This week: tamales in a Union City parking lot, a rush hour happy hour standby, an urban farm, and a mid-century modern roundhouse. Plus, filling suitcases for foster kids, spotting birds in the city of Richmond, and seeing Berkeley in its heyday through a young artist’s eye.
Where commuters find a bar stool
At the base of San Francisco’s Fourth Street exit, the Hotel Utah Saloon has turned Bay Bridge gridlock into an accidental happy hour, drawing in drivers who decide waiting it out is better with a drink in hand.
The century-old bar and inn still remains affordable, from budget hotel rooms upstairs to food specials that feel almost unreal in 2026. Its $1 Wing Wednesdays, Taco Tuesday deals, and the “Hard Hat Special” keep construction workers, neighbors, and stranded commuters crossing paths. — SFGate
Hidden orchard
Behind a turquoise house in Oakland’s Laurel District, a backyard has grown into a thriving urban garden. Fruit trees, vegetables, bees, and chickens fill the long, sloped lot, which also hosts community gatherings and workshops. The space continues a decades-old vision, blending hands-on urban agriculture with shared meals and seasonal events…