Why are so many families hanging out in breweries? Sam and Warren headed to Almanac Brewery in Oakland to dig into what looks like a funny trend, but quickly turned into a conversation about urban design, public space, and the realities of parenting in modern cities.

We invited a handful of local parents to talk about identity, community, and raising kids in cities… then revealed that they’re actually transportation planners, policy leaders, and mobility innovators.

Featuring Jeff Hoover (Veo), Danielle Harris (Elemental Impact), Viggy Ram (Serve Robotics), and Audrey Desmuke, this episode unpacks why breweries are becoming the new “third place” for families and what that says about the cities we’re building.

We cover:

• Why breweries have become stand-ins for parks
• How unsafe streets shape everyday parenting decisions
• Parent loneliness and the lack of family-friendly public spaces
• Liability fears that keep cities from opening or maintaining restrooms + play areas
• Publicly accessible private spaces vs. failing public infrastructure
• How planners parent, and how parenting shapes the way they see the city
• Should kids even be at breweries? And who gets to decide?

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