December 2025 Community Recap: A Changing Alameda
December always feels like the emotional wrap‑up of the year, and 2025 ended precisely how Alameda tends to: with a mix of change, holiday magic, and neighbors showing up for each other.
The Island Is Changing — and People Are Paying Attention
If you want to know whether people care about Alameda’s future, you can see it in the street redesign conversations. Central Avenue, Pacific, Webster, red curbs, ferry parking, bike lanes, and more recently Gibbons and High Street changes, dominated engagement in both Alameda Peeps and r/alameda.
What stood out this month was how those online conversations translated directly into real‑world participation. Even when a topic wasn’t blowing up on Facebook or Reddit, folks were still showing up loudly at City Council. The rapid‑build roundabout on Gibbons, with potential changes to the intersection of High Street and Gibbons, brought in dozens of callers, with neighbors debating safety, cut‑through traffic, and what these safety improvements actually mean for day‑to‑day commutes when they land on your block.
Yes, all of this change came with venting. Parking feels tighter as we implement Vision Zero goals and make streets safer. Lane changes can be confusing at first. Folks don’t understand roundabouts. The incomplete nature of the work has left people unsure what’s a valid parking spot, when to yield, and whether a project is finished or still in flux.
Paid ferry parking rolled out at Harbor Bay, with it soon coming to the Seaplane Lagoon ferry terminal. Bay Farm also lost its only gas station after it couldn’t afford to upgrade its underground tanks. Add in the slow, sometimes hard‑to‑read pace of construction on Central and Encinal, and it’s not surprising that patience is wearing thin.
That impatience also showed up when Councilmember Tony Daysog floated a 15 mph speed limit for bikes on specific paths, framed as a way to deal with kids riding non‑street‑legal electric mopeds. The response was immediate and decisive: advocates, commuters, and everyday riders pushed back, and the rest of Council clearly wasn’t sold on the idea that such a limit could be enforced or would meaningfully improve safety. Most people understood the real danger isn’t a handful of fast bikes, but cars — especially where we already have dedicated bike infrastructure like the Cross Alameda Trail.
What all of this shows is that change can be uncomfortable, especially when it shows up all at once.
But here’s the part that doesn’t always get said out loud: none of this comes from apathy. These threads come from people who live here, walk here, bike here, commute here, raise kids here, and want Alameda to work better than it did before.
What I saw again and again was residents swapping real, practical information while also pushing the city to explain itself more clearly. That’s what civic engagement looks like in real life. It’s not always tidy, but it’s very real.
Holiday Light, Literally
December wouldn’t be December in Alameda without Christmas Tree Lane lighting up Thompson Avenue. For anyone new to town or visiting family, this is one of those traditions that makes Alameda feel like a small town in the best possible way.
The lights came on December 1 and run every night through New Year’s Eve. It’s been great to see folks sharing photos, tips on when to go to avoid crowds, and stories about taking kids, grandparents, or just walking it with a hot drink. Even in a year full of debates, this was a reminder that we still do magic well here.
Sunsets had a moment too. A couple of especially dramatic evenings turned into full‑on photo threads across both platforms. It’s great to see Alamedans all agreeing that we’re lucky to live by the water.
Looking Out for Each Other
Some of the most engaged posts this month on Peeps and Reddit had nothing to do with infrastructure or policy. They were about people who needed help and got it.
There were lost pets found thanks to hundreds of eyes. Stolen items that sparked outrage and support. A kid who had to cancel a small business fair after losing a beloved pet, only to have neighbors line up to buy his jewelry anyway.
Even the tougher posts — about theft, safety scares, or a daycare incident — turned into information‑sharing and people checking in on one another. Alameda Peeps works because it’s not just a feed; it’s a crowd that responds.
Wildlife, Turkeys, and Peak Alameda Energy
Only in Alameda does a post about aggressive turkeys become one of the most popular discussions of the month.
The turkey deterrent thread was funny. People genuinely want to coexist with wildlife, even when those animals are pecking cars or blocking doorways. The same went for gull rescues, backyard kittens, lost cats, and mysterious “exotic pet” sightings.
It’s chaotic, but it’s also kind of wonderful. The island is alive — with people and everything else.
Reddit vs. Facebook, Same Heart
The vibe between r/alameda and Alameda Peeps is different, but December showed the overlap clearly. Reddit skewed more skeptical, Facebook more emotional, but the top posts on both leaned toward community, not conflict, this holiday season.
Holiday lights, sunsets, ferry excitement, and shared concern about local issues cut across platforms. Even when the tone changes, the underlying care for Alameda is the same.
Wrapping Up the Year
Watching these communities all month reinforced something I feel every year: Alameda argues because it cares. People complain because they’re invested. And when it matters, neighbors show up.
As we head into the new year, the streets will keep changing, the debates will keep coming, and the turkeys will probably still be here. But if December is any indication, this island is paying attention — and that’s a good thing.
— Zac
