Fun in Oakland and in San Francisco?

Question

I'm going to be in Oakland for 3 weeks, last week in Nov and 2 weeks in December... What are some fun things to do there. Inexpensive is better, but I'm willing to pay for a good experience. I won't have a car, but I'm going to rent one for a day so that I can drive out to the ocean. Is there any public transportation available?
Also, I've heard that there are some bad neighborhoods, where should we stay away from?

Answer 1

PrettyInPink makes judgements solely based on the Bart train ride through the general old industrial area. Hardly an informed opinion.

Number 2 is the closest to the truth, but makes two generalizations that are not fully true. His common to stay away from south of Mission in San Francisco is an overstatement. That more the case in the eastern part of the city, but not the center and west.

He states, "For Oakland, that means staying away from the flat lands lying between the Oakland Hills and the SF Bay." He then shows that that is not true by recommending Jack London which is is in the flatland.

Rockridge (one of the most intertesting neighborhood in the Bay Area) and Piedmont Avenue are between the hills and the Bay. Both are safe areas, popular areas for dining. Near Rockridge Temescal, is up and coming area. Many interesting things in adjacent Emeryville and especially Berkeley. If you like looking at beautiful old mansions, explore Piedmont, a small city surrounded by Oakland.

A free weekly newspaper, the East Bay Express, is full of listings for events for the week. Their website has info.
http://www.eastbayexpress.com/

For getting around, Bart has a station in Rockridge and central Berkeley.

For some ideas on San Francisco, look at my response to a former question.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhVYXWa682_w8Kb9xQRa_m_sy6IX?qid=20061003144604AAmPcXC

An excellent book for things to see in the area, the Michelin Green Guide to San Francisco. It has excellent maps. It will enhance things like visiting San Francisco's Chinatown. I have lived in the area all of my life and thought I knew Chinatown well, but the Michelin Guide helped my show Chinatown to foreign students taking classes at a international English language school in San Francisco that I taught at a few years ago. It shows the location of some hidden temples (one is in the top floor of an office building) that I didn't know about.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FMichelin-Green-Guide-San-Francisco%2Fdp%2F2060008808%2Fsr%3D8-3%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks&tag=larpmasguidet-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Answer 2

I live in Alameda, 100 yards of water between us and Oakland. You don't want to be out in Oakland in the evening. The city center and Lake Merrit areas aren't too bad, but all round there are areas you don't want to be in. An Oakland resident may have a finer grain knowledge of where is safe. Alameda is safe, but boring.

Any guide book would be full of ideas. You could do the Angel Island and Alcatraz tour. The view from Coit tower is quite nice on a clear day. If you are looking for nightlife then you need to be south of Market Street in San Francisco, but again you'd be better off with a local guide. Personally I find the Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf area too touristy, but maybe that's because I've lived here for nine years?

There is public transportation, the standard way of getting to 'The City' is on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) which has a few stations in downtown Oakland and a few in San Francisco. There's also a ferry from Jack London Square to the Ferry Building and Pier 39 in SF. The ferry gives you a different view of the area. If you drive across the bridge (toll is $3) make sure you stop off at Treasure Island and have a look at the view from there... if it isn't raining, the exit is in the far left lane.

Scenic spots include Grizley Peak in the Oakland hills, Twin Peaks in SF and Marin Headlands. To get to Marin headlands you cross the Golden Gate bridge and then exit second right towards Sausalito then turn immediately left under the road then next right up the headlands. This gives you the classic views of the bridge with the city behind. Marin Headlands is actually the Goldengate National Recreational area and even includes the last ABM site allowed under the START treaty, it is decomissioned and run by volunteers as a museum.

Lots to do, best start reading the guide books.

Answer 3

In San Francisco: San Francisco Zoo Fisherman's Wharf Golden Gate Bridge Angel Island Chinatown Coit Tower In Oakland: Chabot Space and Science Center Morcom Amphitheater of Roses You should also check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Answer 4

SF is not without its crime either. You will be OK in either city so long as you stay out of the crime ridden areas. For SF, you'll want to avoid the Tenderloin District and areas south of Mission. For Oakland, that means staying away from the flat lands lying between the Oakland Hills and the SF Bay.

Oakland has some really great things to do that are not in the high crime areas. Jack London Square has great views, shops, and restaurants that are far cheaper than comparable SF ones, like on Pier 39. From JLS, you can hop a ferry to SF's Embarcadero pier and walk around SF from there.

Tilden Park, in the Oakland Hills, has its locomotive display and rides, plus spectacular views of the SF Bay. Close by is the Lawrence Hall of Science, which is a touchy feely exhibit of all kinds of science things to do.

Public transportation includes BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), which travels up and down the SF penninsula and the East Bay. SF also has light rail. And, of course, there is always the public city bus lines. But the bus lines are not all that safe; so I would avoid them.

While in Oakland, I'd make it a point to take a Napa wine country bus tour. Krug, Mondavi, Christian Bros., Chandon, Cakebread, and a host of others are in the Napa area. The valley is beautiful, the wine tasting plentiful, and some of the best restaurants in the world are up there. [See source for making reservations.]

Answer 5

I wouldn't suggest oakland because of the high crime rate (being a san francisco native myself)...I would suggest places in san francisco...go to fishermans warf..pier 39, palace of fine arts, chinatown, golden gate bridge, alcatraz, or angel island...fine dinning: Fiorellos restaurant in North Beach....elegant shopping & dinning: Union Street between gough and steiner streets (about five blocks where I was born and raised as a matter of fact)...attractions within cow hollow (union street) include the octagon house, allyne park and the Metro theater...it's about a five block stroll through a victorian-esqe village type shopping and dinning type surrounding..of all these tourist spots, fishermans warf, pier 39 and chinatown are the most aggressive when it comes to the unwary tourist...good luck, have fun, and stay safe :)

Answer 6

I definitly agree with #2's answer, stay in SF NOT Oakland. We love SF and always fly into Oakland (bcuz it's much cheaper) and then take the BART to SF. I have never stayed in Oakland but from my "view" of it from the airport to the BART it is dirty and just not nice looking at all, and the BART station was VERY scary there. SF is a wonderful place to stay, it may also have crime but at least it's not standing right in front of you everywhere you turn. Hope this helps :)

Answer 7

U so need to go to Pier 39. it is aweson and try the clam chowder its the best. Around Pier 39 u will find alot of things to do.