Location: Alameda
Top Things to do in Alameda
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The 10 Best Things to Do in Alameda, United States
Alameda (/ˌæləˈmiːdə/ AL-ə-MEE-də; Spanish: [ala'meða]) is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to and south of Oakland and east of San Francisco across the San Francisco Bay. Bay Farm Island, a portion of which is also known as "Harbor Bay Isle", is not actually an island, and is part of the mainland adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. The city's estimated 2017 population was 79,928. Alameda is a charter city, rather than a general law city, allowing the city to provide for any form of government. Alameda became a charter city and adopted a council–manager government in 1916, which it retains to the present.
Restaurants in Alameda
1. St. George Spirits
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 101 reviews
Reviewed By Dennis C
An interesting and entertaining tour. Our guide Rose was extremely knowledgeable and had a winning personality. The company appears to take a lot of pride in their being a small local enterprise, not only in their history but also in their sourcing of ingredients. Their Terroir Gin, meant to conjure Mt. Tamalpais, is the most explicit expression of this. The tasting bar has been remodeled since my last visit, and it is now spacious and comfortable.
Getting there demands a bit of forethought. A fun way to travel from San Francisco is by ferry. Once docked, you can wait for a city bus, but I'd recommend arranging a ride--with a taxi or Lyft, for instance. Same thing if you take BART to Lake Merritt (not West Oakland.) I once walked from the dock to the distillery, but I don't recommend it. It takes only 20 minutes, but you're in the middle of nowhere, walking on the shoulder of roads and through the rubble of the abandoned naval base.
2. Black Sheep Bike Rental
Overall Ratings
5 based on 141 reviews
Black Sheep Adventures (formerly UDC) offers pro-level carbon road bikes, aluminum road bikes, hybrids and mountain bikes for rent in the San Francisco Bay Area. We deliver to San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Palo Alto and to any other other city within 50 miles from our location near Oakland International Airport.
Reviewed By ifjewel - Flagstaff, AZ
Customer service is their focus and UDC bikes knows their customers. I've rented twice from them and have been really surprised by how much they value their customers and want to make every experience the best.Thanks, we're glad you value our service and took the time to share such a glowing review with everyone! Hope to serve you again!
3. Redwood Regional Park
Overall Ratings
5 based on 315 reviews
Reviewed By STLL7 - Oakland, California
For anyone who lives in the East Bay the Redwood Regional Park provides an amazing escape to nature. Beautiful redwoods, views, variety of vegetation and lots of opportunities for a picnic. Be mindful of racing bikes on some of the trails that allow bikes, it can be a bit much on the weekends!
4. Oakland Museum of California
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 611 reviews
The Oakland Museum of California provides unique collections, exhibitions and educational opportunities designed to generate a broader and deeper understanding of and interest in California's environment, history, art and people. Museum programs are responsive, accessible and meaningful to the public, including school children, teachers, scholars, the immediate Oakland community, and an increasingly diverse California population.
Reviewed By KitaTravels - Atlanta, Georgia
I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Oakland Museum on 10/30 during a birthday trip to the Bay area. We checked out the Black Panther exhibit, which was informative and insightful. I particularly enjoyed the fact that the exhibit was curated in a way that was inclusive and demonstrated a bit of Oakland pride.
The exhibit was interactive and thought provoking -- featuring multi-media pieces that gave you a in-depth, behind-the-scenes view into the Black Panther movement. There were several opportunities throughout the exhibit for the view to express their feelings and interact with the artwork and environment.
The staff were very friendly and helpful. I would visit this museum again for other exhibits whenever I'm in the area.
5. San Francisco Bay Ferry
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 196 reviews
Reviewed By Jerry O - Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Tickets are about 7. Of the 5 times using it it was never on time, once almost!
Takes about 30 to 40 minutes depending on where youre going.
Snacks and drinks available on board.
Wifi can be slow but free.
Discounts available when commuting.
Offers some good views of the city.
