11701044/how-proposition-13-transformed-neighborhood-public-schools-throughout-california\">limits funding for schools\u003c/a> and other municipal services, prompting officials to more frequently ask local voters for tax increases and bond measures.\u003cbr>\n\u003cstrong>\u003cbr>\n\u003c/strong>“It definitely transfers the burden of paying for all of the expensive services that we have to pay for in communities to the younger up-and-coming working families,” said Kelly Snider, a developer and professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at San José State University.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077593\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077593\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00682_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00682_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00682_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00682_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Louis Chiaramonte, owner of Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages, poses for a portrait at Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Some analyses have shown that Proposition 13 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11911156/prop-13-offers-bigger-tax-breaks-to-homeowners-in-wealthy-white-neighborhoods\">disproportionately benefits white and wealthier homeowners\u003c/a> in higher-value neighborhoods because the difference between their homes’ assessed value and market value is greater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The upshot, McEntarfer said, is that in the Bay Area, “even relatively well-off working professionals like the nurses, educators, people with good middle-class jobs, they can’t afford to buy a house anymore, so they’re renting.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Average rental rates in the San José and San Francisco metro areas hover around $3,000 a month for apartments, and about $4,200 a month for single-family homes, the Silicon Valley index reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077594\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077594\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00690_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00690_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00690_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00690_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A.J. Fernandez makes a sandwich at Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A.J. Fernandez pays far less than that — just $600 a month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s the grand-nephew of Louis Chiaramonte, the 81-year-old proprietor of Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José’s Northside neighborhood, which has operated for 118 years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Chiaramonte said people of his generation could buy a home “even with a regular type of job where you didn’t have to have a special education or special talents,” but Fernandez said he “couldn’t do that in my lifetime.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Share of Super-Commuters\" aria-label=\"Grouped column chart\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-sYKh5\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/sYKh5/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"800\" height=\"601\" data-external=\"1\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The 34-year-old, who works crafting the deli’s housemade Italian sausage sandwiches, rents a room in a family-owned home with his grandmother. “They charge me very modestly, and even then, it’s hard to live in the Bay Area,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s this huge crunch in terms of how expensive it is to just simply have a roof over your head,” said Stasia Hansen, the research and policy director for \u003ca href=\"https://workingeastbay.org/\">East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy\u003c/a>, a nonprofit that advocates for economic, racial, and social justice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hansen said that when the pinch of increasing housing costs pushes people farther from the region’s major job centers, it disconnects them from their families and communities and adds to their transportation costs as commutes increase.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077592\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077592\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00673_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00673_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00673_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260307-CHIARAMONTEDELI00673_TV-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Old photos of Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages from the 1920s and onward are hung on a shelf at Chiaramonte’s Deli & Sausages in San José on March 7, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Moving from bigger cities like Oakland to smaller burbs in Contra Costa and Solano counties also means tenants often give up renter protections, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One consequence of all that movement has been an explosion of supercommuters, people who commute more than an hour to their workplaces. In the Bay Area in 2019, just under 9% of regional workers identified as supercommuters, according to U.S. Census data, nearly double the national rate at the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The pandemic-driven remote work wave “took the edge off of the number of supercommuters in the Bay Area,” McEntarfer said, but the percentage of these commuters in the region in 2024 was still well above the national average.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Increasing strain\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As more people fan out in search of housing they can afford, that puts pressure on lower-income neighborhoods and the people who live there. Black workers have historically been underrepresented in tech and other white-collar sectors, Hansen said. They are also more likely, according to the index, to be paid less even when they do hold the same degrees and jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>About half of Black workers in the East Bay were considered rent burdened, meaning they paid more than 30% of their income toward rent, according to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12058985\">an October report\u003c/a> from UC Berkeley’s Labor Center. More than four in every 10 Latino workers were rent-burdened, compared to about a third of white renters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078837\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078837\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00285_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00285_TV_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00285_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00285_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Twenty-four-year-old Kassandra Gutierrez embraces her 4-year-old son Esteban while getting him ready for school at her mother’s home in Oakland on April 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Kassandra Gutierrez said the financial strain of trying to stay in the Bay Area has taken a huge toll on her emotional well-being. She works full-time and is a single parent to a 4-year-old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’ve been trying to see if I can get a second job just to make sure I can maintain a roof over my son’s head. It’s very mentally frustrating, mentally draining,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gutierrez, 24, is a case worker at a mental health care agency in Oakland, where she serves up to 30 clients at a time. Despite living in an affordable apartment complex in Richmond, she worries she could face eviction because she’s struggling to pay a recent $250 increase in rent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078834\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078834\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00217_TV_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00217_TV_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00217_TV_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260406-kassandragutierrez00217_TV_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kassandra Gutierrez, a single mother, gets ready at her mother’s home in Oakland on April 6, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Raised in Oakland, she said, “everything was easier” when she was younger, and it’s been painful to see the costs of daily life spiking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I first started driving, gas was like $2.50, so filling up [my car]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>wasn’t such an issue. Just seeing that increase in gas, seeing an increase in groceries, just buying a pack of strawberries is already almost 10 bucks, or a gallon of milk is six bucks,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s such a fast increase that no one can really catch up.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What comes next?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Walker, the Berkeley professor emeritus, said the inequality gripping the Bay Area is difficult to escape without drastic action.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“What comes next? Well, nothing. It’ll just be more of the same unless you get a mass popular movement and significant political change. We need to reclaim our state and reclaim our country from the rich,” Walker said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He suggested everything from higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations, to stricter AI regulation and more subsidized housing like the public housing projects of the New Deal era that helped house the burgeoning workforce of the Bay Area after WWI. A proposed one-time 5% tax on billionaires in the state has gained momentum in recent months but faces vehement opposition from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/business/california-billionaire-tax-ballot-opposition-6a00047d?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqcxAnMF28subEWffDfgqSmdc38fyPNQOMOVQdP7pWka8zRT2Z8xERxYnwFSNLk%3D&gaa_ts=69c6c184&gaa_sig=tcbkMNY46yjBYaXnaTCAb1Os9mLrNtN7ZWT_ZDJ86L2LPBzWIWU-my8nNz26ctCDKI4uHEyUIv61kij89en1Cw%3D%3D\">subjects of the tax\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>McEntarfer, who moved from Washington, D.C., to the Bay Area in the fall and lived in accessory dwelling units before finding an apartment, said she loves the region.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s really easy to see why the area is in high demand,” she said. “There is great weather, natural beauty and a lot of jobs. There are very few places in the U.S. that are blessed with all three of those things.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But those blessings come with a downside.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Silicon Valley, San Francisco — they’ve created an enormous number of jobs, but they haven’t built enough housing to house all of those workers. And it’s pushing up prices, it’s pushing people to take very long commutes to try and find some affordable housing,” she said. “Consistently, what you hear on the East Coast about San Francisco and the Bay Area is that it’s lovely but it’s unaffordable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For Kogura, whose family business is approaching the century mark in Japantown, the rising costs are eroding the close-knit neighborhood he grew up in.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Our people know each other, and it’s a real small community,” he said. “But we’re losing that, and it’s almost inevitable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/ebaldassari\">\u003cem>Erin Baldassari\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem> contributed to this report. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "the-great-squeeze-bay-area-residents-downsize-and-adapt-to-rising-costs",
"title": "The Great Squeeze: Bay Area Residents Downsize and Adapt to Rising Costs",
"publishDate": 1775484054,
"format": "standard",
"headTitle": "The Great Squeeze: Bay Area Residents Downsize and Adapt to Rising Costs | KQED",
"labelTerm": {
"site": "news"
},
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brooke Dawson wanted the house. She wanted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/marriage\">marriage\u003c/a>, the kids — one boy, one girl — and the financial freedom to make and sell ceramics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, at 42, one kid and one divorce later, that dream has been squeezed into an Airstream trailer parked in the side yard of her mother’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/north-bay\">North Bay\u003c/a> suburban home, her kiln and throwing wheel relegated to storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the surface, she realizes it may appear as though she’s far from achieving what she had wanted. But the act of whittling down her dream to fit her economic reality has changed her, she said, and made her reevaluate how her life should look.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just looks different,” the hospice nurse said. “I was struggling so hard up through January, and I’m at the point just now where I’m starting to see some daylight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Living in a smaller space has forced her to own and spend less. But now she has access to a yard and is putting the energy she spent on ceramics into gardening. Being close to her mother and brother, who also live in the house, has provided flexible childcare for her 5-year-old son that wasn’t possible when she lived almost an hour’s drive away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trade-off has been worth it, Dawson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m OK. I’ve found a way,” she said. “And I thank God for every little thing. I’ve never had this degree of gratitude in my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078565\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078565\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260327-AffordabilityIntroBrooke-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260327-AffordabilityIntroBrooke-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260327-AffordabilityIntroBrooke-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260327-AffordabilityIntroBrooke-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brooke Dawson makes a sandwich in the Airstream where she lives in her mother’s backyard on March 27, 2026. She shares the property with her mother and brother, a living arrangement that makes staying in the area more affordable. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078566\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078566\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-2000x660.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-2048x676.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Brooke Dawson and her son Everest walk out of their Airstream. Right: Brooke Dawson blows bubbles with her son, Everest, and brother, Cameron. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dawson’s choice to downsize isn’t unusual. When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069608/californias-cost-of-living-keeps-climbing-how-are-you-coping\">KQED asked Bay Area residents\u003c/a> how they’re managing the region’s high cost of living, many described similar compromises: moving into smaller homes, doubling up with family, taking on extra work, or cutting back on everyday expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their experiences reveal how rising housing costs and inflation are reshaping middle-class life in the Bay Area — forcing people to rethink what “enough” looks like and how to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also mirror two national polls from the Washington Post and New York Times that found Americans see \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/politics/affordability-poll.html\">upward mobility\u003c/a> as less attainable and consider maintaining the trappings of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/27/affordability-homeownership-poll/\">middle-class lifestyle\u003c/a> increasingly unaffordable — feelings that are expected to influence November’s midterm elections, with likely voters \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-early-look-2026-midterms\">repeatedly citing\u003c/a> the \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/golden-age-americans-doubt-trumps-claim-booming-economy-midterms-near-2026-02-27/\">cost of living\u003c/a> as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/poll-trump-struggles-immigration-prices-iran-democrats-midterm-edge-rcna261861\">top concern\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both nationally and in California, the pandemic-era inflation spike is a big part of that story, with prices rising for everything from new cars to groceries. In turn, that’s putting into sharp relief cracks in the foundations of major industries, such as healthcare and child care, said Neale Mahoney, director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy and Research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078640\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078640\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-23-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-23-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-23-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-23-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brooke Dawson holds her son, Everest, in her mother’s backyard. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Inflation, he said, has “really revealed and emphasized the underlying structural issues we have with the cost of healthcare that have been around for a long time, issues with the costs of child care that have been around for a long time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At their core, he said, is the cost of housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Housing,” Mahoney said, “is at the root of many of the affordability issues we see in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, the typical home value was nearly $1.2 million last year — lower than the 2022 peak of about $1.3 million — but still 77% higher than it was in 2012, even when accounting for inflation, according to researchers at the \u003ca href=\"https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/home-values\">Metropolitan Transportation Commission\u003c/a>. Meanwhile, the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Bay Area was $3,300 as of early April, \u003ca href=\"https://www.zillow.com/rental-manager/market-trends/bay-area-ca/?bedrooms=2\">according to Zillow\u003c/a>, about 83% higher than the national average.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The big squeeze\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Those escalating rent prices aren’t new: Many respondents could trace their decisions about how and where to live to major changes in the housing market over the past two decades, including the 2008 financial crisis that left \u003ca href=\"https://www.har.com/blog_56675_the-foreclosure-crisis-10-years-later\">nearly 8 million homeowners\u003c/a> in foreclosure or the \u003ca href=\"https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/rent-payments\">rapid rise in Bay Area rents\u003c/a> during the post-dot-com tech boom of the 2010s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keith Alvord, 65, and his wife, Lisa Alvord, were one of the families that found themselves underwater on their mortgage in 2010, eventually foreclosing on their home in the Trinity County town of Weaverville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That house had been part of their retirement plan, a home base they could return to while they spent the majority of their golden years sailing. Instead, they went with Plan B: living full-time on their 35-foot sailboat. For the past three years, the Alvords have been docked at Bay Area marinas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078590\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078590\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keith Alvord prepares the sailboat he shares with his wife, Lisa, for a sail in the Bay in Emeryville on March 20, 2026. The couple had been living aboard while fixing it up for a planned trip down the California coast, but have since shifted course to support their family while still planning to make the journey in the future. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-2000x667.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Lisa Alvord holds a photo of an ADU they are building on their son’s property on the sailboat she shares with her husband, Keith. Right: Keith and Lisa Alvord prepare their sailboat for a sail in the Bay on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Winters are the hardest, Keith Alvord said. But, “We kind of felt like we didn’t really have many other options.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, though, they’re trading the sailboat for a garage at their 43-year-old son’s home back in Weaverville, after their son suffered a financial crisis of his own. They hope to convert the space into an ADU, a move Alvord said will help both them and their son. Still, Alvord is worried.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really didn’t want to be in this situation, where I was basing mine and my wife’s stability off of my son’s stability,” he said. “If he gets to a point where he wants to sell the house, then we are kind of back in that situation where we’re like, ‘Well, where are we going to live?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078660\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078660\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-21-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-21-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-21-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-21-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keith Alvord prepares the sailboat he shares with his wife, Lisa, for a sail in the Bay. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But with home insurance prices rising, Alvord sees little other option than to stick close because, he said, “I don’t know how a single family is supposed to make that work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/one-big-happy-household-how-families-and-the-data-are-shaping-multigenerational-living\">survey last year\u003c/a> from the National Association of Realtors found more families are making this choice, with multigenerational homebuying at an all-time high, representing 17% of homes purchased in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The survey also found that 36% of homebuyers cited “cost savings” as the primary reason for the joint purchase, up from 15% in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Misha Kurita-Ditz, 24, found themselves doubling up with a parent last year, when they moved back to their mother’s San Francisco condo after going to college and working in Oregon for several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The situation isn’t always ideal: “I’m a little bit cleaner than my mom,” they said. But it has its benefits, too. “It’s been really lovely to be able to have an adult relationship between me and my mother.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078641\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078641\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Misha Kurita-Ditz works on a sewing project at the apartment they share with their mom in San Francisco on March 24, 2026. After Misha returned to the city and moved in, they are navigating the high cost of living and the shift to sharing space as adults. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078648\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1-2000x662.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1-1536x509.