What should I do this weekend? Bay Area newsletters offer some answers

OAKLAND, Calif. - Kolby Hatch was tired of being manipulated by Instagram and TikTok algorithms telling him what to do and where to go, and he longed for a media vestige of the past: A local newsletter.

Oaktown Weekly 

So, the Oakland father of two started one himself 10 months ago.

So far, Oaktown Weekly – the name of his free newsletter – has more than 5,200 subscribers and 8,000 IG followers (yes, he's also part of the Instagram algorithm.) His goal is to reach 10,000 newsletter subscribers by the year's end. 

"Local newsletters are having a moment right now," Hatch said in a recent interview. "Local media is coming back, and I wanted to be part of it. And I didn't see anyone else in Oakland doing this." 

Hatch joins a growing list of local newsletters in the Bay Area, from Alameda Pulse and the Marin Buzz, from Eddie's List to Broke-Ass Stuart, both in San Francisco.

Newsletters are having ‘a moment’

Big picture view:

Oaktown is also part of a growing list of newsletters across the country, from Los Angeles to New York, some of which were recently highlighted in a New Yorker piece about the resurgence of the newsletter. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal wrote a piece called, "The Year the Newsletter Business Reached a Fever Pitch." 

The personalized curation of events comes at a time when some feel that AI is generating cookie-cutter responses, viral trends are clogging feeds and people are craving more old-fashioned personalized curations. 

Beehiiv, a newsletter platform, blogged about the "state of the newsletter," proclaimed that if 2025 was the year that newsletters proved their staying power, then 2026 will be the year they become the "center of the content economy."

Hatch, who has lived in Oakland for 10 years and has been in media marketing in his professional career, said he spends several hours a week personally finding fun things to do, some free and some exclusive, and curating them into a newsletter to directly send to subscribers' inboxes. He makes a little money by selling ads and sponsorships, but it's mostly a side project for him right now. 

"I was like, ‘Hey, I’m an email newsletter guy, I should probably start one in my backyard and that's what I did," he said. 

The events he chooses will mostly land with Oaklanders between 30 and 45 years old and who are likely to have kids. 

He has highlighted the BART prom at the Rockridge station; Pints for Paws, where you can bring your dog to craft brewers, and a dance battle at Drexl. 

Marin Buzz links communities

Local perspective:

Brian Skinner and his wife, Allison, started Marin Buzz about a year ago; they now have about 15,000 subscribers and 38,000 followers on Instagram.

Their goal was to alert people in roughly eight Marin County cities about music festivals, outdoor runs and hikes and farmers markets.

Marin Buzz has surpassed the original goal, and husband-and-wife are now even creating their own dinner club events and videos to post on social media as well.

"Everyone wants to know what's going on," Skinner said, "and do something fun." 

Putting together the newsletter makes him feel more connected to his community, and he even feels a sense of responsibility toward promoting small businesses. Skinner said he loves history and he writes short articles in his newsletter as well, such as a piece on the late comedian Robin Williams, who once performed at Dominican College of San Rafael.

Marin Buzz is supported by local advertisers, and he makes some money off ticket sales to his sponsored events. 

Alameda Pulse

It's a similar story for 22-year-old Sean Padilla, who started the Alameda Pulse about six months ago. So far, he has 9,000 subscribers for the tiny island of Alameda, population 80,000. 

Not only does he write a newsletter with interesting things to do, but he is a videographer on social media and storyteller of local people and businesses to educate the island about where they're living and who they're living next to.

Take the Ole's Waffle Shop or example, the oldest waffle shop in the country, or a fish sandwich he featured from the Chinese Bakery & Deli in San Leandro, which went viral. 

He got an inside look at Semifreddi's breadmaking business, and he organized a Christmas tree giveaway, after partnering with a local brewery. 

Padilla's goal is to be Alameda's "favorite media source" and he's started to be recognized around town for his informative posts and suggestions. 

"It really does have that small town vibe here in Alameda," he said. "I just try my best to spotlight local businesses, food places, and get people kind of excited about the things going on. And I get a ton of people who see me at the store and they're like, 'Oh my gosh, I saw that one video you did and I've lived here 20 years, and had no idea that this place existed.' " 

So far, Padilla hasn't run out of people or places to feature, and he's thrilled to become more passionate about the city he lives in – and spread that love around, too. 

"I'm learning that there are so many things that are just kind of under the radar or that like even in a small town," he said. "There's still like a ton of things that are going on."
 

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