6. Rock Wall Wine Company
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 71 reviews
The Rock Wall Wine Company represents a new chapter in the East Bay winemaking scene. The winery offers wine lovers one of the most unique experiences in the wine world. Shauna Rosenblum is the winemaker for Rock Wall Wine Company. She learned everything she knows about winemaking from her father Kent Rosenblum who is CEO. The Rock Wall Wine Company is founded on the philosophy of the right grape in the right place and are the result of many long-term relationships with acclaimed vineyards. Grapes are sourced from all over California which creates a diverse winemaking environment, complete with different grape varieties, styles and regional flavor profiles. Ideally situated in Alameda, California, the winery boasts spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, and more importantly its locale allows the winemaking team to be regionally centralized - ensuring that whether Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, Zinfandel from Sonoma County, Petite Sirah from Contra Costa County or Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands, the winemaking team is able to handle the fruit soon after it is picked. Housed in a converted 40,000 square-foot airplane hangar the winery is located on what was once a Naval Air Base. Also known as Building 24, the hangar is due north of a defensive rock wall which made up the perimeter of the base. Taking their name from this protective wall, the Rock Wall winery building has been retrofitted with state-of-the-art winemaking equipment. A unique concept, Rock Wall Wine Company is, in essence, an urban winery that services the East Bay. Through the wine center, the Rock Wall owners look forward to continuing the legacy of urban winemaking as well as providing an environment whereby making, tasting and learning about wine is fun!
Reviewed By CGTeri - Alameda, California
This was our go to place for office outings. Celebrated my retirement here. Food is amazing. I am not a wine drinker, but still found wine to enjoy with the meal. Prices are very reasonable. Seating is available outside on a nice day and inside if needed (but outside is the best). But I would go back again and again for the food.
7. Mountain View Cemetery
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 144 reviews
Reviewed By Shamiracle D
Generally well kept. It was nice to drive and walk through this 200+ acre cemetery to see the creativity in the structures, the inscriptions, historical relevance (like the plots with babies that died from polio). This was a first where I consciously toured a cemetery, but clearly lots of folks do it or they do here. A couple instances I felt were a little disrespectful to the dead or their living family. For instance, I saw a family w/ a 10-12yr old that climbed on top of a mausoleum to take a selfie. WTH!!! Another were young men that were up there smoking and playing cards on the steps of another mausoleum. Lots of Bay Area contributors. Who knew the guy (Frederick Olmsted) that designed this cemetery was the one that designed NYC's Central Park, among other park systems!!!! Breathtaking views just outside Oakland's city limits. Go see it.
P.S. They have porto-pots too if a bathroom emergency comes upon you :)
8. Oracle Arena
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 445 reviews
Reviewed By TipperNC - Charlotte, NC
I’ve been to quite a few basketball arenas and most of them are pretty much the same, especially since they tore down the old Boston Garden. The Forum in L.A. and maybe Madison Square Garden are the only two interesting places that come to my mind. Oracle Arena is nothing special and is a pain in the neck to get to. We took BART from SF which turned out to be a test of endurance due to the crowds and temps in the car. The surrounding area is not especially appealing.
I thought maybe with the defending champion Warriors as the home team there might be a good energy in the building, but not really. The Nets kept it close most of the night before the “Dubs” ran away with it. They play the usual mix of hip hop and high energy music but the place was not really rocking like I expected. There were the usual T-shirt giveaways and what not but nothing too exciting between periods or at halftime.
Concessions are priced expectedly: unbelievably high. I paid like $50 for nachos, chicken fingers and two beers. Ouch. Not a lot of variety of food nor was there anything particularly special or unique to the Bay Area, from what I saw. It was cool that if you pay for concessions with an AMEX you got a gift at certain stands - it was a pretty sweet external battery recharger the night I was there, very useful for recharging your phone. We got a few of them.
Overall, I’d say don’t go out of your way to go to Oracle. It’s very much nothing special, even with the best team in the NBA playing.
9. Crown Memorial State Beach
Overall Ratings
4 based on 63 reviews
Reviewed By bsmith6 - Orange, California
We started at the Crab Cove Visitor Center parking lot. Unfortunately the visitor center was closed the day we were there. However, there is a nice little walking trail in the tidepools, depending on the tides may be under water. The whole area is protected so it's a great place to let the kids look and learn about animals. We walked along the beach and just enjoyed the cool sand. It's actually a very long beach, we walked part of it then returned to the car. We then drove to the other end of the beach to see Elsie Roemer Bird Sanctuary. Me being a biologist I loved this place. There's a nice little viewing area right off the road and there are a lot of birds to see. I would recommend to anyone who loves nature.
10. Lake Merritt
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 779 reviews
Saltwater lake in the middle of the city.
Reviewed By June I - San Francisco, California
A beautiful Fall day around the Premier tourist spot, The Lake.
Worth a visit and 3.5 mile walk around it. Bird and people watch. Ride the gondola at the Lake Chalet and go to the large Cathedral at Grand and Harrison.
Within walking distance to Oakland Museum and Chinatown.
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