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1-2048x678.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Barbara Ditz grades students’ work in her bedroom. Right: Misha Kurita-Ditz and their mom, Barbara Ditz, update each other about recent events in their lives at their apartment. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The artist and retail worker grew up in a rent-controlled Edwardian walk-up in the city’s Western Addition/Lower Haight neighborhood with their parents and keenly felt the impacts of rising rents as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/publications/urbanist-article/2013-12-17/tech-boom\">tech industry boomed\u003c/a> in the 2010s, pushing up prices across the city. New landlords began pressuring them to leave, Kurita-Ditz said, and they were ultimately evicted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of these things definitely contributed to feeling a lot of resentment and anger,” Kurita-Ditz said. That perspective has only further hardened after watching the latest AI boom \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/02/san-francisc-rents-ai-boom-tenants/\">drive rents even higher\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do we carve out a future for the culture of San Francisco, for the culture of the Bay Area in the face of impossible housing prices?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On the margins\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When housing eats so much of one household’s budget, it’s harder to feed other needs. KQED’s survey respondents said that it’s forced them to make choices about items they once considered essential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Citlali Iriarte, 39, buys less meat when her monthly budget grows tight. Between 2019 and 2025, grocery prices rose \u003ca href=\"https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUSA422SAF11\">roughly 34%\u003c/a> for the average Bay Area resident, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Iriarte found herself telling her two kids: “OK, this week we’re gonna eat different. We’re going to see more vegetables.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078659\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078659\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She works two jobs, one taking care of her special-needs daughter through In-Home Supportive Services and the other as an early childhood educator at the YMCA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Life in the Bay Area has never been particularly affordable for Iriarte, who immigrated from Mexico 13 years ago. But after years spent working nights, earning a high school diploma, securing her work authorization and eventually moving herself and her children into their own place, she said it would be difficult to move anywhere else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It took me years to be able to find a community that I can belong to,” Iriarte said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even some two-income households bringing in far more than Iriarte are finding themselves forced to cut back. Marion Gloege, 54, who immigrated from Germany 23 years ago and bought a Los Gatos home in 2021, said she’s always felt comfortably middle class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now, unexpected budget items she might have previously dismissed weigh on her: new tires for their car or paying for urgent care and an ER visit when her 17-year-old son suffered a concussion playing soccer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Five years ago we would have said, ‘Oh well, too bad,’” Gloege said. “Now we gulp, and my husband squeezes my hand in the car.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078594\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078594\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260325-AffordabilityIntroChristy-06-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260325-AffordabilityIntroChristy-06-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260325-AffordabilityIntroChristy-06-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260325-AffordabilityIntroChristy-06-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christy Brown works at Rotator Taproom in Walnut Creek on March 21, 2026. A school counselor in Danville, she supplements her income by bartending and teaching yoga. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1-2000x662.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1-1536x509.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1-2048x678.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Chad Morrison prepares bread to bake at Red Bird Bakery in Santa Rosa on April 1, 2026. They share an apartment with their boyfriend to keep rent manageable, but rising costs have cut into savings and limited everyday spending. Right: Chad Morrison sits in their car during a break at the bakery. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To make ends meet, Christy Brown, 48, a counselor at a public high school in Danville, said she’s taken on several part-time jobs — teaching yoga, bartending and extra work at her school district — to get by. Together, she estimates she works up to 65 hours a week. But that, too, takes its toll.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m just more tired, I guess. And I kind of feel a little bit like — I don’t know how to say this — frustrated and angry sometimes,” Brown said. “I feel like I’m constantly working so much, and it’s barely enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Working more and carefully watching budgets means less time and money for recreation and travel. But Chad Morrison, 37, is now reconsidering something they once thought essential: owning a car. They had planned to buy a new electric vehicle when their 2013 Honda Fit, with 240,000 miles on it, finally gave up the ghost. But they no longer think they can afford it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, the average total cost per 15,000 miles of car ownership rose 45% between 2017 and 2024, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bts.gov/content/average-cost-owning-and-operating-automobilea-assuming-15000-vehicle-miles-year\">Bureau of Transportation Statistics\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know that I’d be able to save money while making car payments,” Morrison said. “I’d have to make other choices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A small start\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the North Bay, Brooke Dawson is feeling more committed than ever to the choices she’s made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The past year has been one of her hardest — watching her marriage dissolve, moving in with her mother, taking out a loan to buy the Airstream, installing it in her mother’s yard and hoping she didn’t make a mistake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078639\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078639\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-10-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-10-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-10-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-10-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brooke Dawson feeds her two chickens in the backyard she shares with her family. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Living in a small space has its drawbacks, she said, including a finicky electrical system, limited water and having to pump out her septic tanks by hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, it’s forced her to spend most of her time in the backyard, where she’s planted an array of edible flowers and herbs — calendula, oregano, sage, lemon verbena — along with fruits and vegetables — sweet peas, figs, grapes, spinach, passion fruit, strawberries.[aside postID=news_12069608 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/019_KQED_RichmondHousing_08162022_qed.jpg']She’s more self-reliant than she’s ever been, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more I learn about what I’m capable of doing, the more I get to know what kind of human I am,” Dawson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And she’s no longer dreaming of owning a home for only herself and her family. Now, she dreams of buying a vacant plot of land and installing a collection of tiny homes where several families could live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She imagines an intergenerational community, with other mothers and grandparents, who could support each other with child care and aging in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’d be a different way of living — more cooperative, less isolated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And this is a small start,” Dawson said of this seed of an idea, rooted in necessity. “It’s been the biggest gift that I’ve ever given myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "KQED asked readers and listeners how rising costs are reshaping their lives. You’re moving into smaller homes, cutting expenses and taking on extra work — all just to get by in the Bay Area.",
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"title": "The Great Squeeze: Bay Area Residents Downsize and Adapt to Rising Costs | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cstrong>\u003cem>How We Get By\u003c/em>\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003cem>, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Brooke Dawson wanted the house. She wanted the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/marriage\">marriage\u003c/a>, the kids — one boy, one girl — and the financial freedom to make and sell ceramics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, at 42, one kid and one divorce later, that dream has been squeezed into an Airstream trailer parked in the side yard of her mother’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/north-bay\">North Bay\u003c/a> suburban home, her kiln and throwing wheel relegated to storage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the surface, she realizes it may appear as though she’s far from achieving what she had wanted. But the act of whittling down her dream to fit her economic reality has changed her, she said, and made her reevaluate how her life should look.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It just looks different,” the hospice nurse said. “I was struggling so hard up through January, and I’m at the point just now where I’m starting to see some daylight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Living in a smaller space has forced her to own and spend less. But now she has access to a yard and is putting the energy she spent on ceramics into gardening. Being close to her mother and brother, who also live in the house, has provided flexible childcare for her 5-year-old son that wasn’t possible when she lived almost an hour’s drive away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The trade-off has been worth it, Dawson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m OK. I’ve found a way,” she said. “And I thank God for every little thing. I’ve never had this degree of gratitude in my life.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078565\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078565\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260327-AffordabilityIntroBrooke-08-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260327-AffordabilityIntroBrooke-08-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260327-AffordabilityIntroBrooke-08-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260327-AffordabilityIntroBrooke-08-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brooke Dawson makes a sandwich in the Airstream where she lives in her mother’s backyard on March 27, 2026. She shares the property with her mother and brother, a living arrangement that makes staying in the area more affordable. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078566\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078566\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"845\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-2000x660.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-1536x507.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Brooke-2048x676.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Brooke Dawson and her son Everest walk out of their Airstream. Right: Brooke Dawson blows bubbles with her son, Everest, and brother, Cameron. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Dawson’s choice to downsize isn’t unusual. When \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12069608/californias-cost-of-living-keeps-climbing-how-are-you-coping\">KQED asked Bay Area residents\u003c/a> how they’re managing the region’s high cost of living, many described similar compromises: moving into smaller homes, doubling up with family, taking on extra work, or cutting back on everyday expenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their experiences reveal how rising housing costs and inflation are reshaping middle-class life in the Bay Area — forcing people to rethink what “enough” looks like and how to make ends meet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They also mirror two national polls from the Washington Post and New York Times that found Americans see \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/26/us/politics/affordability-poll.html\">upward mobility\u003c/a> as less attainable and consider maintaining the trappings of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/27/affordability-homeownership-poll/\">middle-class lifestyle\u003c/a> increasingly unaffordable — feelings that are expected to influence November’s midterm elections, with likely voters \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-early-look-2026-midterms\">repeatedly citing\u003c/a> the \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/us/golden-age-americans-doubt-trumps-claim-booming-economy-midterms-near-2026-02-27/\">cost of living\u003c/a> as a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/poll-trump-struggles-immigration-prices-iran-democrats-midterm-edge-rcna261861\">top concern\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both nationally and in California, the pandemic-era inflation spike is a big part of that story, with prices rising for everything from new cars to groceries. In turn, that’s putting into sharp relief cracks in the foundations of major industries, such as healthcare and child care, said Neale Mahoney, director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy and Research.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078640\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078640\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-23-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-23-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-23-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-23-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brooke Dawson holds her son, Everest, in her mother’s backyard. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Inflation, he said, has “really revealed and emphasized the underlying structural issues we have with the cost of healthcare that have been around for a long time, issues with the costs of child care that have been around for a long time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At their core, he said, is the cost of housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Housing,” Mahoney said, “is at the root of many of the affordability issues we see in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the Bay Area, the typical home value was nearly $1.2 million last year — lower than the 2022 peak of about $1.3 million — but still 77% higher than it was in 2012, even when accounting for inflation, according to researchers at the \u003ca href=\"https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/home-values\">Metropolitan Transportation Commission\u003c/a>. Meanwhile, the median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in the Bay Area was $3,300 as of early April, \u003ca href=\"https://www.zillow.com/rental-manager/market-trends/bay-area-ca/?bedrooms=2\">according to Zillow\u003c/a>, about 83% higher than the national average.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The big squeeze\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Those escalating rent prices aren’t new: Many respondents could trace their decisions about how and where to live to major changes in the housing market over the past two decades, including the 2008 financial crisis that left \u003ca href=\"https://www.har.com/blog_56675_the-foreclosure-crisis-10-years-later\">nearly 8 million homeowners\u003c/a> in foreclosure or the \u003ca href=\"https://vitalsigns.mtc.ca.gov/indicators/rent-payments\">rapid rise in Bay Area rents\u003c/a> during the post-dot-com tech boom of the 2010s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Keith Alvord, 65, and his wife, Lisa Alvord, were one of the families that found themselves underwater on their mortgage in 2010, eventually foreclosing on their home in the Trinity County town of Weaverville.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That house had been part of their retirement plan, a home base they could return to while they spent the majority of their golden years sailing. Instead, they went with Plan B: living full-time on their 35-foot sailboat. For the past three years, the Alvords have been docked at Bay Area marinas.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078590\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078590\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-14-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-14-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-14-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-14-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keith Alvord prepares the sailboat he shares with his wife, Lisa, for a sail in the Bay in Emeryville on March 20, 2026. The couple had been living aboard while fixing it up for a planned trip down the California coast, but have since shifted course to support their family while still planning to make the journey in the future. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078589\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078589\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"853\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-2000x667.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-1536x512.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/AffordabilitySeriesIntro_Keith-2048x682.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Lisa Alvord holds a photo of an ADU they are building on their son’s property on the sailboat she shares with her husband, Keith. Right: Keith and Lisa Alvord prepare their sailboat for a sail in the Bay on March 20, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Winters are the hardest, Keith Alvord said. But, “We kind of felt like we didn’t really have many other options.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, though, they’re trading the sailboat for a garage at their 43-year-old son’s home back in Weaverville, after their son suffered a financial crisis of his own. They hope to convert the space into an ADU, a move Alvord said will help both them and their son. Still, Alvord is worried.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I really didn’t want to be in this situation, where I was basing mine and my wife’s stability off of my son’s stability,” he said. “If he gets to a point where he wants to sell the house, then we are kind of back in that situation where we’re like, ‘Well, where are we going to live?’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078660\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078660\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-21-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-21-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-21-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilityIntroKeith-21-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Keith Alvord prepares the sailboat he shares with his wife, Lisa, for a sail in the Bay. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But with home insurance prices rising, Alvord sees little other option than to stick close because, he said, “I don’t know how a single family is supposed to make that work.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/economists-outlook/one-big-happy-household-how-families-and-the-data-are-shaping-multigenerational-living\">survey last year\u003c/a> from the National Association of Realtors found more families are making this choice, with multigenerational homebuying at an all-time high, representing 17% of homes purchased in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The survey also found that 36% of homebuyers cited “cost savings” as the primary reason for the joint purchase, up from 15% in 2015.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Misha Kurita-Ditz, 24, found themselves doubling up with a parent last year, when they moved back to their mother’s San Francisco condo after going to college and working in Oregon for several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The situation isn’t always ideal: “I’m a little bit cleaner than my mom,” they said. But it has its benefits, too. “It’s been really lovely to be able to have an adult relationship between me and my mother.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078641\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078641\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-03-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-03-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-03-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-03-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Misha Kurita-Ditz works on a sewing project at the apartment they share with their mom in San Francisco on March 24, 2026. After Misha returned to the city and moved in, they are navigating the high cost of living and the shift to sharing space as adults. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078648\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1-2000x662.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1-1536x509.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260324-AffordabilitySeriesIntroMishaBarbara-BL-DIP-1-2048x678.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Barbara Ditz grades students’ work in her bedroom. Right: Misha Kurita-Ditz and their mom, Barbara Ditz, update each other about recent events in their lives at their apartment. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The artist and retail worker grew up in a rent-controlled Edwardian walk-up in the city’s Western Addition/Lower Haight neighborhood with their parents and keenly felt the impacts of rising rents as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.spur.org/publications/urbanist-article/2013-12-17/tech-boom\">tech industry boomed\u003c/a> in the 2010s, pushing up prices across the city. New landlords began pressuring them to leave, Kurita-Ditz said, and they were ultimately evicted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of these things definitely contributed to feeling a lot of resentment and anger,” Kurita-Ditz said. That perspective has only further hardened after watching the latest AI boom \u003ca href=\"https://missionlocal.org/2026/02/san-francisc-rents-ai-boom-tenants/\">drive rents even higher\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“How do we carve out a future for the culture of San Francisco, for the culture of the Bay Area in the face of impossible housing prices?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>On the margins\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When housing eats so much of one household’s budget, it’s harder to feed other needs. KQED’s survey respondents said that it’s forced them to make choices about items they once considered essential.