Bay Area Job, Population Growth Will Continue to Fuel Housing Demand

The Bay Area’s tech-industry-driven economy continues to add extremely desirable and high-paying jobs, attracting talented workers from around the nation and globe. But even though our region’s phenomenal economic growth likely will begin to slow over the next couple of years, intense demand for housing is almost certainly here to stay thanks to a pronounced lack of available homes.

“We’re getting closer to full employment,” says Stephen Levy, director and senior economist of Palo Alto-based Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy. “And what that means is that as we near full employment, that’s going to bring in people, which will add to the housing demand.”

May statistics from the California Employment Development Department show that each one of our Bay Area counties boasts an unemployment rate lower than the statewide average of 7.6 percent. Job growth remains particularly strong in Marin, Napa, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties, all of which have unemployment rates of less than 5 percent.

Levy believes that the Bay Area’s unemployment rate will never return to dot-com-era lows, when it hovered in the 2 to 3 percent range in San Francisco and Silicon Valley. However, he forecasts that even though job growth will level off over the next two years, the Bay Area will continue to outperform the rest of the country.

Population Growth Outpacing New Housing in Key Markets

Since the U.S. began to emerge from the Great Recession in 2010, the Bay Area’s population rate has jumped sizably, according to California Department of Finance data. Over the past four years, the number of residents in San Francisco and San Mateo counties has grown by nearly 4 percent while increasing by almost 5 percent in Santa Clara County.

But those counties have failed to build enough new housing units to keep up with the expanding populace. Since 2010, new housing has grown by just 2 percent in Santa Clara County, 1.3 percent in San Francisco, and 0.9 percent in San Mateo County.

“Peninsula prices and rents will continue to outpace the state and national average unless we see a dramatic increase in supply, and even then it would be snapped up pretty quickly,” Levy says.

Economic Climate Much More Stable Than in Dot-Com Days

As was the case in the dot-com boom and subsequent bust, the tech industry remains the primary driver of Bay Area employment growth. However, Levy believes that our current economy is far less frenetic than it was 15 years ago.

“I think it’s quite different,” he says. “These are real companies, and they have customers, profits, and burgeoning sales. The dot-com era was more about business plans.”

Still, technology companies aren’t the only businesses fueling Bay Area job growth. Other industries, including hospitality, health care, and construction, are seeing employment upticks, Levy says. However, he cautions that tremendous growth in the Internet sector could eventually slow expansion in other industries, including brick-and-mortar retail and financial services.

While the Bay Area’s economic outlook appears solid for the foreseeable future, the housing shortage may eventually impede growth, as workers could become wary of relocating to an area where finding a home is so difficult. Therefore, new construction remains a crucial factor in keeping our region’s economy moving upward and onward.

“I think [our economy] will always grow, but absolutely, housing poses a constraint to our growth over the long term,” Levy says. “The lack of housing could take some of the bloom off of the rose and limit some of the growth that might otherwise be there.”

(Photo: Flickr/Thomas Hawk)

Pictures: The World's Tigers—There Are Only 3,200 Left in the Wild

Tigers may be relegated to zoos in the future if we're not careful. Only about 3,200 tigers can be found in the wild today—a far cry from the iconic cat's situation a century ago, when 100,000 tigers roamed vast stretches of the Asian continent.

"People don't realize how dire the situation is for tigers because we see them all the time. We see them in zoos, we see them in circuses, so we think they're doing all right," said Sharon Guynup, a writer who co-authored the book Tigers Forever: Saving the World's Most Endangered Big Cat with National Geographic photographer Steve Winter.

To mark International Tiger Day—which is held annually on July 29—National Geographic spotlights Asia's largest cat species and the conservation challenges that it faces.

In this photo, a tiger is carried by Burmese villagers in 1922 after it was killed following an attack on their village.

