Whoa. That was easy. I sthought there would be fingerprints, potential frisking and at least 5…read morepieces of paperwork. BUT it was actually pretty Painless. I walked into their office, entered my SSN at one of the free-standing kiosks, and sat down to wait for what I thought would be a stressful experience. (I was prepared to beg.) I lost my social security card in my early twenties, and I have operated without it for the last decade because I'm a terrible adult. I expect that this office has the potential to be very stressful for anyone who ISN'T just applying for a replacement card - at least it seemed that way. But my visit was over and done with in less than an hour, and my card showed up about 4 days after my appointment. This was my most casual encounter with the federal government. Possibly ever. A+ for everyone.

The lady at the Alameda County branch canceled my sons survivor benefits despite him still being a…read morestudent. She and her supervisor were biased against him because he homeschooled and did not do the state testing, which by law is not required. Representative Barbara Lee and HSDLA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) advocated for him. It took nearly a year for SS to respond and pay what is my sons benefits by law. This ignorant biased decision by these two SS reps in te Oakland office created unexpected for stress for the last year. Because we didn't plan for this huge loss in our income, we struggled and stressed. Lots of tears: Thank you to Barbara Lee and her intern Lily and HSDLA!

It's understandable that the EDD Office will always be busy, but it's frustrating when you can…read morenever get through by phone; no matter if you call very first thing in the morning, throughout the day or towards the end of the day. You will always hear, "we reached our max number of callers." After striking out every single time, I decided to head down to the nearest office-located at Oakland. When I got there around 11am, a sign was up that they gave out the max number of tickets and no more tickets would be given to ensure they could see everyone. Okay, I probably should've gone first thing in the morning or earlier than opening because a man told me he showed up at 8am and still had not been seen. The security guard also stated try showing up around 7-730am because lines form every day. I was told show up early, the office will start numbers at 8am, but the office isn't open until 9am. I don't know about the hours information I was told, but I appreciated the helpful guidance as this is the first time really going through this whole experience. It would be nice if EDD had a better notification system they could publish so people traveling a ways away would know whether to visit or come a different day. What would also be helpful or something to consider, would be expanding telephone hours. I understand this is a State job, but the public demands are big so finding ways to maximize customer service would be nice; thinking outside the box would be good. It would/could also open up telework opportunities and provide employees with different work shifts that may be a better fit for them-which can boost job satisfaction. With that said, Oakland Office was a bust for me. However, I recalled another review I read about someone's not so good experience and how they left Oakland's Office and went to San Francisco's Office. The people in SF were very nice. You have to sign in when you first get there with security and then take the elevator up to the 3rd Floor. You get your ticket and wait. The office was slightly bigger, no need for security on that floor, the employees all had good customer service (you can hear them when they speak with people) and the average wait time was reasonable-definitely no more than an hour considering the type of service offered. My time there was less than an hour; in & out. I have to mention, I showed up there closer to 2pm and numbers were still being given out-no "we can't service anyone else today." The only downside is parking can be a challenge, but that's SF for you. Pay attention to the street signs to make sure you can park. Other than that, I believe you will have better luck and experience at the SF Office if you can't make it to the Oakland Office pretty early! Also, last tip; remember the email you used from your very first claim-even if it was 10 years ago. Any claims after that and your identity verification will be tied to that email. You will need to go into an office to change it or try your luck to get through Online Support to have it changed. However, once the change request is submitted, switching your email is an easy process, with them doing it on the back end. Once converted they will email you with a link and you may need to reset your password. I must note, I didn't get the opportunity to truly see the customer service from the Oakland Office; I'm sure it would've been fine-they're here to help. I just know it's already challenging to be on unemployment or disability, and I wish you all luck-you will need to stay committed to getting through if you need assistance. Last thought: It would be nice to get an overhaul of the EDD system, just like DMV did many years ago. Learning the needs of the many and how to streamline the system & process would be beneficial. Please note, I'm not knocking it or the Oakland Office, but just sharing my experience with you! If the Oakland location doesn't work out for you, try the SF Office.

