I enrolled two kids (ages 8 and 11) in the Sk8gym summer camp program the week of July 20th. The…read moreteenage instructors were great with the kids, but the camp leadership and overall management tone made for a negative experience. Throughout the week, both of the kids reported a that instructor/owner was frequently shouting and harshly reprimanding young campers and the teenage instructors. During the final session, when the 11-year-old specifically asked the instructor/owner for guidance on how to ollie, instead of receiving coaching, he was told he could never learn the trick because of how he pushed on the skateboard. This left him in tears. Mind this is a camp to teach kids how to skate - of course they are not experts. When I contacted management directly to raise concerns about how the situation was handled, they refused to offer any accountability and instead placed the blame back on the child. While the staff on the ground are doing their best, I cannot recommend this camp due to management's unsupportive and harsh approach. Learning to skateboard should be a fun and welcoming atmosphere. This was not that.

The SK8 GYM owners(?) were quite helpful while I was thinking about taking a lesson. But once I…read morepaid and couldn't go, they all but refused to give me a refund. (Without going into detail, the reason was their fault, not mine.) As other reviews suggested, the owners delayed responding, blamed me, threatened me with a fee for the refund.... By the way, there's no way to contact an actual human being in "real time" -- no phone, no chat, just an email. The instructor who gave the lesson was good, very encouraging and clearly a great instructor. If I could rate the instructor alone, I would give a 5-star review. However, the overall experience really soured me to going back... ever. I'll go to the Church of 8 Wheels from here forward.

Defremery Park is deep into the inner city, it's the best maintained, relatively, of the bests i've…read morevisited. the amenities are the skate park, children's playground, the large green area, baseball, tennis , bbq areas, and the historical building on site. the park also denotes the "oak center historical district" mentioning the historical buildings nearby. it's also a frequent gathering place for community events given it's large space.

I come here about once a week for an outdoor skate season. The setup is nice and the skate park is…read morekept very clean. They also have an area for baseball, tennis, and a good old fashioned BBQ. I also love that Defremery Park does a lot to pour into the community (feeding the homeless, summer lunch programs for the kids, etc).

I have been a member since ~2018. I love this club because it is gigantic and it is almost…read moreliterally across the street from my warehouse loft. If you go to the Crunch Gym in Alameda and then the Bladium -- you'll have a new appreciation for space and room to breathe. The remodeled men's locker room is cool -- most importantly -- it is clean and does not stink. I only use the facility for cardio and free weights. The machines and free weights are probably 30+ years old (seriously), but they work and I like the old school steel plates. The entire facility has been under construction and it looks like they're going to make the facility like something on par with the NFL Combine's fitness facilities. I learned during the pandemic that new weights and weight machines cost a fortune, but I'm hopeful they will update the equipment. Most importantly, I hope they extend the hours of operation on the weekends. Indeed, their hours of operation should be 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. (minimum) every day. Oh, there is always free/available parking and the gym manager is extremely responsive/professional. Bottom line: this gym has the space and location to become the best fitness facility on the East Bay -- but they must extend their hours and spend a small fortune on new weights/weight machines. The images I have included with this review are dated, but they give you a good idea of the size of this place and show the degree to which they are re-doing the place!

I grew up playing at The Bladium since I was 4 years old with lil kickers. I played with the Bay…read moreOaks and SJND for indoor footie and played with my AAU basketball team in this facility. So many memories, like winning a state championship and rock climbing with my friends. The Bladium was an experience: to drink, to play sports, to work out, to have fun. I recently came back after finishing college, just to find the main football field and a majority of the weight room gone to pickleball. At first, I did not mind, however, it feels like the only people who come in are pickleball players. Its sad to see my friend's old family business being made into a pickleball center. Even the new company's logo shows where their priority is at. Heartbreaking to see. I will always remember the sounds the floorboards made.