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Citlali Iriarte, 39, buys less meat when her monthly budget grows tight. Between 2019 and 2025, grocery prices rose \u003ca href=\"https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CUUSA422SAF11\">roughly 34%\u003c/a> for the average Bay Area resident, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Iriarte found herself telling her two kids: “OK, this week we’re gonna eat different. We’re going to see more vegetables.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078659\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078659\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/251031-SFMarinFoodBank-21-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Volunteers sort fresh produce into boxes at the San Francisco‑Marin Food Bank warehouse in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>She works two jobs, one taking care of her special-needs daughter through In-Home Supportive Services and the other as an early childhood educator at the YMCA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Life in the Bay Area has never been particularly affordable for Iriarte, who immigrated from Mexico 13 years ago. But after years spent working nights, earning a high school diploma, securing her work authorization and eventually moving herself and her children into their own place, she said it would be difficult to move anywhere else.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It took me years to be able to find a community that I can belong to,” Iriarte said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even some two-income households bringing in far more than Iriarte are finding themselves forced to cut back. Marion Gloege, 54, who immigrated from Germany 23 years ago and bought a Los Gatos home in 2021, said she’s always felt comfortably middle class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But now, unexpected budget items she might have previously dismissed weigh on her: new tires for their car or paying for urgent care and an ER visit when her 17-year-old son suffered a concussion playing soccer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Five years ago we would have said, ‘Oh well, too bad,’” Gloege said. “Now we gulp, and my husband squeezes my hand in the car.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078594\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078594\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260325-AffordabilityIntroChristy-06-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260325-AffordabilityIntroChristy-06-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260325-AffordabilityIntroChristy-06-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260325-AffordabilityIntroChristy-06-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Christy Brown works at Rotator Taproom in Walnut Creek on March 21, 2026. A school counselor in Danville, she supplements her income by bartending and teaching yoga. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2500px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078651\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2500\" height=\"828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1.jpg 2500w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1-2000x662.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1-160x53.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1-1536x509.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260401-AffordabilitySeriesIntroChad-09-BL-DIP-1-2048x678.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Chad Morrison prepares bread to bake at Red Bird Bakery in Santa Rosa on April 1, 2026. They share an apartment with their boyfriend to keep rent manageable, but rising costs have cut into savings and limited everyday spending. Right: Chad Morrison sits in their car during a break at the bakery. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>To make ends meet, Christy Brown, 48, a counselor at a public high school in Danville, said she’s taken on several part-time jobs — teaching yoga, bartending and extra work at her school district — to get by. Together, she estimates she works up to 65 hours a week. But that, too, takes its toll.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m just more tired, I guess. And I kind of feel a little bit like — I don’t know how to say this — frustrated and angry sometimes,” Brown said. “I feel like I’m constantly working so much, and it’s barely enough.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Working more and carefully watching budgets means less time and money for recreation and travel. But Chad Morrison, 37, is now reconsidering something they once thought essential: owning a car. They had planned to buy a new electric vehicle when their 2013 Honda Fit, with 240,000 miles on it, finally gave up the ghost. But they no longer think they can afford it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nationally, the average total cost per 15,000 miles of car ownership rose 45% between 2017 and 2024, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.bts.gov/content/average-cost-owning-and-operating-automobilea-assuming-15000-vehicle-miles-year\">Bureau of Transportation Statistics\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I don’t know that I’d be able to save money while making car payments,” Morrison said. “I’d have to make other choices.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A small start\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In the North Bay, Brooke Dawson is feeling more committed than ever to the choices she’s made.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The past year has been one of her hardest — watching her marriage dissolve, moving in with her mother, taking out a loan to buy the Airstream, installing it in her mother’s yard and hoping she didn’t make a mistake.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078639\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078639\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-10-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-10-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-10-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260320-AffordabilitySeriesIntroBrooke-10-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Brooke Dawson feeds her two chickens in the backyard she shares with her family. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Living in a small space has its drawbacks, she said, including a finicky electrical system, limited water and having to pump out her septic tanks by hand.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, it’s forced her to spend most of her time in the backyard, where she’s planted an array of edible flowers and herbs — calendula, oregano, sage, lemon verbena — along with fruits and vegetables — sweet peas, figs, grapes, spinach, passion fruit, strawberries.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>She’s more self-reliant than she’s ever been, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The more I learn about what I’m capable of doing, the more I get to know what kind of human I am,” Dawson said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And she’s no longer dreaming of owning a home for only herself and her family. Now, she dreams of buying a vacant plot of land and installing a collection of tiny homes where several families could live.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She imagines an intergenerational community, with other mothers and grandparents, who could support each other with child care and aging in place.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’d be a different way of living — more cooperative, less isolated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And this is a small start,” Dawson said of this seed of an idea, rooted in necessity. “It’s been the biggest gift that I’ve ever given myself.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "in-a-tech-hub-like-the-bay-area-why-do-bart-announcements-sound-so-ancient",
"title": "In a Tech Hub Like the Bay Area, Why Do BART Announcements Sound So Ancient?",
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"headTitle": "In a Tech Hub Like the Bay Area, Why Do BART Announcements Sound So Ancient? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bart\">Bay Area Rapid Transit\u003c/a> — or BART — was a brand new, cutting-edge transportation system when it opened in 1972. Since then, its reputation has become a bit less high-tech. And while riders hear a variety of voices making announcements throughout the BART system, there are two that sound different — robotic, synthesized voices, one male and one female, that sound like they are from yesteryear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And at least one rider has taken particular note.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never understood what it was saying,” Bay Curious listener Jimmy Tobin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Jimmy, the voices sound rudimentary, like the voice of 1990s Microsoft Sam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m baffled by this thing,” he said. “I just can’t justify why this is so hard to understand and so easy to update.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078618\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078618\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED-160x122.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED-1536x1169.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sept. 11, 1972, BART opens to the public. On the first day alone, 15,000 people rode the new trains, despite the fact that they only ran between Fremont and MacArthur Stations in the East Bay. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Bay Area Rapid Transit))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It seems like a blatant contradiction to him that trains running through communities at the heart of the AI boom sound like they’re from the first computers ever made. He wants to know why these robotic announcements have never been updated.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Passengers used to just wait\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before the late 1990s, BART had no live train information or announcements for passengers. There would occasionally be voiced announcements in the case of major disruptions, but on a regular day, riders would consult a paper schedule to see when a train was supposed to arrive. In the case of delays, riders would wait on the platform, without any information on when the train might actually come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in 2000, BART began using a new piece of technology.[aside postID=news_12077572 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251027-ALMADENQUICKSILVER00034_TV-KQED.jpg'] The Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) is a data hub that allows BART to calculate and communicate live train locations. For the first time, BART had the ability to share real-time information with riders, like the estimated time of arrival of a train. They initially did this with digital signage on the train platforms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data would later be made publicly available, allowing for other platforms like navigation apps to utilize the live train information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When this technology was rolling out in 2000, BART was also assessing the accessibility of its system for blind and visually impaired riders. BART’s policy became, “Anything that’s been written down, we need to also verbally say,” said Alicia Trost, chief communications officer at BART.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In order to translate the digital signs with real-time updates into verbal announcements, BART acquired a text-to-speech system from Lucent Technologies, a telecommunications company. And those synthesized voices that bug Tobin so much, they have names — George and Gracie. Listen closely, and you’ll hear that George announces trains in one direction and the Gracie announces trains in the opposite direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, this was cutting-edge technology — the system could vocalize thousands of announcements per day with real-time information, all without any human involvement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the past 26 years, George and Gracie have stayed mostly the same, and their limitations have become apparent. For an accessibility tool, they can be hard to understand, and compared to today’s voice synthesizing technology, they don’t sound very human.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Why hasn’t BART updated George and Gracie?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>George and Gracie are proprietary to Lucent Technologies, which went out of business in the mid-2000s. The company is no longer around to provide updates, and BART doesn’t have access to the source code to make its own changes. The only thing that can be updated is the text that George and Gracie read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“BART has really limited funding, and we have to think about the priority,” Trost said. “Things like replacing our trains are more important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044953\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044953\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Passengers wait to board BART at Daly City Station in Daly City, on Dec. 4, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>George and Gracie may be a bit outdated, but the system works, so updating it isn’t a top priority, Trost said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also clear that some Bay Area residents love George and Gracie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the computer game Roblox, users have \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24yglNNGJZ4\">featured their voices\u003c/a> in recreations of the BART system. As players drive or board a virtual BART train, George and Gracie are there announcing: “Now boarding at Embarcadero.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They have also been a topic of discussion on Reddit and YouTube. \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Bart/comments/1g130wj/the_voices_of_bart/?solution=4a4ea784b52b90a34a4ea784b52b90a3&js_challenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da586108bdd3256eb2920042534355492efd5e\">One Reddit user, ‘get-a-mac,’\u003c/a> wrote, “I never want those voices gone. They are the voice of BART!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another with the handle StreetyMcCarface wrote, “Keep George and Gracie, they are iconic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Trost said BART \u003cem>is \u003c/em>looking to replace the announcement system at some point, which will force some tough decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Do we introduce new voices or do we actually replicate the old George and Gracie that sound so dated, because people love them?” Trost said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>BART is currently facing a $376 million deficit, raising big questions about its future. It’s forcing Bay Area residents to consider a world without BART and its role in the culture of the bay, big and small.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">\u003c/a>Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Bay Area Rapid Transit. Our dear friend, BART. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For regular riders, your whirs, squeaks and horns are part of the everyday soundtrack of life.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">always\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> hear you coming. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whir of a train pulling into the station\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We appreciate those timely warnings… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The doors are closing please stand clear of the doors\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And how you help us not miss our stop. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Arriving at 16th street Mission\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every now and then, someone \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">real\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> pops in\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is BART operation control…\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jimmy Tobin, our question asker, has been fixated on one particular sound in the BART ecosystem. A set of announcements …\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So sometimes it feels like there’s like a lower kind of male voice that’s like, feels like it’s from like war games, like WOPR kind of style. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Wargames Clip:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This box interprets signals from the computer and turns it into sounds. “Shall we play a game?” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And there’s a higher female voice is kind of like 90s Microsoft Sam style.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Microsoft Sam: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hello, I am Microsoft Sam. I am the most popular voice of Microsoft.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are a variety of voices riders hear throughout BART, some of which are voiced by actual people. But it’s \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">these\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> robotic and synthesized voices that Jimmy can’t stop hearing … \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three car Fremont Train now boarding, platform 2.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jimmy is an audio engineer at Google who actually works on synthesized speech models, and these voices really \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">bothered\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> him. One day when he was waiting for a BART train and heard an announcement for a train heading toward the Oakland Airport.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">6-car Blue line train for OAK Airport Dublin in 15 minutes. 6-car Green line train for OAK Airport Barryessa in 19 minutes\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I never understood what it was saying. I always thought it was, like, Oasis? And so I was just like, what is this word? And then I look at the board and it’s like, OAK, and I’m like, why didn’t it say Oakland? Like, and so I’m baffled by this thing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It felt like such a contradiction to him that \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">this \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">was a voice of the transit system going through the home to the AI Boom… where all the newest tech is being developed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And I kept being like, it must be for, like, accessibility or maybe it’s like, it doesn’t have accents or something. And I was just like, I just can’t justify why this is so hard to understand and so easy to update. That’s why I came to you guys.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He wants to know the backstory behind these voices – and where they came from.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What has been the decision-making to keep it?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Olivia Allen-Price and you’re listening to Bay Curious. Today on the show we answer Jimmy’s questions. Stay with us. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sponsor Break\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To tell us more about the voices behind BART, we pass it to KQED’s Ana De Almeida Amaral…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When BART first opened to the public on Sept. 11, 1972, the world looked different.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">1970s music plays\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Richard Nixon was president of the United States. Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love” was charting. And Bay Area residents flocked to try out the new Bay Area Rapid Transit system.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the time it only ran for 11 stops — from the McArthur Station in Oakland down to Fremont.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>BART Commercial:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The decade of the 1970s, is the decade of the decade of transportation alternatives…but the first large-scale breakthrough in moving great numbers of people rapidly and economically is the SF Bay Area Rapid Transit system, commonly called BART.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When BART first opened, there was no live train information for riders. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The only way riders knew when a train was coming was by reading a paper schedule. You might hear an announcement for major occurrences like if a train was completely out of service. But if your train was a little delayed, you’d sit and wait– without any information on when it would actually arrive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But then in 2000, everything changed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">BART developed a piece of technology called the Advanced Passenger Information System. For the first time, BART knew the live locations of trains throughout the system. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Riders now got real time information about when their train would arrive..\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Alicia Trost is the Chief Communications Officer at BART. She told me more about this era.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> We had digital screens on the platform that gave you the, what we call ETAs, estimated time arrivals of the train. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And this was a pretty big deal… but at a time where new legislation mandated accessibility for disabled people— BART had to ask some important questions…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But what if you’re low vision and you can’t see or you’re blind? And so there was this big policy decision to say anything that’s been written down, we need to also verbally say.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">BART chose a text-to-speech system to voice these announcements. It came from Lucent Technologies– a telecommunications company. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so in 2000, this synthesized voice speaking for BART was born. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s a computer with zero emotion, and it’s… every… word… is… spaced… apart.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Voices were tested at different speeds and levels of breathiness. Riders gave input on the versions that were easiest to understand that led to the final version.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The feminine voice of this system was named Gracie.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gracie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 6 car richmond train now approaching platform 1 \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And the masculine voice was named George.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 10 car San Francisco-Milbrae train in 8 minutes\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George and Gracie announce a train’s estimated time of arrival, when a train is actively arriving, and when it is boarding. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2000, this was cutting edge technology– announcements made automatically, without any human involvement.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, there were and still also are \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">human voiced\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> announcements when there are big disruptions or delays… but even today, you’ll hear George and Gracie while waiting for a train. