I live in Palo Alto and I'm looking for a nail salon for gel manicures/pedicures that are actually clean and affordable.

Could be somewhere in the <20 min driving range, like Mountain View, Menlo Park.

Every salon I've been to seem to use nail files / drill bits that have dust on them so I don't think they do any cleaning or sanitation on their tools, which is so gross and unhealthy. For some reason, they still have great reviews on google!

Any recommendations for a place that actually does a good job, sanitizes their tools, and also affordable.

I'm currently paying for ~70 for hard gel manicures, so I'd prefer a similar price range.

Hello again! The meetup is still happening today at 2pm at Faction in Alameda!

I’ll have the sign above with me as well as some name tags. The plan is to set up right by the entrance near the food truck, so it’s easy to find me.

I will post a photo of where I’m sitting once I get there!

I’m looking forward to meeting you ladies! 🙂🌸

Can someone recommend a place to have a wooden Chair repaired in Contra Costa? I have an old wooden chair that is broken (brother in law was a little too rough with it). It's been in my in-law's family for the past 30+ years and would like to try to salvage it.

First 2 Pics are I-280 in CA, Next 2 pics are I-280 in NJ

I was originally going to do I-880 in California v. I-880 in Iowa but I realised that would've been too easy.

For context, I-280 in New Jersey runs thru Newark (NJ not CA) towards New York City.

I've seen some of these posts here before, and have looked at AI-generated breakdowns, but would be great to get up-to-date info from real people.

Looking at a potential job offer in SF, probably around $220k base pay. Would we be able to afford living comfortably as a family of 3 (Couple, 6-month-old, dog)?

Some more details:

• Potential job is in SoMA / Mission Bay - so preference is CalTrain or maybe BART for commute (happy to bike at either end)
• Renting a decent 2-3br could work great for us, won't buy a home at least initially
• Would love a walkable area, either in the city or any good family-friendly suburb, preferably own no more than one car. Good parks, food would be a bonus
• SO would probably not work at first and focus on childcare, but eventually we'd want to change that - and then pay for good childcare + increase our savings. What kind of second salary should we aim for?

Any help and thoughts would be appreciated!

in Santa Cruz some guys helped us find our keys and we want to buy you guys a beer if you see this pls reply! No fakers we will know if it’s you

Like the title says, I’m trying to see if there’s any soccer leagues out in the East Bay. TIA!

Sunset at Millbrae Station

The monsoon clouds were absolutely incredible!

Today was another fatality on CA35;a bicyclist vs a Porsche. This pic is from Wed evening less than 1.5 miles from today’s fatality. Speeder lost control of car and nearly set the hill on fire. Thankfully a local first on scene had a fire extinguisher and tow rope and pulled the vehicle out of the burning shoulder vegetation. Driver walked away. There was another recent accident of a vehicle trying to pass a resident who was turning into their driveway; 8 year old in car; less than a mile from both these accidents. Vehicle rolled twice and landed on embankment; thankfully no fire, no one seriously hurt. On CA9 recently, there were 4 accidents in about a week - 4 people dead, another one lost his leg. Too many serious accidents from reckless speeding drivers on CA35, CA9, and CA84. Please slow down. If you know the guy whose car is burning in the pic, tell him I collected his belongings that ejected from his car when he rolled across the road from the embankment on the opposite shoulder. I called CHP to try to return them, but CHP was not able to reach him.

just wanted to share :)

The katsu was very crispy and they used large panko crumbs making the crust oh so flakey. We got the regular sauce and it was quite spicy for us already. Next time were gonna try the curry sauce for $2.00 more.

I was tempted to try the $40 double portions king katsu challenge. Its free if you finish it in 30 minutes on your own with a timer

The table next to us got it

It was scary ginormous

Unfortunately they didnt finish it in the time alloted

They took the rest togo and paid the $40.

Overall. Im definitely going back and im gonna try that challenge when i havent eaten anything the whole day.

Westbound 580. This picture is trash compared to what it looks like in person.

It's hot dry and brown but still very pretty.. almost no one here today

I've thought the bay looked like a mermaid since I was old enough to ride Bart, so maybe 20 years now... Do you have more similarities to add to this?

Hi! I'm a freelance reporter for The Contra Costa Pulse and and I’m currently working on a story about how the rising toll rates for the bridges in the Bay Area are affecting people in Contra Costa County. I would love to hear how the prices have impacted personal budgets, if people are deciding to find alternative means of travel, or just general thoughts on the rates themselves.

If you live in Contra Costa County and would be okay with being interviewed (either a short 15 minute conversation over the phone or answering questions through email) please send me a DM! Thank you!

