With coronavirus putting much of the world on lockdown, we’re shuttered in our homes, with grocery stores one of the only places to go. Bars and restaurant dining rooms have closed to the public, and most of the parks, beaches and playgrounds are also now closed.

 

Seems there’s only so much we can do indoors, and many of us have exhausted Netflix, rewatching “Breaking Bad” for the third time already.

 

Still, we need something to occupy us as we reorganize that pantry we’ve been promising to get to for over five years. Red Oak Realty has decided to step in and help out so that we can all stay sane together.

 

We’re sure you have your favorites, but we thought we’d call out a few of our own to add to your stuck-at-home rotation.

 

“East Bay Yesterday” is a local podcast series that gathers stories from Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and other towns throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties. It has 59 episodes ranging from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, on themes from growing up in Oakland’s oldest cemetery to tackling racism and real estate in the East Bay.

 

“East Bay Insiders” is another local podcast with a political flavor run by political reporter Steve Tavares and Alameda County insider Shawn Wilson. Steve and Shawn provide local insights and dish the scoop while also diving into a lighter side of Alameda County, California and national politics. Their episodes like “This election is a pain in the butt” and “Ding dong nuts” are hard to beat. Episodes average about an hour in length.

 

Pendarvis Harshaw’s arts and culture podcast “Right Nowish,” produced at KQED, forms a creative approach to Bay Area storytelling as he speaks to listeners about their passions and inspiration, connecting their work to larger societal issues. Episodes are short; they average about 12 minutes.

 

“Dolly Parton’s America” is a nine-episode podcast series that explores the musical icon Dolly Parton, why she appears universally loved, and what that means.

 

From one American queen to another, we have “Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations,” which feature meaning-filled interviews by Oprah with celebrities and thought leaders on important topics.

 

“Motherhacker,” which fits into the growing genre of podcasts featuring fictional stories, chronicles the adventures of Bridget who turns to phone phishing, aka “vishing,” in order to support her family.

 

"How I Built This" NPR’s Guy Raz profiles some of the world’s most admired companies through the eyes of the entrepreneurs who built them. Perfect inspiration for those crafting up the next innovative ideas for companies that don’t exist...yet!

 

Of course, on a more national scale there’s always “The Daily” podcast produced by the New York Times. The episodes leverage the Times’ vast network of reporters to bring first-hand accounts from the frontlines of the day’s biggest stories. They include innovative, engaging episodes such as the latest for Friday, March 27, “A Kids’ Guide to Coronavirus,” in which they collect questions kids have about the virus and have a doctor answer them.

 

It’s “Alone Together” episode touches on the state we’re all in, as we’re locked in our homes waiting out the result.

 

NPR’s “Up First” podcast holds another way for us to stay in touch with reality. Up First specializes in bringing us the three hottest stories of the day and all under ten minutes. Maybe not all-day cleaning background, but great with your morning coffee.

 

NPR’s “Wow in the World” podcast, a show that explains the way things work tailored to kids, has gone daily with shorter episodes including a weekly longer episode in the wake of the coronavirus.

 

Another NPR kids storytelling show, “Circle Round,” turns folktales into audio plays, with music, for young kids.

 

The “Bill Simmons Podcast” is great here; it provides irreverent, knowledgeable insight on America’s largest sports and pop culture with a mix of interviews with close friends and celebrities mixed in.

 

There’s always the narrative podcast classic “Serial,” whose excellent and captivating Season 1 helped usher in our current podcast boom.

 

A related podcast from the same production team, “S-Town” is equally engaging and mystery-filled.

 

And then last but not least we have “This American Life,” a pioneer in the podcast genre. It led the popularity charts for years until its offshoots “Serial” and “S-Town” supplanted it and others took its spirit and became popular.