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City in California, United States
Photo: Sanfranman59, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Alameda is an island city in the East Bay of the Bay Area, California. It is separated from the mainland by the Oakland Estuary. You can get there from Oakland very easily, by way of one of the bridges or the Webster Street Tube.
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The USS Hornet is a retired World War II aircraft carrier that fought numerous battles in the Pacific and also retrieved the astronauts of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 after splashdown. The enormous ship is run as a museum, with the hangar deck, flight deck, and a maze of rooms and passageways open to wander around in, and guided tours offering the chance to see control rooms, engineering facilities, and other areas of this retired warship. Allow at least three hours.
Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach
A good beach on the bay. Very popular with kiteboarders and joggers.
A 'museum' of over 100 classic pinball games, arranged approximately chronologically. The Pacific Pinball Museum showcases the "science, art, and history" of pinball. With admission, play is free on all but the oldest three of their 90 pinball machines, so allow several hours to explore the many variations there.
Great spot to ride skateboards and skates and great views of the bay. Access to the skate park has been diverted due to intervening construction until approximately 2023.
Paint-your-own-pottery studio located at South Shore Center by the beach. Hundreds of preformed ceramics to paint as you wish. No experience necessary. Kids and adults. No reservations needed on most days.
The only golf course in Bay Farm, Alameda. 2 large courses, and 1 par-3 course.
An old-school arcade and museum containing many classic arcade games like Frogger and PAC-MAN.
Formerly Bowlero, Mel's Bowl
Alameda's bowling alley of many decades. 40 lanes as well as billiards and an arcade. Usually bustling during the weekends. Laneside food and drinks available, check online menu for pricing. Online reservations for bowling as well as parties.
An 18-hole mini-golf course featuring holes based off of Alameda and its surrounding area's history. Also has an arcade and 'laser maze' area, and a food area with drinks and snacks.
Old school diner. It has been around since 1927, and has stayed the same. It has a good variety of greasy spoon food. Lines for tables are out the door every morning for the waffles and the pancakes.
A Park Street institution for decades, serving all the basic favorites of hot dogs, including sauerkraut and chili dogs.
A clean, airy and well-lit favorite for cheap and delicious halal wraps, burgers and kabobs. Try the seasoned fries. Take-out orders only for last 30 minutes of each day. Catering available.
A nice and friendly Mexican spot with very old country decor. Online ordering available.
Small, homey little spot that serves food from the Mediterranean.
Authentic Moroccan food - bellydancing and live music during Saturday dinner hours. Online reservations. Private parties. Catering.
Upscale Mediterranean spot, very romantic. Reservations available. Catering.
Very friendly Vietnamese restaurant with an American twist. Online ordering and reservations.
India Palace has an excellent (if small) buffet of Northern Indian dishes every lunch, and an equally good set of dishes every dinner.
Full-service Mexican restaurant with a very large menu. They offer favorites like enchiladas and burritos and also have more obscure traditional dishes, such as a wide range of seafood, huitlacoche and many dishes served with mole sauce. They offer accommodations for large parties, as well as a considerable catering service and a tequila bar that boasts over 300 varieties. Service is very friendly. Online ordering. Reservations available for large groups. Delivery available.
Italian-style pizza with great fresh ingredients. Also sides like bread, pasta, and salads, with a wine menu as well.
A standard of Oakland's Chinatown that still offers a wide variety of Cambodian dishes on a budget.
A traditional German restaurant. Great food, great beer. Online reservations.
The Star on Park
Thin-crust, deep-dish, or Detroit-style pizza. Good value — personal-sized pizzas available until 3PM, and family combo available to feed four.
Very good sushi and an impressively large menu with a view of the Bay. Very crowded for dinner, especially weekends.
A pocket-sized sushi bar with a massive selection.
There is a beautiful bar, nice lounge feel and pool table.
Friendly pub with upscale food and drinks without the upscale prices or stuffiness.
Park street institution for many years, very friendly sports pub with hardwood finish and good (If pricey) food. Full catering services available. One of the few places on Park Street that has off-street parking.
