Saturday, May 19, 2012
Celebration at Facebook's Menlo Park office kicks off first day of trading.
Big smiles adorned the faces of Facebook employees Friday morning, as the Menlo Park-based social networking giant began trades shares on the public market. In the hours after the market opened, Facebook shares erased nearly 18 percent of their early gains, Reuters reported. But Facebook, headquartered in neighboring Palo Alto for years, still raised nearly $18.4 billion in one of the biggest IPOs in history. At their new headquarters in Menlo Park, CEO Mark Zuckerberg rang the morning trading bell before hugging and high-fiving COO Sheryl Sandberg and other employees, according to Reuters. Locally, the impact of a generation of employees becoming overnight millionaires has led to speculation about the dizzying heights of the local …
From Menlo Park to Wall Street, Facebook's IPO catalyzes energy.
Facebook's big day in pictures.
Friday, May 18, 2012
The East Bay saw its jobless rate fall to 9.0 percent in April while the region lost 2,100 jobs compared to the month before, the state Employment Development Department reports.
The unemployment rate in the East Bay fell significantly in April, but the region also lost more than 2,000 jobs. The state Employment Development Department reported the East Bay's jobless rate dropped to 9.0 percent last month. That compares to 9.8 percent in March. In Contra Costa County, it was 9.1 percent, compared to 9.9 percent. In Alameda County, the figure was 8.9 percent, down from 9.7 percent. However, the East Bay shed 2,100 jobs in April, leaving it with a total of 959,900 people employed. In March, it gained 6,200 jobs. The biggest decline was seen in private education and health services, which lost 1,000 jobs last month. In addition, financial activities dropped by 800 jobs while leisure and hospitality services lost 600 …
Celebrated Walnut Creek restaurant wins Patch Readers poll for al fresco dining.
Update: 1:30 p.m. Friday, more current link for Bauer ratings. The winner of the best spot for outdoor dining in the Readers Choice Patch poll was the celebrated Va de Vi Bistro on Mount Diablo Boulevard. Va de Vi means "It's all about wine" in the Catalan language of Spain. "We are really pleased to be selected for best outdoor spot in your poll," wrote managing partner John Walz in an email. A couple of months ago, Va de Vi carried the banner for the area as the only Contra Costa County restaurant cited in the rating of the Bay Area's top 100 restaurants in the San Francisco Chronicle by Michael Bauer. Some readers (and restaurateurs) have complained that Bauer's Top 100 list is too San Fran-centric. Va de Vi is the farthest eastern …
Walnut Creek research firm is looking for locals to give shaving products a try.
Q&A Focus Suites is looking for some shavers to cut it close and tell them about shaving products. Q&A is looking for men age 18 to 54 who can pick up the test product on Wednesday, May 23, at its Walnut Creek office on Ygnacio Valley Road, according to the firm's ad on Craigslist. There might be 80 bucks in it for you.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Neiman Marcus Fashion Director Ken Downing stages a spring (and a little fall) fashion show at new store in Walnut Creek.
Update 6:00 p.m. It was a homecoming of sorts when Neiman Marcus' national fashion director, Ken Downing, emceed a fashion show of the luxury store's spring emphases at the Walnut Creek store Thursday. Downing has worked for Neiman Marcus for 21 years. Before that, he worked for I. Magnin in San Francisco, including visiting the high-fashion store's branch in Walnut Creek. (Macy's took over the I. Magnin brand.) Downing said he loved the Walnut Creek of 2012 — "it's a sweet, sincere, authentic Main Street ... it's what you believe America is when you're traveling." As to the Neiman Marcus that opened in March at Broadway Plaza, Downing said the store is "an interesting take on modernism in store design." Then Downing emceed the show for …
The long-awaited drive-thru restaurant made its debut in Pleasant Hill Thursday morning with a line of customers out the door.
In-N-Out Burger opened its doors Thursday morning at its new location on Contra Costa Blvd., at long last bringing Double-Double Cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes to the hungry masses in Pleasant Hill and environs. There was a line out the door shortly after the 10:30 a.m. opening, and three lanes of car lines working their way to the drive thru and restaurant. "I've been waiting for this my entire life," said Jacob erlick, 27, of concord, before taking a bite of his burger. The Pleasant Hill location is In-N-Out's 274th store, with locations in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Texas. Were you among the first to get in line for this long-awaited fast food feast, or do you think the whole thing is overblown? Tell us in the comments.
37.97752
-122.065804
570 Contra Costa Blvd, Pleasant Hill, CA
/articles/in-n-out-opens-today-will-you-be-driving-through
/locations/7046430
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Pleasant Hill mom Maura Houston took matters into her own hands when she noticed a lack of information on the Gregory Gardens Elementary School website. So she built her own.
Maura Houston is a crafty mom, from the handmade coffee-cup earrings to the pink knitting she keeps in the purse at her feet. Houston is just as creatively virtually as she is in real life. The mother of two runs her own business as a graphic artist, designing everything from textile patterns to the visuals for social games. The moon-jumping cows and scarf-wearing frogs on your pajamas? They could be Houston's work. So too could be the colorful characters in the latest Facebook game. But her most recent project falls a little closer to home here in Pleasant Hill. In fact, it fell right out of her daughter's backpack. Houston's newly launched website — Pleasant Hill Mom — takes the events and announcements that Gregory Gardens Elementary …
Monday, May 14, 2012
The deep-dish pizza maker may open a fourth East Bay location in the old Red Brick Pizza spot on Crescent Drive.
Zachary’s Chicago Pizza — the popular employee-owned chain with restaurants in Oakland, Berkeley and San Ramon — is eyeing the former location of Red Brick Pizza across the street from the movie theater. Zachary’s representatives and their architects will be giving a presentation to the city’s Architectural Review Commission Thursday evening. For those of you unfamiliar with Zachary’s, the restaurant’s deep-dish, Chicago-style pizza has a cult following in the East Bay. It's adored with a passion that's easily spoofed. Check out this satirical video around the 1:18 mark. Here’s a tip for frugal diners. Zachary’s will sell you a ball of uncooked dough for $5, which makes enough for two delicious “homemade” Zachary’s pies. Zachary's …
Where is your favorite place for outdoor dining in Walnut Creek? Vote in our Patch poll.
If you want to have a nice meal at an outdoor table, where do you go? The possibilities are multiple in Walnut Creek. We've chosen a few good choices here. Check out the Patch directory listing for these restaurants immediately below. And vote in the Patch poll at bottom. The Patch poll is judged based on rules attached to this article in a PDF file. Tell us in the comments below if we're missing your favorite. We'll add a few more on Monday based on the comments. Boundary Oak Golf Course restaurant, 3800 Valley Vista Road The Cheesecake Factory, 1181 Locust St. The Counter Custom Built Burger, 1699 N. California Blvd. Il Fornaio, 1430 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lark Creek Walnut Creek, 1360 Locust St. Maria Maria, 1470 N. Broadway Pomegranate, …
Pmt
12:07 pm on Saturday, May 19, 2012
I couldnt agree more more ›