Happy Thursday, everyone!

The big story this week is Park Station's outdoor music. City Council voted to roll back the venue's special 85-decibel permit, and there's been a lot of back-and-forth around what that means for live music on Park Street. We've got the full breakdown below, including what locals are actually saying.

Beyond that, this weekend brings a 90s dance party at Faction, a record swap on Sunday, free craft night tonight at Alameda Brewing, and a Spring Happy Hour at Rhythmix supporting the arts. Plus our Restaurant of the Week needs no introduction, and the Pulse Dinner Club is back for Spring.

Let's dive in!

In this week's email:

• Featured Events: The Base is the Place, Groove Is In The Start, Alameda Record Swap

• Restaurant of the Week: Trabocco at South Shore

• Alameda News: Park Station's new music rules & Spring Dinner

• This Week's Events: Live music, comedy, family fun, trivia & more

• Houses on the Market: New Alameda Listings

Read time: 9 mins

FEATURED EVENTS

Top Events This Week

The Base is the Place

Sat, May 16 | 7:30am-10pm | Tickets | Free

📍 Alameda Point

For one day only, every brewery, distillery, winery, bakery, and wine bar at the old Naval Air Station throws their doors wide open under a single passport ticket. It's the inaugural year for the Alameda Point Hospitality Coalition, so locals get to be there at the start of what could easily become an annual thing.

What to look forward to:
-Pastries straight out of Firebrand's oven starting at 7:30 am
-Tastings and special offers from all of the breweries and wine bars
-Live music spilling out of brewery patios all afternoon
-The final weekend of Ocean Photographer of the Year at Hangar 41
-All ages and dog-friendly across most stops

Reserve Your Spot→

Groove Is In The Start

Fri, May 15 | 6-10pm | Tickets

📍 Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St

A 90s dance party that ends at a reasonable hour. DJ heyLove brings the playlist, the floor is at Faction, and 10 percent of every ticket goes to the Alameda Food Bank. Women-focused, but everyone is welcome. The framing: dance while there's still daylight, get home before midnight.

Tickets →

Alameda Record Swap

Sun, May 17 | 11am-5pm | Free entry

📍 Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St

Crate diggers, this one's for you. An all-ages, all-genres record marketplace takes over Faction's space on Sunday. Bring your wantlist, bring a friend, sip something cold while you flip through bins.

Event details →

RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK

Trabocco Kitchen & Cocktails

Some restaurants need no introduction, and Trabocco is one of them. The South Shore staple has been an Alameda fixture since 2013, and if you've never been, this is your nudge.

A bit of history for the uninitiated. Trabocco was opened by Chef Giuseppe Naccarelli, who grew up in Italy's Abruzzo region on the Adriatic coast. The restaurant is named after the trabucchi, the elaborate wooden fishing platforms that dot the coastline. Before going out on his own, Naccarelli spent nearly twenty years with Il Fornaio, the last fourteen as VP of Kitchen Operations. When he opened Trabocco in November 2013 at South Shore Center, he brought that craft and that hospitality with him.

The space is sleek but warm, the patio is open year-round, and the menu stays true to Naccarelli's Abruzzese roots without making a show of it. House-made pasta, wood-fired pizza, a wine list that takes Italy seriously. Family-friendly without being a kid restaurant, date-night-worthy without being stiff.

We made a video about Trabocco this week. If you've been on the fence, hit play.

Watch the video →

Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails | 2213 S Shore Center, Alameda

Meet New People In Alameda

Our community dinner club returns with a fresh lineup of Alameda restaurants and a new after-party location to keep the night going. Last round filled up fast, strangers turned into seatmates, and a few of them are now regulars at each other's tables.

If you're new to the Dinner Club, here's the gist: we pull together a group of Pulse readers, everyone takes a quiz and gets paired with 5 other strangers based on things like age, interests, budget, and diet. Then you all meet at a top-rated restaurant here on the island.

You meet new neighbors, support an Alameda restaurant, and end the night somewhere fun.

It’s $20 to book your seat, and seats are limited. The Spring list is built around the spots locals have been telling us they want to try together.

Alameda News

Park Station's Live Music Limit

Park Station is the beer garden at 1200 Park Street where you sit outside, drink a beer, and listen to live bands. On May 5, the City Council voted to roll back their outdoor music permit. It's the most-talked-about local story of the week.