—Katie Langin

Article and Photos Taken From:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/pictures/140729-tigers-conservation-cubs-hunting-environment-science/#/4-mm7231-071025-1334-00118016_82121_600x450.jpg

Three Reasons Why This Housing Cycle Is Not a Bubble

Bay Area real estate values, fundamentals, and “noise” continue to be hot topics at social gatherings and client meetings. Does this cycle resemble the dot-com era bubble? Can the pace and valuations we are seeing continue?
While supply and demand are very basic and scalable market dynamics, I do believe it is important to separate the pace of sales from valuations.
In terms of sales volume, the market’s current pace still displays somewhat of a “slingshot” effect from constrained demand as a result of the 2008 equities-market meltdown. Buyers sought safety on the sidelines for three or four years, but in the last 24 months, demand has been ferocious.
Although we anticipate Bay Area sales volume will experience year-over-year growth of less than 5 percent by 2016 and 2017, slowing demand will not relax pricing.
The following three fundamentals are currently driving Bay Area real estate markets:
1. Supply constraints: Our region has limited land available for new housing development.
2. Exceptional job growth: Northern California enjoys the hottest employment market in the U.S., with intellectually challenging, highly sought-after, and lucrative jobs.
3. Population growth: The chart below illustrates that population growth across our nine-county region has exceeded new housing supply by an average of nearly 200 percent in four years.



Each of the market dynamics listed above generally has very positive impacts on residential real estate. I doubt there is another major U.S. market that is experiencing and enjoying the combination of all three of these factors.
On a global stage, the Bay Area trails New York City, London, Hong Kong, and Beijing on a dollar-per-square-foot valuation perspective. Over the next five years, look for our region’s real estate prices to meet the aforementioned international markets.
A few years ago I attended a Bay Area real estate conference where Leslie Appleton-Young, vice president and chief economist of the California Association of Realtors, spoke. When asked about the best time to invest in California real estate, Leslie replied, “I’ve been answering that question for 30 years, and my answer has always been ‘five years ago.’”
If I am not mistaken, Warren Buffet said, “Buy all the real estate you can,” in a 2009 television interview. I suspect we will all feel the same way in 2019 when we look back at today’s market.
- Mark A. McLaughlin, CEO, Pacific Union


 (Photo: Flickr/David Rodriguez Martin)

San Francisco’s Inner Richmond: Great Mix of Dining, Shopping, Nature

San Francisco’s Inner Richmond neighborhood offers residents one of the best shopping and dining districts in the city, with easy access to nature and express transit downtown.
Residential parts of the neighborhood tend to feel quieter than more bustling sections of the city – and, thankfully, housing is often a bit roomier as well.

A view of the Inner Richmond’s popular Clement Street shopping corridor.

Most of the neighborhood’s commercial activity centers on Geary Boulevard and Clement Street. Clement, in particular, is home to a plethora of Asian eateries and food markets, as well as bars and boutique shops.

Frequently rated the best bookstore in San Francisco, neighborhood anchor Green Apple Books has called Clement Street home since 1967. Across the street, the popular Wing Lee Bakery serves up delicious and affordable dim sum, such as pork buns, pot stickers, and shrimp dumplings.
Other neighborhood restaurants include the always-crowded Burma Superstar and its sister B Star, fellow Burmese restaurant Mandalay on California Street, and French bistro Chapeau!.

Locals have been sipping coffee and debating philosophy for decades at the charming Blue Danube Coffee House, and store/gallery Park Life consistently offers up quirky housewares and clothing.
Opportunities for outdoor recreation abound in the Inner Richmond.

Beautiful Mountain Lake Park, once home to a famously loud swan who regularly waddled across Lake Street, is a favorite neighborhood recreation spot for tennis, picnics, jogging, and dog walking. Golden Gate Park and the Presidio of San Francisco also border the neighborhood.

Parking is notoriously challenging in the Inner Richmond, but luckily the neighborhood lays claim to several Muni lines, including the 38-Geary with its giant express buses downtown. The 1-California, 2-Clement, 33-Stanyan, and 44-O’Shaughnessy routes also service the area.

Single-family homes in the Inner Richmond went for a median price of $1.48 million in June, while the median price for condominiums was $855,000, according to MLS data. Supply remained low with just two condos and five single-family homes changing hands last month.



(Photo: Flickr/Rubin Starset)

San Francisco in the Movies

I lived in New York for half my life, and probably twenty-percent of the movies that get made are filmed in New York City — and yet when I see New York on screen, I don’t feel anything.  And neither do New Yorkers.  So what is it about San Francisco on screen that is always curious and arresting?  If it’s an old movie, you just wish the camera would linger over the establishing shots, so you can identify the streets and figure out how they’ve changed.  If it’s a new movie, there’s the kick of seeing the familiar represented on the big screen.

