The current economy has left a lot of empty storefronts around Oakland. Friday on my way home from Habitat, I came across a creative way of dealing with the problem, a collective popup market. The force behind the Montclair Plaza Collective is photographer Reenie Raschke, and she's hoping to make the collective a permanent fixture in Montclair Village.

Every second and fourth Tuesday, the city's public agencies participate in a bi-weekly marathon of discussion in the first floor of City Hall. The schedule:

Public Works Committee - 10:30 a.m.

Mayor Jean Quan will talk about Oakland's Energy and Climate Action Plan this Sunday with the public and Emily Kirsch, head of the Oakland Climate Action Coalition of organizations th

When many people hear I am from Oakland, their body language and facial expression show sympathy. We Oaklanders know what that’s about.

But when I say I'm from Montclair the response is more along the lines of, “Oh, Montclair ... it must be nice up there in the hills.”

It's unfortunate because Montclair in many ways reflects what we all love about Oakland. Emblematic of some of the things we love is Crogan’s at the corner of Lasalle and Mountain in Montclair Village.

Crogan’s restaurant and bar is just that - a restaurant with both a dining room and a bar. The bar is partitioned away from the dining room which is a good thing. The fare aligns itself roughly along the lines of what you might serve at home if you were planning a nice dinner for friends. That being said, you can also feel pretty comfortable bringing your kids here. Though not immediately obvious, Crogan’s is truly a local's haunt.