A spacious hipster brewery with a massive tasting room and a long list of things to drink. Pet-friendly, off-site parking available, see website.
Brewery with a variety of styles. Nice outdoor seating and rotating food trucks.
Brewery, always packed. Has soft drinks for children.
Nice and friendly dive bar. Cash only.
One of the owners is a former bartender of the venerable Trader Vic's so it's not surprising he and his cohorts have opened a bar that comes with all the 1960s-esque island interior fixings—waterfalls and bamboo trimmings.
Great beers on tap, motorcycle friendly, a jukebox that pumps out good music, and they have a bbq in the back if you want get something from the grill.
A good little spot that can serve strong coffee that's as black as pitch.
Small friendly family-owned coffee shop that makes its own pastries and will make your coffee exactly the way you ask for it.
A mom and pop coffee and teahouse with murals and fresh pastries.
Friendly coffee and tea shop with huge loose tea selection and excellent vegan baked goods. Free wifi and a beautiful backyard garden with abundant seating.
Ding Tea (former name)
Boba tea place at Park St. Good for a quick, nice tasting drink. Has a few claw machines, and a decent amount of seating. Service can be bad, but usually pretty alright.
Meeting/banquet facilities, handicapped accessible, Tour desk, swimming pool, all facilities non-smoking, Safe deposit box, Fax/photocopy.
Full kitchens, kitchenware provided, ironing board and iron, free wifi, fitness room, complimentary breakfast, pet-friendly room, flat-screen TVs, free local calls. Stays under 1 week require a credit card. Pets will incur a non-refundable fee.
On Bay Farm Island, near Oakland International Airport. Complimentary breakfast, free newspaper during the week, full business center, meeting rooms, available audio-visual equipment, gift shop, free parking, free airport shuttle.
Complimentary breakfast, free parking, gym, spa, on-site laundry, free wifi, full HVAC.
Complimentary breakfast, high-speed Internet, cable TV, Complimentary high-end bed and bath products, Waterfront rooms with private balconies.
formerly Days Inn
Free breakfast, free newspaper during the week, Copy machine, free Internet, HVAC, free local calls, cable/satellite TV.
Farmer's Market, selling fruits, vegetables, and other farm goods.
A large enclosed shopping center in a tidy vintage brick building. Artisan foods and kitchen supplies.
Monthly extravaganza of antiques and vintage items. Hundreds of vendors. Free shuttle service to and from the Faire from Fruitvale BART and the Alameda Ferry at Main St.
A vodka distillery in a former navy hangar that offers a multitude of flavors, usually pricey. Good place to sip and view the Bay and San Francisco. Guided tours daily.
Grocery store with a deli in the back and a café in the front.
Alameda Towne Centre
Alameda's centrally-located open-air shopping center, home to Bankers' Row, and the city's main post office and courthouse. Next to the shore of San Francisco Bay.
By car
The proximity of Alameda to Oakland makes access by car easy. From Webster, 29th Ave. or Fruitvale in Oakland, all exits are clearly marked. From I-880/The Nimitz Freeway, the 23rd Ave.
By ferry
The San Francisco Bay Ferry provides service from several points on both sides of the Bay. There are three terminals in Alameda:
By train
Amtrak does not service Alameda directly, but four of its train routes arrive at two nearby stations.
On foot or by bike
Though the Posey Tube has a sidewalk, it's a noisy, polluted car tunnel and not a pleasant walk by any stretch of the imagination; you're better off taking the bridges further east, which have…
By bus
Several AC Transit bus lines go around the island. There is a late-night bus service from Fruitvale BART to Broadway, down Santa Clara and up Webster to Downtown Oakland.
By foot
Walking is a great way to get around. Accessible sidewalks are on every street. Walking from Oakland is not recommended.
By bike
Biking on Alameda is easy due to the protected bike paths on some streets, bike lanes on most streets, and the ability to bike alongside the cars on others.
By ferry
Traveling from the Harbor Bay ferry terminal area to the Main Street terminal area is faster by ferry than by bus. This only works during rush hour.
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Oakland · International · OAK
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