SMU and Improved ^{_{(terrible pun intended)}}

Samuel Merritt University — home to some of the highest-earning health science grads in the country and a nursing pipeline that’s 94% hired in California — is officially moving into downtown Oakland. And it might be the most promising thing to happen to this area in awhile. (I worked there pre-real estate and accumulated the funnest, fondest, borderline-feral memories to prove it. Downtown deserves that kind of energy again!)

The new campus opens in January 2026 — ten stories, 250,000 square feet, packed with simulation labs, VR rooms, and all the shiny new tech every future nurse can nerd out on. Now with thousands of students and faculty pouring in daily, downtown will finally get what it’s been missing: actual human beings. People who buy coffee. People who grab lunch. People who sit outside long enough to make a neighborhood feel like a neighborhood again. Can you imagine? A downtown… but with real signs of life? Wild. But I’m here for it.

It’ll be a slow burn for sure, but maybe someday you’ll look around and go, “Wait.. this corner doesn’t feel so sad anymore?” SMU says it’s doubling down on building a stronger, more equitable Bay Area healthcare workforce, meaning Oakland gets a true partner that’s in it for the long haul.

Could this possibly be the beginning of downtown’s comeback arc? And does the condo market get a redemption plot line while we’re at it? Today I’m choosing optimism/delusion (potato/potato) and saying yes.

A Word From Our Sponsors

Brought to you by…. my listings (the only ones funding this whole operation). ‘Tis the season. Even for the condos.

First up, a design masterpiece! $150k was poured into an already beautiful space until it became what multiple people have called “a whole vibe.” Their words, not mine. But between floor-to-ceiling windows, ridiculously tall 20-foot ceilings, and the seller’s meticulous upgrades, I would have to agree. It is, in fact, a whole vibe.

A tucked-away home that isn’t on the market but is very much available now. A charming 3/2 single-family at the end of a private cul-de-sac with no rear neighbors and only one next door — a dream for anyone who prefers their gatherings loud, joyful, and unbothered. Beyond the big backyard, rolling hills and wide delta views make the whole place feel like you accidentally bought your own little kingdom.

A few more are in the works, but I’ll spare you the extra paragraphs and save them for my sponsor’s next appearance. If you want the details before everyone else, hit reply and I’ll happily overshare.

She said yes! (to more housing)

San Francisco just approved a big rezoning plan that finally opens up neighborhoods that have resisted new development for decades. The goal is to break the city out of its housing gridlock and satisfy the state’s demand for 82,000 new homes by 2031 — a deadline backed by the very motivating threat of losing millions in funding and control over its own housing process.

Getting here was messy, of course. The vote was tight, the public meetings ran forever, and the debates were dramatic enough to qualify as a Netflix series. (Can someone please pass the overly buttered popcorn?) Meanwhile, supporters called this a long-overdue chance to open up space for anyone priced out of the city. Opponents worried that developers would get too comfy and make the city lose its character.

But even with the new zoning, no one’s pretending this magically produces thousands of homes overnight. The city’s own economists think the changes might only yield about 14,600 units over the next 20 years.

Still, it’s something. And for a city known to argue itself into a standstill (honestly, same), this is some decent movement. Even if the whole “who builds what and who can afford it” thing (you know, minor details) is still very much TBD.