Thank you Temescal Beach House & the lovely attendant Michelle Williams for making our experience…read moreamazing. We will cherish these memories forever

This venue was perfect for what we wanted! We wanted a small wedding of 50 guests and I was looking…read morefor a place with some scenery and not just a boring hall that needed a lot to look beautiful. We were on a small budget so we also needed something at a reasonable price. This place hit all that and more. All of our guests loved the venue and it helped that it was a beautiful sunny day. The garden area made for a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony and great for photos. The lake was beautiful with all the ducks swimming around. I loved everything about this venue and definitely recommend it if you are having a small wedding.

Attended the Edgar Allan Poe Speakeasy event this past weekend and thought the venue worked…read moreperfectly for this theatrical experience. Though the outside does not look like much, the inside of the ballroom is characterized by ornate patterns on the walls and around the stage, and unique light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. Not a whole lot to be impressed by, as it still looks quite plain and simple overall, sort of like an ordinary conference room. But I guess that's what makes Oakstop special, that it's multi-use. It was fitting for the event I attended, and they set up the seating, decor and lighting just fine. It wouldn't be my first choice for a wedding or other celebratory event though.

Had yet another fantastic offsite- this time for my OBGYN chiefs and managers- at the newly…read morerenovated California Ballroom. The space is super charming - it has a simultaneously old and new style, which makes it classically modern. It's like you are going to see some grand theatrical performance upon entering. There is new carpeting, teardrop hanging lights, modern bathrooms, bar counter, small private room for calls or soon to be lactation, and a brand new cozy and stylish extra meeting room in the back! The A/V works well, although there is some minor acoustic issues for people in the back. I think the speaker just needed to use the mic better, however. Our event was an end of year meeting/ celebration for all of the 2019 accomplishments and we did a Grammy-style award show at the end- the stage came in handy for this! Working with Paul to secure the venue was great- he's very organized and detailed. Everything you discuss is in the contract and he's very amenable to any changes and responsive to the many questions I ping ponged to him. Appreciated his patience and coordination very much! Lots of kudos to the day of coordinator, Meghan, who was the wind beneath my wings during my event. She assisted with everything at every request, whether it was new batteries for the mic, ensuring the caterers were able to get in, or just reassuring me when I was acutely stressed. She's the best! Definitely recommend California Ballroom for your next event! Just email Paul at info@californiaballroom.com for more info!

I first visited the Albert H. DeWitt Officers' Club 4-5 years ago when the County of Alameda hosted…read morea Combined Charities kick-off breakfast there. I remember being really impressed with the beautiful interior - dark wood and the chandeliers and booths in the main dining room. When my then fiance and I started looking for venues in April 2022, we really had no idea what to expect. Katherine Sirota with Alameda's Recreation and Parks Department (ARPD) quickly let us know their availability for the remainder of 2022 and early 2023 since you can book up to a year in advance. We opted for the first long weekend in 2023 - the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend and went ahead and paid the deposit. This place is quite popular for events and I definitely encourage brides to get in touch with staff sooner rather than later to secure their date. ARPD provides really comprehensive documentation to walk you through the planning process including individual room layouts depending on which rooms you book (the Lobby and Main Hallway are included). The Lobby area was perfect for the photobooth we ended up renting, some extra seating for guests who wanted to sit for a bit, and the welcome table. The Main Hallway was great for setting up chafing dishes for buffet service. We also ended up booking the Trident Room for cocktail hour (perfect for our 150ish guests) and they have a portable bar and cocktail tables for use. The Main Dining Room was perfect for dinner and our 18 tables fit quite comfortable with extra room for a fully clear dance floor, coffee and tea station, and boba and dessert tables. There are some limitations when it comes to the kind of decor - no sparklers, no candles/flames, no fog machines, etc., but the venue is honestly beautiful enough without needing too much to dress it up. The venue was also really flexible when it came to all the vendors we used - Cousins Maine Lobster out on the patio, Noodle Belly on the interior, So Good Photobooth, etc. which really helped us cut costs. Lastly, on the day-of, they have an attendant there at 11 am until midnight. It was great because we got to drop things off in the morning so that the waitstaff could set-up before our afternoon cocktail hour and evening dinner. I realize some people may feel more comfortable dropping off and setting up well in advance, but I think the option to do so may only be for Saturday events (our wedding was a Sunday). When it came time to do the walkthrough at the end of the event, the attendant was really thorough and quick. We ended up just needing to clear out a few extra garbage bins but were otherwise told we'd get our deposit back. Katherine confirmed this along with our mailing address the next business day and I was really happy with their responsiveness and guidance throughout the whole process. One thing to note is that parking is not a problem here since there's a huge lot across the street from the building. One other review I read said they didn't feel quite safe in the area, but nothing happened during our event.

