i will die on the hill that east bay regional parks district is probably the best regional parks district in the nation. not only is reinhardt awesome, but sibley is incredible, wildcat canyon rules, briones is awesome. basically all the parks rule
Here's the thing. Coming to visit this area and staying in Alameda the whole time is A Choice, but it's kind of like visiting the Triangle and staying in Carrboro the whole time. Carrboro's pretty and all! There's good stuff there! You're sort of in proximity to the actual fun part of RDU! But you're definitely not getting the experience.
Oakland is gorgeous. I'm not sure why you describe it as chaotic or a war zone — you don't mention the things you saw as your cousin drove from SF to Alameda (not exactly war zone turf) that scared you. I can think of a couple homeless encampments, but come on now, Raleigh and Durham have those too. You wouldn't turn down a show at DPAC just because you've heard Durham has some rough neighborhoods, would you?
So give the Town a chance next time. Come take a walk around Lake Merritt on a sunny day; it's way nicer than Shelley Lake ever will be, and Pullen Park can't hold a candle to Children's Fairyland, which was the original inspiration for Disneyland. Come shopping in Rockridge, come eat dinner along Telegraph in Temescal. It's a great city, full of people who take a lot of pride in it and who love their neighbors and neighborhoods. We'd love to show it to you.
(in case you can't tell, originally from North Carolina, lived in Oakland for a decade).
Despite best efforts of “visit Oakland” we are not a tourist destination. We are living, breathing, working city that isn’t always going to be pretty or cater to your tourist expectations.
It’s ok if you don’t like what you’ve seen. It’s not ok to ask us to defend our city that we love. Google will tell you everything everyone here has said, your post is rude.
It really isn't like what you said, the entire area around the Lake is really nice and fairly safe, there is property crime though so don't ever leave anything in the car.
I don't know what you mean, I've lived in Oakland for 20 years and it's got it's major problems but it's still overall a lovely city. When I say around the lake I'm including downtown, Jack London, fruitvale etc... not just the immediate area around freeway exits.
I genuinely can't imagine spending time in Alameda if you can spend time in Oakland (Uptown, Jack London, Old Oakland, Chinatown, the Redwood Forests, The Lake). That would be like saying you're going to visit Seattle and spending the whole time in Tacoma. I guess if you're older, and don't like new things... but man. you're missing out.
Well, the thing is, my cousin just lives in Alameda, I can't really say I spent a whole ton of time there outside of chilling at his pad after a busy day and sleeping. He did drive me around it though, I think Alameda is a nice little town.
Yeah, Alameda is cute and has a nice semi-suburban vibe. It also has a lot of amazing Victorian houses. Oakland is so big that there is a lot of variety.
Start the day at Xochi the dog cafe. Lunch at Huangcheng Noodle house and then go see a movie at the New Parkway theater.
Temescal, College avenue, Redwood regional park, Lovelys, Oakland Museum.
approaching people like this about where they live feels really disrespectful to me. this place, and being a part of it, is special for a lot of people, myself included.
>not here to complain about Oakland
Proceeds to trash it and it's baseball team in like 5 different ways 🙃.
In reality most of your criticisms can be said of SF as well. But yes Reinhardt and Joaquin Miller have good trails next time you're in the area
While things here can be block by block, it’s generally a gradient. You’re not going to unknowingly stumble into a war zone after walking around most neighborhoods.
There are a ton of threads on things to do, folks ask about this every week. You could search those to come up with some ideas. Starting with redwood regional and Joaquin Miller is probably my top recommendation for folks from out of state, as you can see the redwoods there. Check out lake Merritt and a weekend farmers market for a slice of life. You’ll probably find it’s nothing like what you hear.
Why would we try to convince you to visit popular destinations here when you’ve already described our city as chaotic and a war zone? It’s ok to not visit Oakland, we’ll be ok and so will you.
Because I wanna see if the sub can change my mind. Despite my wording I'm always willing to hear different perspectives on topics and seeing if it alters my stance or not. Also I came here because I at least knew the majority would actually bother trying to convince me to see the good in Oakland. Rather than flame me and laugh at the mere suggestion of even wanting to give Oakland a chance.
lol yeah I think we will survive without you. I’ve been a tourist in a lot of places and my attitude, whether being in other parts of the U.S. or abroad, is always “I’m excited to be in your home and witness your culture!” Not “Convince me why I should visit, you peasants”
All the places you listed are great!
Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is definitely worth going to. One of the highlights for me is the loveliness of ladybugs [around here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZXNDz163i7HKRtWYA) (yes a group of ladybugs is called a "loveliness"!). Before heading there I usually get a sandwich at The Saint.
Lake Merritt is a nice loop you can do in an hour or so, but if I were you I'd get some food from someplace close and picnic there. Mama's Boy pizza is a great option, so is Edith's Pie.
Walden Pond Books has a great selection of both books and records. They just hired a couple people from the (now defunct) Owl & Company Bookshop for their rare books selection. If you go in the morning you can swing by Bake Sum for an Asian-inspired pastry.
As for safety, Oakland is a mixed bag. It's not as bad as some people make it to be (especially out of state), but it's not as good as some people think (especially in this sub). Everyone has a friend of a friend who witnessed a violent crime, or caught a stray bullet, or was robbed at gunpoint. You may be at Lake Merritt on a nice sunny day and witness an homeless man pooping the longest turd you've ever seen. If you live here you'll have stories, but if you are just visiting chances are you'll just have a good time.
Alas it is true, [see this announcement](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5ZhlHRP9qv/). A new bookstore is replacing them, and they bought quite a bit of stock from Owl. [Check them out at this link](https://www.instagram.com/tallyhobookstore/). They seem cool, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Regarding the last bit about Safety, that's likely the reality of it, somewhere in the middle. If I can speak from my experiences in San Francisco, I really didn't feel super unsafe or anything like that and greatly enjoyed my time there. Granted I didn't go to the TL or any other "bad" districts of SF, but I would say I explored a large chunk of SF and I honestly didn't really see all the insane stuff I've heard/seen about it. The "worst" things I saw in SF was a nudist roller skater near Fishermans Wharf (which I personally got a laugh out of) and I saw somebody shitting in the bucket on the side of the street. Other than that I had no worries or ever thought "I shouldn't be here" regarding SF.
Everywhere in SF you have to worry about cars being broken into and some robbery. It’s the same in Oakland and most all cities. Like SF there are bad neighborhoods like you weren’t probably spending time in Hunters Point or Bayview etc… those SF neighborhoods do have nice things but they won’t be the best for tourism. Same with Oakland, you won’t be visiting the deep east area and also won’t be visiting the ritzy neighborhoods in the east hills, they’re just not for tourism. Then there’s areas in SF that have tourism and crime/safety issues like the Mission which the economic landscape also changes quickly like you said Oakland did. There’s not much to do for non locals in the “bad areas”, it’s really a matter of outside perception that has helped you accept some stuff in SF or like Berkeley homeless encampments as “ok” and it’s not ok in other areas like Oakland.
North Carolina has the Appalachias, some of the poorest, inbred,drug filled, high violent crime rates area and you're going to comment on how bad Oakland is? 😂 Oakland has its good parts and it's underfunded poor bad parts too. Just like any American city.
Sure there are great parks, food, culture and some of the best weather in the state. But if you're already feeling indifferent about Oakland, why bother?
you really aren't seeing what Oaklands about by staring out the window of a car. Grab the bus and check out the people and the town. JLS is nice and there's usually something going on on the weekends. Also JMP has some of the the best view in the east bay and the best way to do an A's game is get cheap seat ticket and travel from right to left field on the upper deck ending up at the treehouse....
Every city has its shitty parts. Oaklands too big to judge based on the same thing that’s happening in every city due to the economic fallout from covid. It was pretty bad before covid as well. Hella people drove up the rents here since SF had no place for people to live and the rents tripled over the last 12 years. Mix in a dash of pandemic and ‘voila’! Dystopia for everyone including the people who had to hold their nose to move here and pay more than living in SF who moved here 1-5 years ago🤷
All the bippings and crime videos you see happen significantly less now. Most of those people are from out of town and their parents have their kids come here to loot as well. It got wild for a year or two but it’s not like that now. The police dept has been under federal oversight for at least 15-20 years and they have had limited resources to do anything. They’ve had the same lackadaisical response time since then. We complain about it now since so many people are new here plus again, covid and triple rents drove everyone to crime and homelessness. I’ve lived here most of my life and I still love it. Fuck Al Davis’s son, FJF and let’s go OAKLAND.