Never disappointed with a visit to Jean Sweeney Park. Our daughter enjoys the various play areas as…read moreshe navigates between the different areas, existing in some spaces longer than others. After parking, if you can find a spot, the first play area includes a trampoline, climbing structure, a wide metal slide and an oversized musical chime. To the right, a spacious mesh swing spins with kids constantly filling and spinning it. Directly in front is an ample sand area with a brick barrier surrounding it. To the left are three picnic tables. In front of the sand area is the smaller kids play area which is directly next to the restrooms and water fountain. To the left of the little play area is the zip line. When you go further in to the park, there is a covered area with lots of picnic tables and seating grouped together, more benches and lots of grass to play and explore further. There are paths to ride bikes, scooters, roller blades and skateboards. During warmer weather this park is packed. When we visited, following a prior event, there were already lots of kids on a gray, windy, overcast day. This park is spacious on the interior but parking on the exterior is limited. The parking lot is minimal for the amount of space to explore, which is awesome but makes it difficult to navigate up close parking. Street parking is not really existent unless you enter on the opposite end of the park.

Great park! First time there and my 4.5 yr old daughter loves it. Clean and big playground. Has a…read moretrail to walk around and if you have your doggy, great trail to walk around. Downside to this park, small parking lot!

This is the absolute minimum you can ask for with a dog park. The only good thing about it is…read morethere seems to be a strong sense of community with owners bringing bags, balls, chuckers and posting notes around. The park itself is relatively small with mostly concrete and nasty dirt. Due to the location you get quite a few low dollar dog walkers who bring 10+ dogs who they have zero control over and let them run wild instead of actually walking them. Also it seems a percentage of visitors do not clean up after their pets which makes it even more disgusting for everyone else. The upside is the central location, proximity to a real park with kiddie equipment, picnic areas and grass and the fact that it is completely shaded by the BART tracks.

My friend refers to this as Vagina Park and it seemed like the dog's bollocks when I moved into the…read moreneighborhood recently. Plenty of space for my vicious chihuahua/min-pin mix to run around not retrieving his mini-chuckit and not socializing with the other pups. There's a disproportionate amount of pit bulls at this park, but I've never seen one act inappropriately - even when my little asshat started snipping at one. Yep, I'm the d-bag who brings his tiny dog into the big dog area to play. He's really a pit at heart, he just missed the memo on his minute stature. Despite the area (which is run down and kinda dirty - watch your step), this park is usually pretty clean and the dog run areas are decently maintained. I ended up with shit shoes way more often at the park in downtown Berkeley. I stopped taking my dog to Grover Shafter because he kept picking up fleas like nobody's business and it was driving me nucking futs dealing with those bouncing bastards. No more vagina park, no more fleas. Hmmm. The basketball courts are in good repair and the illicit dealings seem nil or well disguised as friendly embraces. Were I going back to this park, I wouldn't go at night without my vicious ankle-biter and an invisibility cloak to throw on in a pinch.

A true hot girl walk…read more A sweet coastline beginner friendly trail. I love that there are paved and dirt path options that make me feel like a real adventurer (without the rigor). There's not a lot of shade here, so I come when I want to sunbathe with my walk. There's a small community feel. Folks tend to be friendly, often smiling or stopping for a chat. Watch out for the baby squirrels during the spring! I think it takes a while for their instincts to kick in...

Shoreline park is a beautiful walking path and a green belt on Harbor Bay Isle. It's about 6 miles…read morelong and runs into the Harbor Bay ferry. There is a gravel path and cement path for cyclists. On any giving day you can find people walking their dogs, relaxing and watching the beautiful bay and enjoying sunsets. There are several benches throughout the path and they also have restrooms and plenty of trash receptacles. In some sections, they even have picnic tables and barbecue pits. One area also has an outlook and sandbox for children to play in. While out enjoying the path, you can guarantee you will find some beautiful wildlife, and a lot of pictures are taken by photographers and people just blown away by the beautiful view of San Francisco. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a clean, beautiful and romantic path.