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So next time you’re in a bart station, really pay attention. You’ll hear George’s voice for one direction only and Gracie’s voice for the opposite direction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Beat]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since 2000, George and Gracie have been the voices we hear on BART platforms. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And in the past 26 years, there has been very little change. That’s because the actual text-to-speech system is \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">proprietary\u003c/span>\u003c/i> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to Lucent Technologies\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. And after the demise of the company in the mid 2000s, they haven’t been around to provide any updates. And the kicker is BART doesn’t have access to the source code so they can’t change it. The only thing they can do is change the text that George and Gracie speak. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, I asked Alicia Jimmy’s question: Why hasn’t this been replaced ?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because it works and BART has really limited funding and when we go for capital funds, that’s the type of money we use to replace this system we have to think about the priority and things like replacing our trains is more important.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But she says that BART \u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003ci>is\u003c/i>\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">aware of the limitations of this technology– they’ve gotten that feedback and they want to replace it in the future. So, they are looking at piloting a new PA system.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And part of that is introducing what will be new voices. And it makes me nervous to even say that because this is going to cause great fear and debate among riders and the public… Do we introduce new voices or do we actually replicate the old George and Gracie that sounds so dated, but because people love them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, despite their flaws, it seems like lots of people love these voices.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> We frequently get asked about George and Gracie, and people tell us they love it. And we also know that there’s a lot of young people who adore the sound and have actually built in Roblox full-on BART systems.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And they include recordings George and Gracie.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So as you’re driving or boarding a virtual BART train in the 3D world of roblox, you’ll hear their voices!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sounds of Roblox game\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Aside from Roblox, George and Gracie have been a topic of discussion on Reddit and Youtube. And while there are the usual criticisms and suggestions to change it, it’s interesting to see what these voices represent for some people who love them: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One person on reddit with the username ‘Get-a-Mac’ says:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Voice Over:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “I never want those voices gone. They are the voice of BART!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another user, COD Gamer 19, says:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Voice Over: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gracie and George are a part of BART’s history, it wouldn’t feel the same without them, they’re a part of the bay as a whole.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So I just know that it’s a popular topic because of how much I see it like in the culture of the Bay Area.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today, there are questions about the future of BART, especially as \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“They face a 376 million dollar budget deficit.”\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s forcing us to consider the ways BART impacts our lives and culture. And frankly, what it might be like to live without it.These questions go far beyond George and Gracie.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But still, this little piece of technology, stuck in time, reminds us of how quickly things have changed. And maybe, it brings you a little joy –or frustration –iin the monotony of your commute. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gracie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> George, it’s time to get back to work.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You are right as usual, Gracie. Goodbye and thanks for visiting.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That was KQED’s Ana De Almeida Amaral. Jimmy Tobin thank you for asking the question. There is no question too big or small for Bay Curious – if you’ve got one that’s been itching in your mind, send it our way over at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://baycurious.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">BayCurious.org\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or shoot us an email. We’re at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"mailto:baycurious@kqed.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">baycurious@kqed.org\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and me Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Jen Chien, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on team KQED.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Thanks for listening.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "In a Tech Hub Like the Bay Area, Why Do BART Announcements Sound So Ancient? | KQED",
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"headline": "In a Tech Hub Like the Bay Area, Why Do BART Announcements Sound So Ancient?",
"datePublished": "2026-04-06T03:00:55-07:00",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>\u003ca href=\"#Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">View the full episode transcript.\u003c/a>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/bart\">Bay Area Rapid Transit\u003c/a> — or BART — was a brand new, cutting-edge transportation system when it opened in 1972. Since then, its reputation has become a bit less high-tech. And while riders hear a variety of voices making announcements throughout the BART system, there are two that sound different — robotic, synthesized voices, one male and one female, that sound like they are from yesteryear.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And at least one rider has taken particular note.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never understood what it was saying,” Bay Curious listener Jimmy Tobin said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Jimmy, the voices sound rudimentary, like the voice of 1990s Microsoft Sam.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m baffled by this thing,” he said. “I just can’t justify why this is so hard to understand and so easy to update.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078618\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078618\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1522\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED-160x122.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/250403-BART-VOICES-01-KQED-1536x1169.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sept. 11, 1972, BART opens to the public. On the first day alone, 15,000 people rode the new trains, despite the fact that they only ran between Fremont and MacArthur Stations in the East Bay. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Bay Area Rapid Transit))\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It seems like a blatant contradiction to him that trains running through communities at the heart of the AI boom sound like they’re from the first computers ever made. He wants to know why these robotic announcements have never been updated.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Passengers used to just wait\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before the late 1990s, BART had no live train information or announcements for passengers. There would occasionally be voiced announcements in the case of major disruptions, but on a regular day, riders would consult a paper schedule to see when a train was supposed to arrive. In the case of delays, riders would wait on the platform, without any information on when the train might actually come.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in 2000, BART began using a new piece of technology.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp> The Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) is a data hub that allows BART to calculate and communicate live train locations. For the first time, BART had the ability to share real-time information with riders, like the estimated time of arrival of a train. They initially did this with digital signage on the train platforms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The data would later be made publicly available, allowing for other platforms like navigation apps to utilize the live train information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When this technology was rolling out in 2000, BART was also assessing the accessibility of its system for blind and visually impaired riders. BART’s policy became, “Anything that’s been written down, we need to also verbally say,” said Alicia Trost, chief communications officer at BART.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In order to translate the digital signs with real-time updates into verbal announcements, BART acquired a text-to-speech system from Lucent Technologies, a telecommunications company. And those synthesized voices that bug Tobin so much, they have names — George and Gracie. Listen closely, and you’ll hear that George announces trains in one direction and the Gracie announces trains in the opposite direction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the time, this was cutting-edge technology — the system could vocalize thousands of announcements per day with real-time information, all without any human involvement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in the past 26 years, George and Gracie have stayed mostly the same, and their limitations have become apparent. For an accessibility tool, they can be hard to understand, and compared to today’s voice synthesizing technology, they don’t sound very human.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003cstrong>Why hasn’t BART updated George and Gracie?\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>George and Gracie are proprietary to Lucent Technologies, which went out of business in the mid-2000s. The company is no longer around to provide updates, and BART doesn’t have access to the source code to make its own changes. The only thing that can be updated is the text that George and Gracie read.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“BART has really limited funding, and we have to think about the priority,” Trost said. “Things like replacing our trains are more important.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12044953\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12044953\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20241204-BART-JY-009_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Passengers wait to board BART at Daly City Station in Daly City, on Dec. 4, 2024. \u003ccite>(Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>George and Gracie may be a bit outdated, but the system works, so updating it isn’t a top priority, Trost said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s also clear that some Bay Area residents love George and Gracie.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the computer game Roblox, users have \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24yglNNGJZ4\">featured their voices\u003c/a> in recreations of the BART system. As players drive or board a virtual BART train, George and Gracie are there announcing: “Now boarding at Embarcadero.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They have also been a topic of discussion on Reddit and YouTube. \u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/Bart/comments/1g130wj/the_voices_of_bart/?solution=4a4ea784b52b90a34a4ea784b52b90a3&js_challenge=1&token=bbbe4bf1c9a2b5160829c4be34da586108bdd3256eb2920042534355492efd5e\">One Reddit user, ‘get-a-mac,’\u003c/a> wrote, “I never want those voices gone. They are the voice of BART!”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another with the handle StreetyMcCarface wrote, “Keep George and Gracie, they are iconic.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Still, Trost said BART \u003cem>is \u003c/em>looking to replace the announcement system at some point, which will force some tough decisions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Do we introduce new voices or do we actually replicate the old George and Gracie that sound so dated, because people love them?” Trost said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>BART is currently facing a $376 million deficit, raising big questions about its future. It’s forcing Bay Area residents to consider a world without BART and its role in the culture of the bay, big and small.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"Viewthefullepisodetranscript\">\u003c/a>Episode transcript\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Bay Area Rapid Transit. Our dear friend, BART. \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">For regular riders, your whirs, squeaks and horns are part of the everyday soundtrack of life.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">always\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> hear you coming. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Whir of a train pulling into the station\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">We appreciate those timely warnings… \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The doors are closing please stand clear of the doors\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And how you help us not miss our stop. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Arriving at 16th street Mission\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every now and then, someone \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">real\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> pops in\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is BART operation control…\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jimmy Tobin, our question asker, has been fixated on one particular sound in the BART ecosystem. A set of announcements …\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So sometimes it feels like there’s like a lower kind of male voice that’s like, feels like it’s from like war games, like WOPR kind of style. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Wargames Clip:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> This box interprets signals from the computer and turns it into sounds. “Shall we play a game?” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And there’s a higher female voice is kind of like 90s Microsoft Sam style.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Microsoft Sam: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Hello, I am Microsoft Sam. I am the most popular voice of Microsoft.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are a variety of voices riders hear throughout BART, some of which are voiced by actual people. But it’s \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">these\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> robotic and synthesized voices that Jimmy can’t stop hearing … \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Three car Fremont Train now boarding, platform 2.\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jimmy is an audio engineer at Google who actually works on synthesized speech models, and these voices really \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">bothered\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> him. One day when he was waiting for a BART train and heard an announcement for a train heading toward the Oakland Airport.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">6-car Blue line train for OAK Airport Dublin in 15 minutes. 6-car Green line train for OAK Airport Barryessa in 19 minutes\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> I never understood what it was saying. I always thought it was, like, Oasis? And so I was just like, what is this word? And then I look at the board and it’s like, OAK, and I’m like, why didn’t it say Oakland? Like, and so I’m baffled by this thing.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">It felt like such a contradiction to him that \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">this \u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">was a voice of the transit system going through the home to the AI Boom… where all the newest tech is being developed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And I kept being like, it must be for, like, accessibility or maybe it’s like, it doesn’t have accents or something. And I was just like, I just can’t justify why this is so hard to understand and so easy to update. That’s why I came to you guys.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">He wants to know the backstory behind these voices – and where they came from.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Jimmy Tobin: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">What has been the decision-making to keep it?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Olivia Allen-Price and you’re listening to Bay Curious. Today on the show we answer Jimmy’s questions. Stay with us. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sponsor Break\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">To tell us more about the voices behind BART, we pass it to KQED’s Ana De Almeida Amaral…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When BART first opened to the public on Sept. 11, 1972, the world looked different.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">1970s music plays\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Richard Nixon was president of the United States. Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love” was charting. And Bay Area residents flocked to try out the new Bay Area Rapid Transit system.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the time it only ran for 11 stops — from the McArthur Station in Oakland down to Fremont.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>BART Commercial:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> The decade of the 1970s, is the decade of the decade of transportation alternatives…but the first large-scale breakthrough in moving great numbers of people rapidly and economically is the SF Bay Area Rapid Transit system, commonly called BART.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">When BART first opened, there was no live train information for riders. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The only way riders knew when a train was coming was by reading a paper schedule. You might hear an announcement for major occurrences like if a train was completely out of service. But if your train was a little delayed, you’d sit and wait– without any information on when it would actually arrive.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But then in 2000, everything changed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">BART developed a piece of technology called the Advanced Passenger Information System. For the first time, BART knew the live locations of trains throughout the system. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Riders now got real time information about when their train would arrive..\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Alicia Trost is the Chief Communications Officer at BART. She told me more about this era.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> We had digital screens on the platform that gave you the, what we call ETAs, estimated time arrivals of the train. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And this was a pretty big deal… but at a time where new legislation mandated accessibility for disabled people— BART had to ask some important questions…\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> But what if you’re low vision and you can’t see or you’re blind? And so there was this big policy decision to say anything that’s been written down, we need to also verbally say.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">BART chose a text-to-speech system to voice these announcements. It came from Lucent Technologies– a telecommunications company. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And so in 2000, this synthesized voice speaking for BART was born. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s a computer with zero emotion, and it’s… every… word… is… spaced… apart.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Voices were tested at different speeds and levels of breathiness. Riders gave input on the versions that were easiest to understand that led to the final version.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The feminine voice of this system was named Gracie.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gracie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 6 car richmond train now approaching platform 1 \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And the masculine voice was named George.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> 10 car San Francisco-Milbrae train in 8 minutes\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">George and Gracie announce a train’s estimated time of arrival, when a train is actively arriving, and when it is boarding. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In 2000, this was cutting edge technology– announcements made automatically, without any human involvement.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Yes, there were and still also are \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">human voiced\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> announcements when there are big disruptions or delays… but even today, you’ll hear George and Gracie while waiting for a train. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So next time you’re in a bart station, really pay attention. You’ll hear George’s voice for one direction only and Gracie’s voice for the opposite direction.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">[Beat]\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since 2000, George and Gracie have been the voices we hear on BART platforms. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And in the past 26 years, there has been very little change. That’s because the actual text-to-speech system is \u003c/span>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">proprietary\u003c/span>\u003c/i> \u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">to Lucent Technologies\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. And after the demise of the company in the mid 2000s, they haven’t been around to provide any updates. And the kicker is BART doesn’t have access to the source code so they can’t change it. The only thing they can do is change the text that George and Gracie speak. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So, I asked Alicia Jimmy’s question: Why hasn’t this been replaced ?\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Because it works and BART has really limited funding and when we go for capital funds, that’s the type of money we use to replace this system we have to think about the priority and things like replacing our trains is more important.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But she says that BART \u003c/span>\u003cb>\u003ci>is\u003c/i>\u003c/b> \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">aware of the limitations of this technology– they’ve gotten that feedback and they want to replace it in the future. So, they are looking at piloting a new PA system.