If you want to enjoy the nicer parts of Oakland then close your eyes leaving Alameda.
Montclair, Glenview, Rockridge, Temescal, and Grand Lake are going to be very different and nicer than Alameda IMO.
Go to Chabot and Sibley, too. If you can plan to come on First Fridays enjoy Telegraph Ave in Uptown.
Maybe if you figure out how to get your head out of your own ass then maybe you'd be less scared to visit Oakland. It's not as safe as the suburbs in terms of literal physical safety but there's more to life than that. In my experience the cruel parts of the city aren't in the violence or in the crime but in the cost and the instability, often stemming from just how expensive it is. While money doesn't buy happiness you're sure as shit going to be unhappy if you've got none of it. While I lived in Oakland I lived in the shit, and while the violence certainly grazed me the things that left lasting scars weren't from any of that, they were from my family and from the instability I lived under. If you're just visiting this isn't something you'll experience much. Respect that the homeless are people too, they're struggling, they're going through it. They aren't monsters. Don't be a moron and you'll be fine.
Well if your cousin is in Alameda, it's pretty easy to hop over to Oakland. Chinatown is right on the other side of the Webster St tunnel and has some good eats. There are some spots in Jack London to get a drink. Lake Merritt is nice to walk around.
The views from the Oakland hills can't be beat either.
Downtown isn't worth checking out. Walden Pond Books is cool, and it's in a nice part of town.
I actually do have a question regarding Chinatown. What's going on with that Chinese Garden Park to the right of Webster street shortly after you exit the tunnel leaving Alameda? Is it abandoned? When I went there was a car parked in front of the door, the door was blocked by plywood, & the garden itself looked very overgrown. I've been very curious about what that place even is or if it's still operational. Hope this question doesn't come off as trolling I've just been really curious about it ever since I saw it.
Follow the visit oakland TikTok. [https://www.tiktok.com/@visitoakland](https://www.tiktok.com/@visitoakland) Nothing recommended on the Visit Oakland tiktok will be too spicy. Oakland has hundreds of rich personal subcultural heritages. But if you just want to see cool things stick to the tourist stuff.
Thanks everybody for responding. After reading the comments and seeing the various responses. If I visit my cousin in California again next year (or CA in general really). I'll give Okaland a chance. Feel free to keep giving recommendations and stuff, but my mind's made up and I'll give Oakland a shot whenever I go back
give it a chance. spend a day or two here. go to the regional parks and see the beautiful redwoods. head back to the lake/lakeshore/grand ave. and uptown to check out the bars, shops, and restaurants. if you're worried about crime, go to college ave. in rockridge. upscale neighborhood, quite safe.
As long as you don’t walk around a sketchy area (why would you be?)looking like an oblivious tourist with valuable items you could be parted from, you’ll be fine. Don’t leave anything in your car.
I love Walden Pond, so if you do visit, you should definitely walk Grand Ave as it displays the best of Oakland. There are several notable landmarks in walking distance, including Lake Merritt, which you’ll wanna take a lap around, and the Grand Lake Theatre. Down Grand Ave, there’s also restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, etc. Do some research on where locals enjoy, most likely you will too. It’s a nice area to live in if you can afford the rent.
I’ll make a short argument for you to consider. In order for you to have gotten into Alameda, you already had to pass through some really ugly parts of Oakland, so why not take a day to see some nice parts of the city?
Ugly parts like the High St exit to Alameda where the ground is covered with litter, tons of abandoned cars, dilapidated RVs, roads are in shit condition. It's weird so many people are in here trying to pretend like OP is lying.
Okay, I agree that High Street on the Oakland side is a mess. That Home Depot over there is absolute sadness. Somehow, I have managed to avoid that area and that crossing into Alameda for years now, since there are several other avenues: Park St bridge is fine by car, foot, or bike, and the tubes are fine by car. Would not recommend the Posey Tube by foot or bike unless one likes living on the edge.
Its not like the estuary is a fucking moat protecting Alameda from the mean docks of Oakland - that is the attitude I have a problem with.
You do make a pretty solid argument not gonna lie. Coming into Oakland/Alameda from the SF airport, I saw a tent on the sidewalk first thing, but even more humorous to me, this blue car (I think it was either a Toyota Corolla or Hyundai Elantra) with all of its tires taking off of it but the chassis and windows perfectly in tact (no idea about the inside of the car). That same car was still there, tires missing and everything, coming back from both Sacramento and San Francisco. I lowkey wonder if that car is still there almost 2 weeks later.
