Guidebook for Oakland
Drinks & Nightlife
Lake Merritt view, bottomless mimosas, eat community style with fun people on outdoor deck, the garbage bread and salads are worthwhile. $$ to $$$
105 locals recommend
Portal Oakland
1611 2nd AveLake Merritt view, bottomless mimosas, eat community style with fun people on outdoor deck, the garbage bread and salads are worthwhile. $$ to $$$
The Starry Plough Pub
3101 Shattuck Ave
Sister
3308 Grand AveSmall place, hang out close to your friends, cute venue
Dive bar where you sing with others with a live piano player, like karaoke but the way they did it in the old days!
60 locals recommend
The Alley | Piano Bar & Restaurant
3325 Grand AveDive bar where you sing with others with a live piano player, like karaoke but the way they did it in the old days!
The Trappist
460 8th StGreat beer and place to hang out with friends!
Shopping
Therapy Stores
1428 Park StCute books, gifts, stuff to bring home, a bit of everything!
Scents, soaps, teas, herbal remedies, tinctures. Recently I had a cough and I got great tea and a herbal remedy to drop into water.
9 locals recommend
Homestead Apothecary
486 49th StScents, soaps, teas, herbal remedies, tinctures. Recently I had a cough and I got great tea and a herbal remedy to drop into water.
This is a classic natural food store with bulk almond butter, honey, peanut butter that you grind in the store! anything bulk they have it. Fruits, veggies, teas. Somewhat high priced but great to support a local store with a wonderful natural food selection and local products.
26 locals recommend
The Food Mill
3033 MacArthur BlvdThis is a classic natural food store with bulk almond butter, honey, peanut butter that you grind in the store! anything bulk they have it. Fruits, veggies, teas. Somewhat high priced but great to support a local store with a wonderful natural food selection and local products.
Incredible produce and a great way to have lunch on a Saturday!
197 locals recommend
Grand Lake Farmers Market
746 Grand AveIncredible produce and a great way to have lunch on a Saturday!
This is a great place to Shop on Sundays for the farmer's market produce.
96 locals recommend
Temescal Farmer's Market
5300 Claremont AveThis is a great place to Shop on Sundays for the farmer's market produce.
Sunday's Farmer's market, for all things related to produce, fruits, veggies, bread. A smaller market but the neighborhood is super cute to visit and its only around 3 exits up the 13 highway from our house!
36 locals recommend
Montclair Farmers' Market
Sunday's Farmer's market, for all things related to produce, fruits, veggies, bread. A smaller market but the neighborhood is super cute to visit and its only around 3 exits up the 13 highway from our house!
Used clothing store with a great selection, locally owned, high quality selection.
9 locals recommend
Knimble
3258 Grand AveUsed clothing store with a great selection, locally owned, high quality selection.
Pegasus Books
1855 Solano AveIts good to support local bookstores!
Great selection of books and close to lots of incredible restaurants and the Hudson Bay Cafe.
17 locals recommend
East Bay Booksellers
5433 College AveGreat selection of books and close to lots of incredible restaurants and the Hudson Bay Cafe.
Great selection, large bookstore, good place to shop for gifts, close to restaurants and a great used clothing store, Knimble.
37 locals recommend
Walden Pond Books
3316 Grand AveGreat selection, large bookstore, good place to shop for gifts, close to restaurants and a great used clothing store, Knimble.
Sightseeing
This is a beautiful campus to walk or to swim laps or to go for recreational swim to cool off. Dropping in as a friend of the college (FOC) is around $7. I can lend you googles if needed.
Its a 5 minute walk down Buell Street.
36 locals recommend
Mills College
5000 MacArthur BlvdThis is a beautiful campus to walk or to swim laps or to go for recreational swim to cool off. Dropping in as a friend of the college (FOC) is around $7. I can lend you googles if needed.
Its a 5 minute walk down Buell Street.
Chinatown
Great restaurants, bakeries and local culture!
You want to take a day trip! See the Redwoods in Santa Cruz, see the Boardwalk, take a hike on the Cliff walk.
745 locals recommend
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Amusement Park
400 Beach StYou want to take a day trip! See the Redwoods in Santa Cruz, see the Boardwalk, take a hike on the Cliff walk.
Parks & Nature
This is an easy 5-7 minute drive up from our house. It has a number of beautiful hiking trails. It's 1,830 acres also contain other evergreens, chaparral, and grasslands. Wildlife within the park includes rare species such as the golden eagle and Alameda striped racer. Deer, raccoons, rabbits, and squirrels are often seen.
373 locals recommend
Redwood Regional Park
7867 Redwood RoadThis is an easy 5-7 minute drive up from our house. It has a number of beautiful hiking trails. It's 1,830 acres also contain other evergreens, chaparral, and grasslands. Wildlife within the park includes rare species such as the golden eagle and Alameda striped racer. Deer, raccoons, rabbits, and squirrels are often seen.
(2079 acres) 18 mins from our house and an incredible amount to see with many hiking trails.
495 locals recommend
Tilden Regional Park
2501 Grizzly Peak Blvd(2079 acres) 18 mins from our house and an incredible amount to see with many hiking trails.
Beautiful and easy walk/hike to take, less than a 15-20 minute drive away from our house.
70 locals recommend
Lafayette Reservoir
Beautiful and easy walk/hike to take, less than a 15-20 minute drive away from our house.
(500 acres) 5 minutes from our house, beautiful hiking and views!