I think part of the appeal is the size of the place.  San Francisco is just not that big, so it’s very possible that you’ll know whatever place is being shown.  Also, the neighborhoods are so identifiable that, if you know the city at all, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what you’re looking at within a second or two.  Finally, it’s a very photogenic city, and so often there’s the pleasure of seeing the familiar suddenly idealized — or at least held up so that you can look and actually see it.
That said, not all movies set in San Francisco show the tourist side of the city.  Woody Allen’s BLUE JASMINE, in fact, was even criticized for not showing the city at its most pretty.  Then there was Marc Decena’s lovely DOPAMINE, from 2003, which showed us the San Francisco that residents know — a lived-in city, not a postcard.

More recently Hollywood has taken an interest in demolishing the place, first in “Godzilla” and next in “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.”

Anyway, there are many faces of the city, idealized and realized, the San Francisco of reality and of fantasy, and the above gallery tries to show and direct you to some of them.

Theater goers gather outside the Castro Theater for the premiere of "Milk," staring Sean Penn and Josh Brolin, in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008. Josh Brolin had a tough time getting into the role of Dan White, the man who killed gay San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, played by Penn. (Photo by Tara Zorovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

'Basic Instinct' was shot around the Bay Area, including Carmel, Oakland and Pacific Heights and the bar Tosca in S.F. 

 

 

'Contagion.' The Jude Law parts were filmed in S.F., including a brief scene in the Chronicle building.

Diane Keaton and Woody Allen ride on a cable car together in a scene from the film 'Play It Again, Sam', 1972.

 

A car flies through the air while traveling down a San Francisco street in a still from the film, 'Bullitt,' directed by Peter Yates, 1968. 

 

 

For the Complete List of Movies Featured in San Francisco Click here:  http://blog.sfgate.com/mlasalle/2014/07/18/san-francisco-in-the-movies/#14198101=4

How S.F.'s Mid-Mission district is transforming

Mid-Mission is giving Mid-Market a run for its money.
While the tech-fueled renaissance of central Market Street has generated headlines around the world, a block away the parallel stretch of Mission Street is undergoing its own, much quieter transformation.

Construction workers connect rebar at a 126-unit apartment development at 1415 Mission St. at 10th Street. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Over the past five years, 1,400 new housing units have opened on Mission Street between Fifth Street and South Van Ness Avenue, including 800 studio apartments that landlord Angelo Sangiacomo built between Seventh and Eighth streets.

And there are a lot more coming.
On Mission between Eighth Street and around 10th Street, contractors are pouring floors on three mid-rise residential towers, construction that will bring an additional 500 units to the corridor by the end of 2015.
At 1400 Mission St., Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corp. is building 190 affordable family units. Across the street, at 1415 Mission St., Martin Building Co. is working on 126 apartments, while a block to the east at 1321 Mission St., Berkeley developer Patrick Kennedy is well under way on 160 micro-studios and "micro-suites," half of which will provide housing for students from the California College of the Arts.

Plans for 750 more units

In the past two weeks alone, developers have submitted plans that would add an additional 750 units of housing to Mid-Mission. AGI Avant has proposed 200 units at 1270 Mission St., now home to a pizza place and parking lot. On the current site of Goodwill, there are plans for 550 apartments and a 460,000-square-foot city office building.
"We are hoping that part of Mission Street establishes its own identity, on a smaller scale than Market Street," Kennedy said. "Having a few thousand new residents should help generate fine-grain retail. ... There is nothing now on our block but pot clubs."
Those bullish on central Mission Street say it has the potential to be a more intimate alternative to Market Street. While Market has a few big housing projects in the pipeline, the street is dominated by block-long buildings home to big tech companies like Dolby, Twitter, Uber and Square.
In contrast, central Mission will be mostly residential. The street has split zoning: The north side is zoned for 140-foot mid-rise buildings and the south side for buildings 65 feet or less. Eric Tao of AGI Avant said the zoning will help protect the row of former garment sweatshops that line the south side of Mission.

