sheffield village is one of the best communities in oakland, located in the very quiet and isolated…read morecorner bordering san leandro and oakland with beautiful partial views of the bay, and mountains, yet it is very close to shops, freeways, the oakland zoo and BART. it was built in the late 30's and is seen as the jewel of oakland is now a historical landmark. i spent almost most of my 30 plus years here as my grandparents lived here most of their life. i would always look forward to visiting them here as this would prove to give me so much do do in this great village. climbing up into the hills of oakland, sneaking around the dunsmair house, trips to the park and even playing doctor with the neighbor girl. most of the homes still to this day have original hardwood floors, china cabinets and the same old school construction. i will never forget my time spent in this great community as it a place right out of a movie. One thing is certain: for anyone old enough to remember the 1950s, a trip to sheffield village is certain to evoke waves of nostalgia.

I feel I need to answer the review about the "apartheid past." It has to be put in historical…read moreperspective. In 1939 that sort of attitude was the norm. I'm not saying it was right, but it was accepted and common. My family moved to Sheffield Village in 1946 when I was a 3 and I lived there until I finished college and got married. It was a great place to grow up, safe and self-contained. This was before the MacArthur Freeway chopped off the entrance to the village, and when there was a school and a library where the interchange now is. Also The Creamery, where they made their own ice cream (it was wonderful). Later the school moved to what is now the park area next to the rec center. I went to 3rd and 4th grade there and it was right down the street from where I lived on Marlow Drive. Back to the matter of color. When I was growing up I had never seen a person of color, there weren't any in Oakland that I remember. We shopped downtown and never saw anyone different from us (WASP). The large black population and the many people of asian descent are recent in my lifetime. We did see Chinese folks in Chinatown in SF but nowhere else. When my brother was little he saw a black man on the street and thought he was made of chocolate. i doubt that the conventions of the "law", which was more likely a CC&R such as are found in many developments today, have ever been followed. We were solidly middle-class and nobody had household help, or if they did it was temporary, so the matter of a black maid/cook/cleaning lady was completely beyond anyone's experience. I never heard a thing about it, it was a non-issue. Nobody's mother worked except for one boy whose father had died. Nobody got a divorce. It was Wally & The Beaver all the way. MIlk was delivered to your house, so was dry cleaning, women didn't drive. My mother was ill after my brother was born and my dad hired a housekeeper for a while, but she was a grandmotherly lady and blonde. There just weren't that many people of color around. What the original developer did was common for then, but times have changed now and for the better. I doubt you'll find that attitude today and you can't punish today's residents for something that happened so long ago. Blaming people in the present for the sins of the past is just silly, what we did to the Native Americans was awful, slavery was awful, the internment camps in WW 2 were awful, so was the restriction on black people in Sheffield Village--but my folks didn't do it, people today aren't doing it, and all any of us can do is move forward and make sure we don't do it in future.

The eyecatching and brightly painted watermelon is a nice rock to marvel as you drive along otis…read moredrive to get into Alameda. There's also a paved road right next to it you can meander near it as well for a closer look.

Review #700 The…read moreWatermelon Rock, or what I always called the Doolittle Watermelon, has been here for a long time. It's one of those things that, if you were a regular driver on Doolittle Drive (Highway 61) headed to Alameda, this thing always caught your eye, and consciously or unconsciously, you began to look for it. Well, now they have widened the road, and there's also a paved pedestrian path that allows you to run, walk, or bike past it. But, with the barrier that protects the path from vehicles, you can't see it when you're driving by anymore. Whoever painted this did a good job, but they also painted other fruit on rocks, but when they redid the road, only the watermelon rock survived and made the cut. I guess, technically, it's located in the Martin Luther King Regional Shoreline, which is 2 parks. This is some real original local flavor that's been here a long time!!

I checked out the San Leandro Historical Railway Society during their open house on Sun 12/6/15…read more It was 2 days: Sat 12/5/15 and Sun 12/6/15 from 10am-4pm. Donation of $2 the sign said, Up to you what you want to give them there is a box you can give them some money or not. They have one main area for the model trains. Only the members can use the remote so the public can only watch the trains go by. Upstairs is for members only too. Another room is where they have some museum items: old typewriter, some old dishes, and some train items. Outside there's another area for trains, but because it rained a tiny bit they weren't running them. Boo for me. FREE parking in the lot and it's next to a park.

A complete Bay Area treasure!! I have the best memories with my son visiting here, watching trains…read moreinside and outside, having conversations with the hobbiest that come here and were so kind to even give my son little parts from the train towns for his train set. We especially love the Christmas celebration here with a train engineer Santa and a raffle off of the Polar Express train that my son actually won one year. There's a playground nearby and a simple go to day for us would a lunch picnic, train station, and the playground.

my family and I went to see the Michael Jackson movie it was very good! Theater was clean and the…read morecashier Izzy was the best she was very kind and patient with us she had such a wonderful personality!! job well done

Caught the matinee showing of Primate this past Sunday. There was plenty of parking outside, and…read morethe theater was your typical Century Cinemark from the outside. Service and concessions stand offerings were standard. There were no recliners in the auditorium, but the cushioned seats were comfortable enough and in good condition, and the back leaned back a little, so it didn't feel stiff. The movie screen didn't turn on till the listed showtime, so it was awkward and quiet in the auditorium before start time, no advertisements before the previews which began suddenly and at a very high volume exactly on the dot of the ticketed time. There were about 15-20 minutes of previews. Sound and picture quality were satisfactory during the film (my ears quickly adjusted to the loudness). I didn't encounter any problems while there. And Primate ended up being an awesome suspenseful thriller I absolutely enjoyed, at an affordable price from this theater.

