Berkeleyside is a pioneering independent digital news platform in Berkeley, California, reporting on Berkeley and the East Bay. The award-winning publication was founded in October 2009 by journalists Frances Dinkelspiel, Tracey Taylor, and Lance Knobel. In 2020, the Berkeleyside founders, together with Tasneem Raja, created Cityside, a nonprofit, civic journalism organization that publishes both Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside online publications.
From 2016 – 2020, I wrote the business column, Shop Talk, for Berkeleyside, a twice monthly report of openings, closings and other changes in the retail and general business community. It was my pleasure to connect with local merchants and small businesses and provide the opportunity to share their personal stories with readers.
Read selections from the column by navigating from the Nonfiction / Articles drop-down menu above or from the links provided below. Visit Berkeleyside for more information about this important community resource. To view more articles from the column, link to my Berkeleyside author page here. Note: not all businesses profiled in Shop Talk are still currently open.
mary corbin 