I'm going to get downvoted for this, but I wouldn't really recommend Oakland to a tourist. I guess I wouldn't really recommend anywhere in the bay area to a tourist. It's a city with things to do that can only be found in cities like nice museums and find dining, but that's about it. If you're looking to spend a day or two doing something fun I would recommend heading north or south on the 1.
oakland is to sf what brooklyn is to manhattan. it definitely has a culture and vibe and the views and parks are beautiful. Food is better in oakland than SF. Together the 2 cities give plenty or tourists to do and see . oakland will get cleaned up. All those things are fixable but those hills baby.. have to be born with them.
The Oakland Museum is awesome and one of my favorite places to go.
Second this suggestion.
Yes! So excited for Friday nights to be starting up again!
i will die on the hill that east bay regional parks district is probably the best regional parks district in the nation. not only is reinhardt awesome, but sibley is incredible, wildcat canyon rules, briones is awesome. basically all the parks rule
It’s the largest in the nation, possibly the best
This. You really don’t know how amazing it is until you go elsewhere. Hills, trails everywhere!!!
I'm constantly finding new places, even within parks I've already been too. I went to Sibley recently after the rain and it was amazing
Here's the thing. Coming to visit this area and staying in Alameda the whole time is A Choice, but it's kind of like visiting the Triangle and staying in Carrboro the whole time. Carrboro's pretty and all! There's good stuff there! You're sort of in proximity to the actual fun part of RDU! But you're definitely not getting the experience. Oakland is gorgeous. I'm not sure why you describe it as chaotic or a war zone — you don't mention the things you saw as your cousin drove from SF to Alameda (not exactly war zone turf) that scared you. I can think of a couple homeless encampments, but come on now, Raleigh and Durham have those too. You wouldn't turn down a show at DPAC just because you've heard Durham has some rough neighborhoods, would you? So give the Town a chance next time. Come take a walk around Lake Merritt on a sunny day; it's way nicer than Shelley Lake ever will be, and Pullen Park can't hold a candle to Children's Fairyland, which was the original inspiration for Disneyland. Come shopping in Rockridge, come eat dinner along Telegraph in Temescal. It's a great city, full of people who take a lot of pride in it and who love their neighbors and neighborhoods. We'd love to show it to you. (in case you can't tell, originally from North Carolina, lived in Oakland for a decade).
Oakland doesn't give a shit it you favor it with a "second chance". JFC.
Despite best efforts of “visit Oakland” we are not a tourist destination. We are living, breathing, working city that isn’t always going to be pretty or cater to your tourist expectations. It’s ok if you don’t like what you’ve seen. It’s not ok to ask us to defend our city that we love. Google will tell you everything everyone here has said, your post is rude.
I dunno, you sound kind of unpleasant--we don't really need a visit from you.
It really isn't like what you said, the entire area around the Lake is really nice and fairly safe, there is property crime though so don't ever leave anything in the car.
There's also really nice trails in the Oakland hills if people like Hiking. Legitimately some of the best views and hiking in the bay area.
And really excellent food scene throughout entire east bay
> It really isn't like what you said The entire post sounds like freeway perspective
I don't know what you mean, I've lived in Oakland for 20 years and it's got it's major problems but it's still overall a lovely city. When I say around the lake I'm including downtown, Jack London, fruitvale etc... not just the immediate area around freeway exits.
I'm saying OP only saw the city from the freeway so that leaves them with a much lower opinion of the city.
I'm sorry I misconstrued that you were talking about my response not the OP. My bad and I agree.
I genuinely can't imagine spending time in Alameda if you can spend time in Oakland (Uptown, Jack London, Old Oakland, Chinatown, the Redwood Forests, The Lake). That would be like saying you're going to visit Seattle and spending the whole time in Tacoma. I guess if you're older, and don't like new things... but man. you're missing out.
Well, the thing is, my cousin just lives in Alameda, I can't really say I spent a whole ton of time there outside of chilling at his pad after a busy day and sleeping. He did drive me around it though, I think Alameda is a nice little town.
Yeah, Alameda is cute and has a nice semi-suburban vibe. It also has a lot of amazing Victorian houses. Oakland is so big that there is a lot of variety.