Fantastic beach for younger kids, and a great option for East Bay residents who aren't up for the…read moretrek into the city or the even longer drive to Santa Cruz. The beach is clean and has useful amenities, including outdoor showers, picnic tables, and restrooms. I haven't actually used the restrooms, so I can't speak to their condition, but I can say I've never noticed trash on the beach, even on busy days. The crowd is generally respectful, which goes a long way. The downside is that the water isn't exactly pristine by appearance, smell, or feel...but you can't have everything. My favorite thing about this beach, aside from the fact that the water isn't freezing, is how shallow it stays. I can wade out with my kid what feels like half a mile and still not feel like we're anywhere close to being too far from shore. P.S. Do NOT forget to pay for parking if you're in the lot. It's yellow, located at the far end, the fee is 5 dollars and it's easy to miss. Also, they don't accept Discover debit.

I absolutely loved cycling along Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach. One of the best features is…read morethe dedicated two-way bike lane along Shore Line Drive. The lane is clearly marked in green and separated with protective barriers, which made me feel safe and comfortable throughout the ride. It's mostly flat, well-paved, and perfect for cyclists of all skill levels. I'm not exactly sure of the distance, but it felt like about 2.5 miles each way, or roughly 5 miles round trip along the beach. The weather was beautiful on a Sunday afternoon, and it was wonderful seeing families, beachgoers, walkers, runners, and fellow cyclists all enjoying the shoreline. There are multiple beach access points, volleyball courts, and plenty of spots to stop and take in the beautiful bay views. One thing to note for dog owners: dogs are not permitted on the beach itself. However, you can still enjoy the area with your pup by walking along the adjacent sidewalk and pathway next to the sandy beach. It's a great way to take in the scenery while following the park rules. The riders I encountered were respectful, and the overall atmosphere was welcoming and relaxing. If you're looking for a safe, scenic, and enjoyable ride in Alameda, I highly recommend this route. Whether you're cycling, walking, running, or simply enjoying a day by the water, this is a fantastic place to spend time outdoors. Cheers!

Best I've ever skated. As a Martial Arts Instructor I know how helpful private lessons can be. We…read morejust don't know the next step sometimes and it can take a long time before we blindly stumble upon the answer. It is so helpful to have someone like Bfree, who has a ton of skill and experience, that can show you that next step. BFree is an amazing teacher. He is encouraging, enriching, and enhancing. As the session went on I developed more and more confidence and entered into that place were I was Savoring my grinds and feeling that flow when creating a line instead of being in the place where I'm nervous and worried that I might fall, I realized I forgot to really enjoy my experience. I love rollerblading, and Bfree showed me how to love it more. In one session the way I approach and land tricks, and the way I think about rollerblading at all has completely transformed. I'm definitely going to be a longtime student of Bfree. If you are looking to enjoy rollerblading more and also progress in your skill level, or want to develop more confidence, courage, and clarity in your rollerblading, BFree is your man. I also want to comment on the guy's character. One of the main reasons I signed up for a private lesson with Bfree was because I liked what he was doing in his community and for the rollerblading community as a whole. In BFree Blading Academy First Friday in Oakland video I saw, you could really see a genuine kindness in the guy. He is exactly like that in person. It makes me really happy knowing that the money I spend on private lessons with Bfree is going towards supporting a family man, towards benefiting the Oakland community, and towards benefiting the Rollerblading community as a whole and putting wheels under more people's feet. It's a huge accelerator honestly. After our session I honestly felt like a walked away 100 times better. On flat, on vert, on coping, on ledges, on rails... Just better at rollerblading in every way possible. He's teaching style is on point too. It was exactly everything I was hoping it would be. Rollerblading is fun. Do it. #letsgetitforever