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> And part of that is introducing what will be new voices. And it makes me nervous to even say that because this is going to cause great fear and debate among riders and the public… Do we introduce new voices or do we actually replicate the old George and Gracie that sounds so dated, but because people love them. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And, despite their flaws, it seems like lots of people love these voices.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> We frequently get asked about George and Gracie, and people tell us they love it. And we also know that there’s a lot of young people who adore the sound and have actually built in Roblox full-on BART systems.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">And they include recordings George and Gracie.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">So as you’re driving or boarding a virtual BART train in the 3D world of roblox, you’ll hear their voices!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sounds of Roblox game\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Aside from Roblox, George and Gracie have been a topic of discussion on Reddit and Youtube. And while there are the usual criticisms and suggestions to change it, it’s interesting to see what these voices represent for some people who love them: \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">One person on reddit with the username ‘Get-a-Mac’ says:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Voice Over:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> “I never want those voices gone. They are the voice of BART!\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Another user, COD Gamer 19, says:\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Voice Over: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gracie and George are a part of BART’s history, it wouldn’t feel the same without them, they’re a part of the bay as a whole.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Alicia Trost:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> So I just know that it’s a popular topic because of how much I see it like in the culture of the Bay Area.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Ana De Almeida Amaral: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Today, there are questions about the future of BART, especially as \u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“They face a 376 million dollar budget deficit.”\u003c/span>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> It’s forcing us to consider the ways BART impacts our lives and culture. And frankly, what it might be like to live without it.These questions go far beyond George and Gracie.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">But still, this little piece of technology, stuck in time, reminds us of how quickly things have changed. And maybe, it brings you a little joy –or frustration –iin the monotony of your commute. \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Gracie:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> George, it’s time to get back to work.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>George:\u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> You are right as usual, Gracie. Goodbye and thanks for visiting.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cb>Olivia Allen-Price: \u003c/b>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">That was KQED’s Ana De Almeida Amaral. Jimmy Tobin thank you for asking the question. There is no question too big or small for Bay Curious – if you’ve got one that’s been itching in your mind, send it our way over at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://baycurious.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">BayCurious.org\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\"> or shoot us an email. We’re at \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"mailto:baycurious@kqed.org\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">baycurious@kqed.org\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Christopher Beale and me Olivia Allen-Price.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Extra support from Maha Sanad, Katie Sprenger, Jen Chien, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on team KQED.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco Northern California Local.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">I’m Olivia Allen-Price. Thanks for listening.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Bay Area residents were jolted awake by a magnitude 4.6 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/earthquakes\">earthquake\u003c/a> early Thursday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake, which was centered about a mile from Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains, around 1:40 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>South Bay residents reported feeling the strongest tremors, with some saying they felt a sharp jolt followed by about 30 seconds of rolling and shaking. Across the Bay Area, the quake’s impacts were felt in San Francisco and Oakland, and as far north as Santa Rosa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was originally recorded as a magnitude of 5.1, but was downgraded to 4.6 by the USGS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early reports indicated little damage and no injuries as a result.[aside postID=news_11999982 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/08/MyShakeUCBerkeley-1020x679.jpg']It’s not clear what fault the quake occurred on. The San Andreas Fault, which caused the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and the Hayward Fault, which has spurred multiple smaller seismic events over the last year, both run through the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of 8 a.m., no significant aftershocks have been reported. While any earthquake can be a foreshock of a larger one to come, the likelihood is generally quite low.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to USGS, there’s about a 25% chance of a magnitude 3.0 or greater quake in the next week, but the likelihood of a stronger 4.0 magnitude quake in that time drops to just 3%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Bay Area residents were jolted awake by a magnitude 4.6 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/earthquakes\">earthquake\u003c/a> early Thursday morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake, which was centered about a mile from Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains, around 1:40 a.m.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>South Bay residents reported feeling the strongest tremors, with some saying they felt a sharp jolt followed by about 30 seconds of rolling and shaking. Across the Bay Area, the quake’s impacts were felt in San Francisco and Oakland, and as far north as Santa Rosa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was originally recorded as a magnitude of 5.1, but was downgraded to 4.6 by the USGS.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Early reports indicated little damage and no injuries as a result.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>It’s not clear what fault the quake occurred on. The San Andreas Fault, which caused the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and the Hayward Fault, which has spurred multiple smaller seismic events over the last year, both run through the area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As of 8 a.m., no significant aftershocks have been reported. While any earthquake can be a foreshock of a larger one to come, the likelihood is generally quite low.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to USGS, there’s about a 25% chance of a magnitude 3.0 or greater quake in the next week, but the likelihood of a stronger 4.0 magnitude quake in that time drops to just 3%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>In 2007, Nwe Oo, a mother of three, fled from a civil war in Burma to the U.S. She remembers relying heavily on government assistance like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/snap\">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program\u003c/a> to feed her family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As a single mother, I always believed that I wanted to be independent, serve my family first, meet my needs,” Oo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in reality, she continued, raising three children by herself without any extra support is difficult. “Food stamps fed my family,” Oo said. “Without that support, my family would be hungry and die.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oo’s reflections unfold upon a troubling and rocky timeline for refugees and people claiming asylum across the country — President Trump’s\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065310/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-to-cost-san-francisco-400m-end-care-for-thousands\"> H.R. 1 federal cuts\u003c/a> took effect Wednesday, causing recipients to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078168/april-1-snap-food-stamps-cal-fresh-eligibility-change-2026-immigrants-refugees-asylum-seekers-recertify-where-to-find-food-bank\">lose eligibility\u003c/a> for numerous social safety and government assistance programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Oo works at the Community Health for Asian Americans in Oakland, California, helping immigrants like herself access health benefits that they might have been previously unaware of. But after tens of thousands of Californians became ineligible for programs like SNAP, known as CalFresh in California, her clients and many others are facing enormous setbacks in maintaining those benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064446\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shopping carts are parked around the Alameda Food Bank on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, the East Bay is bracing for an increased food demand, with 5,400 CalFresh recipients at risk of losing their benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County Supervisor Elisa Marquez said the county has raised millions of dollars for food assistance, but they still need the state’s support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot brag that we are the fourth largest economy while our immigrants and refugee community members stay hungry,” Marquez said. “Now it’s time for the governor and our state legislators to do their part.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, a bill ensuring tens of thousands of Californians do not lose their CalFresh and Medi-Cal coverage is one step closer to law. On March 25, West Sacramento lawmaker state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon’s \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB1054/id/3406264\">SB 1054\u003c/a> unanimously passed the labor committee with bipartisan support, although it would not restore benefits for immigrants who are set to lose eligibility. Instead, it focuses on new federal work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid.[aside postID=news_12078168 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/251031-SFMARINFOODBANK-11-BL-KQED.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://nourishca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-Food4All-infographic.pdf\">a 2024 report\u003c/a> from Nourish California, an organization advocating for accessible food and resources, 64% of undocumented Californians are living in or near poverty, compared to the 35% overall statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Silvia Garcia, a resident of the East Bay Cherryland community, said that although she won’t be affected by the new eligibility requirements, she fears that this is just the beginning of immigrants being stripped of their resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Garcia said that after her husband was deported two years ago, taking care of her three children alone has been an expensive and mentally taxing experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many times I find myself having to set aside other basic needs my children have in order to prioritize buying food,” Garcia said in Spanish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Other times I wake up in the middle of the night, and that terrifying panic hits me about how I’ll manage this month’s expenses,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And just like me,” Garcia said, “There are many families facing the same situation and uncertainty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By June 1, California is poised to implement \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/benefits-services/food-nutrition-services/calfresh/frequently-asked-questions\">a new rule\u003c/a> making requirements for CalFresh more stringent — recipients who are 18-64 years old without young children at home must fulfill more work or community engagement hours in order to maintain their eligibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oo said, regardless of immigration status, people who live in the U.S. deserve access to government assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They work hard,” Oo said. “We’re Americans here serving not only our family, serving the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>April 7: This story was updated to clarify the scope of state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon’s SB 1054, which focuses on federal work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid but would not restore benefits for immigrants who are set to lose eligibility.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "As the H.R. 1 cuts started to take effect on Wednesday, Alameda County leaders called on state legislators to assist in filling the hole for food aid.",
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"title": "East Bay Communities Prepare for Increased Food Demand Amid SNAP Cuts | KQED",
"description": "As the H.R. 1 cuts started to take effect on Wednesday, Alameda County leaders called on state legislators to assist in filling the hole for food aid.",
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"headline": "East Bay Communities Prepare for Increased Food Demand Amid SNAP Cuts",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>In 2007, Nwe Oo, a mother of three, fled from a civil war in Burma to the U.S. She remembers relying heavily on government assistance like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/snap\">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program\u003c/a> to feed her family.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As a single mother, I always believed that I wanted to be independent, serve my family first, meet my needs,” Oo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But in reality, she continued, raising three children by herself without any extra support is difficult. “Food stamps fed my family,” Oo said. “Without that support, my family would be hungry and die.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oo’s reflections unfold upon a troubling and rocky timeline for refugees and people claiming asylum across the country — President Trump’s\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12065310/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-to-cost-san-francisco-400m-end-care-for-thousands\"> H.R. 1 federal cuts\u003c/a> took effect Wednesday, causing recipients to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078168/april-1-snap-food-stamps-cal-fresh-eligibility-change-2026-immigrants-refugees-asylum-seekers-recertify-where-to-find-food-bank\">lose eligibility\u003c/a> for numerous social safety and government assistance programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, Oo works at the Community Health for Asian Americans in Oakland, California, helping immigrants like herself access health benefits that they might have been previously unaware of. But after tens of thousands of Californians became ineligible for programs like SNAP, known as CalFresh in California, her clients and many others are facing enormous setbacks in maintaining those benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064446\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064446\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251113-SNAPDELAYSFEATURE00936_TV-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Shopping carts are parked around the Alameda Food Bank on Nov. 14, 2025. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the Alameda County Community Food Bank, the East Bay is bracing for an increased food demand, with 5,400 CalFresh recipients at risk of losing their benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>County Supervisor Elisa Marquez said the county has raised millions of dollars for food assistance, but they still need the state’s support.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot brag that we are the fourth largest economy while our immigrants and refugee community members stay hungry,” Marquez said. “Now it’s time for the governor and our state legislators to do their part.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, a bill ensuring tens of thousands of Californians do not lose their CalFresh and Medi-Cal coverage is one step closer to law. On March 25, West Sacramento lawmaker state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon’s \u003ca href=\"https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB1054/id/3406264\">SB 1054\u003c/a> unanimously passed the labor committee with bipartisan support, although it would not restore benefits for immigrants who are set to lose eligibility. Instead, it focuses on new federal work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In \u003ca href=\"https://nourishca.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/2024-Food4All-infographic.pdf\">a 2024 report\u003c/a> from Nourish California, an organization advocating for accessible food and resources, 64% of undocumented Californians are living in or near poverty, compared to the 35% overall statewide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Silvia Garcia, a resident of the East Bay Cherryland community, said that although she won’t be affected by the new eligibility requirements, she fears that this is just the beginning of immigrants being stripped of their resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Garcia said that after her husband was deported two years ago, taking care of her three children alone has been an expensive and mentally taxing experience.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Many times I find myself having to set aside other basic needs my children have in order to prioritize buying food,” Garcia said in Spanish.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Other times I wake up in the middle of the night, and that terrifying panic hits me about how I’ll manage this month’s expenses,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And just like me,” Garcia said, “There are many families facing the same situation and uncertainty.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By June 1, California is poised to implement \u003ca href=\"https://www.cdss.ca.gov/benefits-services/food-nutrition-services/calfresh/frequently-asked-questions\">a new rule\u003c/a> making requirements for CalFresh more stringent — recipients who are 18-64 years old without young children at home must fulfill more work or community engagement hours in order to maintain their eligibility.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Oo said, regardless of immigration status, people who live in the U.S. deserve access to government assistance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They work hard,” Oo said. “We’re Americans here serving not only our family, serving the community.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>April 7: This story was updated to clarify the scope of state Sen. Christopher Cabaldon’s SB 1054, which focuses on federal work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid but would not restore benefits for immigrants who are set to lose eligibility.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "pinnacles-national-park-open-see-wildflowers-condors-when-visit-caves-west-vs-east-entrance-on-way-to-big-sur",
"title": "Plan the Perfect Day at Pinnacles: California’s Most Slept-On National Park",
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"headTitle": "Plan the Perfect Day at Pinnacles: California’s Most Slept-On National Park | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>From \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074364/yosemite-national-park-no-reservations-2026-glacier-arches-timed-entry\">Yosemite \u003c/a>to Lassen, some of the country’s most iconic — and most visited — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/national-parks-service\">national parks \u003c/a>are virtually on our doorstep here in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But our “home” national park, Pinnacles, is even closer than you may realize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’ve driven Highway 101 south from San Francisco, you’ve probably seen the signs directing drivers to the park, which is only a few hours away from the Bay Area. But despite its proximity, this park is often overlooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Richard Neidhardt first started volunteering at Pinnacles in 2010, he said the most common response from anyone he told was: “Where’s that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s remarkable how many people who live within two hours of here haven’t heard of it, don’t know what it is, and have never been here,” said Neidhardt, who is now the Condor Chair of the Pinnacles National Park Foundation, the nonprofit that helps fill funding gaps for the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This under-the-radar element is partly because Pinnacles \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/quest/48410/our-newest-national-park-pinnacles-national-monument\">only became a national park in 2013\u003c/a>, when it was upgraded from a national monument. It’s also a relatively small park — at just around 27,000 acres, it’s one of the smallest in the whole country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077269\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_033-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_033-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_033-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_033-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A small creek flows beneath trees near the Sycamore Trail trailhead at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But this little park still packs a punch, and makes for a fantastically fulfilling — and surprisingly easy — trip from the Bay Area, even just for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So to help you plan your own Pinnacles visit, I traveled there one hot spring day to check out the best trails, find the most beautiful views, and learn about some truly hidden wonders from Neidhardt and his colleagues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read on for 10 tips to make the day trip worth your while.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#CanIcampatPinnacles\">Can I camp at Pinnacles?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#WhatarethemostscenictrailsatPinnacles\">What are the most scenic trails at Pinnacles?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#WherecanIseecondorsinthepark\">Where can I see condors in the park?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#HowcanIvisitPinnaclescaves\">How can I visit Pinnacles’ caves?