Here's the backstory. When Park Station opened in 2023, the city gave them a special permit. Their outdoor bands could play up to 85 decibels, which is about as loud as a construction site. Most homes in Alameda are capped at 55 decibels, which is closer to a normal indoor conversation. The Planning Board had recently extended the permit and added an extra event per month. Then a neighbor at the corner of San Jose and Park appealed.

What’s happening:

The neighbor's lawyer was clear at the hearing: this wasn't about shutting down Park Station or banning live music. It was about asking the business to follow the same noise rules every other Alameda venue follows. Neighbors said the music was so loud they could hear it inside their homes with windows shut. Kids couldn't sleep through shows. Dinner conversations got drowned out.

Council landed on a compromise. The 85-decibel exception is gone. Outdoor music at Park Station now has to comply with the city's ambient-noise rule, which means the volume can't exceed the street's ambient sound. With OAK jets overhead, BART trains, 880 traffic, and potholes on San Jose Ave, that background sits in the high 60s decibels — louder than a quiet office, quieter than a vacuum cleaner. So bands can still play, just not crazy loud.

The new permit also caps outdoor events at four per month, three hours each, in the afternoon or early evening only. Park Station has to bring in a professional with a sound meter to check the volume during shows. The Planning Board will review how it's going in four months.

What locals are saying:

The r/alameda thread has been nuanced. A top comment with 39 upvotes hit the middle: "Nobody is wanting to stop these events. Put up a sound wall along San Jose Ave and take the decibel level down 10 to 15 so diners can actually have a conversation. Is that really too much to ask?" Another local who'd just been to a show wrote: "The band was awesome, kids running around, vibe was friendly. We need places like this." Plenty of neighbors confirmed they could hear the music three blocks away.

The bigger story. Alameda's noise rules were written more than ten years ago, before parklets and outdoor dining were common. The Council is asking staff to draft new rules that fit how Alameda actually lives today. For now, live music continues at Park Station, just quieter and less often.

Read the full Morning Bun analysis →

This Week's Events

Family & Kids

Used Book Sale at the Main Library | Wed-Sat, May 13-16 | Hours vary | Free entry | 📍 Alameda Free Library Main, 1550 Oak St. The Friends of the Library run their semi-annual book sale all weekend. Library events

Mother Goose on the Loose Storytime | Thu, May 14 | 10:30am | Free | 📍 Alameda Free Library Main, 1550 Oak St. Weekly songs, rhymes, and stories for babies and toddlers. Library events

Tacklemeet at Faction Brewing | Sat, May 16 | 12-6pm | Free entry | 📍 Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St. Outdoor fishing and tackle expo with hourly prize drawings and free parking. Family-friendly Saturday hang on the bay. Event details

Alameda Farmers' Market | Sat, May 16 & Tue, May 19 | 9am-1pm | Free | 📍 Haight & Webster. Twice-weekly market with fresh produce, prepared foods, and flowers.

Youth Scout Restoration Overnight | Sat-Sun, May 16-17 | 5pm-12pm | Tickets required | 📍 USS Hornet, Pier 3. Overnight restoration program for scouts. Details

Live Music

The Mio Flores SalSazz Trio | Thu, May 14 | 7:30-10:30pm | 📍 Alameda Theatre Cinema Grill, 2317 Central Ave. Weekly Latin salsa with the trio. Event details

Larrie Noble's Phree Thinkers | Fri, May 15 | 7:30-10:15pm | 📍 Alameda Theatre Cinema Grill, 2317 Central Ave. Five decades of pop, soul, R&B, and rock covers. Event details

Karaoke at Hobnob | Fri, May 15 | 9pm | Free | 📍 1417 Park St. Weekly Friday-night karaoke.

Larrie Noble's Phree Thinkers | Sat, May 16 | 7:30-10:15pm | 📍 Alameda Theatre Cinema Grill, 2317 Central Ave. Second night of the Phree Thinkers' weekend run. Event details

Jazz Jam at Park Station | Wed, May 20 | 6-8pm | Free | 📍 1200 Park St. Acoustic jazz jam, family and dog friendly.