I surprisingly find myself applying for CA Disability Insurance. The process was complicated and…read moreconfusing for me. Calling EDD is an exercise in futility. I showed up this morning without an appointment. I simple self-check in, a short wait, and I was helped by a very kind Asian woman. She took her time and researched my claim, explained to me the process, and even told me I would I had a shorter waiting period. Today is a great day!

I have a small business and taxes intimidate me. Hard to reach them by phone. So I made an…read moreappointment to go in. Bruno was out expert. He puzzled out the issue quickly. He explained everything in detail and so I could understand. Even helped with my corporate tax issues. What a relief. Bruno is my new hero. Smart, easy going, efficient. I actually enjoyed my visit and no longer fear dealing with taxes. Thanks Bruno. You Rock!!!

This is the worst location ever. I literally made an appointment over the phone to come in and get…read morehelp in person. Instead of talking to the AI operator. The ladys that Work at this location are all super ghetto and unprofessional. They don't let You Speak at all and they keep cutting me off and Talking over over and over and over Again she wouldn't even Let me explain to her. My situation of What happened to me. She kept telling me to shut up and to not talk over her. I kept letting her talk over me out of respect just to try to fix the solution and she didn't even bother to fix the solution at All. She was super ghetto and unprofessional, keeps smackin her lips, and I'm applying Make up while helping me out. I hope she gets fire and they hire new professional people please stop hiring ghetto workers that don't know What they're doing and that don't have respect for customers. Literally I came to get Help, and I left worse than ever. She had me crying in tears of the way that she yelled at me and just wouldn't allow me to explain the situation of the fraud that happened to me. She said fraud is not true, but I am wrong. When clearly somebody from the IRS called me and it was brought. They claimed they was IRS and it wasn't and they start asking me for money. She just wouldn't help me out at all. If the manager of the Company sees this, just Know You Got some disgusting workers working for your Company.

Alameda is so cool. Everyone I've ever met who lives here always says it's a great place to live,…read moreand everyone I've ever met who used to live here say they miss something or other about life on the island. And what an island it is. Except that it's technically three islands, or portions thereof: Alameda Island, Coast Guard Island, and Bay Farm Island. And I was lying again, because as far as I can tell, Bay Farm Island is not an island. It may have been an island at one time, but it's now more of a peninsula connected to Oakland; it also includes Oakland International Airport or whatever its dumb name is now. And the other fun fact is that the very southwestern tip of Alameda Island is technically part of San Francisco. That's right; when they were drawing up San Francisco's crazy borders, which unlike other Bay Area cities' borders often include all kinds of water nowhere near the land portion of San Francisco, they drew this diagonal line that happened to clip the corner of Alameda Island. That's why San Francisco voting returns always include zero votes for East Bay candidates--it's technically possible that someone could live on that corner and be eligible to vote in San Francisco, but it has never happened. The City of Alameda is so strange and weird and magical and wonderful and fake and real and beautiful and safe and salty and many other adjectives. There's the museum aircraft carrier USS Hornet and all these weird industrial experiments going on on the western end of the island, where the naval air station used to be. And there are all these new homes being developed close by. Then there are the lovely old homes on the island, and the coolest part might be the eastern end of the island south of the High Street Bridge, because these just feel like regular only 1950s and '60s neighborhoods, and then you happen upon Eastshore Drive, and the backyards of very normal-looking suburban houses happen to abut the bay! You already know about the tunnels and the Pacific Pinball Museum--a must visit--from my other reviews. Or you should. go read and click on them. Plus there are some great restaurants out here. And Coast Guard Island is funny; it's part of the City of Alameda, but its only connection to land is to Oakland itself. In order to get to the rest of Alameda, you either have to drive through Oakland to one of the tubes or to Bay Farm Island, or you have to get across narrow Brooklyn Basin somehow. Preferably by boat, I would say, but swimming and helicoptering would work just fine too. Oh, and those weird lagoons are perfectly strange. I didn't know what they were for, and I was annoyed that only the people who owned property near them could use them recreationally, but then I learned that they are partially used for storm drainage retention and water treatment, so those people playing in them probably shouldn't be! How perfect.