Workers snap grid lines in chalk to help guide construction of the next level of the Panoramic building in Mid-Mission. Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle

Unique character

"Even as the high-rises get developed on the north side, the south side is always going to retain that unique Mission Street character with smaller, interesting buildings," Tao said.
Tao was an early believer in Mid-Mission. A decade ago the block of Mission between Seventh and Eighth streets was an abandoned Greyhound station and surface parking lots. There was a methadone clinic in the alley and homeless encampments.
"It was pretty God-awful," Tao said.
But when the federal government built its office building on the corner of Seventh Street - an attention-getting structure designed by well-known architect Thom Mayne of Los Angeles firm Morphosis - Tao saw potential. His group joined forces with TMG Partners to build the 260-unit SoMa Grand condominium project.
"We made the probably foolish decision to roll everything we had into that site," he said. "In retrospect, we were a little early."
While that stretch of Mission Street still has its share of boarded-up storefronts, low costs have caught the attention of restaurateurs and their investors.

Places to eat, drink

In 2011, Matt Semmelhack opened AQ Restaurant & Bar at 1085 Mission St. and last year followed up with TBD at 1077 Mission St. The cocktail bar OddJob has opened at 1337 Mission St. Focaccia, part of the San Francisco group of downtown lunch spots, is opening at 1198 Mission St., according to Sangiacomo, the 89-year-old developer and landlord who has been trying to develop the neighborhood since the 1970s.


"They are spending a fortune," Sangiacomo said. "I wanted something really good in there, with sandwiches and salads. This is going to be the best one they've got."
Semmelhack said he was drawn to Mission Street because it offered a combination of low overhead and high potential. "Permits were pulled and there were cranes in the air, but the rent was still cheap," he said.
While AQ started as a destination restaurant, it's now drawing residents from buildings like Nema at 8 10th St. and Ava at 55 Ninth St. "There has been an obvious shift in terms of people being more local," Semmelhack said.
As Mission Street becomes denser, some question whether the city is paying enough attention to its public realm. The street is clogged with buses - the 14, 14L and SamTrans lines - with little space for cyclists. And the intersection of Mission and South Van Ness can be harrowing to cross on foot or bike.
Semmelhack recently joined the board of the Mid-Market Central Business District and has to remind other board members that Mission Street exists.
"Market Street is the No. 1 point of conversation in all the meetings, but I'm always outspoken about Mission Street," he said. "It's an important part of the Mid-Market district and at times it tends to get overlooked."
"Mission Street has been ignored forever," said John Elberling, executive director of Todco, which owns and manages about 1,000 units of affordable housing South of Market.

Gentrification concerns

His group owns residential hotels along Mission Street and is concerned about gentrification, particularly on the blocks on either side of Sixth Street, which has one of the city's biggest concentrations of residential hotels in San Francisco. He said the city needs to look at a Mid-Market development fee that would be invested back into neighborhood improvements.
Neil Hrushowy, general manager of the San Francisco Planning Department's City Design Group, which works to "balance all the functions of a street," agreed that Mission Street has played second fiddle to Market Street.

"After two rounds of community outreach," he said, "we heard strong feedback that we needed a more coherent plan for Mission Street."


Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/How-S-F-s-Mid-Mission-district-is-transforming-5626785.php#page-2

Raccoon Thinks a Kitten Is His Teddy Bear

CUTEST VIDEO EVER

Bay Area Home Sales Inch Higher in June

Bay Area home sales inched higher in June while price hikes slowed, according to newly released data from research firm DataQuick – more evidence that our local real estate markets are moving beyond the frenzied activity of the past two years and settling into more normal patterns of steady growth.
DataQuick’s numbers, released Wednesday, line up data found in the June homes sales report from the California Association of Realtors.

DataQuick reported that 7,915 single-family homes and condominiums sold in the nine-county Bay Area last month, up just 0.2 percent on both a month-over-month and annual basis.

June sales were “well below long-term norms,” the firm said in a statement. “Potential buyers are still struggling with a limited supply of homes for sale, prices near or at new peaks, and a still-constricted mortgage environment.”

San Francisco saw the greatest year-over-year increase in June sales volume, up 6.4 percent, followed closely by Napa County, up 6.3 percent.

Sales rose 4.8 percent in San Mateo County from June 2013, 3.9 percent in Solano County, 2.9 percent in Marin County, and 2.7 percent in Contra Costa County. Home sales slipped 2.6 percent in Santa Clara County, 3.3 percent in Sonoma County, and 3.6 percent in Alameda County.

