Bay Area Refupeas - can you help me with a travel question?

It's been a while, but I used to stay in the hotels near Oakland airport all the time, and they were just fine. They're the usual standard chains on a busy boulevard with lots of business and restaurants. My preference was always the Hilton. They have room service, a shuttle, and they're really close to the airport, very convenient. They might take you and pick you up from the A's game. Others might do the same.

I did make the mistake one time of booking the wrong Motel 6 in an industrial area on the other side of the Coliseum. Now that was a different story. We couldn't get a cab out of there fast enough.

Have fun at the games! Sounds like a fun trip.

That was me, and I still haven't heard back from my mom. You'd think at 86 she'd have nothing better to do than sit around and respond to my email, but nooooo.

San Leandro is the next town south of Oakland (just past the airport, actually) and it's mostly quiet and residential. Safe and it has its own BART station, too. I think any place in San Leandro with decent ratings and "close to airport" in its listing would be fine and of course would be a more pleasant neighborhood than right around the airport. You may have to take a taxi or Uber to the BART station and airport, or they may have a shuttle.

And btw, I think you're totally smart to fly in and out of Oakland. OAK is smaller and much easier to deal with than SFO, and is very extensively served by Southwest, with fair service from a bunch of other airlines, too. 

I've stayed at the Hilton near the Oakland Airport several times and had no issues at all. However, I'm from Oakland so I may have "the walk" that tells I'm a native. Lol

Come, stay near the airport, bart/Uber to the games and don't carry a purse. Keep money/wallet in your front pockets, like you would in any large metropolis.

I didn't know you were from Oakland. What neighborhood? Are you still there?

Well, my mother says the hotel was in Alameda (also close to airport), not San Leandro, and she doesn't remember the name. I don't believe her but whatever.

Sorry i was was no help with that.

Oops I just checked and prices at the Claremont have gone up recently - you used to be able to get a groupon for $189/night -- now it is $289/night - probably because the Fairmont bought them -- The Claremont is still my favorite though...

I was at the airport today and the Hilton looked nice -- however one thing is that I would not feel safe at the Colisium Bart station at night....

Did you look at the Shattuck hotel? It is just a block or so from the downtown Berkeley Bart station

There are a lot of great areas and a lot of up-and-coming areas. Oakland has the 4th highest rents in the country right now, evictions are at fever pitch, and home prices are soaring. It's not all bad. 

Oh--I agree with that. What I was trying to say, maybe not very eloquently, is that much of Oakland is great and very desirable.

We just went to our first game at AT&T park last night (grew up going to Candlestick). 7:30 pm game. We drove and parked near the park and it was seriously no big deal. Maybe it is because we have always driven and parked in the city, but, I can say if you are just going to the park, even out of towners should be fine.

Here is what we did-arrived at the game about an hour and twenty minutes before the game started. We parked on a lot on 2nd and Stillman. It was $20. We were driving a beast of an oversized SUV and we sailed in, no problem. I did notice that the rate went up to $30 later in the evening.

There are a bunch of bars and places to eat on the walk up 2nd to the park (about 1/3 mile). I can't speak for the other routes to the park, but, 2nd Street was not sketchy at all to me. We walked back to the car about 10:30 pm with kids without a second thought.

The one thing I will say is that the game went into extra innings and we left before the bulk of the crowd left. There was no problem at all getting out of the lot, but, certainly if you try and leave exactly when The game ends it will be a bit of a problem. Nothing you can't wait out for a few minutes.

AT&T park is flipping fantastic!! I was so sad when they tore down Candlestick, but, a lot less so after I saw the new park last night! My gosh, the view is amazing. We had view seats (cheaper) on the left field side (Section 323, row 10) and had a great view of the field plus the Bay and the Bay Bridge behind. So cool.

If you will be exploring the city earlier in the day, I can recommend another parking garage we always use. It is on Stockton and Sutter. It is situated right next to Union Square, and if you walk through the tunnel down Stockton you will go through China Town, Little Italy, and all the way down to Pier 39 on Fisherman's Wharf. It is a bit of a walk, especially on the way back UP the hills, but, we like to walk. If you go down there and like Pizza and Italian food, I can't recommend Tony's Pizza Napoletana enough. Great, great food and pizza. Get a Margherita of you can. The meatballs are the best I've ever had, the Coccoli appetizer, the mussels...everything we have ever eaten there is stellar.

Have a most excellent time on your trip! You will have a great time at AT&T park!

Erin

Too bad you left early, tenacious. They had fireworks, but you might not have been able to see them through the rain and clouds. I could hear them going for quite some time.

Amen to that.  I usually fly in and out of SFO (I go to SF from Seattle a few times a year for work and to see friends and family), and I swear that it doesn't matter with what precision I try to execute flying in and out of there, I always lose an hour to "who even knows what."  And 90% of the airport tantrums I think I have seen over my years (I swear that only one was mine) have involved travelers who didn't realize the inefficient hell that can be SFO security and suddenly realized, an hour into waiting in a line that for no apparent reason isn't moving, that they are about to miss a flight.

The few times I've been able to fly in and out of Oakland, it has been much smoother sailing.  

I don't know Oakland particularly well; my friends and family are pretty much all in SF and on the peninsula.  But I've always had some friends around Oakland, and many of them live in nice neighborhoods, or, at worst, typical city mixed neighborhoods.  I am sure there are places in Oakland to avoid, and I'd take any advice here from people who actually do know Oakland well. But there are great things about the city and plenty of nice places in it, not that I can afford a lot of them (and I'm not even counting my friend who owns, as he puts it, "the cheapest house in Piedmont" .

you might want to stay in the Shattuck vs. the downtown Oakland Marriott. I have stayed there and maybe I am partial but Downtown Berkeley has much to offer. You can get a marvelous breakfast at LaNote or the hotel, and well, dinners ....hmmm...we are a huge foodie city.
Right nearby is Angaline's (New Orleans food!)
if you want to get into more detail and see restaurants online, check back because we pretty much know most of them!
Enjoy!

Glad you had a good trip.
We stayed at the Claremont for our honeymoon many moons ago.