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What to do in Oakland?

Taking Boards in mid June. What is there to do in Oakland? Night scene? Anything going on in San Francisco? Thanks to all who will respond.

Lots of stuff: Jack London Square, Chinatown, Lake Merritt, art museum, . . .

You have easy access to San Francisco from Oakland via BART. Look at sfgate.com for upcoming events in the city.

Dodge bullets and wish that you were somewhere else.

Dear Oakey: I don't know which Oakland you're talking about, but it's certainly not the one I've learned to love. Dear Sarah: Try to eat at Oliveto's or at one of the other restaurants on College Avenue. Great food.

I am referring to Oakland, California, that jewel of the San Francisco Bay area. For your information, I live in the SF Bay area and love it. I would not live anywhere else on the face of the earth and I have visited many other places on the US and other countries. Oakland does have a few attractions but it is still a very dangerous city. This is in spite of Moonbeam Jerry's attempts to make Oakland liveable. On a serious note. Take extreme caution in the area around the Coliseum and Arena. It is fine to attend events there but do not venture past the confines of the parking lot.

Any city you have to "learn to love"??? That statement says it all Johnny. Sarah, take 2 dollars and cross the bridge to San Francisco where your a bit safer in most areas and the scenery is much nicer.

Sarah, please disregard John and Oakey. If you wish to visit SF, please do so, it's obviously a terrific city (and costs about $3 on BART, not $2). But do not feel intimidated by Oakland. I grew up there, lived there for over 20 years, and my parents and other family members continue to live there. They live in safe neighborhoods and frequent safe areas, and that means most of the city. Are there unsafe neighborhoods in Oakland? Of course! Places I wouldn't dream of setting foot. Are there unsafe neighborhoods in SF? Of course! Places I wouldn't dream of setting foot. Would you be "a bit safer" in most areas of SF than in the parts of Oakland you might want to visit? No. Most of Oakland is perfectly fine middle-class neighborhoods. Why would Sara or any visitor wander around the Coliseum area?They'd just return to the BART station after a show or game, like everyone else. The places where you'd most likely end up up in Oakland and Berkeley (downtown near the museum and Lake Merritt, Rockridge, near the UC campus) are fine. There is a lot to like in Oakland, although there's naturally more happening in SF. John is right, the area of College Avenue adjacent to the Rockridge BART station is full of good food and nice little shops, as is the Elmwood neighborhood, about half a mile north (into Berkeley). Oakey is either paranoid or travels through the wrong parts of town. BTW Steve, I now live in Manhattan, and I sure had to learn to love it (even with crime way down). So it must be an awful place, and I should hightail it out?

Hey Sarah, as far as night life is concerned check out Yoshi's at Jack London Square(yoshis.com). World class jazz at a great Japanese restaraunt. Famous Oaktowners: Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Frank Robinson & Billy Martin(Baseball), Sidney Howard (playwright) Don't belive the hype>>> Oakland is as safe as you want it to be...

I agree, SFGhost: Oakland is as safe as you want it to be, just like SF or any big city!

Piedmont is a nice area in Oakland with lots of fun shops. Also, if you're an ice cream fan, you've got to visit Fenton's. Yum!!

Just to clear up any confusion on the last post, there are two Piedmonts in Oakland, Piedmont Avenue and the city of Piedmont. I believe Dee is talking about the Piedmont Ave area, which is where Fenton's is. The city of Piedmont (which is completely surrounded by Oakland, the border between the two arbitrarily cuts through buildings and neighborhoods) is also a nice area if you like wandering around in residential neighborhoods, but doesn't really have any interesting shopping areas.

And to further confuse things,there's also a Piedmont Avenue in Berkeley, which is not related to the one in Oakland.