June’s median sales price across the Bay Area was $618,000, up 0.2 percent from May and 11.4 percent from June 2013, the smallest year-over-year increase in 22 months. Last June, the median price was up 33.1 percent from a year earlier.

San Mateo County saw the biggest annual increase in median sales price, with a 14.9 percent gain, followed by Solano County (14.5 percent), San Francisco (13.3 percent), Santa Clara County (12.7 percent), and Contra Costa County (11.1 percent). The median rose 9.3 percent in Alameda County, 9 percent in Sonoma County, 5.7 percent in Marin County, and 5.5 percent in Napa County.

The Bay Area’s median sale price is close on the heels of its all-time high as measured by DataQuick: $665,000, set in June and July 2007. The median then dropped to a low of $290,000 in March 2009.



(Image: Flickr/Woodleywonderworks)

Bread & Butter: Wine Spectator gives nods to local restaurants

By Susan Harvey

The Wine Spectator, considered by many to be the first and last word in wine, has released its list of restaurants with distinctive wine programs. Not surprising, Marin County is well represented this year.

Leading the way is Sausalito's Murray Circle with a best of award of excellence, one of the publication's top honors. The restaurant, a top dining destination, has an outstanding sellar with the strengths coming in the selection of wines from California, Italy, France and Spain.

Wine Spectator has been publishing this list since 1981. The winners pass an inspection that considers overall quality of wine programs, cellars, service, cuisine and ambience. The magazine reviewed 3,748 restaurants around the world for the compilation.
Sausalitoís Murray Circle won a Best of Award of Excellence, one of the Wine Spectator’s top honors, for its wine program.(Special to the IJ/Jocelyn
Sausalitoís Murray Circle won a Best of Award of Excellence, one of the Wine Spectator's top honors, for its wine program.(Special to the IJ/Jocelyn Knight)

Other Marin restaurants, all earning awards of excellence, include El Paseo in Mill Valley; Il Fornaio in Corte Madera's Town Center, Sausalito's Poggio Trattoria, and Larkspur's Melting Pot and the Tavern at Lark Creek (the Tavern is closed after sustaining some damage in a fire on March 15 and repairs are ongoing).

Kudos to them all.

DINING WITH DARLING

Novato chef Keith Darling has been given airtime by PBS for a new show, "Dining with Darling," but needs some financial help to get it going.

Darling plans to tape his show at a Geyserville ranch. The pilot was shot as his two-acre horse ranch in Novato. His focus is on creating savory dishes from fresh, local ingredients. Darling has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for the premiere season of his show, which PBS has committed to air for 13 episodes, beginning in the fall.

Darling says his lessons need to travel "from my head to your head to your hands." He wants to help viewers unlock the language of a recipe and give them enough confidence to try it on their own. He says he intends to explore the Marin lifestyle as it relates to food through all the local farmers markets. He also will visit the wine country, Napa and Sonoma. Darling considers Marin the bridge to the wine country.

For information about the Kickstarter campaign go to www.kickstarter.com/projects/1346119816/dining-with-darling-think-like-a-chef-on-pbs?ref=nav search.


DANCING IN THE STREETS

Revel in some finger-licking barbecue and hot licks from master musicians on Fourth Street in San Rafael on July 20.

The Great American Blues and Barbecue Festival celebrates the nation's heritage of music and food with some performances by local and national artists. Austin de Lone's Little Big Band will take the stage at 1:30 p.m. Appearing with the band will be Eric McCann on bass and vocals, Paul Revelli, Jimmy Dillon and Keith Crossan. Special guest performers will include Tommy Castro, blues great Ron Thompson and Nick Gravenites. Aside from blues, there will be cold beverages to help wash down all the ribs, links and other goodies.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. Call 383-3470.


DOWNTOWN LAUGHS


Trek Winery in Novato is expanding its footprint into entertainment Aug. 2 with comedian Mark Pitta and special guest Maureen Langan, host of KGO's "Hangin' with Langan."

Trek owner/winemaker Andy Podshadley says this is just one of the events he and his wife, Liz, put on at the spacious site.

"We have music and dancing, game night, even a cooking class," he says. Most events take place in the barrel room.

General admission for the Aug. 3 show is $20 with reserved seats costing $25. Trek Winery is at 1026 Machin Ave. For tickets, go to the winery or www.marincomedyshow.com.