214 locals recommend
Joaquin Miller Park
3300 Joaquin Miller Rd(500 acres) 5 minutes from our house, beautiful hiking and views!
I do the 3.24 mile walk nearly every week, there is a botanical garden, a community garden, a boathouse to rent boats, a restaurant for brunch in the area, a bird sanctuary, benches. I LOVE THIS AREA!!
751 locals recommend
Lake Merritt Amphitheater
Lake Merritt BoulevardI do the 3.24 mile walk nearly every week, there is a botanical garden, a community garden, a boathouse to rent boats, a restaurant for brunch in the area, a bird sanctuary, benches. I LOVE THIS AREA!!
Its a great place to walk, quiet, by water, takes you out of the busy chaos of Bay area life for a bit of time.
56 locals recommend
Albany Bulb
1 Buchanan StIts a great place to walk, quiet, by water, takes you out of the busy chaos of Bay area life for a bit of time.
Getting Around
Though it is 7 miles away, it is easy to get to if the Lyft or Uber driver takes the freeway or highway 13 to get there. It takes around 7-9 minutes to drive and its the safest station in my opinion.
127 locals recommend
Rockridge Station
5660 College AveThough it is 7 miles away, it is easy to get to if the Lyft or Uber driver takes the freeway or highway 13 to get there. It takes around 7-9 minutes to drive and its the safest station in my opinion.
This is the closest BART station, 2.5 miles away, but I feel its not the safest station to get to, usually drivers take city streets and I always rather take the freeway to get to Rockridge and its nearly as close.
20 locals recommend
Fruitvale Station
This is the closest BART station, 2.5 miles away, but I feel its not the safest station to get to, usually drivers take city streets and I always rather take the freeway to get to Rockridge and its nearly as close.
Getaround
55 Green StI like renting a car from this company and have used them repeatedly, great selection!
70 locals recommend
Enterprise Rent-A-Car
3001 Shattuck AveI like renting a car from this company and have used them repeatedly, great selection!
Pierson Street
Pierson StreetBus Stop at Mills College Entrance, Take Bus to San Francisco from here!
Entertainment & Activities
My fav. movie place. Shows second run movies, classics and gotta see movies, trivia night, open mics. Dinner served with comfy couches as seating options (near downtown). $$
156 locals recommend
The New Parkway Theater
474 24th StMy fav. movie place. Shows second run movies, classics and gotta see movies, trivia night, open mics. Dinner served with comfy couches as seating options (near downtown). $$
Completed in 1931, with its art deco style, has public tours twice a month and shows classic films and has other great events in downtown Oakland. Go to the website to learn about their events and tour schedule.
120 locals recommend
Paramount Theatre
2025 BroadwayCompleted in 1931, with its art deco style, has public tours twice a month and shows classic films and has other great events in downtown Oakland. Go to the website to learn about their events and tour schedule.
If you are visiting when it’s the FIRST FRIDAY http://oaklandfirstfridays.org/ of the month there is a great street festival with open artist studios, music and food in the Temescal neighborhood in Oakland.
64 locals recommend
First Fridays
2633 Telegraph AveIf you are visiting when it’s the FIRST FRIDAY http://oaklandfirstfridays.org/ of the month there is a great street festival with open artist studios, music and food in the Temescal neighborhood in Oakland.
They have a working Wurlitzer organ that plays on the weekend! Its a beautiful old theater that plays first run movies in Lake Merritt, you gotta go!
382 locals recommend
Grand Lake Theater
3200 Grand AveThey have a working Wurlitzer organ that plays on the weekend! Its a beautiful old theater that plays first run movies in Lake Merritt, you gotta go!
Hang out with kitties in Cat Town's non profit Cat Cafe, maybe take home a friend while you are at it! Happy to have you bring a kitty into your life, we will make it work in the house if you want to adopt a new kitty.
15 locals recommend
Cat Town
2869 BroadwayHang out with kitties in Cat Town's non profit Cat Cafe, maybe take home a friend while you are at it! Happy to have you bring a kitty into your life, we will make it work in the house if you want to adopt a new kitty.
Great yoga and meditation classes, right up the street 5 minutes away by car on Macarthur blvd.
7 locals recommend
Loka Yoga
2701 MacArthur BlvdGreat yoga and meditation classes, right up the street 5 minutes away by car on Macarthur blvd.
Diverse classes for yoga, 2 minutes driving distance, 15 minute walk from home!
14 locals recommend
Anasa Yoga
4232 MacArthur BlvdDiverse classes for yoga, 2 minutes driving distance, 15 minute walk from home!
$10 wine tasting in the Livermore wine country. They have a great space in the back for a picnic and there is no charge to use their picnic tables. Get a driver via uber or Lyft to take you out there and add on other wineries such as Darcy Kent, or Retzlaff.
Fenestra Winery
83 Vallecitos Rd$10 wine tasting in the Livermore wine country. They have a great space in the back for a picnic and there is no charge to use their picnic tables. Get a driver via uber or Lyft to take you out there and add on other wineries such as Darcy Kent, or Retzlaff.
East Bay Meditation Center
285 17th StMeditation is good for you!
This place has GREAT pilates classes with attentive, experienced teachers. The Sunday class is by donation and all the funds go to a non profit.
Powerline Pilates + Wellness
Buena Vista AvenueThis place has GREAT pilates classes with attentive, experienced teachers. The Sunday class is by donation and all the funds go to a non profit.
Arts & Culture
Incredible place to hear music, medium sized venue, great artists.
87 locals recommend
Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
2020 Addison StIncredible place to hear music, medium sized venue, great artists.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre
2025 Addison StGreat shows, memorable themes and great actors!
Fox Theater
1807 Telegraph AveSee top performers and musicians in downtown Oakland.