Another review that I have held off on... Am I being selfish?…read more Quality/Quantity - Alameda is an island in the Bay Area. A hidden treasure. DON'T let anyone know! One of the safest communities in the bay. 23 square miles, 12.5 square miles of which is water. 78k+ population - Although they are continuing to build aggressively on the ex-naval base. The best part of the island is that there is only XXXX amount of land so it can hopefully NOT get over crowded. Atmosphere - Beaches - Alameda Beach, Crab Cove, Crown, Encinal, etc. Water sports - Kayak, kite surfing, swimming, jet skiing, boating, etc. Harbor Bay, parks, lagoons, trails, volleyball, tennis, skate parks, dog parks, marinas, cycling, etc. Ex-navy base (1997) - Spirit Alley - Distilleries, breweries, wineries, etc. Too many to name! Annual events - Farmer's markets, fairs, festivals, parades, Blue Angels, etc. Museums, art & culture, etc. Beautiful Victorian homes. Amazing views of SF. 3 bridges and tunnels to get on and off of the island. Near Oakland, SF, Coast Guard Island, etc. Service - Ferries - To SF, Oakland, etc. One of the best ways to travel. Price - Affordable. They have inexpensive and expensive options. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1853.

Gorgeous place to relax and rest taking the environment or just get away from the busyness. Highly…read morerecommend if you can get here it's not a spot that you can walk to often if at all so I guess the only downside is that you would need transportation other than that highly recommend this space,enjoy!

The Port of Oakland is the most important container shipping port on the West Coast. Los Angeles…read moreand Long Beach are bigger, but without the Port of Oakland the nation's economy would suffer dearly. The Port of Oakland was home to the very first containerized shipping terminal on the west coast of the United States. The Port of Oakland is highly visible. From the San francisco-oakland Bay Bridge Trail you have an amazing view of the Oakland outer harbor. From the middle harbor Park, formerly the Oakland naval supply Center in Oakland army base, you have an amazing view of the entrance to the Oakland inner harbor. What used to be the Oakland middle harbor he is now a marine habitat. From the gravel parking lot adjacent to the former naval Air Station in Alameda, you can sit and watch container ships which are larger than skyscrapers maneuver into position alongside the dock. The main office is for the Port of Oakland are in a surprisingly nondescript building at Jack London square. If you get a chance, peer into their downstairs conference room and you'll see an interesting model vehicle which is a composite I'm an airplane and a container ship. And did I mention, the Port of Oakland is also the Oakland International airport. Those of us who live in the San Francisco Bay Area, especially the East Bay, deal day today with the horrible traffic on interstate 880. Much of it is created by 80 foot shipping containers on the back of semi tractor-trailers. These container trucks tear apart the highway, contribute to noise pollution, and are frankly ugly to look at. But these trucks, and the Port of Oakland, keep our nation running.

Mostly I am just posting to combat the ridiculous commentary about this library that is dropping…read moreits rating. It is small and old school. It is what it is... and that is fine. It doesn't need to have a huge catalog. When I go there, I'm not looking for something specific. I see what finds me. I quit streaming movies a few months ago. Every time I pop in on my early evening walk they have something interesting on disc. Same with books. I've been introduced to a ton of interesting stuff by being restricted in my choice. To me, that's a good thing. If you need something specific you can head over to the main branch. And comments on it being "old and musty" -- omg, I'm not even going to comment on that. I'm grateful to have this branch in my neighborhood!

All Alameda Library branches are run like loud social clubs by staff. I have never been in a…read morelouder library in my life. It needs a separate building for the children's library, like they used to have in the brown shingle building next to the original Carnegie library. Plus, the visitors are often loud and the library staff make no effort to keep them quiet. Truly, the worst reading environment I've ever known, unlike almost all other libraries I've visited.