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Getting to Pinnacles (and which entrance to use)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Depending on where you’re coming from in the Bay Area, and traffic conditions, the drive to \u003ca href=\"https://share.google/PeddmL8UcyLQrkuDW\">Pinnacles’ eastern entrance\u003c/a> — considered its main entrance — is only around 2-3 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you pass through the South Bay, you’ll continue on Hwy 101 until Gilroy, where you’ll take Highway 25 to Hollister and through Tres Pinos before turning off the highway and into the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077268\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077268\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_032-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_032-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_032-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_032-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rock formations rise along the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On your way to the park, you can stop in Hollister for any major needs, like extra gear or groceries. The small town of Tres Pinos has its own quaint feel and is an ideal post-hike dinner stop at one of the handful of restaurants on its main street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What about using the \u003ca href=\"https://share.google/Radepu1Bj4Ro16Auv\">western entrance\u003c/a> instead? This location will take you a little longer to reach from the Bay, but it certainly has its own appeal — namely, the sweeping views of the namesake Pinnacles rock formations themselves that are readily available from the parking lot. You can stop in Salinas or Soledad on your way in or out from that end, although be aware: Highway 146 from the western side is scenic but somewhat narrow.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Make Pinnacles a surprisingly achievable day trip\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Unlike other sprawling national parks, which demand a multi-day trip to see all of their sights, it \u003cem>is \u003c/em>worth it to visit Pinnacles for a day trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or as Neidhardt puts it, “You can see a lot of the park in one day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this advice comes with a caveat: Pinnacles is split into two sides, east and west, and you shouldn’t expect to be able to visit both sides of the park in one day. In fact, you can’t actually drive from one end to the other — so pick an entrance and stick with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077261\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077261\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard Neidhardt, director and Pinnacles Condor Fund chair, speaks while seated outdoors during a visit to Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For first-timers, especially those coming from the Bay Area, heading to the east side typically makes the most sense, given its increased infrastructure, like a full campground and park store, and it is a jumping-off spot for a wider variety of hikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Return visitors may want to check out the west side for a new perspective — including iconic valley views of the namesake pinnacle rock formations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can drive down to the Chaparral Parking Area, and there they are,” Neidhardt said. “It’s just the most spectacular views of the rock formations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Get to Pinnacles \u003cem>early \u003c/em>(to avoid a wait)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Visitorship to Pinnacles has hugely increased in the last five years, and was historically also boosted by its new status as a national park. “The impact on the park was huge,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And visitorship is still sizable, said Tim Regan, president of the Pinnacles Foundation — meaning you should plan to avoid the worst of the traffic into the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Pinnacles may be no Yosemite in terms of visitorship, lines of cars to get into the park during peak spring weekends can still be miles long, even requiring up to a\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/comments/1s6gcpi/pinnacles_packed/?share_id=Jv6fvKpPQQSZfh5G5PYnX&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1\"> two-hour wait\u003c/a> to get in. These days, people come from all over the world to visit the park, often on their way to and from other areas like Yosemite or Big Sur.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077262\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077262\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_012-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_012-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_012-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_012-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tim Regan, board president of the Pinnacles National Park Foundation, poses in a grassy meadow at Pinnacles National Park, where his family has roots spanning more than a century, on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I can testify from my own visit that you should plan ahead to avoid missing out. While I didn’t experience any lines to enter the park’s east entrance when I arrived at 10 a.m., by the time I was ready to embark on a hike, the Bear Gulch parking lot was full, meaning I had to park a mile down the road and walk to the trailhead. (During peak season times, the park \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/planyourvisit/hours.htm\">runs a shuttle\u003c/a> from the campground to the Bear Gulch Day Use Area to mitigate this issue.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why Neidhardt and his colleagues recommend you plan to arrive at the park early — or even come on a weekday or during a less busy time of year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a reason for this wait, Regan said: The park isn’t really designed to hold more people than its current parking lots can accommodate. “The land around here is very fragile,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another good reason to get there early? The heat. The day I went, during the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000315/record-breaking-heat-wave-bakes-the-bay-area-through-friday\">Bay Area’s historic March heat wave,\u003c/a> it was pushing 90 in the afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat wave aside, springtime is still the best time to visit Pinnacles, Regan said. “Everything is green, the wildflowers are out, and it’s not too hot — except for this week,” he said. “It’s usually in the 70s here, and it’s wonderful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"CanIcampatPinnacles\">\u003c/a>Consider sleeping within the park itself\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you want to avoid the headache of getting there early enough to avoid a wait, you can stay overnight at Pinnacles’ campground — an underrated but “wonderful” way to experience the park, said Mike Novo, the treasurer for the Pinnacles Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The night skies here are wonderful,” he said, so much so that they’re striving to get \u003ca href=\"https://darksky.org/\">international “Dark Sky” status\u003c/a> by retrofitting light fixtures and working with nearby communities to reduce their light pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077260\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077260 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Novo, treasurer of the Pinnacles National Park Foundation, pauses during an interview about the park he has camped in since the 1960s, on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And if you get lucky, you might be able to see condors leaving their roosts on the ridge above the campground in the morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just remember: The campground is on the east side of the park only, so plan accordingly. You’ll have access to showers and even a swimming pool that’s open during the summer, weather permitting. There’s also a small campground store where you can purchase necessities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The downside: \u003ca href=\"https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234015\">Reservations for the campground\u003c/a> can be tough to secure, so check early and stay flexible.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhatarethemostscenictrailsatPinnacles\">\u003c/a>Find a trail that works for your ability levels\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While Pinnacles is not a huge national park, it still has a wide range of trails for all types of hikers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not a driving park, it’s a hiking park,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most iconic — and most difficult — trail is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/high-peaks-condor-gulch-trail\">High Peaks Loop\u003c/a>, which takes hikers from the main parking area on the east side up and over the park’s craggy mountaintops, down to the Bear Gulch Reservoir and through the Bear Gulch Caves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077270\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_038-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_038-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_038-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_038-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A hiker sits on a rocky ledge overlooking a winding trail and valley below in the High Peaks area at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The High Peaks Loop is rugged, but it’s just the most spectacular hike anywhere, not just in Pinnacles,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re planning that hike, he said, you should:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Start as early as you can in the morning\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Go counter-clockwise, starting on the Condor Gulch Trail, to get the hot, exposed section out of the way in the morning\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Keep in mind, “it can be 10 degrees hotter up in the high peaks than it is down below,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077267\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_031-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_031-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_031-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_031-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign marks the start of the Sycamore Trail at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If that sounds like too much, don’t worry: There are lots of less strenuous options that are still just as scenic. From the Bear Gulch Parking Lot, try \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/moses-spring-and-rim-trail-loop\">heading up the Moses Spring Trail\u003c/a> to the Bear Gulch Reservoir, stopping to check out the caves along your way for a 2-mile round-trip hike to experience some of the park’s highlights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or trek up to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/condor-gulch-trail-to-overlook--2\">Condor Gulch Overlook\u003c/a>, where you might catch a glimpse of the park’s famed birds. Even the walk from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/bear-gulch-trail-peaks-view-day-use-area-to-bear-gulch-day-use-area\">campground to the Bear Gulch parking area\u003c/a> is a pleasant, shady one that’s great for families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the west side, the High Peaks are a quick but steep hike away. You can also stroll along the park’s new ADA-accessible “lollipop” route to see them from below.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>See the incredible biodiversity on display\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Because of the park’s varied ecosystems, it also boasts a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/index.htm\">wide variety of species\u003c/a>. That includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/wildflowers.htm\">wildflowers\u003c/a>, which are especially widespread in the spring.“The sheer variety of wildflowers here — it’s just astonishing,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That extends to its animals, too: The park has one of the highest diversities of native bee species anywhere in the world, Neidhardt said, with over \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/bees.htm\">500 species of bees\u003c/a> found within the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077273\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_042-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_042-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_042-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_042-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A California sister butterfly (Adelpha californica) rests on a sunlit patch of ground at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Despite many trail and area names with the word “bear” in them, there are no bears in the park. There are some pesky raccoons, however, who will boldly grab your food, Regan said. I also encountered a very persistent squirrel by the reservoir — a reminder not to feed \u003cem>any \u003c/em>of the wildlife here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the less desirable creatures near the park are wild pigs, which are so prevalent that there’s now a 3-foot fence around the entire core of the park — nearly 30 miles in total — to keep them out, Neidhardt told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They were a gigantic problem here in the campground,” Neidhardt said. “People get marauded by a pack of wild pigs at night.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WherecanIseecondorsinthepark\">\u003c/a>Catch a glimpse of the biggest birds in North America\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s one animal that makes any effort getting to the park and up into its craggy mountains worth the effort: the California condor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s one of Pinnacles’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/birds.htm\">more than 180 species of birds\u003c/a>, but unlike any other. In fact, condors are the largest land birds in North America, with wingspans reaching nearly 10 feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike their cousins, the turkey vulture, condors are huge: They can weigh around 20 pounds and fly up to 200 miles in a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077265\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077265\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_030-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_030-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_030-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_030-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A California condor stands on a rocky outcrop near the Condor Gulch Trail viewpoint at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But if you’re not up close and can’t tell the difference, Neidhardt said you can look at the way they fly — condors are smoother fliers, with straight-out wings, versus the rocky, tipsy flight of a turkey vulture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the condors you’ll see at Pinnacles are all tagged, so if you see a colored tag with a number on it, typically on its wing, you know it’s a condor. And you can look it up later using a \u003ca href=\"https://www.condorspotter.com/\">website called Condor Spotter, \u003c/a>developed by a staff member at the Ventana Wildlife Society.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Condors gravitate toward this park because they love nesting in cavities in the rock formations here, Neidhardt said. Plus, rangeland surrounds the park, “so there’s a lot for them to eat,” he said — including those wild pigs, which they’re apparently quite partial to pork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is just absolutely ideal condor habitat,” he said.[aside postID=news_12074364 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/YosemiteGetty.jpg']But these rare birds are \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/california-condor-information.htm\">threatened,\u003c/a> primarily by lead poisoning found in the animal carcasses they scavenge on. When a bullet kills an animal, the lead from that bullet explodes and enters the flesh around the wound — the same meat a condor might consume. While each bit of lead might be small, the cumulative effect is poisonous and, over time, kills the bird.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost 60% of deaths in wild and free-flying condors is caused by ingesting lead from ammunition,” Neidhardt said. “It’s a vicious thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, it takes a long time for condors to reproduce — the females typically lay just one egg every two years, Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1980s, their population crashed to just 22 individuals. To prevent them from going extinct, these condors were captured and bred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, across the Western United States, there are four captive breeding programs and five release sites, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/condor-recovery-program.htm\">including here in Pinnacles\u003c/a>. The park gets young 1-year-old birds, bred in captivity, and keeps them in the flight pen with adult wild birds to act as a “mentor bird,” who helps teach the young birds how to fly and about the pecking order, Neidhardt said. Then, after about a month, they release the young birds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Condors are very hierarchical, and there’s a real pecking order,” he said. “And if we got these rookies from the captive breeding program and immediately released them, they’d get beat up — or worse — by the dominant members of the flock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078358\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_025_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_025_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_025_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_025_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A California condor spreads its wings on a rocky viewpoint along the Condor Gulch Trail at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Neidhardt said there are 117 condors in the Central California flock right now, ranging from around the central valley to the coast and up north as far as Mount Diablo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And their numbers are increasing. The Pinnacles Foundation’s Novo said that he never used to spot any condors in his early days of hiking in Pinnacles in the 1990s, but by 2010, he started seeing them all the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s common now,” Novo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year we had a record number of wild nests in the Central California flock,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you want to increase your chances of seeing one yourself, head to the High Peaks, where I spotted two: one pruning itself, another soaring high above.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"HowcanIvisitPinnaclescaves\">\u003c/a>Explore Pinnacles’s pitch-black caves\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>That same movement due to the San Andreas Fault line slowly tumbled rocks and boulders around Pinnacles, producing a handful of caves that visitors to the park today can explore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As pieces of the rock erode or big chunks fall off, they fall into the steep canyons below the eroded rock formations,” Novo said. “The falling boulders are big enough and have enough space within them that they’ve created what’s called ‘talus caves.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just be aware: The upper Bear Gulch Cave is closed for 50 weeks out of the year while its resident bats hibernate and raise their pups. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/planyourvisit/cavestatus.htm\">Always check the park’s website before\u003c/a> heading out to see if the caves are open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077272\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077272\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_041-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_041-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_041-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_041-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A hiker with a headlamp moves through the narrow passageways of Bear Gulch Cave at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I got lucky: The day I was there, they were open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drop into Pinnacles’ caves, and you’ll be surprised at what you see — or don’t see. Because these caves weren’t carved out in the traditional sense, you may think that means they \u003cem>feel \u003c/em>less underground, Novo said, “but it’s pitch black.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After descending into the tiny opening and looking around, I couldn’t see a thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when I turned on my headlamp to reveal a rickety metal staircase winding down the cave, I saw a flowing waterfall pouring from the reservoir above.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>See the park’s geologic history firsthand\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pinnacles’ spires were formed \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/faults.htm\">around 23 million years ago\u003c/a> when a volcano erupted, piling on material that was later carved away by time and erosion and sculpting the park’s iconic mountaintops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, if you do make it up to the High Peaks, you’ll spiral up and around the pinnacles themselves, getting a literal bird’s eye view of the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078360\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078360\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_037_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_037_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_037_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_037_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rock formations rise above a sweeping view of rolling hills and valleys in the High Peaks area of Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A lot of what you see there is the original lava rock,” Novo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The thing that may surprise you: that volcano actually erupted hundreds of miles away to the southeast, in what’s now the present-day Mojave Desert city of Lancaster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highway 25, the route to Pinnacles, sits “pretty much right on top of the San Andreas Fault all the way down from Hollister,” Novo said. So these rock formations that give the park its name have traveled north inch by inch, day by day, over millions of years along that fault, right to where they stand today.