Happy Thursday, everyone!

Big week for us: the Pulse Summer Giveaway launches tonight at 7 PM on Instagram. 30 Alameda businesses, prizes drawn every week through August 9, and the first winners announced this Sunday. Keep an eye on @thealamedapulse for how to enter.

Saturday might be the busiest day of the summer so far. Radio Day by the Bay takes over Radio Central with a free all-day festival of live radio, jazz, and Motown. Faction hosts a 40-vendor summer market. And the USS Hornet celebrates the day it plucked the Apollo 11 astronauts out of the Pacific.

On the news front: Alameda's first real Airbnb rules took a big step Monday night, and the library is getting a new boss.

Let's dive in!

In this week's email:

• Featured Events: Radio Day by the Bay & the Faction Summer Market

• Alameda News: Alameda's first Airbnb rules, a new library director & more

• Restaurant of the Week: Cafe Malaya, Malaya Tea Room's new walk-in Wednesdays

• Community Spotlight: the USS Hornet's Apollo 11 splashdown anniversary

• This Week's Events: live music, trivia, markets & more

• Houses on the Market: New Alameda Listings

Read time: 9 mins

FEATURED EVENTS

Radio Day by the Bay

Sat, July 18 | 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM | Free | 📍 Radio Central, 2152 Central Ave

The California Historical Radio Society throws its 22nd annual festival of radio this Saturday, and the whole day is free. The lineup runs from a live radio play ("The Thin Man") to Don Neely's Rhythm Aces, a Motown set from Top Shelf Classics, and a School of Rock student band.

This year's Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame class gets inducted right on site. There are also free museum tours all day, a vintage radio auction, a live ham radio station, food trucks, and a cash bar. Full lineup →

Faction Summer Market

Sat, July 18 | 1:00 - 6:00 PM | Free | 📍 Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St

Faction Brewing turns its tarmac into a summer market this Saturday. Up to 40 local makers and vendors set up outside at Alameda Point, with the taproom pouring the whole time and the San Francisco skyline right across the water.

It stacks perfectly with the rest of your Saturday. Radio Day in the morning, the Hornet’s Apollo 11 celebration in the afternoon, and the market runs until 6 PM. Free to walk in. Browse the market →

Alameda News

The Library Has a New Boss

The city named Mary Abler as the new Library Director, starting August 3. She comes from San Mateo County Libraries, where she is Deputy Director across 13 branches, with 20 years of library work in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans, and beyond.

She takes over one of the busiest places in town. The Alameda Free Library welcomed more than 215,000 visitors last year and checked out nearly 760,000 items. Her to-do list includes the new 2026-30 strategic plan, growing the Library of Things, and expanding services to Alameda Point. Read more →

Source: City of Alameda press release, July 9

Alameda's First Airbnb Rules Are Taking Shape

The Planning Board took up the city's first short-term rental ordinance Monday night. Under the draft rules, every short-term rental needs an annual city permit, and rentals are limited to a host's primary residence or an owner-occupied property. Whole-home rentals where the host lives somewhere else would end.

About 400 short-term rentals operate in Alameda today, roughly 1% of the city's housing. Once rules take effect, existing hosts would get 60 days to get a permit or stop renting. The city hadn't posted the board's vote as we hit send, but either way, city council makes the final call. Read more →

Source: City of Alameda, Legistar

Tuesday Is a Big Night at City Hall

The free Oakland-Alameda water shuttle goes up for $2.37 million in Phase 2 funding, and bike share may finally come to Alameda. On Tuesday, July 21, council votes on money to run the 7-minute estuary crossing through June 2028 (105,000+ riders and 22,000 bikes in year one), $760,000 in grants for a West End bike share pilot, and a citywide ban on parking in bike lanes, with new fines attached.

The November ballot gets its final shape the same night. Council takes the final passage vote on the $300 million infrastructure bond and decides whether to ask voters to eliminate the elected City Auditor and Treasurer offices. Read more →

Source: City of Alameda, Legistar

Quick Hits

• A new bar for the West End? The team behind Oakland's Mad Oak Bar filed a liquor license application for "West End Bar 'N' Yard" at 1929 Webster St, a vacant lot across from College of Alameda. Nothing announced yet.

• The beach restroom saga: The restroom replacement near Shoreline and Grand has stalled again after costs roughly tripled and the contractor walked. The finished unit is reportedly sitting in a storage yard. Read more

Restaurant of the Week

Cafe Malaya

Malaya Tea Room now has a walk-in day. The reservation-only afternoon tea house at 920 Central Ave launched Cafe Malaya this month: drop-in service on Wednesdays from noon to 4 PM, no booking required.

The tea room is a tribute to the owner's childhood in Malaysia. Think finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and Southeast Asian sweets alongside loose-leaf teas. The full afternoon tea experience (Thursday to Sunday, $48 per person, three seatings) still takes reservations, but Wednesday is now the day to just wander in and try it. Malaya Tea Room →

Community Spotlight

USS Hornet Museum

The ship that picked the Apollo 11 astronauts out of the ocean is docked right here in Alameda. In July 1969, the USS Hornet recovered Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins after splashdown in the Pacific.