We took a tour inside of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Temple's Visitor's Center…read more The Visitor's center is open to the pubic and it's free. In addition you don't need to make reservations. We were warmly welcomed when we entered and were asked if we wanted a tour or would we just like to look around on our own. We opted for the tour. There was a short video presentation on families and them being together for ever. It was a sweet presentation. Unlike the Carousel of Progress at Disney World where the room moves for you, in this presentation you have to walk to each viewing area. It wasn't an issue. You just moved down the seats 5 feet or so to the next stage. It was a well done presentation. After that we wandered around. In the back part of the visitor's center there are floor to ceiling windows and today was a clear day and you could clearly see the Golden Gate Bridge. What a sight. They also had 3 examples of historic temples. One all the way back in the Old Testament to Moses's time. I thought that was really cool to see temples were built back in the biblical times and not something just made up for today. My parents enjoyed their theater and sat though many of the 8 stores of missionaries and there journeys of faith and service. I listened to 2 and really enjoy hearing about their stories and struggles. The Visitor's Center is Staffed with full time missionaries from the Church off Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Unlike what you may have heard about missionaries, these are just sweet kids trying to make everyone feel welcome and if you're intreasted they will tell you about God and his plan of happiness. These are not used car salesmen they aren't trying to sell you something or pull wool over your eyes. If you are interested in knowing more about them or there church you are free to inquire, but they aren't going to push anything on you. The grounds are beautifully maintained and well manicured. There are always flowers in bloom and the trash is always lush. If you go to the top of the temple you can see a view of the city. There is a staircase to the right and left of the entrance that will take you to the roof. Parking is great. They have there own private lot and parking is free. The spaces are wide and I had no issue parking. Bathrooms, the visitors center has plenty of clean well stocked bathrooms. Concerts and Programs, all free of charge- Their are lots of different offerings depending on the season. I wanted to take a picture of the Easter Celebrations for the week, but my phone died on me. They have some Holy Week activities, if you are interested I'd give them a call and asked for the list of activities that are happening soon. During December there are lots of programs and organizations and other churches participated. I believe they have an interfaith concert which brings people of many faiths together. The last concert I went to was a bell concert. People with musical bells came to perform in the concert hall. It was something I've never heard of before, but enjoyed. Family history center- They have a family history also referred to as genealogy center in the basement and that is also free to the public. We didn't pop our heads in, but we heard it's there.

Really gorgeous building and sunset view but they didn't allow service animals past the gate onto…read morethe rooftop garden (I asked security). I was confused because temples and churches are meant to be inclusive to all people... some cannot go too long without their service animal for medical reasons. It felt like it goes against the message establishments like these pride themselves on... Hoping they will change this soon, for safety reasons.

My BF & I saw a comedian here. The sound was echoing in the beginning but was fixed later on. It…read moreholds about 250 people & there's a park & parking lot on the back side of the building. There's an accessible bathroom & a small two stall bathroom as well. Even though they were running late, this was a decent spot to see a comedian. It is close to the freeway as well.

Positives: plenty of street parking right in front of this building on Saturday. Observed guests…read moreand the bride for a midday Saturday wedding in December. Interesting, I didn't know this building could be used for that. There were 2 security guard roaming the exterior and interior too, so that's a plus. Negatives: not applicable, was only observing.

The golf courses are beautifully maintained, and have the perfect amount of challenge for the…read moreaverage mini-golfer. My family and I visited on Sunday morning, and the cashiers were pleasant and seemed to actually enjoy their job. Arcade was clean, and games were all operational. I highly recommend bringing your family or friends here. We will be back soon!

