Not only is “local” the new black; it’s also the dominant paradigm for progressive business movements. And it’s particularly important in Oakland, where growth happens organically, and the economy hinges on small independent businesses. A panoply have sprung up in recent years, and they’ve all but transformed the city’s once-sterile downtown. Walk down Broadway these days and you’ll find a retail corridor dotted with artisan clothing boutiques, mom-and-pop restaurants, educational sex toy shops, and small breweries. If you remember the scene as recently as ten years ago, it’s just mind-blowing.
- Oakland Unwrapped
- Oakland Indie Awards 2011 Marquee