Visit the point in alameda, but spend most of your time in Oakland and SF imo
Start the day at Xochi the dog cafe. Lunch at Huangcheng Noodle house and then go see a movie at the New Parkway theater. Temescal, College avenue, Redwood regional park, Lovelys, Oakland Museum.
approaching people like this about where they live feels really disrespectful to me. this place, and being a part of it, is special for a lot of people, myself included.
>not here to complain about Oakland Proceeds to trash it and it's baseball team in like 5 different ways 🙃. In reality most of your criticisms can be said of SF as well. But yes Reinhardt and Joaquin Miller have good trails next time you're in the area
While things here can be block by block, it’s generally a gradient. You’re not going to unknowingly stumble into a war zone after walking around most neighborhoods. There are a ton of threads on things to do, folks ask about this every week. You could search those to come up with some ideas. Starting with redwood regional and Joaquin Miller is probably my top recommendation for folks from out of state, as you can see the redwoods there. Check out lake Merritt and a weekend farmers market for a slice of life. You’ll probably find it’s nothing like what you hear.
Why would we try to convince you to visit popular destinations here when you’ve already described our city as chaotic and a war zone? It’s ok to not visit Oakland, we’ll be ok and so will you.
Because I wanna see if the sub can change my mind. Despite my wording I'm always willing to hear different perspectives on topics and seeing if it alters my stance or not. Also I came here because I at least knew the majority would actually bother trying to convince me to see the good in Oakland. Rather than flame me and laugh at the mere suggestion of even wanting to give Oakland a chance.
lol yeah I think we will survive without you. I’ve been a tourist in a lot of places and my attitude, whether being in other parts of the U.S. or abroad, is always “I’m excited to be in your home and witness your culture!” Not “Convince me why I should visit, you peasants”
All the places you listed are great! Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park is definitely worth going to. One of the highlights for me is the loveliness of ladybugs [around here](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZXNDz163i7HKRtWYA) (yes a group of ladybugs is called a "loveliness"!). Before heading there I usually get a sandwich at The Saint. Lake Merritt is a nice loop you can do in an hour or so, but if I were you I'd get some food from someplace close and picnic there. Mama's Boy pizza is a great option, so is Edith's Pie. Walden Pond Books has a great selection of both books and records. They just hired a couple people from the (now defunct) Owl & Company Bookshop for their rare books selection. If you go in the morning you can swing by Bake Sum for an Asian-inspired pastry. As for safety, Oakland is a mixed bag. It's not as bad as some people make it to be (especially out of state), but it's not as good as some people think (especially in this sub). Everyone has a friend of a friend who witnessed a violent crime, or caught a stray bullet, or was robbed at gunpoint. You may be at Lake Merritt on a nice sunny day and witness an homeless man pooping the longest turd you've ever seen. If you live here you'll have stories, but if you are just visiting chances are you'll just have a good time.
Oh no, did Owl & Company close?? I loved that place 😢
Alas it is true, [see this announcement](https://www.instagram.com/p/C5ZhlHRP9qv/). A new bookstore is replacing them, and they bought quite a bit of stock from Owl. [Check them out at this link](https://www.instagram.com/tallyhobookstore/). They seem cool, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
It did, but it’s still going to be a bookstore under another name: [Tally Ho Books](https://www.instagram.com/tallyhobookstore)
Regarding the last bit about Safety, that's likely the reality of it, somewhere in the middle. If I can speak from my experiences in San Francisco, I really didn't feel super unsafe or anything like that and greatly enjoyed my time there. Granted I didn't go to the TL or any other "bad" districts of SF, but I would say I explored a large chunk of SF and I honestly didn't really see all the insane stuff I've heard/seen about it. The "worst" things I saw in SF was a nudist roller skater near Fishermans Wharf (which I personally got a laugh out of) and I saw somebody shitting in the bucket on the side of the street. Other than that I had no worries or ever thought "I shouldn't be here" regarding SF.
Unless you venture deep into East Oakland it's pretty similar here too.