As a resident of Oakland, I would like to add my 2 cents worth. Oakland is a city of contrasts: a fair amount of poverty in some areas (and crime), a lot of wealth in other (Oakland has a lot of millionaires living in its hills). Oakland has a long-standing inferiority complex (reinforced by the biases and, I'd have to guess, limited experience of people like Oakey). People have mentioned a lot of good things to do in Oakland and the East Bay: the Oakland Museum (2 blocks from the Lake Merritt BART station) has a wonderful collection of Californian art and artifacts. Yoshi's is one of the best places for jazz in the Bay Area. Decent food, too. The Piedmont and College Avenue areas have fairly good shopping and some excellent restaurants, including Olivetto's, Citron, Uzen, and Garibaldi's on College, and the Bay Wolf, JoJo's, and Ninna's on Piedmont. The Rockridge Market Hall (Olivetto's is located there) has good, upscale food shopping and is kitt-corner from the Rockridge BART station. Chinatown is pretty interesting, too. It's much more of a Chinese Chinatown (definitely not a tourist place!) than SF's. Berkeley is next door; a good place for books (Cody's, e.g.), the UC campus and museums, 4th Street for shopping, the arboretum above Strawberry Canyon, and good food, most notably Chez Panisse. (IMHO, one of the best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area -- home-style but better done than restaurants charging much more -- is Norikonoko on Telegraph.) Also, good concerts including the Berkeley Symphony, Cal Performances (both at UC), and the Philharmonia (early and Baroque). World class. Now if I can just find a good, cheap motel nearby for my relatives to stay at when they visit.

As a person who works in the Oakland area in law enforcement, you could not pay me enough to ever live there. Crime is rampant, and although there are very nice areas, such as rockridge, piedmont ave., and college ave, they've all been hit with robberies over the years, and muggings and NO PART OF OAKLAND IS SAFE. But neither is any part of anywhere for that matter, so if you don't have to go to oakland, please do not! I'd only recommend going out in a big group during the daytime, and definitely avoid east oakland, west oakland, broadway after dark, and even jack london square after dark. If you have to go to jack london, then you are safe just within the square, but venture out one block and beware! I wouldn't do it, I think that women alone need to be very aware, and that's all i'm going to say

Betty wrote: "As a person who works in the Oakland area in law enforcement, you could not pay me enough to ever live there." That's nice. As a person who lives in the Oakland area and works in Downtown Oakland, i'd move there in a heartbeat if I didn't already have a place to stay. "Crime is rampant, and although there are very nice areas, such as rockridge, piedmont ave., and college ave, they've all been hit with robberies over the years, and muggings..." So have walnut creek, tiburon, and palo alto. Your point? "...and NO PART OF OAKLAND IS SAFE. But neither is any part of anywhere for that matter, so if you don't have to go to oakland, please do not!" So according to your logic, since nowhere on earth is safe, you should stay away from Oakland. That makes sense... "I'd only recommend going out in a big group during the daytime, and definitely avoid east oakland,..." The east oakland flatlands, yes. By the lake and east of 580 is cool. "...west oakland,..." yes "...broadway after dark,.." There's nothing wrong with the area around Jack London Square or the southern/western 2/3 of downtown. "...and even jack london square after dark. If you have to go to jack london, then you are safe just within the square, but venture out one block and beware!" The neighborhood around Jack London Square is full of high priced condos and lofts, busy night spots, hotels. Hell, even the mayor lives there.

One look at the graffiti, the decay, and the number of loiterers will tell you all you need to know about Oakland. I worked for a major corporation which was involved in urban renewal and they opened a business in Oakland. It's the first time in my life I ever heard professional business MEN express fear for their own safety. No one liked going to Oakland. Sixty percent of the employees were committing welfare fraud by accepting work at our company, yet continuing to file for welfare benefits and trying to lie about their employment status. We went through three human resources managers in one year. It's high crime, high poverty, high levels of violence and gang activity. Avoid it at all costs.

