The Six Fifty

10/31/2025

Beyond bats’ symbolism as creepy creatures at , San Mateo County is a year-round home to a number of different species regularly studied by wildlife experts to better understand their behaviors and help them coexist with humans.

Beyond bats’ symbolism as creepy creatures at Halloween, San Mateo County is a year-round home to a number of different species regularly studied by wildlife experts to better understand their behaviors and help them coexist with humans.

10/25/2025

time has arrived, and with it comes a packed Peninsula events calendar. Expect an extra spirited holiday with Halloween falling on a Friday this year, but there’s also a wide variety of festivities in the days leading up to Oct. 31 — including this weekend.

Our guide to Silicon Valley Halloween festivities covers all ages and includes parties and special events; concerts, screenings and performances; family-friendly festivities; and food-and-drink events and restaurant celebrations.

10/25/2025

Heidi's Pies Restaurant, the iconic pie and dining locale that’s lived on ’s stretch of Highway 82 since 1970, will remain for another three years.

A Bay Area institution is sticking around for at least a few years longer. Heidi’s Pies, the iconic pie and dining locale that’s lived on San Mateo’s stretch of Highway 82 since 1970, will remain for another three years.

10/25/2025

Looking to snag a last-minute pumpkin this weekend? From corn mazes and petting zoos to hayrides and flower u-picks, here are 13 pumpkin patches to explore in and around .

From corn mazes and petting zoos to hayrides and flower u-picks, local pumpkin patches serve as family-friendly fall activity hubs. Here are 13 to explore this fall.

09/24/2025

To capture their magic moments, this year’s Peninsula Photo Contest winners ventured far and wide. And much like in years past, they also reflect the spirit of the moment — the feelings of wanderlust, hope and wonder experienced by Peninsula residents.

To capture their magic moments, this year’s shooting stars ventured far and wide. And much like in years past, they also reflect the spirit of the moment — the feelings of wanderlust, hope and wonder experienced by Peninsula residents.

08/28/2025

Located right off of El Camino Real, the downtown area of Redwood City is a hot spot for quaint eateries, stores and historical landmarks. In addition to hosting trendy shops and events, the downtown corridor is also home to several outdoor areas and historical buildings, all within walking distance of each other.

Located right off of El Camino Real, the downtown area of Redwood City is a hot spot for quaint eateries, stores and historical landmarks.

08/15/2025

The South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project is reverting thousands of acres of land once used for salt production to its historic tidal marsh state. But experts worry the gradual conversion of dried salt ponds to wetlands will hamper the recovery of the threatened western snowy plover.

08/02/2025

From waterside paths to trails among the redwoods, these bike routes offer Instagrammable views and workouts for cyclists of all skill levels.

From waterside paths to trails among the redwoods, these routes offer Instagrammable views and workouts for cyclists of all skill levels.

07/31/2025

When eponymous chef-owner Sam Sugiyama retired and closed Sushi Sam’s Edomata in December, there was a fear that perhaps another Bay Area culinary institution had been lost. Those fears have been allayed with the relocation and rebirth of Sushi Sam’s as Sushi Edomata.

https://www.paloaltoonline.com/food/feature-food/2025/07/16/sushi-sams-is-reborn-with-familiar-hands-in-a-new-san-mateo-location/

For 36 years, Sushi Sam’s Edomata served as the cultural epicenter for sushi on the Peninsula. When eponymous chef-owner Sam Sugiyama retired and closed the restaurant in December, there was a fear that perhaps another Bay Area culinary institution had been lost.

06/02/2025

The Dungeness crab industry — or fishery — brings in more than $50 million in a good year and naturally cycles through good and bad seasons. But this year, a lack of crabs is tacked on to a much bigger problem. Crab traps’ long, thin ropes, which stretch from seafloor to surface, have come under scrutiny for entangling endangered and threatened humpback whales. It’s an issue so contentious that in 2017, an environmental nonprofit sued the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife, claiming it had failed to adequately protect the whales.

For the last seven years, the lawsuit and subsequent settlement have squeezed crab season into shorter periods. This year, the traditional eight-month season opened on Jan. 5 and closed May 1. And it’s not just the length of the season — a 50% reduction in the number of traps allowed out at sea is becoming the new normal.

With California’s struggling salmon fishery shut down completely for three years in a row, many of the region’s commercial fishermen no longer have enough to catch. The Dungeness crab fleet has been cut in half since 1980, and with other fisheries facing their own challenges, the overall California commercial fishing fleet shrank by 80% in the same period.

Read Kali Shiloh’s deep dive exploring whether whale conservation and commercial Dungeness crab fishing can coexist on our website.
https://www.paloaltoonline.com/environment/2025/02/03/the-50-million-question-can-californias-dungeness-crab-fishery-coexist-with-whale-conservation-efforts/
———
Story by Kali Shiloh
Photos by Anna Hoch-Kenney
———

05/31/2025

With the recent demise of Joann Fabrics, Peninsula residents may be looking for alternatives to buy fabrics along with sewing and knitting supplies. Thankfully, there isn’t a shortage of locally owned, independent stores with similar offerings.

With the recent demise of Joann Fabrics, Peninsula residents may be looking for alternatives to buy fabrics along with sewing and knitting supplies. Thankfully, there isn’t a shortage of locally owned, independent stores with similar offerings.

05/29/2025

Tanya Stiller, director and instructor for the nonprofit Healing Tide, has been teaching people how to forage for seaweed sustainably for around 15 years. During the seaweed foraging season – late spring and early summer – she leads foraging trips on the coast, educating participants about local seaweed species and offering tips on how to utilize them responsibly.

Most of us probably get our seaweed by ordering rolls at a sushi restaurant or in packaged-snack form from the grocery store. But if you head out to the Coastside, you can find it straight from the source.