Karaoke with KJ Melemel | Wed, May 20 | 6:30-8:30pm | 📍 Alameda Theatre Cinema Grill, 2317 Central Ave. Recurring 1st and 3rd Wednesday karaoke. Event details.

Shows & Entertainment

Rhythmix Spring Happy Hour Fundraiser | Thu, May 14 | 5:30-8:30pm | Tickets | 📍 Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave. Drinks, music, and a chance to support local arts heading into summer. Tickets

Sound Meditation with Dr. Suzie | Fri, May 15 | 7pm | 📍 Breathing Room Alameda, 1708 Lincoln Ave. Vibrational sound bath, gentle and grounding. Studio info

Clash On The Island 2026 | Fri, May 15 | 7-8:30pm | 📍 Alameda Brewing Co., 1716 Park St. Pro wrestling night with four championship title matches. Event details

Artists of the African Diaspora at Rhythmix | Through Fri, June 26 | Free viewing during gallery hours | 📍 Rhythmix Cultural Works, 2513 Blanding Ave. Group exhibition featuring contemporary work from artists across the African Diaspora. Exhibit info

Games, Drinks & Vibes

Free Craft Night with @jennyandcabbage | Thu, May 14 | 6-9pm | Free | 📍 Alameda Brewing Co., 1716 Park St. Make hair clips. All supplies provided, no reservation needed. Details

Trivia at Fireside Lounge | Tue, May 19 | 7:30pm | Free | 📍 1453 Webster St. Woman-owned Webster Street lounge with weekly Tuesday trivia. Fireside Lounge

Trivia Tuesday at Alameda Brewing | Tue, May 19 | 7-9pm | Free | 📍 1716 Park St. Weekly Park Street trivia. Details

Trivia at McGee's Bar & Grill | Wed, May 20 | 6:30pm | Free | 📍 1645 Park St. Weekly Wednesday trivia at the Park Street sports bar. McGee's events

Cupcake Decorating Workshop | Wed, May 20 | 6:30-8pm | Tickets | 📍 Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St. Buttercream decorating class with Chef Amna. Take home six cupcakes plus recipes. Details

Grainbakers Soft Pretzel Workshop | Wed, May 20 | 6:30-8pm | Tickets | 📍 Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St. Hands-on pretzel rolling plus cheese dip. Details

Connection & Recreation

Mindful Energetic Flow at Svastha Yoga Hub | Thu, May 14 | 5:30pm | Drop-in or membership | 📍 647 Pacific Ave. Weekly evening flow class blending strength, breath, and grounding. Class info

Kindred Thursday Run | Thu, May 14 | 6:30pm | Free | Kindred Running Co. weekly social run. All paces welcome.

Kindred Saturday Long Run | Sat, May 16 | 8am | Free | Weekly long run with Kindred.

PiYo (Pilates + Yoga) at Svastha Yoga Hub | Sat, May 16 | 8:30am | Drop-in or membership | 📍 647 Pacific Ave. Low-impact weekly class blending Pilates sculpting, yoga flexibility, and light cardio. Beginner-friendly. Class info

Kindred Community Walk | Wed, May 20 | 9am | Free | Easy-pace walk, coffee after.

Later This Month

Pasta Making with Chef Alexis | Thu, May 21 | 6-8pm | Tickets | 📍 Faction Brewing. Hands-on fresh pasta from scratch plus tomato sauce. Details

Memorial Day on the Hornet | Mon, May 25 | 10am-5pm | With admission | 📍 USS Hornet. Special holiday programming and ceremonies aboard the museum ship. Details

Profs and Pints: A History of Mythical Cures | Wed, May 27 | 6-8:30pm | Tickets | 📍 Faction Brewing. Vivian Delchamps Wolf on America's tradition of selling false remedies, from 19th-century snake oil to today's wellness trends. Details

Live Comedy at Alameda Theatre Cinema Grill | Wed, May 27 | 7-8:30pm | Tickets | 📍 2317 Central Ave. Five Bay Area comedians on the 4th-Wednesday lineup. Tickets

'night, Mother opens at Altarena Playhouse | Fri, May 29 | 7:30pm | Tickets | 📍 1409 High St. Pulitzer Prize-winning drama by Marsha Norman, running Fri-Sat 7:30pm and Sun 2pm through June 28. Tickets

HOUSES ON THE MARKET

Alameda Listings

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