Just had my first skate lesson. Brian met me at a skate park by my house in Oakland. I'm a beginner…read moreand he made it really easy for me to understand the basics, like STOPPING". The lesson was customized for my needs which was really helpful considering how clumsy I am. Brian was very patient and helpful. I'm going to sign my 3yr old up for classes too! Soon we will be able to skate around the lake and Golden Gate Park

a review from @amom2kidsandapark…read more Grab your swords and eye patches. This ship-inspired playground is perfect for your little swashbuckler. With open grass fields, two playgrounds, softball fields and basketball courts you're sure to have a good time. The bigger playground, as mentioned is shaped like a ship! There are two slides (double and spiral), stairs, a ladder, pirate activities (I loved the treasure maze!), and crawl through holes. In this play area, there is a swing set with bucket and standard swings and a water spigot/water play feature(it was off). Most of this play area is sand but under the play structure and the bucket swings is the soft rubber. My kids like to take their shoes off in sandboxes but since this sand was more like small rocks with some small branches and leaves mixed in I tried to make sure their shoes stayed on (but if you check out the bottom corner of the second photo you'll see some little shoeless footies.... She survived). The second w area is completely gated and designed more for younger kids/toddlers. The flooring is completely soft rubber. The structure is short and has steps, ladders, a bridge, two slides (double and sidewinder), and activities. Other fun elements of this gated play area include a climbing boulder, a spinning cup, a covered snacking bench, and community-given toys. There are benches and picnic tables inside the gate. There are no bathrooms and street parking could be tricky. Sometimes you'll see "campers" at this park but they tend to stick to their people. The small incident we encountered was redirected by the camper's friend. That's what friends are for right?

Tennis, basketball, play structure and large fields. Great park that on the surface has it all…read more.. but dig a bit deer and its just a ok. I think this whole park needs a scrub down with some warm soapy water. Its fine but it doesn't really shine. In the heart of downtown - i think its best for a little walk during lunch hour if you work at the nearby businesses - maybe Kaiser. Needs a refresh. Some new energy. A feng shui master.

Date: 10/1/2016 Time: 12:37 PM 63° Partly sunny…read more I have been to this park for at least three picnics in the past; twice with my classmates from Oakland Tech and once with the alumnus from McClymonds aka Mack. Well, some of the people thought I was lost and wondered why would a Chinese woman attend a picnic which was predominantly African-American. I mentioned who invited me and that I was also a 6th grade classmate to a guy (CO'70) who was on their football team. Thereafter, it was cool. (Hey, I am friendly, I don't bite even though I am a Lady Bulldog from Tech. I got a few laughs.) DeFremery Recreation Center is a Victorian style building in DeFremery Park, which is located in the heart of West Oakland on 16th & Adeline. It is a very spacious park (9.5 acres) with plenty of picnic areas, shade trees and a swimming pool. Other features include tennis courts, basketball courts, softball field and a skate park. The center itself offers a variety of activities (cultural, educational and recreational) to teens and youths. They also have African-American dance programs and day camp during the summer. Although there was another event in Oakland's Dimond District (Oaktoberfest) occurring at the same time, my husband and I could not be at two different venues at the same time. Since I don't drink beers, ales, brews, etc., we decided to head over to Defremery for a cultural festival. Purpose of my visit: The Oakland Black Cowboys Association held its 42nd annual parade and festival. We arrived late and missed the parade. However, we lucked out and found street parking next to the park. There was no driving around the blocks to find parking. I later found out somewhere in the park there was a parking lot. The park was filled with a few food and clothing vendors, information booths from different organizations and my favorite - the American Black Beauty Doll Artists. The organizer of the Festival of Black Dolls Show and Sale gave me the 411 as to when to look forward to the event. Stage was also set up for music and live entertainment. Eats: Oxtail with red beans & rice, greens and cornbread. For $12, the portion was generous and quite filling. The meal was enough to feed two people. Purchase: two cowboy hats and two T-shirts from the Oakland Black Cowboys Association. Fun time for families with children. I know one thing, my husband and I will mark the calendar on the first Saturday of October for a visit to DeFremery Park.

Park has parking around the whole perimeter and a small parking lot next to the main blue Victorian…read morehouse. There is plenty of space to set up a picnic, throw an outdoor gathering (BBQ, Birthday, etc). Some shaded areas within the park. There is an open basketball court as well.