Oakland Unwrapped! is very proud to sell the new EcoMetro Guide. It’s a special East Bay green coupon book, business directory, and source of inspiration. Topics and products include:

- Local, seasonal, organic food and restaurants
- Green home building and remodeling products
- Bikes, transit, hybrid cars and biofuels
- Eco fashion and Fair Trade gifts
- Recycling and buying recycled products

You’ll save hundreds of dollars while exploring local businesses with a community or environmental benefit. Find coupons for B Restaurant and Bar, the Food Mill, Chabot Space and Science Center, the Oakland Museum, Amtrak, California Canoe and Kayak, Montano Velo, the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Oakland, and many more!

Oakland Unwrapped! is thrilled to be hosting the 2nd Annual Oakland Indie Awards, which will celebrate Oakland’s socially and environmentally-responsible independent businesses and artists. We had so much fun with you last year and we can’t wait to do it again on May 2, 2008.

If all goes as planned, we will be hosting the Indie Awards at the new Awaken Café. Awaken Café is a coffee and tea house, community center, and art gallery that’s just about to open in downtown Oakland (where the Golden Bull was). After dark, it will be a beer and wine bar which with cutting edge music and live performances. Sustainably renovated, and community-planned, this Café is going to be an amazing addition to downtown. Check out their site to be an early investor – and get paid back in coffee!

Check out this great segment on Bay Area Backroads guided by Oakland author Serena Bartlett. On the show, Serena introduces area viewers to some free fun and green activities in our lovely city. Tips include a gorgeous hike, free cheese and olive oil tastings, an amazing little-known Temescal resource, and free art classes. Intrigued? Click the photo or link above to watch the 3-minute spot online. And if you haven’t picked it up yet, you can buy her Oakland Eco-Travel Guide here.

Nomad Café (65th & Shattuck) is an Alameda County certified Green Business that serves Fair Trade coffees and teas as well as organic wines and beer. They are “zero waste over the counter,” divert 95% of their waste from landfills, and owner Christopher Waters is a local leader in sustainability policy. Nomad Café received the Greenie Award at the 2007 Oakland Indie Awards.

In addition to delicious drinks and food, Nomad is a happy community hub. They have trivia night on Mondays, tons of live performances, and are always hosting creative and thoughtful events. You definitely need to check this place out the next time you are in North Oakland. For more info, check out the (soon to be changing) Nomad website and their reviews on Yelp!

We are excited to announce that Oakland Unwrapped! has been selected to receive a 2007 Pacific Gas and Electric Company Local Economic Development Grant. The grant is in support of a sustainable local shopping program we are launching in conjunction with the Oakland Merchant Leadership Forum and the City’s Shop Oakland campaign. We will use the funds to recruit additional green businesses to the Oakland Unwrapped! Online Marketplace. This will make it even easier for you to be green on the web!

We are seeking Oakland green businesses and artists to sell on our site, so if you are a certified green business, interested in becoming one, or incorporate sustainable practices into your trade, please contact us!

Kelley Designs: A Crochet Boutique specializes in made to order hats, scarves and bags. The company was founded in 2006 by Kelley Nayo and has been generating a following throughout Oakland. These items are created for fashion conscious folks (and their little ones) with unique taste in clothing and accessories. Products are created using only high quality yarns, including merino wool, cashmere, mercerized cotton, and Peruvian Highland Wool.

Every Kelley Design is unique, and each piece is distinguished by the excellent workmanship, quality materials, and stunning colors. We are very proud to sell her goods on oaklandunwrapped.com.

And some breaking news: Kelley just bought and re-opened The Knitting Basket (Yelp!) in Montclair, so be sure to check it out!

When was the last time you checked out NovoMetro.com? NovoMetro is the future of on-line journalism in Oakland and we’re psyched that they are putting all of their heart and soul into our city. Their Beta site is up and running and there will be a massive site overhaul very soon.

The founders of NovoMetro have mad love for Oakland and it shows. NovoMetro is more than just a place for cutting-edge Oakland news; they give readers the opportunity to share their own stories as well as update old articles in the archives. With its unique content and up-to-date info about what to do and where to go in Oakland, this is one of the few sites we check out daily.

In November, keep your eyes peeled for NovoMetro’s newest venture: a pocket magazine (yes, real paper), so you can carry some of those NovoMetro Oakland insights and tips wherever you go!

Help us spread the word about green and indie shopping in Oakland by encouraging your friends to join our mailing list. If they enter your email address when they sign up for the list, you will be eligible to win $100 worth of pampering — a facial for you and hand treatment for your friend!

Ananda Skin Spa & Sanctuary owner Amanda Miller will soothe you with a holistic, organic treatment you won’t forget!

Use the “forward to a friend” feature below, or have your friends go to this page to sign up and reference your address: http://www.oaklandunwrapped.org/join.ihtml

Newbie Indie Award Winner Swarm Gallery and Studios is co-hosting the 2nd Annual Taste for Art event with Pro Arts Gallery. The event is to toast the annual East Bay Express Taste Dining Guide, and includes signature savories and sweets from the best East Bay restaurants as well as fine wines, spirits, and ales. This benefit event features music by DJ Cali of Relevant Sound and art by local talents. Benefits Pro Arts and Swarm Galleries and the Alameda County Food Bank. Thursday, October 18, 7:00pm- 10:00pm. 2nd St, Jack London Square. Tickets $10 at the door without a food donation, and $5 with 2 or more non-perishable food items for the Alameda County Food Bank.

Our very own Oakland Cutie T-Shirts — exclusively available on Oakland Unwrapped! — were recently selected as Oakland Magazine’s “Best Way to Show Local Spirit.” These shirts are the perfect gift for next week’s baby shower or for those just getting into the groove of pre-school. Order it today ($20) and it will be sent to you via Priority Mail tomorrow.