Article and Photos Sourced from:  http://www.marinij.com/dining_food/ci_26154497/bread-butter

Summer Concert Guide 2014

From living legends Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, and Tony Bennett to cutting edge artists like Lorde, there's live music for everyone in the Bay Area this summer

If I had a working time machine, after winning a bunch of money betting on sports and killing Hitler, I’d probably go back to the summer of 1986 or ‘87, when I would hang out with my friends from the City of Walnut Creek summer recreation program.

Some nights we would go to the movies at the long-gone Regency Cinemas (or the arcade next door), or go play Laser Tag at a park or school campus. And one night each summer, we’d pile into a car and head out to the Concord Pavilion to go see the Steve Miller Band play its greatest hits with beautiful Mount Diablo hovering in the background. Good times.

Oh, snap—I don’t need a time machine! Steve Miller is coming back to the Concord Pavilion this summer (he's playing with Journey, another blast from my past). Maybe I'll get a lawn ticket, for old time's sake. Then again, maybe I should see The Killers and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Outside Lands instead. Or Lorde at the Greek. Or Tony Bennett at Wente Vineyards.

Forget 1986, man, this summer looks like its going to be the coolest ever. Here’s a list of concerts to make Summer 2014 the one to always remember.

Big Shows: Paul McCartney plays final concert at Candlestick Park

Don’t know if you’ve heard of this guy, but his 1960s band, The Beatles, was kind of a big deal. And the last concert The Beartles played was at Candlestic Park in 1966. So, last summer, Paul McCartney is playing Outside Lands and he meets Mayor Ed Lee and suggests the last show at Candlestick is a McCartney concert. Everyone agrees that this is probably the best idea in the history of the otherwise atrocius venue. And when tickets went on sale earlier this year, they sold like hotcakes. Everyone wants to witness history, and sing-a-long to the greatest songs of all time, as well as selections from McCartney's solo years.

If you want to help a great cause and are sitting on a particulalry substantial tax retrun, here’s a way to attend the sound check and get a sweet ride to the show:

https://www.charitybuzz.com/catalog_items/574901

Otheriwse, tickets are available through the promoter, apeconcerts.com.

Concord Pavilion

The big news here is that the suburban East Bay’s biggest shed venue has gotten a major, multimillion dollar retrofit for Summer 2014. It's also changing its name back to the original Concord Pavilion after a decade of newspaper and mattress company sponsorships. Most importantly, the Pavilion is hosting more concerts this summer than it has in many, many years—which is a good thing, because as big venues go, the Pavilion provides for a lovely experience on a summer evening.

Here's a list of shows to see this summer out there where Ygancia Valley meets Kirker Pass.

Steely Dan July 10

Journey with Steve Miller Band, July 29

Chicago with REO Speedwagon, July 31

Aerosmith with Slash, August 13

Fall Out Boy with Paramour, August 17

KBLX Hot Summer Night, August 31

Marc Anthony, September 7

Linkin Park, Thirty Seconds To Mars, AFI, September 19

Zac Brown Band, September 25

Kings of Leon, October 1

Tickets are available at promoter Live Nation's website, here.

Wente Summer Concert Series

The East Bay's unparalleled top shelf venue for fine wine and dining and summer conecerts, Wente Vineyards is back with another strong lineup of classic headliners for 2014. You can't go wrong with local boy Chris Isaak, who grew up nearby in Stockton ("During the show, my friends and family are out in the parking lot going through cars," Isaak once told Diablo, "So, be sure top bring your valuables with you.") Then there are the Beach Boys and Earth, Wind, and Fire at summer's end. But the series highlight for me is the exquisite Tony Bennett on August 6.

Lineup

Chris Issak, July 9

Wynonna, July 16

Tony Bennett, August 6

Frankie Valli, August 14

Earth, Wind, and Fire, August 26

The Beach Boys, August 27

Tickets are available at wentevineyards.com/concerts.

Outside Lands Festival

Giant festivals can be intimidating, but this three-day festival in San Francisco, August 8–10, is the one to go to. Run like a swiss watch and set in a spectacular section of Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands is the product of the remarkable East Bay promoter Gregg Perloff and his Berkeley-based Another Planet Entertainment. A smashing success since its 2008 debut, Outside Lands gets bigger and more creative each August and is an economic dynamo for the Bay Area. It also features some of the best food and wine that you will ever find at a huge event like this.