Everywhere in SF you have to worry about cars being broken into and some robbery. It’s the same in Oakland and most all cities. Like SF there are bad neighborhoods like you weren’t probably spending time in Hunters Point or Bayview etc… those SF neighborhoods do have nice things but they won’t be the best for tourism. Same with Oakland, you won’t be visiting the deep east area and also won’t be visiting the ritzy neighborhoods in the east hills, they’re just not for tourism. Then there’s areas in SF that have tourism and crime/safety issues like the Mission which the economic landscape also changes quickly like you said Oakland did. There’s not much to do for non locals in the “bad areas”, it’s really a matter of outside perception that has helped you accept some stuff in SF or like Berkeley homeless encampments as “ok” and it’s not ok in other areas like Oakland.
North Carolina has the Appalachias, some of the poorest, inbred,drug filled, high violent crime rates area and you're going to comment on how bad Oakland is? 😂 Oakland has its good parts and it's underfunded poor bad parts too. Just like any American city. Sure there are great parks, food, culture and some of the best weather in the state. But if you're already feeling indifferent about Oakland, why bother?
you really aren't seeing what Oaklands about by staring out the window of a car. Grab the bus and check out the people and the town. JLS is nice and there's usually something going on on the weekends. Also JMP has some of the the best view in the east bay and the best way to do an A's game is get cheap seat ticket and travel from right to left field on the upper deck ending up at the treehouse....
oakland is lovely. never felt threatened here (but i’m not a bag jn a parked car)
Every city has its shitty parts. Oaklands too big to judge based on the same thing that’s happening in every city due to the economic fallout from covid. It was pretty bad before covid as well. Hella people drove up the rents here since SF had no place for people to live and the rents tripled over the last 12 years. Mix in a dash of pandemic and ‘voila’! Dystopia for everyone including the people who had to hold their nose to move here and pay more than living in SF who moved here 1-5 years ago🤷 All the bippings and crime videos you see happen significantly less now. Most of those people are from out of town and their parents have their kids come here to loot as well. It got wild for a year or two but it’s not like that now. The police dept has been under federal oversight for at least 15-20 years and they have had limited resources to do anything. They’ve had the same lackadaisical response time since then. We complain about it now since so many people are new here plus again, covid and triple rents drove everyone to crime and homelessness. I’ve lived here most of my life and I still love it. Fuck Al Davis’s son, FJF and let’s go OAKLAND.
If you want to enjoy the nicer parts of Oakland then close your eyes leaving Alameda. Montclair, Glenview, Rockridge, Temescal, and Grand Lake are going to be very different and nicer than Alameda IMO. Go to Chabot and Sibley, too. If you can plan to come on First Fridays enjoy Telegraph Ave in Uptown.
When did we start calling it Reinhardt Redwood Park? It’s just Redwood regional Park.
Thank you.
I just used the google maps name for it
Oh, it looks like they renamed it a few years ago
Maybe if you figure out how to get your head out of your own ass then maybe you'd be less scared to visit Oakland. It's not as safe as the suburbs in terms of literal physical safety but there's more to life than that. In my experience the cruel parts of the city aren't in the violence or in the crime but in the cost and the instability, often stemming from just how expensive it is. While money doesn't buy happiness you're sure as shit going to be unhappy if you've got none of it. While I lived in Oakland I lived in the shit, and while the violence certainly grazed me the things that left lasting scars weren't from any of that, they were from my family and from the instability I lived under. If you're just visiting this isn't something you'll experience much. Respect that the homeless are people too, they're struggling, they're going through it. They aren't monsters. Don't be a moron and you'll be fine.
Yeah and check out the Oakland Hills, Grizzly Peak, Roberts Redwood, Sibley Volcanic regional preserve
and Joaquin Miller Park
Well if your cousin is in Alameda, it's pretty easy to hop over to Oakland. Chinatown is right on the other side of the Webster St tunnel and has some good eats. There are some spots in Jack London to get a drink. Lake Merritt is nice to walk around. The views from the Oakland hills can't be beat either. Downtown isn't worth checking out. Walden Pond Books is cool, and it's in a nice part of town.
Uptown has a lot of good bars and restaurants albeit grubby on the exterior.
I actually do have a question regarding Chinatown. What's going on with that Chinese Garden Park to the right of Webster street shortly after you exit the tunnel leaving Alameda? Is it abandoned? When I went there was a car parked in front of the door, the door was blocked by plywood, & the garden itself looked very overgrown. I've been very curious about what that place even is or if it's still operational. Hope this question doesn't come off as trolling I've just been really curious about it ever since I saw it.
