Alameda

Understand

Alameda has a consciousness of its history. It was founded as a Spanish settlement and then became a Mexican one. Many of the streets and neighborhoods have names dating back to the 19th century. There are a great many large Victorian houses throughout the town, including the original Alameda Library, Alameda City Hall, the Elks Lodge, and most particularly Historic Alameda High School. A few of the streets have been restored to Victorian grandeur, notably the shopping districts of Park Street and Webster Street. Once one of many of its kind, the Alameda Naval Air Station was decommissioned in 1997, and has since been the site of a few film and TV productions, in its present form, Alameda Point. Around the Christmas season, the residents of Thompson Street participate in lighting up the whole city block, houses and trees alike. The city is home to a single theater, the classic Art Deco Alameda Theatre, built in 1932, renovated and expanded in 2008. South of the main island is Bay Farm Island, a mostly-residential and markedly suburban district bordering Oakland International Airport.

Climate

Tourist information

Alameda visitors information

Get in

By plane

Oakland International Airport (OAK) is a close neighbor to Alameda. The traveller's best bet for getting into town is by public transit (AC Transit Line 21). The easiest way for your money is likely to be a taxi, though the major (read: spendier) hotels of Oakland and Alameda offer free shuttle service to and from the airport.

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. exit is easiest, and the exits leading to the island city are all clearly marked.

By ferry

The San Francisco Bay Ferry provides service from several points on both sides of the Bay. There are three terminals in Alameda:

• Main Street on the northwest side of the main island - primarily has service during the middle of the day on weekdays, as well as all day on weekends.
• Alameda Seaplane on the west side of the main island - used for morning and evening commuting.
• Harbor Bay on Bay Farm Island - only used for rush hour commuting

Alameda runs the free Alameda-Oakland Water Shuttle, connecting Jack London Square and Alameda Tuesday-Sunday.

By train

Amtrak does not service Alameda directly, but four of its train routes arrive at two nearby stations.

• Capitol Corridor San Jose to Auburn via Sacramento). The route also includes a stop at the Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtrak station, adjacent to the Oakland Coliseum BART station. The Oakland Coliseum/Airport Amtrak station has no station agents. Passengers may board the train and buy the tickets from the conductor at no surcharge.
• Coast Starlight Seattle to Los Angeles
• Gold Runner Oakland to Bakersfield, California

Passengers riding the Capitol Corridor, Gold Runner, and Coast Starlight trains should arrive at the Oakland Jack London Station (OKJ) at Alice and 2nd St. The station is just east of Jack London Square. Capitol Corridor conductors provide two free bus passes upon request. Getting to Alameda by bus requires one transfer. Pick up AC Transit Line 12 at its terminal on Alice, across the street from Amtrak. The bus may wait at this stop for several minutes before departing. Ride the 12 to the 7th and Broadway stop. From that stop, walk back along Broadway, cross 7th, and go with the flow of traffic to the bus stop at 7th and Franklin (less than one block). From this stop, four lines serve Alameda: Line 19, Line 20, Line 51A, and Line 96.

• California Zephyr Emeryville to Chicago via Sacramento. Reachable by a bus ride via both AC Transit and the Emery-Go-Round.

Passengers riding the California Zephyr train should arrive at the Emeryville Station (EMY)—the train's western terminal. Getting to Alameda by bus requires one transfer. From the train, walk through the station, veer left, and continue two blocks along 59th St. to Hollis St. At the bus stop just to the right of this intersection, pick up AC Transit Line 29. Ride the 29 to the 11th and Broadway stop. Wait at this same stop for either Line 19 or Line 20. For Line 51A or Line 96, turn right on Broadway and walk one and a half blocks to the Broadway and 9th stop.

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 sidewalks, or using the water shuttle. The 10-minute ferry runs from Jack London Square in Oakland, and it allows bikes to be taken on board.

Get around

By car

Alameda is an island, and as such it's difficult to get truly lost if you have your basic bearings. The island is bordered on the north by the Oakland estuary and to the south by the San Francisco bay. The west end of the island is taken up by Alameda Point, the site of the former Naval Air Station. At the southeast end, you'll find a bridge to Bay Farm Island.

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. There are also a couple of rush hour shuttles from Webster St. commercial area to Jack London Square/Lake Merritt BART area.

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. Alameda is very bike friendly, with parking near most businesses.

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.

Go next

San Leandro is across the bay by using California State Route 61, there are plenty of shorelines and beaches here, as well as malls, hotels and worldwide industries (including Otis Spunkmeyer's and Ghirardelli's worldwide headquarters)