This year, my all-time favorite band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, headlines the Saturday night show, with Kanye West, and The Killers headlining the Sunday and Friday respectively. And Lafayette-raised Nicki Bluhm, featured in Diablo's Best of the East Bay 2014 issue, plays Friday as well. Tickets sold-out months in advance, but look for last minute tickets and radio station promotions to get into this must-hear weekend.

For information, go to OutsideLandssf.com.

The Greek Theatre

Another miracle from Another Planet is the resurrection of UC Berkeley's Greek Theatreas one of the great concert venues in the country. With its 8,500-patron capacity, the Greek is intimate, acoustically perfect, and spectacularly beautiful—and Another Planet books it with artists who could sell-out MUCH larger venues.

Here are highlights of this summer's lineup:

Michael Franti and Spearhead, June 21

Sarah McLachan, June 27

Jerry Garcia Symphonic Celebration with Berkeley Symphony and Warren Haynes, August 1

Yo-Yo Ma, August 12

Sara Bareilles August 14

Counting Crows, August 15

John Legend, August 21

Dave Matthews Band, August 22, 23, 24

Jack Johnson, August 26

The Head and the Heart, September 5

The Avett Brothers, September 13

Lorde, October 2 and 3

For tickets, go toApeconcerts.com.

Free and local shows—compiled by Jessica Jung

Let's face it: Concert tickets these days can be ridiculously expensive. Fortunately, many of the East Bay's towns and cities have free shows int heir town centers and local parks. Here are some highlights:

Concord

Thursday Music and Market

Features music alongside the Concord Farmers Market

Thursdays May 22—September 11

Todos Santos Plaza in downtown Concord on Willow Pass Road between Mt. Diablo and Grant St.

http://cityofconcord.org/

Danville

Music in the Park

Features original music from various genres including R&B, soul, and rock, and tribute bands covering Neil Diamond.

Saturday, July 12 & 26, August 9 & 23 at 6 p.m.

Oak Hill Park

3005 Stone Valley Rd, Danville, CA

http://www.danville.ca.gov

Blackhawk Plaza Summer Concert Series

Features tribute bands covering Journey, Michael Jackson, U2, Fleetwood Mac, as well as dance, rock, and 80’s music.

Every Friday July 11—August 29 at 78:

30 pm

4040 Blackhawk Plaza Circle, Danville, California 94506

http://blackhawkplaza.com

Oakland

Home Grown Blues Series

Features live blues music

Every Wednesday in July at 5:30–7pm

1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland City Hall, between 14th and 15th Streets at Clay Street,

Oakland CA 94612

http://www.bayareabluessociety.net/

Pleasant Hill

Summer Concerts at the lake

Featuring bands from around the Bay Area

Every other Sunday beginning Memorial day weekend, May 25th, and ending September 7 at 6 p.m.

On the lawn at City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill CA 94523

http://www.pleasanthillconcerts.com/

Pleasanton

Concerts in the Park

Featuring a wide variety of live music depending on the date, from 50s to rock classics, jazz, swing,

funk, blues, soul and Latin rock.

Fridays, 78:

30 p.m, through August 29.

Lions Wayside Park at First and Neal Streets

http://www.pleasantondowntown.net

San Francisco

Stern Grove Festival

Features the 77th season of admission free concerts, outreach programs, and picnics

Sundays, June 22—August 24 at 2pm

Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://www.diablomag.com/D-blog/Petes-Popcorn-Picks/June-2014/Summer-Concert-Guide-2014/

Bay Area a Top Destination for Buyers From China — and From France and Russia, Too

It’s no secret that the Bay Area is a popular destination for international homebuyers, particularly those from China, but two new reports from the National Association of Realtors add tantalizing details.

Canadian residents account for the largest share of international U.S. home purchases (19 percent), but buyers from China (No. 2 at 16 percent) hold the lead in dollar volume, purchasing $22 billion in property with an average sales price of $590,826, according to NAR’s2014 Profile of International Home Buying Activity.

Chinese buyers tended to purchase properties in higher-priced markets such as California, Washington, and New York, according to the report, while Canadians bought in lower-priced markets such as Florida and Arizona.