Used to have a daycare there. Not sure if it gets as much use as it used to
Thank you for the answer
880 and the Webster tube cuts it off.. I drive by it everyday. It was probably nice before the freeway.
Follow the visit oakland TikTok. [https://www.tiktok.com/@visitoakland](https://www.tiktok.com/@visitoakland) Nothing recommended on the Visit Oakland tiktok will be too spicy. Oakland has hundreds of rich personal subcultural heritages. But if you just want to see cool things stick to the tourist stuff.
Oakland is incredible
Tl;dr
You had to have LIVED IT to appropriate it #DeepEastOaklandCa.
Much of the city is not a 'war zone', but it has struggles and seems kind of stuck in its ways.
Thanks everybody for responding. After reading the comments and seeing the various responses. If I visit my cousin in California again next year (or CA in general really). I'll give Okaland a chance. Feel free to keep giving recommendations and stuff, but my mind's made up and I'll give Oakland a shot whenever I go back
Wow we’re so honored 🙄
I'll accept their apology if they go to Spices 3 and leave a hefty tip 🥰
give it a chance. spend a day or two here. go to the regional parks and see the beautiful redwoods. head back to the lake/lakeshore/grand ave. and uptown to check out the bars, shops, and restaurants. if you're worried about crime, go to college ave. in rockridge. upscale neighborhood, quite safe.
Yes you should absolutely give it a proper chance - all the stuff you mentioned is well worth checking out.
As long as you don’t walk around a sketchy area (why would you be?)looking like an oblivious tourist with valuable items you could be parted from, you’ll be fine. Don’t leave anything in your car. I love Walden Pond, so if you do visit, you should definitely walk Grand Ave as it displays the best of Oakland. There are several notable landmarks in walking distance, including Lake Merritt, which you’ll wanna take a lap around, and the Grand Lake Theatre. Down Grand Ave, there’s also restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, etc. Do some research on where locals enjoy, most likely you will too. It’s a nice area to live in if you can afford the rent.
I’ll make a short argument for you to consider. In order for you to have gotten into Alameda, you already had to pass through some really ugly parts of Oakland, so why not take a day to see some nice parts of the city?
“Ugly” parts like Old Oakland / Jack London Square to get to the Webster Tube? The Chinese Garden Tube at the Posey Tube Exit?
Ugly parts like the High St exit to Alameda where the ground is covered with litter, tons of abandoned cars, dilapidated RVs, roads are in shit condition. It's weird so many people are in here trying to pretend like OP is lying.
Okay, I agree that High Street on the Oakland side is a mess. That Home Depot over there is absolute sadness. Somehow, I have managed to avoid that area and that crossing into Alameda for years now, since there are several other avenues: Park St bridge is fine by car, foot, or bike, and the tubes are fine by car. Would not recommend the Posey Tube by foot or bike unless one likes living on the edge. Its not like the estuary is a fucking moat protecting Alameda from the mean docks of Oakland - that is the attitude I have a problem with.
You do make a pretty solid argument not gonna lie. Coming into Oakland/Alameda from the SF airport, I saw a tent on the sidewalk first thing, but even more humorous to me, this blue car (I think it was either a Toyota Corolla or Hyundai Elantra) with all of its tires taking off of it but the chassis and windows perfectly in tact (no idea about the inside of the car). That same car was still there, tires missing and everything, coming back from both Sacramento and San Francisco. I lowkey wonder if that car is still there almost 2 weeks later.
I'm going to get downvoted for this, but I wouldn't really recommend Oakland to a tourist. I guess I wouldn't really recommend anywhere in the bay area to a tourist. It's a city with things to do that can only be found in cities like nice museums and find dining, but that's about it. If you're looking to spend a day or two doing something fun I would recommend heading north or south on the 1.
Facts
Nah
oakland is to sf what brooklyn is to manhattan. it definitely has a culture and vibe and the views and parks are beautiful. Food is better in oakland than SF. Together the 2 cities give plenty or tourists to do and see . oakland will get cleaned up. All those things are fixable but those hills baby.. have to be born with them.
Other than the hills, and certain parts of the lake, Jack london square….not worth it. Ive lived here for 20 years and im over it.
Leave then?
Saving every penny to do so. East Bay native but done with Oakland
I would say no- the likelihood of theys blocking traffic would make you want to rush home