Dear Sarah: I live in Oakland in the hills. In a lovely neighborhood of homes starting at $500K and going up to $2MM. I leave my doors unlocked most of the time and am surrounded by trees and beautiful neighbors and homes. Doesn't sound much like what some of these people have described to you, does it? The bottom line is, Oakland is a MARVELOUS place to live, but not much of a tourist destination. If you like hanging with the locals, then follow the advice of the less-paranoid replies you have already gotten. If you want tourist activities, fine shopping, theater, etc., go into SF. The one thing that can be a "not miss" is a visit to the Oakland Museum of California -- a very classy and first-rate facility that is actually three museums in one -- a natural history museum, a "California history" museum, and an art museum featuring California artists -- the building is award-winning architecture and it would be hard to do the whole museum in less than three hours -- really worth the time if that's what you like. Are you around for breakfast? Go to Rick and Ann's on Domingo Street, across from the spectacular and historic Claremont Hotel and Resort. The street is the border between Berkeley and Oakland and Rick and Ann's technically is on the Berkely side -- expect a wait unless you are dining solo. Check the Paramount Theatre for old movies or a concert -- its in downtown Oakland and first run artists play there -- its a SPECTACULARLY restored Art Deco palace that seats 3500 people. OR for a more local theatre that plays first run movies, go to the GRAND LAKE Theatre on Grand Ave at 1-580. On the weekends an organist plays on the mighty pipe organ before the shows in the main theater. Its a great old palace. If you like art films, the PIEDMONT AVE THEATRE is one of the best in the Bay Area with 3 of the most popular art films usually booked at the same time. Like to hike? Sibley Park, Redwood Park, Joaquin Miller Park, Leona Preserve, and Chabot Park are all within Oakland's city limits -- offering miles and miles and miles of trails roving through redwoods and meadows and California's trademark golden hills. The views are amazing. When your done, go down to Montclair Village and grab a burger at Flippers or some coffee at Starbuck's or Peet's. Laid back for sure... If you like being pampered, make an appt at the aforementioned Claremont Hotel and Resort -- the spa is world famous and booked by celebrities and beautiful people weeks in advance. (It lies on the Oakland-Berkeley border.) The brand new, $70MM Chabot Space and Science Center just opened last year on Skyline Drive. A world-class facility, including a planetarium, and the best on the West Coast. While your there, drive up and down the 20 miles of Skyline Drive -- all within the city limits and a peaceful and wonderful stretch of road far from city life. Like old estates? Check out Dunsmuir House and Gardens off I-580. Pretty low-key but an interesting slice of history. If you can find a cabbie, get them to show you Sea View Drive and Glen Alpine Drive in Piedmont -- the locals will hate me for telling you about these streets -- estates and mansions to die for So maybe there are things to do in Oakland -- enjoy! Patrick

I forgot just one thing -- Like horseback riding? Spend some time at one of the stables in the hills. Piedmont Stables (in Oakland off Skyline) rents horses I believe and horses are allowed on the hiking trails, as are bikes. There's lots of the rural good life in, of all places, Oakland, California. Who knew?

This is for arrogant Nate, who is soo hypersensitive about the plain truth, and he also would have everyone believing that Walnut Creek and Tiburon are hit with many, many robberies, et cet. Obviously, Nate, you are one dense fellow. Having worked in Oak-Town for 16 years, and having lived on the other side of the Tunnel for 40, i'm in a fine position TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE TRUTH, AND HAVING LISTENED to rape victims, and robbery victims and many other victims, it's ludicrous that you should even take offense at MY letter, and you should be thanking me for the warnings! Why is it that my friends who all lived in Oakland oculdn't wait to move out, huh? Do you think it was pleasant for my one friend to wake up in her apartment IN OAKLAND with a knife at her throat, and the guy escaped -- never caught. Gee, Nate, maybe he'll come to your house next. Yes, Dense-Boy, crime does happen everywhere, but it just happens with greater frequency in Oakland. Walnut Creek has had maybe 10 holdups in 10 years. Oakland has 100 a day, okay? Yes, there are so-called lovely areas of Oak-Town too, but you know what? Those lovely houses in the Oakland hills have also been the source of drug-deals, murder, many, many robberies, and yes, even muggings at your own door step, so do not tell me, who has personal knowledge of thousands of incidents in oakland, that I'm wrong for posting this, because you know I'm right, and I'd just like to add, don't forget about that doctor from Children's Hospital that was murdered in her very own home in the piedmont area a couple of years ago. I've rarely heard of so many bad things happening in the nice cities of Walnut Creek and Tiburon on that kind of scale.