China was also the fastest-growing source of international transactions, accounting for 16 percent of all purchases in the year ended March 31, up 4 percent from the previous year.

San Francisco was the second-most-popular destination for Chinese homebuyers, trailing Los Angeles but ahead of Irvine, Calif.; New York City; and Las Vegas.

In a separate report, NAR said that San Francisco was also a top destination for buyers from France, Russia, New Zealand, and Singapore who conducted property searches on Realtor.com in May.

Favorable exchange rates, affordable home prices, and rising affluence abroad is driving interest among international buyers.

NAR estimates total international sales at $92.2 billion over the past year, up from $68.2 billion in the previous 12 months. Four states accounted for 55 percent of purchases by international buyers: Florida (23 percent), California (14 percent), Texas (12 percent), and Arizona (6 percent).

Pacific Union has been at the forefront of efforts to smooth transactions for Chinese buyers in the Bay Area. Last year, we launched a groundbreaking China Concierge Program to serve that demographic while also giving our Northern California clients access to a new set of buyers. And in May, Pacific Union rolled out aMandarin-language website hosted in China in order to offer homebuyers in the country better access to Bay Area property listings.

Last year, Pacific Union CEO Mark A. McLaughlin was one of just 10 U.S. executives invited to a series of meetings at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, where he met with some of China’s wealthiest individuals to discuss U.S. real estate investment opportunities.

(Image: Flickr/Reizenbee)

More Big Whales in Ocean Could Mean More Fish, Scientists Find

New study reveals how scientists and fisheries managers underestimated the massive mammals.

Yet blue whales—the largest animal ever known to have lived on the planet—have been slower to rebound. In fact, they remain at about one percent of their historic range in the Southern Hemisphere. Roman says scientists think their absence may have altered the ecosystem in a way that made it harder for all life to survive there. (Watch a video of blue whales.)

In recent years, as whale numbers have increased and technology has advanced—especially the ability to tag and track seafaring animals—we've begun to gain a better understanding of how important cetaceans are, says Roman. (See video of humpback whales.)

"Whale Pumps and Conveyor Belts"

The scientists report that when whales feed, often at great depths, and then return to the surface to breathe, they mix up the water column. That spreads nutrients and microorganisms through different marine zones, which can lead to feeding bonanzas for other creatures. And the materials in whale urine and excrement, especially iron and nitrogen, serve as effective fertilizers for plankton.

Many great whales migrate long distances to mate, during which time they bring those nutrients with them. When they breed in far latitudes, they make important nutrient contributions to waters that are often poor in resources. Even their placentas can be rich sources of feedstocks for other organisms, says Roman, who calls whale migration a "conveyor belt" of nutrients around the ocean.

Whale deaths can be helpful too. When one of the massive mammals dies, its body sinks to the sea bottom, where it nourishes unique ecosystems of scavengers, from hagfishes to crabs to worms. Dozens of those scavenger species are found nowhere else, says Roman.

"Because [humans] took out so many whales, there were probably extinctions in the deep sea before we knew those [scavenger] species existed," says Roman, who adds that he's working on a new study to estimate how many of those scavenger species were lost.

Maddalena Bearzi, a marine biologist and president of the California-based Ocean Conservation Society who was not affiliated with the study, calls the paper "a great and interesting piece" that could help us better understand the role marine mammals play in the ocean ecosystem.

Fishers vs. Whales

For decades some commercial fishermen have complained that whales eat the fish that they're trying to catch. Japan's government has been particularly vocal, going as far as to say that whaling is necessary because "whales are threatening our fisheries." (See "Japan's Commercial Whaling Efforts Should Resume, Says Prime Minister.")

Masayuki Komatsu, one of Japan's international whaling negotiators,famously told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2001 that "there are too many" minke whales, calling them "the cockroach of the ocean."

Roman disagrees.

"It's far more complicated than that," he says, referring to the whale pump and the conveyor belt. "Our new review points to several studies that show you have more fish in an ecosystem by having these large predators there."

The next step, he says, is to conduct more field studies on those processes. That could help scientists better understand exactly how plankton and other organisms respond to the presence of whales.

Article and Photos Sourced from:  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/07/140710-whales-ecosystem-engineers-fish-conservation-science/