This Saturday, July 18, the Hornet celebrates the 57th anniversary of that recovery. From 10 AM to 5 PM the museum hosts Apollo exhibits, 3D-scan presentations of the Command Module, VR experiences, and special guests. If you've never stood on that flight deck, this is the weekend. Apollo 11 Splashdown →

This Week's Events

Markets & Pop-Ups

Downtown Farmers Market | Thu, July 16 | 3:00 - 7:00 PM | Free | 📍 Alameda Ave at Park St. Evening market in the parklet, through Aug 6. Details →

Farmers Market | Sat, July 18 & Tue, July 21 | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Free | 📍 Haight Ave & Webster St. Produce, flowers, and local vendors, twice a week. Details →

Workshops & Crafts

Bonsai Bar | Sun, July 19 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Ticketed | 📍 Faction Brewing. Build your own mini bonsai and take it home. Tickets →

Live Music

Rhythmix in the Parks: Andre Thierry | Sat, July 18 | 12:00 - 2:00 PM | Free | 📍 Franklin Park. Grammy-nominated zydeco accordion, free in the park. Details →

Mio Flores SalSazz Trio | Thu, July 16 | 7:30 - 10:30 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. Thursday salsa and Latin jazz residency. Details →

Larrie Noble's Phree Thinkers | Fri & Sat, July 17-18 | 7:30 - 10:15 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. Pop, soul, and R&B covers, two nights running. Details →

Kopi Katz | Sun, July 19 | 3:30 - 6:30 PM | 📍 Cinema Grill. '50s to '70s rock for a Sunday afternoon. Details →

Vagabond Empire | Sat, July 18 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM | Free | 📍 Hobnob. Happy hour into a live dinner set. Details →

Acoustic Session | Mon, July 20 | 6:30 - 9:30 PM | Free | 📍 McGee's Bar & Grill. Third-Monday live acoustic night. Details →

Shows & Entertainment

History Mystery After-Hours Tour | Fri, July 17 | 7:00 - 10:00 PM | $40 | 📍 USS Hornet Museum. After-dark tour of the carrier's restricted corners. Get tickets →

Live Comedy Night | Wed, July 22 | 7:00 PM | $10 | 📍 Cinema Grill. Five Bay Area comics, dinner and a full bar. Details →

Next Stop Comedy | Fri, July 17 | 7:00 - 9:00 PM | 📍 Alameda Brewing. Touring stand-up showcase in the taproom. Details →

Summer Exhibits at Frank Bette | Fri - Sun | 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM | Free | 📍 Frank Bette Center for the Arts. "A Common Thread" and "Illusions," both through July 31. Details →

Games, Drinks & Vibes

Alameda Dinner Club | Tue, July 21 | 📍 The monthly Dinner Club returns, third Tuesday as always! Meet new people, make new friends, and eat good food! Reserve Your Seat

Bingo Night | Sat, July 18 | 7:00 PM | Free | 📍 McGee's Bar & Grill. Saturday bar bingo, no cover. Details →

Trivia Night | Tue, July 21 | 6:30 PM | 📍 Almanac Adventureland. Weekly Tuesday trivia in the beer garden. Details →

Trivia Night | Tue, July 21 | 7:00 PM | 📍 Alameda Brewing. Weekly taproom trivia. Details →

Trivia Night | Tue, July 21 | 7:30 PM | 📍 Fireside Lounge. Tuesday night trivia on Webster. Details →

Trivia Night | Wed, July 22 | 6:30 PM | 📍 McGee's Bar & Grill. Wednesday trivia via Sunset Trivia. Details →

Karaoke Friday | Fri, July 17 | 9:00 PM | 📍 Hobnob. Weekly late-night karaoke. Details →

Open Mic | Wed, July 22 | 7:30 PM | 📍 Fireside Lounge. Singer-songwriter open mic, all levels. Details →

Family & Kids

Malinky Music | Sun, July 19 | 12:30 PM | Free | 📍 Main Library. Bilingual Spanish-English music for little kids. Details →

Mother Goose Storytime | Thu, July 16 | 10:30 AM | Free | 📍 Main Library. Weekly storytime for the youngest readers. Details →

Toddler Plus Storytime | Tue, July 21 | 10:30 AM | Free | 📍 Main Library. Toddler storytime with activities after. Details →

Baby & Me Storytime | Wed, July 22 | 10:30 AM | Free | 📍 West End Library. Songs and stories for babies and caregivers. Details →

Fish Feeding at Crab Cove | Wed, Sat & Sun | 3:00 - 3:30 PM | Free | 📍 Crab Cove Visitor Center. Watch the aquarium residents get lunch. Details →

Get Active

Kindred Social Run | Thu, July 16 | 6:30 PM | Free | 📍 Kindred Running Club. Three easy post-work miles from Park Station. Details →

Kindred Long Run | Sat, July 18 | 8:00 AM | Free | 📍 Kindred Running Club. 5K or 10K options at a conversational pace. Details →

Kindred Community Walk | Wed, July 22 | 9:00 AM | Free | 📍 Kindred Running Club. Midweek morning walk, all paces welcome. Details →

Later This Month

Downtown Alameda Art & Wine Faire | Sat & Sun, July 25-26 | 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Free | 📍 Park Street. 200+ vendors, beer and wine, live music, the 39th year. Details →

Rock N' Roll Flea Market | Sat, July 25 | 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM | $5 | 📍 Faction Brewing. 100 vendors of records, vintage, and instruments, plus live music. Details →

Meyers House Tour | Sat, July 25 | 1:00 - 3:00 PM | $5 | 📍 Meyers House Museum, 2021 Alameda Ave. Tour the 1897 Colonial Revival home. Details →

Ocean Hoptimism: Blue Forests | Thu, July 23 | 7:00 - 8:00 PM | 📍 Faction Brewing. Filmmakers talk kelp forests and ocean recovery, beer in hand. Details →

Gibbons Drive Meetings | Tue, July 28 (in person) & Wed, July 29 (webinar) | 📍 City of Alameda. Final public meetings on the Gibbons sidewalks and trees plan. Comment →

Got something happening in Alameda? Submit it here → and we'll consider it for an upcoming issue.

HOUSES ON THE MARKET

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