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Get to know this place’s living history\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pinnacles’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/historyculture/native-peoples.htm\">earliest inhabitants\u003c/a>, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and Chalon Indian Nation, lived on and cared for this land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/historyculture/spanish-missionaries-and-early-settlers.htm\">Spanish missionaries \u003c/a>converted, enslaved and killed native people here, many of the native traditions were lost. Today, tribal members are working to\u003ca href=\"https://amahmutsun.org/pinnacles-national-park\"> bring their cultural history and knowledge back\u003c/a> to the park, Regan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078361\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078361\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_043_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_043_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_043_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_043_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sunlight filters through trees as rock formations rise above a shaded hillside near Bear Gulch at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The legacy of the park’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-elizabeth-bacon-family-house.htm\">homesteader settlers\u003c/a> who inhabited the area in the 19th century is also on display at the park, where a historic homestead hike brings visitors to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/pinnacles-hike-bacon-butterfield-ranch-trail.htm\">Bacon Ranch and Butterfield Ranch,\u003c/a> named for two of the original homesteaders of the property that helped create the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also to thank for the park’s infrastructure is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/historyculture/civilian-conservation-corps.htm\">Civilian Conservation Corps\u003c/a>, which, in the 1930s, developed its highlights, including the treacherous High Peaks trail and Bear Gulch Reservoir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, the park is mostly cared for by the National Park Service and the Pinnacles Foundation, which has a team of volunteers that helps plug the holes in the park’s budget — even now that it’s a national park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078378\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_034_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_034_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_034_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_034_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wildflowers bloom in the foreground along the Condor Gulch Trail, with the park’s rocky spires rising in the distance at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There was no money attached” to attaining the national park status, Regan said. “They didn’t have enough money even to put up a sign to say ‘Pinnacles National Park.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The foundation staffs the visitor centers, helps fund the condor program and builds new trails and signs throughout the park — even buying $3,000 worth of lamb carcasses from Costco for the condors during a period of avian flu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whatever is needed is kind of what we do,” Regan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Even a day trip from the Bay Area is possible. Here’s how we did it — and where to see the park’s best sights.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>From \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074364/yosemite-national-park-no-reservations-2026-glacier-arches-timed-entry\">Yosemite \u003c/a>to Lassen, some of the country’s most iconic — and most visited — \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/national-parks-service\">national parks \u003c/a>are virtually on our doorstep here in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But our “home” national park, Pinnacles, is even closer than you may realize.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you’ve driven Highway 101 south from San Francisco, you’ve probably seen the signs directing drivers to the park, which is only a few hours away from the Bay Area. But despite its proximity, this park is often overlooked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When Richard Neidhardt first started volunteering at Pinnacles in 2010, he said the most common response from anyone he told was: “Where’s that?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s remarkable how many people who live within two hours of here haven’t heard of it, don’t know what it is, and have never been here,” said Neidhardt, who is now the Condor Chair of the Pinnacles National Park Foundation, the nonprofit that helps fill funding gaps for the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This under-the-radar element is partly because Pinnacles \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/quest/48410/our-newest-national-park-pinnacles-national-monument\">only became a national park in 2013\u003c/a>, when it was upgraded from a national monument. It’s also a relatively small park — at just around 27,000 acres, it’s one of the smallest in the whole country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077269\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077269\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_033-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_033-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_033-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_033-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A small creek flows beneath trees near the Sycamore Trail trailhead at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But this little park still packs a punch, and makes for a fantastically fulfilling — and surprisingly easy — trip from the Bay Area, even just for the day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So to help you plan your own Pinnacles visit, I traveled there one hot spring day to check out the best trails, find the most beautiful views, and learn about some truly hidden wonders from Neidhardt and his colleagues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Read on for 10 tips to make the day trip worth your while.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jump straight to: \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#CanIcampatPinnacles\">Can I camp at Pinnacles?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#WhatarethemostscenictrailsatPinnacles\">What are the most scenic trails at Pinnacles?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#WherecanIseecondorsinthepark\">Where can I see condors in the park?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"#HowcanIvisitPinnaclescaves\">How can I visit Pinnacles’ caves?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch2>Getting to Pinnacles (and which entrance to use)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Depending on where you’re coming from in the Bay Area, and traffic conditions, the drive to \u003ca href=\"https://share.google/PeddmL8UcyLQrkuDW\">Pinnacles’ eastern entrance\u003c/a> — considered its main entrance — is only around 2-3 hours.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Once you pass through the South Bay, you’ll continue on Hwy 101 until Gilroy, where you’ll take Highway 25 to Hollister and through Tres Pinos before turning off the highway and into the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077268\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077268\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_032-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_032-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_032-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_032-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rock formations rise along the High Peaks Trail at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>On your way to the park, you can stop in Hollister for any major needs, like extra gear or groceries. The small town of Tres Pinos has its own quaint feel and is an ideal post-hike dinner stop at one of the handful of restaurants on its main street.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What about using the \u003ca href=\"https://share.google/Radepu1Bj4Ro16Auv\">western entrance\u003c/a> instead? This location will take you a little longer to reach from the Bay, but it certainly has its own appeal — namely, the sweeping views of the namesake Pinnacles rock formations themselves that are readily available from the parking lot. You can stop in Salinas or Soledad on your way in or out from that end, although be aware: Highway 146 from the western side is scenic but somewhat narrow.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Make Pinnacles a surprisingly achievable day trip\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Unlike other sprawling national parks, which demand a multi-day trip to see all of their sights, it \u003cem>is \u003c/em>worth it to visit Pinnacles for a day trip.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or as Neidhardt puts it, “You can see a lot of the park in one day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But this advice comes with a caveat: Pinnacles is split into two sides, east and west, and you shouldn’t expect to be able to visit both sides of the park in one day. In fact, you can’t actually drive from one end to the other — so pick an entrance and stick with it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077261\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077261\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_009-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_009-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_009-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_009-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Richard Neidhardt, director and Pinnacles Condor Fund chair, speaks while seated outdoors during a visit to Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For first-timers, especially those coming from the Bay Area, heading to the east side typically makes the most sense, given its increased infrastructure, like a full campground and park store, and it is a jumping-off spot for a wider variety of hikes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Return visitors may want to check out the west side for a new perspective — including iconic valley views of the namesake pinnacle rock formations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You can drive down to the Chaparral Parking Area, and there they are,” Neidhardt said. “It’s just the most spectacular views of the rock formations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Get to Pinnacles \u003cem>early \u003c/em>(to avoid a wait)\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Visitorship to Pinnacles has hugely increased in the last five years, and was historically also boosted by its new status as a national park. “The impact on the park was huge,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And visitorship is still sizable, said Tim Regan, president of the Pinnacles Foundation — meaning you should plan to avoid the worst of the traffic into the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Pinnacles may be no Yosemite in terms of visitorship, lines of cars to get into the park during peak spring weekends can still be miles long, even requiring up to a\u003ca href=\"https://www.reddit.com/r/bayarea/comments/1s6gcpi/pinnacles_packed/?share_id=Jv6fvKpPQQSZfh5G5PYnX&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1\"> two-hour wait\u003c/a> to get in. These days, people come from all over the world to visit the park, often on their way to and from other areas like Yosemite or Big Sur.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077262\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077262\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_012-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_012-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_012-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_012-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tim Regan, board president of the Pinnacles National Park Foundation, poses in a grassy meadow at Pinnacles National Park, where his family has roots spanning more than a century, on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I can testify from my own visit that you should plan ahead to avoid missing out. While I didn’t experience any lines to enter the park’s east entrance when I arrived at 10 a.m., by the time I was ready to embark on a hike, the Bear Gulch parking lot was full, meaning I had to park a mile down the road and walk to the trailhead. (During peak season times, the park \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/planyourvisit/hours.htm\">runs a shuttle\u003c/a> from the campground to the Bear Gulch Day Use Area to mitigate this issue.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s why Neidhardt and his colleagues recommend you plan to arrive at the park early — or even come on a weekday or during a less busy time of year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s a reason for this wait, Regan said: The park isn’t really designed to hold more people than its current parking lots can accommodate. “The land around here is very fragile,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another good reason to get there early? The heat. The day I went, during the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/science/2000315/record-breaking-heat-wave-bakes-the-bay-area-through-friday\">Bay Area’s historic March heat wave,\u003c/a> it was pushing 90 in the afternoon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heat wave aside, springtime is still the best time to visit Pinnacles, Regan said. “Everything is green, the wildflowers are out, and it’s not too hot — except for this week,” he said. “It’s usually in the 70s here, and it’s wonderful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"CanIcampatPinnacles\">\u003c/a>Consider sleeping within the park itself\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you want to avoid the headache of getting there early enough to avoid a wait, you can stay overnight at Pinnacles’ campground — an underrated but “wonderful” way to experience the park, said Mike Novo, the treasurer for the Pinnacles Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The night skies here are wonderful,” he said, so much so that they’re striving to get \u003ca href=\"https://darksky.org/\">international “Dark Sky” status\u003c/a> by retrofitting light fixtures and working with nearby communities to reduce their light pollution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077260\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12077260 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_005-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_005-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_005-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_005-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mike Novo, treasurer of the Pinnacles National Park Foundation, pauses during an interview about the park he has camped in since the 1960s, on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>And if you get lucky, you might be able to see condors leaving their roosts on the ridge above the campground in the morning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just remember: The campground is on the east side of the park only, so plan accordingly. You’ll have access to showers and even a swimming pool that’s open during the summer, weather permitting. There’s also a small campground store where you can purchase necessities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The downside: \u003ca href=\"https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/234015\">Reservations for the campground\u003c/a> can be tough to secure, so check early and stay flexible.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WhatarethemostscenictrailsatPinnacles\">\u003c/a>Find a trail that works for your ability levels\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While Pinnacles is not a huge national park, it still has a wide range of trails for all types of hikers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s not a driving park, it’s a hiking park,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most iconic — and most difficult — trail is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/high-peaks-condor-gulch-trail\">High Peaks Loop\u003c/a>, which takes hikers from the main parking area on the east side up and over the park’s craggy mountaintops, down to the Bear Gulch Reservoir and through the Bear Gulch Caves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077270\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077270\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_038-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_038-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_038-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_038-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A hiker sits on a rocky ledge overlooking a winding trail and valley below in the High Peaks area at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“The High Peaks Loop is rugged, but it’s just the most spectacular hike anywhere, not just in Pinnacles,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you’re planning that hike, he said, you should:\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>Start as early as you can in the morning\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Go counter-clockwise, starting on the Condor Gulch Trail, to get the hot, exposed section out of the way in the morning\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Keep in mind, “it can be 10 degrees hotter up in the high peaks than it is down below,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077267\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077267\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_031-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_031-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_031-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_031-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A sign marks the start of the Sycamore Trail at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If that sounds like too much, don’t worry: There are lots of less strenuous options that are still just as scenic. From the Bear Gulch Parking Lot, try \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/moses-spring-and-rim-trail-loop\">heading up the Moses Spring Trail\u003c/a> to the Bear Gulch Reservoir, stopping to check out the caves along your way for a 2-mile round-trip hike to experience some of the park’s highlights.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or trek up to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/condor-gulch-trail-to-overlook--2\">Condor Gulch Overlook\u003c/a>, where you might catch a glimpse of the park’s famed birds. Even the walk from the \u003ca href=\"https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/bear-gulch-trail-peaks-view-day-use-area-to-bear-gulch-day-use-area\">campground to the Bear Gulch parking area\u003c/a> is a pleasant, shady one that’s great for families.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the west side, the High Peaks are a quick but steep hike away. You can also stroll along the park’s new ADA-accessible “lollipop” route to see them from below.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>See the incredible biodiversity on display\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Because of the park’s varied ecosystems, it also boasts a \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/index.htm\">wide variety of species\u003c/a>. That includes \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/wildflowers.htm\">wildflowers\u003c/a>, which are especially widespread in the spring.“The sheer variety of wildflowers here — it’s just astonishing,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That extends to its animals, too: The park has one of the highest diversities of native bee species anywhere in the world, Neidhardt said, with over \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/bees.htm\">500 species of bees\u003c/a> found within the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077273\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077273\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_042-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_042-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_042-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_042-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A California sister butterfly (Adelpha californica) rests on a sunlit patch of ground at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Despite many trail and area names with the word “bear” in them, there are no bears in the park. There are some pesky raccoons, however, who will boldly grab your food, Regan said. I also encountered a very persistent squirrel by the reservoir — a reminder not to feed \u003cem>any \u003c/em>of the wildlife here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Among the less desirable creatures near the park are wild pigs, which are so prevalent that there’s now a 3-foot fence around the entire core of the park — nearly 30 miles in total — to keep them out, Neidhardt told me.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They were a gigantic problem here in the campground,” Neidhardt said. “People get marauded by a pack of wild pigs at night.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"WherecanIseecondorsinthepark\">\u003c/a>Catch a glimpse of the biggest birds in North America\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>There’s one animal that makes any effort getting to the park and up into its craggy mountains worth the effort: the California condor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s one of Pinnacles’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/birds.htm\">more than 180 species of birds\u003c/a>, but unlike any other. In fact, condors are the largest land birds in North America, with wingspans reaching nearly 10 feet.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike their cousins, the turkey vulture, condors are huge: They can weigh around 20 pounds and fly up to 200 miles in a day.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077265\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077265\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_030-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_030-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_030-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_030-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A California condor stands on a rocky outcrop near the Condor Gulch Trail viewpoint at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But if you’re not up close and can’t tell the difference, Neidhardt said you can look at the way they fly — condors are smoother fliers, with straight-out wings, versus the rocky, tipsy flight of a turkey vulture.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And the condors you’ll see at Pinnacles are all tagged, so if you see a colored tag with a number on it, typically on its wing, you know it’s a condor. And you can look it up later using a \u003ca href=\"https://www.condorspotter.com/\">website called Condor Spotter, \u003c/a>developed by a staff member at the Ventana Wildlife Society.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Condors gravitate toward this park because they love nesting in cavities in the rock formations here, Neidhardt said. Plus, rangeland surrounds the park, “so there’s a lot for them to eat,” he said — including those wild pigs, which they’re apparently quite partial to pork.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is just absolutely ideal condor habitat,” he said.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>But these rare birds are \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/california-condor-information.htm\">threatened,\u003c/a> primarily by lead poisoning found in the animal carcasses they scavenge on. When a bullet kills an animal, the lead from that bullet explodes and enters the flesh around the wound — the same meat a condor might consume. While each bit of lead might be small, the cumulative effect is poisonous and, over time, kills the bird.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Almost 60% of deaths in wild and free-flying condors is caused by ingesting lead from ammunition,” Neidhardt said. “It’s a vicious thing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Plus, it takes a long time for condors to reproduce — the females typically lay just one egg every two years, Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1980s, their population crashed to just 22 individuals. To prevent them from going extinct, these condors were captured and bred.