I find it amusing that there are only 20 threads (including this one) in the history of this board that have “Oakland” in the title. Then again, I’m easily amused.
At any rate, I may be staying in Oakland for a Friday/Saturday night in a couple of months. The main purpose will be to attend baseball games at the very elegant o.Co Coliseum, so I’d like to be somewhere that provides easy access to the stadium, first and foremost. I have always heard (and just confirmed through a quick glance online) that staying in SF proper was extremely costly, so I’d like to avoid that. I’ve seen prices in Oakland online that are cheaper, but the reputation I always hear is that Oakland is a cesspool, and no one in their right mind would want to stay there.
I find it difficult to believe that there are no safe and worthwhile areas around the Coliseum that have affordable hotels (say, less than $150/night). So if anyone’s got recommendations, I would love to hear them. I will have a car with me, by the way, so rail access isn’t essential, but I think I’d like to have the option, at least.
If I’m forgetting to include any important details, ask away.
Let me start by saying there are far more hotels in all categories in San Francisco than there are in Oakland.
In Oakland there are a few hotels that are very close to the Coliseum, but none of them are very nice, in my opinion.
The closest hotel that I would seriously consider is the Hilton Oakland Airport, which as the name implies, is near the airport. It’s about 1.6 miles from the Coliseum.
In downtown Oakland there are a few nice hotels, notably the Marriott. That’s about five miles from the Coliseum.
Quick fact: Oakland has more working artists per capita than any city west of Manhattan. It’s has its rough spots, but it’s a great city overall. It is one of the best places I’ve lived.
No specific advice on hotels, but the area around the coliseum is pretty far from downtown and the more charming neighborhoods.
Agree, but why stop at Berkeley? The Coliseum is so close to BART (you walk over an overpass and you’re at the stadium) that you should look at any hotel that’s close to a BART station. For example, there are at least 2 hotels that are walking distance to the Pleasanton BART station.
Right, as other people said, if you don’t mind taking BART there are many possibilities. There are several nice hotels near the Dublin/Pleasanton BART station, for example.
I live in Union City and there are a few hotels here, nothing fancy but OK for a short stay. We have a BART station here too. Probably perfectly adequate for what you plan to do.
Thanks for the replies thus far. I definitely am not seeking fancy. Safe and clean are good enough. I will definitely look into other cities along BART lines. I will probably have to do some driving to visit friends regardless, but if the games are accessible, that’s good enough.
Jack London Square is nice, but I would avoid the Jack London Inn - it has a terrible reputation.
The 12th Street and 19th Street BART stations are in downtown Oakland, which has developed a significant nightlife in the past few years. There are some very good restaurants and clubs there, and Chinatown is nearby.
The Rockridge BART station is in a very nice neighborhood with lots of shops and restaurants. I found a B&B nearby called “Dean’s,” but I don’t know if it’s in your price range.
The Downtown Berkeley BART station is in an interesting neighborhood, and you should be able to find a reasonably-priced hotel there. Parking in that area can be a real (*&%(&^$, so you should check what sort of parking the hotel offers.
There are probably hotels near the Ashby BART station, but that neighborhood isn’t very interesting. The same is true of the North Berkeley BART station.
Any hotel near the two El Cerrito BART stations would probably be pretty cheap. There isn’t much for a tourist to do in El Cerrito, though. It would be strictly a base camp.
Stay away from the Richmond BART station. It’s in a really awful neighborhood.
We were in the area a few weeks ago, and we stayed at the Berkeley Travelodge. The room was small but clean, and the area was nice. There were a lot of restaurants handy, and the BART station was half a mile away. It was also downhill on the way back to the hotel, which was nice after a long day. We paid close to $100 a night with tax (on a AAA rate).
Asimovian says he’s coming to Oakland in a couple of months. If there is a strike, it should be over by then. The Bay Area can’t take a BART strike for very long.
It looks likely that the BART strike will resume on August 4. That could really screw things up for Asimovian. Maybe it would be good to talk about alternative transportation.
Asimovian, on what day are you planning to go to an A’s game?
The 16th and 17th. But we’ll definitely be close enough to drive if BART ends up not being an option. Still, I hope it doesn’t come to that for the sake of a lot of people.
It’s the Marriott in downtown.