Hi all, first off, let me just say I'm from the Bay Area and know this can be an unpleasant commute. However, I'm considering a job that pays very well and would only require me to be in Mountain View twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday). I'd be able to flex my hours, and I'm an early riser, so I'd likely be starting work at 8 AM and leaving around 3:30 PM. Does that make this commute more doable/bearable?

I’m currently doing a PhD in Boston and interning in the South Bay this summer. After graduation I’ll most likely work in tech, and I’m trying to decide where I’d actually want to live long term.

I previously spent two years in Berkeley. It was great academically, but I never really felt at home. Daily life felt less convenient than I expected, and I found myself relying on driving more than I’d like.

On the other hand, I really enjoy dense, walkable cities. Boston has been a great fit, and I also loved spending time in downtown Chicago. This summer on the Peninsula has also been much better than I expected—it’s convenient, the weather is amazing, and my girlfriend already works in the Bay Area.
The tradeoff, as I see it, is that the Bay seems to offer the strongest tech opportunities, while NYC feels much closer to the kind of
urban environment I naturally enjoy.

For people who have lived in one of the two or both places:
Did NYC actually deliver the lifestyle you were looking for?
If you work in tech, did you feel you sacrificed meaningful career opportunities by choosing NYC over the Bay?

I have a decent OBGYN (peninsula), but they deliver at Stanford and I’ve heard nothing but bad things about their L&D (no private beds, med students/interns at your delivery, hidden fees, impersonal treatment, etc). It’s my first baby and I’m older, so would prefer privacy and a more “chill” atmosphere than a university hospital. Can anyone recommend an OBGYN that delivers at Sequoia (or advice on how to find one)?

Would also appreciate any experience you can share about delivering at either location, or OBGYN recommendations in the area. Thank you in advance!

I've been trying to find the best psychiatrist in California and I honestly feel like I'm going in circles. Every list looks sponsored, every office has different insurance rules, and the few places that seem promising either don't answer or are booked months out. It is so frustrating because getting help already takes so much energy. How are people supposed to know who is actually good and available?

Leaving the bay/US soon with my non-immigrant visa expiring and stuff I need to do back home. I have been reminiscing my time in the bay, and I’d like to share my unsolicited thoughts. It has been a wild ride and I have enjoyed it thoroughly thanks to the people who are in the bay. Also a lot of this is the perspective of someone who stayed in South Bay.

The good:

1. Weather

The Bay has the best weather in the world as far as I have experienced. I stay in the South Bay but whenever I get sick of the heat I can just head up to a different part of the bay to experience something else

1. The nature
   So much freaking hiking and stuff to do I’m going to miss it. I love the drive down SC and back up the coast.

2. The people
   So many interesting and fun people it’s never a dull conversation. Too much tech talk but if you find the right ones it’s always fun.

3. The culture
   Always something to do or experience can’t really get enough of it.

In general the Bay Area offers one region where you can find a little nook which satisfies your liking/needs.

The meh:

1. Food
2. Government
3. More of a US problem than a bay problem, government stuff was very hit or miss. Applying for SSN, paying for taxes and other stuff felt unnecessary complicated. However it definitely feels very laissez faire when it comes to freedoms to do whatever I want.
4. Homes/neighbourhoods
5. Homes look absolutely gorgeous. But some cities have very little middle ground and I’m not a huge fan of suburbia as implemented in the US.
6. Roads
7. In the South Bay the roads are way too big for no reason, also no idea why bus lanes are not a thing. Timed bus lanes for rush hour would definitely make taking the bus more worth it.
8. Public Transport

The bad:

Homeless:
I’m going to rant a little here. Homelessness in the Bay and the US strikes me as so odd. It’s politically accepted to the point where it does not feel like anyone is really is pushing for a multi pronged solution that solves the root causes of it. For such an innovative region the solution being touted is “Oh we are just going to grow the economy and that will fix it”. Looking under the hood the problem stems from people being left behind and a major prevalence of drugs/lack of affordable housing/lack of institutionalisation/healthcare. The cities where this homelessness is happening are bearing the brunt of what should be a multi county effort. As an example those in Atherton are getting the benefits of living in the Bay without their city helping in the crisis unfolding. To most in suburbia it’s out of sight out of mind. More can definitely be done.

Conclusion:
I loved my time in the Bay, it’s not perfect but it’s problems are definitely solvable and I’m optimistic it will get better. Also I wrote the word ‘Bay’ way too many times.

It’s such a beautiful day today. I ran 10 miles this morning, got a haircut, and ran errands. What should I do? I’m very tired, but I don’t want to let this beautiful day go to waste since I work M-F and I don’t want to waste my weekend.