My niece is planning to take Bart from the Oakland airport to the Market St. Bart Station and stay at the downtown Ramada Inn. What can she expect at this location in terms of safety? Does anyone have experience with the hotel or this Bart station?

BART goes under Market St for a little ways through downtown - the stations are Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, and Civic Center. Do you have the address or cross streets for the hotel?

In general, the BART stations there are fine - Civic Center is a little sketchy, especially at night, but the others are ok.

The Market Street BART station is located in a major business area -- crowded during the day, not so crowded at night. Crowds = Safe and vice versa.

The immediate area is a little seedy but not unsafe. The Ramada has a beautifully appointed lobby (check out the stained glass ceiling over the front desk) and small rooms.

All I know is that she has reservations at the Ramada on Market St. near the Bart station. I think it's at 8th Avenue. My impression is that the hotel's a good value but the neighborhood might make me a little nervous at night. Of course, she's coming with her high school-age son, so she won't be on her own. Are there any other hotels within walking distance to a Bart station that might be in a better neighborhood?

8th St not 8th Ave, 1200 block, not pretty nor clean, not unsafe with her son. The other 3 BART stations are in much more pleasant neighborhoods with plenty of close-by hotels, probably more expensive than the Ramada.

Sorry to be ignorant of Bart stations, but what three stations do you mean?

I've never stepped foot in the hotel as I live here in the city, so I can't comment on that, but I personally wouldn't recommend that a visitor stay there. As everyone says, it's not "unsafe," but it's not the greatest area. Being at Market and 8th means her walk to Union Square along Market will be safe, but there are a lot of homeless and boarded up and out of business stores and adult movie theatres, that kind of thing. It's not the best area to see SF at it's finest, let's just say that.

When we take BART to the airport, we use that BART station (we have to take MUNI to get there) and I always look at the tourists going into the hotel and think, "Someone should have told them not to stay here." They definitely stick out as tourists (may not be a concern for you, but I try my hardest not to look like a tourist when traveling, if possible) compared to the other people in the neighborhood.

Other options along BART is basically anything around the Union Square and Embarcadero. I can't comment on quality of hotels or prices, but there near the Embarcadero there is the Park Hyatt and the Hyatt. If you check out the Kimpton Hotel group website http://www.kimptonhotels.com/ there are some 3 star options in Union Square and the Financial District, both of which are walking distance to BART.

Good Luck! I'm sure it will work out wherever your niece stays.

Market Street has 4 BART stops along it, Embarcadero, Montgomery, Powell, and the last one is your Ramada stop called "civic center".

It's the area of the homeless' hangout. There is a produce market on Sundays. The fountain across the Ramada was closed due to the homeless urinating in it. For a young female the area is not safe in the evening.

I remember being there as a friend had an overnight stop with a tour. The lobby is nice, inside the hotel is safe.

If this reservation can be cancelled, for a cheaper trip she can take a shuttle to any other hotel not on a BART line.

As others have said, this area is great for location (near buslines, muni metro, City Hall, Asian Art Museum) and she will pop out of BART and walk about 1.5 blocks to the hotel, which is very convenient, but neighborhood at night goes downhill fast when office workers go home.

With her high school son things will be OK but there will be homeless people and some people who aren't quite right (e.g. mumbling to themselves, asking for spare change, strung out, etc.).

She just has to be prepared for this at night.

Thanks so much for all the info. I'm sending this on to my niece and hopefully, she'll find herself another hotel!

As an aside, the MUNI subway is closing down nightly at 10pm starting on 1/17/06 for upgrading. MUNI shares underground stops with BART (BART is one level further underground).

My point is that there will be even fewer people than usual at the stops in the evening.

If you can find anything closer to the Embarcadero it would be preferable.

>>As an aside, the MUNI subway is closing down nightly at 10pm starting on 1/17/06 for upgrading.<<

I think the Chron said that it will only be shut on weekdays.

Stu Dudley

I am signed up to take a class at the Asian Art Museum on the first Sunday in February. I was planning on taking BART from Berkeley to the Civic Center Station .. I hadn't thought about the area on a non-work day. Will it be safe for me to talk from the Museum to BART at 5:15 or so on a Sunday? Thanks

Sandy, at 5:15pm it will still be light so you will be fine. Just ignore anyone that tries to bother you for money etc. Don't respond to them, don't make eye contact, walk with confidence etc. And enjoy your art class!

At this time should be safe. Besides, you will be not the only one walking to BART.

You can walk to the UN plaza entrance or to the Market St entrance, not sure which is better/closer.

I'm a 30 something that recently stayed at the Westin St.Francis and took the BART from Oakland airport to Market St. It's fine. Of course, be careful.... as you would in any large city. She won't be alone anyway! Put your mind at ease, she just needs to be smart.

I would not stay at the Ranada in that location. I would find a smaller hotel in the Union Square area. Go to hotelres.com and look at smaller hotels in this area.

pidge12: The Civic Center st BART station is an entirely different world than the Powell St one you used to get to the St Francis. Not a good area at all at night . . . . .

To say that the Powell St. Bart Station is different then the Civic Center Bart Station is an understatement.

Personally I would not stay at the Ramada Inn.

My comment to Sandy regarding taking BART back home at 5:15pm from her art class is one thing, but to stay overnight in that area is another. SF like all large cities have their good and their underdesirable areas.

Jeanne, has your niece checked out other hotels..she will probably be alright especially in that she will be with her HS son, but if she could afford a hotel say at Union Square or east of there it would be better.