Early this morning I woke up to a power outage. After trying the circuits, I realized it wasn't…read morejust my residence that was affected, but a whole part of my block was dark. I went to look for AMP's number to give them a call to find out what was going on. I was pleasantly surprised to see they had already posted a status update on their website, letting us know what was happening - a transformer needing replacement - and when we could expect the power to return. AMP trucks arrived on the scene shortly thereafter, and as promised, power was restored within a few hours. This was one of only a small handful of outages I've experienced over many years of living in the area; in contrast, I have friends whose power is supplied by the awful PG&E, who tell me outages with them are an all-too-frequent occurrence. Thank you for the quick resolution today, AMP, and for not keeping us in the dark, literally or figuratively, har-har. P.S. The business photo on this page is hilarious - thank you Scott H.

I think AMP is great! I just had a wonderful exchange with Wayne Gee. All my interactions with…read moremunicipal power have been SO MUCH BETTER THAN WITH PG&E, which keeps jacking up it's prices so that we pay for the lawsuit they lost. AND they keep reporting crazy high record earnings! It's criminal. I'll take AMP any day, thank you.

Stopped in today to dropoff some old batteries for recycling and donate some books to the "Friends…read moreof the Library" used bookstore. Battery recycling is located in the same alcove as the self-service print/scan/fax station (next to the info/checkout desk). Be careful and follow instructions to wrap batteries separately/individually in plastic before dropping them off. Surprisingly the library also has a Kilowatt usage measuring device that you can checkout/rent to understand and see electricity usage for devices/home goods/etc. The cafe in the back (which carries limited snacks and drinks) has plenty of indoor and patio seating. The "Friends of the Library" self-service book sales shelf (honor system) is in the far corner of the same cafe. Their regular bookstore/donation center is next to the restrooms on your right as you enter.

Free parking and street parking Next to Park street but…read morewell insulated so you won't hear the noise from outside Next to the APD as well, can't feel any safer Well lit, high ceiling, clean flat flooring and some sections are carpeted, outdoor seating and a cafe inside Restrooms are clean, private rooms for meetings and studying Can't say anything bad, been coming here for years

I love this little house. Its beautiful but small. The owner who designed it did so to piss off…read morecity officials. Big houses are overrated. Big kitchens too. I usually split my time between two uncomfortably large homes - one an American Foursquare, the other a Victorian in the artist enclave of Jingletown. They are both large enough that I spend countless minutes every day wandering looking for where I left my coffee cup or Phillips head screwdriver. Modern American-style farm kitchens have the same design flaw of being needlessly large for no reason with function of being able to cook efficiently low on the priority list. Cabinets and counter space is on the perimeter and a big annoying table in the center that is a hindrance in every move you want to make. You dodge the table numerous times in order to do almost anything. I think I would love this little spite house. I imagine the interior to be cozy and intimate with thoughtful time appropriate details throughout. Tiny houses are all the rage these days - I think they had it right when they built this one.... plus I bet it wouldn't be so difficult to heat in the winter either.

At the turn of the 20th Century, the city of Alameda, CA took a large portion of Charles Froling's…read moreland to build a street. Froling had planned to build a house on this plot of land which he had inherited. To spite the city and an unsympathetic neighbor, he built his house 10 feet deep, 54 feet long and 20 feet high on the tiny strip of land left to him. This the name, The Spite House. This is a regular tourist stop to marvel at and a fun subject to photograph and talk about.

Went to drop off my ballot at the Alameda County Courthouse drop box. The Registrar of Voters set…read moreup a couple of drive up ballot drop off stations at 13th St. and Fallon. They were ready, PPP and tongs. No doubt they anticipate a rush but also given the FAKE ballot boxes put up by the GOP motherfuckers, this is added security. Nicely done. Give them credit for doing an excellent job and protecting democracy.

The Registrar of Voters has got the right message for a government entity: they train their…read moretemporary election workers that the objective is for the voters to have a positive experience! Obviously also, the Registrar insists upon an honest election conducted within the laws allowing all qualified voters to cast their secret ballot, and also the Registrar seeks to give the taxpayers value for their money. In increasingly many ways, the Registrar puts advancing technology to work delivering cost effective services.