We recently held our wedding at the O'Club and found that it was a fun, yet affordable, location…read more We were able to bring our own caterer & alcohol, which was a big bonus, and the tables & chairs come with the rental if you're on a budget. (We ended up renting chaivari chairs at the very last minute, but the ballroom chairs that they own will do in a pinch.) It was quite difficult to find a large enough venue on a smaller budget in the Bay Area, but we found that the O' Club fit our needs beautifully. Some of these pros & cons might be similar to other posts: Pros: - Reasonable fees - On-site staff is very helpful but communication with the Parks & Recs department was a bit difficult at times, i.e. they showed up late to our appointment showing & there was no number to reach them at so we weren't sure if/when they were actually going to show up. - BYOB, which saved a ton of money - Free & ample parking - Huge kitchen access - Multiple areas to use/rent (we used the Trident Room for the ceremony & Ballroom for the reception, Garden for family photos, etc.) Cons: - Pretty old & run down on the outside. - Communication with parks & recs department was difficult at times

I recently rent a space for my husband birthday party, we all have a great time…read more Very open, natural, light room with a lot of space The host/ owner was super helpful and made sure we had everything we need it. We all had a great time and I will recommended that space to anyone . Definitely I will be back for next party

I recently rented this place for a small event with my friends and we loved it. It is big space…read more,very clean , lots of natural light, lots of tables and big TV. We were able to order some good food, coffee and cakes from the Aria Market on the first floor and they brought it to us upstairs. I would refer this place to anyone who needs kids birthday party, small company event or any meeting. Employees are nice too, 5 star rating

Gayle and I took a look at the Leona Lodge yesterday as part of our wedding venue search. The…read moreLodge itself is in a woodsy setting and has a roomy interior that partially looks down on the ravine below. There's also a nice BBQ area on one side. However, both Gayle and I agreed that the Leona Lodge would work better as a place for a family reunion, reception or other party, rather than a wedding location. For that, the Sequoia Lodge would be a better choice.

This is a great facility for a baby shower or bridal shower…read more I hosted a babyshower at the Leona Lodge two weeks ago, and it was great. The only issue we had was with the attendant assigned to stay at the facility during the time of our event. She wasn't an attendant whose presence went unnoticed. My family and guest definitely knew she was there for these reasons: 1. She sat right at the entrance of the facility; so you'd assume that she was part of the welcome committee, but her attitude immediately told you otherwise. 2. She hung out in the main part of the facility where the baby shower was taking place. 3. She made a plate of food and had lunch/dinner on us (Maybe she forgot she wasn't a guest). 4. We had a desert table, and she helped herself to cupcakes. She then planted herself right next to the desert table, thus solidifying herself in quite a number of our pictures. Armando, was an absolute pleasure to work with in reserving the facility. It's unfortunate that the attendant they used (Ronnie), provided a completely opposite experience.

I adore everything about Lovey Day! Their food is…read moreincredible. Tasty, unique, and totally delightful. (Related to Grace Street Catering, of which I was a huge fan.) Their outdoor patio takes advantage of the awesome Oakland weather and their multiple high-ceiling indoor areas are secret worlds of raw brick industrial + live plant art installations. Don't even get me started on the craft cocktails and bespoke wine list. (Take my money!) Jen and her team go above and beyond with thoughtful & attentive service. They're a hidden gem and I'm so glad to know them for event rentals and the restaurant!

Completely new floor restoration and painting…read more Great place for any event you have to throw a great party.

Upstairs at Alameda Eagles Hall is the SF bay area mecca of zydeco music!…read moreEvery Friday night at 9, without fail, great bay area bands, as well as visiting bands from Louisiana & Texas. Beautiful hardwood dance floor, huge hall, & beer, wine & soft drinks. No shortage of good dancers either. And come early for the free dance lesson!

Went here for my cousin wedding. The hall size was decent. The staffs was nice and friendly…read more The DJ was so professional about calling each table to the buffet area to get our food. I love the food choices they had. You can choice from salad to protein aka meats. The bar was an open bar service. The DJ even put on good music. He have good taste in music too. Cons: By the way there are no phone service here. I end up using their WiFi called Meadows Guest_2.4GHz and the password is guest, but its really slow.

I recently attended a wedding here and let me tell you it was great. It was very simple and…read moretasteful. The ceremony area was very nice tucked away for privacy, and had a field (portion of the golf course? not sure) open to take pictures with the bride and groom. The reception was very pretty. I loved the usage of room space. They were able to accommodate about 18 tables, bride and groom table, DJ space, dance floor, 2 photo areas, projector space, cake space, bar, and the buffet station. Staff The staff here were very friendly and professional. The bar ladies made excellent drinks and kept them flowing. The buffet staff made sure food was brought out in a timely manner. The only thing I would change would be how they handled the cake and clean up. Apparently there were several types of cake flavor and we weren't asked which one we wanted. Also the staff were in such a rush to clean the tables they almost knocked over glasses on guests. Food The food was better than most weddings I've been to. It was flavorful, but not very warm. Some of the fruit and salad pieces looked a bit wilted and old. Cons If you are a techy signal isn't the best here. They do have complimentary wifi but it's a hit or miss for connection. I knock one star. For the most part this venue was fabulous. Might even consider for my nuptials.