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, across the Western United States, there are four captive breeding programs and five release sites, \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/condor-recovery-program.htm\">including here in Pinnacles\u003c/a>. The park gets young 1-year-old birds, bred in captivity, and keeps them in the flight pen with adult wild birds to act as a “mentor bird,” who helps teach the young birds how to fly and about the pecking order, Neidhardt said. Then, after about a month, they release the young birds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Condors are very hierarchical, and there’s a real pecking order,” he said. “And if we got these rookies from the captive breeding program and immediately released them, they’d get beat up — or worse — by the dominant members of the flock.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078358\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078358\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_025_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_025_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_025_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_025_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A California condor spreads its wings on a rocky viewpoint along the Condor Gulch Trail at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Neidhardt said there are 117 condors in the Central California flock right now, ranging from around the central valley to the coast and up north as far as Mount Diablo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And their numbers are increasing. The Pinnacles Foundation’s Novo said that he never used to spot any condors in his early days of hiking in Pinnacles in the 1990s, but by 2010, he started seeing them all the time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s common now,” Novo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Last year we had a record number of wild nests in the Central California flock,” Neidhardt said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you want to increase your chances of seeing one yourself, head to the High Peaks, where I spotted two: one pruning itself, another soaring high above.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>\u003ca id=\"HowcanIvisitPinnaclescaves\">\u003c/a>Explore Pinnacles’s pitch-black caves\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>That same movement due to the San Andreas Fault line slowly tumbled rocks and boulders around Pinnacles, producing a handful of caves that visitors to the park today can explore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“As pieces of the rock erode or big chunks fall off, they fall into the steep canyons below the eroded rock formations,” Novo said. “The falling boulders are big enough and have enough space within them that they’ve created what’s called ‘talus caves.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just be aware: The upper Bear Gulch Cave is closed for 50 weeks out of the year while its resident bats hibernate and raise their pups. \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/planyourvisit/cavestatus.htm\">Always check the park’s website before\u003c/a> heading out to see if the caves are open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077272\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077272\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_041-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_041-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_041-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/031626_PINNACLESFORTHEDAY-_GH_041-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A hiker with a headlamp moves through the narrow passageways of Bear Gulch Cave at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>I got lucky: The day I was there, they were open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Drop into Pinnacles’ caves, and you’ll be surprised at what you see — or don’t see. Because these caves weren’t carved out in the traditional sense, you may think that means they \u003cem>feel \u003c/em>less underground, Novo said, “but it’s pitch black.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After descending into the tiny opening and looking around, I couldn’t see a thing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But when I turned on my headlamp to reveal a rickety metal staircase winding down the cave, I saw a flowing waterfall pouring from the reservoir above.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>See the park’s geologic history firsthand\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pinnacles’ spires were formed \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/nature/faults.htm\">around 23 million years ago\u003c/a> when a volcano erupted, piling on material that was later carved away by time and erosion and sculpting the park’s iconic mountaintops.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In fact, if you do make it up to the High Peaks, you’ll spiral up and around the pinnacles themselves, getting a literal bird’s eye view of the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078360\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078360\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_037_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_037_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_037_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_037_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Rock formations rise above a sweeping view of rolling hills and valleys in the High Peaks area of Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“A lot of what you see there is the original lava rock,” Novo said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The thing that may surprise you: that volcano actually erupted hundreds of miles away to the southeast, in what’s now the present-day Mojave Desert city of Lancaster.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highway 25, the route to Pinnacles, sits “pretty much right on top of the San Andreas Fault all the way down from Hollister,” Novo said. So these rock formations that give the park its name have traveled north inch by inch, day by day, over millions of years along that fault, right to where they stand today.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Get to know this place’s living history\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pinnacles’ \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/historyculture/native-peoples.htm\">earliest inhabitants\u003c/a>, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band and Chalon Indian Nation, lived on and cared for this land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/historyculture/spanish-missionaries-and-early-settlers.htm\">Spanish missionaries \u003c/a>converted, enslaved and killed native people here, many of the native traditions were lost. Today, tribal members are working to\u003ca href=\"https://amahmutsun.org/pinnacles-national-park\"> bring their cultural history and knowledge back\u003c/a> to the park, Regan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078361\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078361\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_043_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_043_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_043_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_043_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sunlight filters through trees as rock formations rise above a shaded hillside near Bear Gulch at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The legacy of the park’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-elizabeth-bacon-family-house.htm\">homesteader settlers\u003c/a> who inhabited the area in the 19th century is also on display at the park, where a historic homestead hike brings visitors to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/pinnacles-hike-bacon-butterfield-ranch-trail.htm\">Bacon Ranch and Butterfield Ranch,\u003c/a> named for two of the original homesteaders of the property that helped create the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Also to thank for the park’s infrastructure is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nps.gov/pinn/learn/historyculture/civilian-conservation-corps.htm\">Civilian Conservation Corps\u003c/a>, which, in the 1930s, developed its highlights, including the treacherous High Peaks trail and Bear Gulch Reservoir.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, the park is mostly cared for by the National Park Service and the Pinnacles Foundation, which has a team of volunteers that helps plug the holes in the park’s budget — even now that it’s a national park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078378\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12078378\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_034_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_034_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_034_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/031626_PinnaclesForTheDay-_GH_034_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wildflowers bloom in the foreground along the Condor Gulch Trail, with the park’s rocky spires rising in the distance at Pinnacles National Park on March 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Gustavo Hernandez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There was no money attached” to attaining the national park status, Regan said. “They didn’t have enough money even to put up a sign to say ‘Pinnacles National Park.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The foundation staffs the visitor centers, helps fund the condor program and builds new trails and signs throughout the park — even buying $3,000 worth of lamb carcasses from Costco for the condors during a period of avian flu.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Whatever is needed is kind of what we do,” Regan said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "UC Berkeley Offers Freshmen 2-Year Housing Guarantee With New Dorms",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/uc-berkeley\">UC Berkeley \u003c/a>will offer incoming freshmen two years of guaranteed housing next fall, marking a major expansion for the campus that’s long struggled to keep up with accommodations for students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The university said it will also guarantee a year of campus housing for transfer students, thanks to two new housing projects set to open to students in 2027 and 2028, adding 2,700 beds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Two years of guaranteed housing for every incoming first-year student is transformative for our student experience,” Chancellor Rich Lyons said in a press release last week. “It gives students the foundation they need — a place to live, a community to be part of and the stability that supports their well-being, allowing them to fully engage in their education and in the life of this university.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley has historically had the lowest rate of students in housing of the University of California campuses, hosting just 22% of its undergraduate population a decade ago, compared to an average of 38% systemwide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school only began to guarantee housing for freshmen during the 2023-2024 academic year, after a yearslong effort to expand campus housing supply, spearheaded by former Chancellor Carol Christ. One of the projects she helped get off the ground was Heumann House, the university’s 1,100-bed apartment-style housing project set to open next fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The development has been controversial on campus and has been decades in the making. It sits on the former site of People’s Park, where students and neighbors \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11971915/peoples-park-fight-pits-housing-against-history\">fought the university’s efforts \u003c/a>to build housing since it acquired the land in the late 1960s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078284 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/UCBerkeleyPeoplesParkHousingGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/UCBerkeleyPeoplesParkHousingGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/UCBerkeleyPeoplesParkHousingGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/UCBerkeleyPeoplesParkHousingGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Storage containers surround the perimeter of People’s Park in Berkeley, California, on June 6, 2024. The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of UC Berkeley’s plans to develop the park into student housing. \u003ccite>(Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The university had planned to develop student housing before running out of money. In 1969, residents planted trees and turned it into a park. When the university tried to reclaim the land, it sparked major protests and clashes between local police and park supporters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, the plot remained mostly undeveloped, serving as a gathering place for students and activists, and a long-standing homeless encampment before \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989237/uc-berkeley-can-start-building-on-peoples-park-california-supreme-court-rules\">a state Supreme Court ruling\u003c/a> cleared the way for the university to build. The campus \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11998188/uc-berkeley-quietly-starts-construction-at-peoples-park-capping-decades-of-conflict\">quietly broke ground\u003c/a> on its new housing in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heumann House, named for disability rights leader Judith Heumann, adds to the campus’s supply of apartment-style housing filled by many transfer students. In 2024, Berkeley opened Anchor House, which features around 800 beds in similar units. Together, the projects bring the campus’s housing capacity to 33% of its student population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bancroft-Fulton Student Housing project, the other new development expected in 2028, will add another 1,600 dorm-style beds.[aside postID=news_12066766 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/251211-PEOPLES-PARK-RENDERINGS-01-KQED.jpg']Junior Ysabela Philip said she’s encouraged to see the campus offering more housing options, but is wary of the rapid expansion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want there to be quality over quantity,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Philip said most students find it less expensive to live off campus, unless they receive financial aid that they are able to put toward housing expenses. She said she’s worried that the push to be able to house more of the student population could lead the school to put off renovations on older buildings, like her freshman dorm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The conditions we were living in the dorms were terrible,” she said. “My heater was broken. I couldn’t have hot water in my shower. There was mold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Instead of a two-year housing guarantee, [I] would have preferred to see existing housing being brought up to safer standards and higher standards,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley officials say they “are committed to ensuring all of our campus housing options are safe, healthy and supportive spaces.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The university has also proposed a tower up to 26 stories on the corner of Channing Way and Bowditch Street that would house up to 2,000 more students, and feature a new dining facility and “social and academic spaces.” It’s expected to go before the UC Board of Regents for approval next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By providing stability from the moment students arrive, we can help them focus on what matters most: their academic journey and building connections at Berkeley,” Jo Mackness, associate vice chancellor for Residential and Student Service programs, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/uc-berkeley\">UC Berkeley \u003c/a>will offer incoming freshmen two years of guaranteed housing next fall, marking a major expansion for the campus that’s long struggled to keep up with accommodations for students.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The university said it will also guarantee a year of campus housing for transfer students, thanks to two new housing projects set to open to students in 2027 and 2028, adding 2,700 beds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Two years of guaranteed housing for every incoming first-year student is transformative for our student experience,” Chancellor Rich Lyons said in a press release last week. “It gives students the foundation they need — a place to live, a community to be part of and the stability that supports their well-being, allowing them to fully engage in their education and in the life of this university.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley has historically had the lowest rate of students in housing of the University of California campuses, hosting just 22% of its undergraduate population a decade ago, compared to an average of 38% systemwide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school only began to guarantee housing for freshmen during the 2023-2024 academic year, after a yearslong effort to expand campus housing supply, spearheaded by former Chancellor Carol Christ. One of the projects she helped get off the ground was Heumann House, the university’s 1,100-bed apartment-style housing project set to open next fall.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The development has been controversial on campus and has been decades in the making. It sits on the former site of People’s Park, where students and neighbors \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11971915/peoples-park-fight-pits-housing-against-history\">fought the university’s efforts \u003c/a>to build housing since it acquired the land in the late 1960s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12078284\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12078284 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/UCBerkeleyPeoplesParkHousingGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/UCBerkeleyPeoplesParkHousingGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/UCBerkeleyPeoplesParkHousingGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/UCBerkeleyPeoplesParkHousingGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Storage containers surround the perimeter of People’s Park in Berkeley, California, on June 6, 2024. The California Supreme Court ruled in favor of UC Berkeley’s plans to develop the park into student housing. \u003ccite>(Brontë Wittpenn/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The university had planned to develop student housing before running out of money. In 1969, residents planted trees and turned it into a park. When the university tried to reclaim the land, it sparked major protests and clashes between local police and park supporters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, the plot remained mostly undeveloped, serving as a gathering place for students and activists, and a long-standing homeless encampment before \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11989237/uc-berkeley-can-start-building-on-peoples-park-california-supreme-court-rules\">a state Supreme Court ruling\u003c/a> cleared the way for the university to build. The campus \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11998188/uc-berkeley-quietly-starts-construction-at-peoples-park-capping-decades-of-conflict\">quietly broke ground\u003c/a> on its new housing in 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Heumann House, named for disability rights leader Judith Heumann, adds to the campus’s supply of apartment-style housing filled by many transfer students. In 2024, Berkeley opened Anchor House, which features around 800 beds in similar units. Together, the projects bring the campus’s housing capacity to 33% of its student population.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bancroft-Fulton Student Housing project, the other new development expected in 2028, will add another 1,600 dorm-style beds.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Junior Ysabela Philip said she’s encouraged to see the campus offering more housing options, but is wary of the rapid expansion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want there to be quality over quantity,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Philip said most students find it less expensive to live off campus, unless they receive financial aid that they are able to put toward housing expenses. She said she’s worried that the push to be able to house more of the student population could lead the school to put off renovations on older buildings, like her freshman dorm.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The conditions we were living in the dorms were terrible,” she said. “My heater was broken. I couldn’t have hot water in my shower. There was mold.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Instead of a two-year housing guarantee, [I] would have preferred to see existing housing being brought up to safer standards and higher standards,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Berkeley officials say they “are committed to ensuring all of our campus housing options are safe, healthy and supportive spaces.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The university has also proposed a tower up to 26 stories on the corner of Channing Way and Bowditch Street that would house up to 2,000 more students, and feature a new dining facility and “social and academic spaces.” It’s expected to go before the UC Board of Regents for approval next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“By providing stability from the moment students arrive, we can help them focus on what matters most: their academic journey and building connections at Berkeley,” Jo Mackness, associate vice chancellor for Residential and Student Service programs, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "Gentrification is changing cities across America, forcing people from neighborhoods they have long called home. Call them the displaced. Now those priced out of the Bay Area are looking for a better life in an unlikely place. American Suburb follows this migration to one California town along the Delta, 45 miles from San Francisco. But is this once sleepy suburb ready for them?",
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},
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"id": "baycurious",
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"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
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},
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},
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"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"order": 8
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"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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"airtime": "SUN 1pm-2pm, TUE 10pm, WED 1am",
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Commonwealth-Club-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
"link": "/radio/program/commonwealth-club",
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"title": "Forum",
"tagline": "The conversation starts here",
"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 9am-11am, 10pm-11pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
},
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"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"title": "How I Built This with Guy Raz",
"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"jerrybrown": {
"id": "jerrybrown",
"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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},
"latino-usa": {
"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
"airtime": "MON 1am-2am, SUN 6pm-7pm",
"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
}
},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
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