Roll up your sleeves, loosen your hips, steady your stance and get ready for some putt-putt at…read moreGolden Tee Golfland! Castro Valley hosts this mini golf spot that's an affiliate of the Golfland family and features its two 18-hole ranges perfect for beginners and experts alike. After a few rounds on the green, consider venturing into their arcades to play some good old fashioned video games (Time Crisis and other dual player shooters, Mario Kart and other racing games, and fighting games) and skill games (like skee ball, table air hockey, and claw machines). Be wary, however, for those who have game cards from other Golflands, they're location specific so they won't work here unless you have one from this spot. Starting from the giant parking lot which is just off of a busy street, you'll make your way through the gates and stroll up the long walkway to the front desk where you'll register to get your clubs and balls (you'll get your choice from among a few colors). From there, you'll have your pick of the two courses, one for novices and one for the more adventurous. Make your way through the obstacles and mark your scorecard to determine the winner of bragging rights! We came for a birthday party and logistically, they have the main room amongst the beginner course which is well lit from all the open windows but I believe they have another space near the arcade for those looking for a more enclosed, private gathering. Once the guests arrived, they hosted an orientation and got the members all equipped and ready to go. The youngsters had a lot of fun and can't wait to return! The staff were all very friendly and helpful. You'll interact with them more at the arcades especially if you'll be redeeming prizes with your hard-earned digital tickets. The ticket values on the top tier prizes were pretty large but for frequent visitors or lucky winners, you can get some pretty neat stuff here. The mini prizes definitely reminded me of my times at the arcades when I was a kid, very nostalgic! Overall, Golden Tee Golfland is a well-maintained, family friendly environment conducive to an awesome time outdoors as well as an exhilarating experience soaking up the old school arcade vibe. We accumulated a ton of steps during our visit here and the kids could not stop hitting the greens to get their fluorescently colored balls into the holes. The obstacles are fun - there are water effects and moving doors and bridges. While most of them functioned as expected, there were a few hiccups with some like balls getting stuck or certain doors just not functioning as expected. For wetter seasons, the holes for the balls do end up pooling which makes picking the balls out a bit of an unpleasant endeavor. For being exposed to the outdoors, the place was in pretty good shape, however. It's a bummer that the Golflands don't have a unified system for the game cards as it just incentivizes families to just pick one and stick with it instead of venturing out and exploring the other amazing locations like this one. If you're a local, this is a great place to take a date or the family - it'll tee you up for a good time!

Lots of details about this interesting corner of the Bay Area provided by our guide Dan G. He was a…read morewealth of information, pretty funny and as a local was able to share a lot of perspective on the islands changes. Great day trip and I wish we had more time to poke around.

Wonderful tour led by Jim. History + nature! A great morning spent on the island…read more For people who are looking to visit the Naval Museum on the island, it is no longer open, but this tour is operative and you get to see the naval chapel and walk around the area. I was originally looking for information about the museum and arrived at this page: https://www.mihpf.org/tours. I hope this will help you find their tour options and dates! All digitalized, no fuss. And it turns out I was the only who signed up for today's tour, and they did not cancel on me because of that. I really really appreciated it. One last thing, the money you spend on the tour goes into helping this foundation : ) Yay!

Ok, here's a Throwback Thursday story…read more My first visit to this wonderful place was to see the New York Jets against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday. November 17, 1968. The contest pitted "Broadway" Joe Namath against Daryle "The Mad Bomber" Lamonica. It was my first time attending an NFL game. It turned out to be a game that many say was the most memorable regular season NFL game ever. In the History of Sports, this game will forever be remembered as The Heidi Game. It's called The Heidi Game because the game ran much longer than expected and, in the Eastern US, NBC cut off their broadcast of the game to show a made-for-TV version of the children's classic, Heidi. When the East Coast broadcast was cut there was 1:01 left on the game clock, the Jets had just successfully kicked a field goal and went ahead by three. What happened next was almost too wild to be true. The Raiders scored two touchdowns in 9 seconds and subsequently ended up winning the game. Let that settle in for a minute. Fourteen points, in the span of nine seconds on the game clock. After each of those scores the Coliseum erupted in a frenzied outburst of emotion the likes of which I had never seen. I watched the game with my Dad from our end zone seats high up on the third deck. I was just a little kid, but that game left an indelible impression on me. Not just me. The Jets were in playoff contention (they ended up beating the Colts in Super Bowl III at the end of the season). So many outraged fans called the network to complain the switchboards were overloaded. (After this debacle, TV broadcast policy changed and subsequently games were shown to completion. A special secure telephone system was set up so Network executives could reliably reach local broadcasters to supervise broadcasts) The Heidi Game perfectly reflected the intense rivalry between the Raiders and the Jets. It was a rivalry that ran deep, and the contests were always savagely brutal. Just as an example, in a regular season game the year before the Heidi game, Raiders Defensive End Ben Davidson delivered a hit on Jets QB Joe Namath that broke his jaw and sent his helmet flying. After that game Namath taunted Davison, telling reporters he had been beaten up worse by women. Clearly, Joe Namath had ice water flowing in his veins. In addition to the famous Heidi game and so many more exciting Raiders games, I have been blessed to see so many other great events at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. I will never forget seeing Vida Blue throw 100 mile per hour fastballs in 1971. Or seeing Ray Charles headlining a show with Ike and Tina Turner as an opening act. Or seeing The Grateful Dead opening for The Who twice in 1976 Or seeing Led Zeppelin twice in 1977. Or seeing Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Peter Frampton, Dave Mason, Fleetwood Mac, Joe Walsh, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Bob Seger, Charlie Daniels, Status Quo, Jeff Beck, Journey, J Geils Band. Blue Oyster Cult, Sammy Hagar, The Eagles, Foreigner, Judas Priest, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Van Halen, UFO, Thin Lizzy, The Outlaws, Peter Tosh, Toots and Maytals, and probably a dozen or two other bands I will recall immediately after I finish writing this review. There are a hell of a lot of incredible, eminently memorable shows on that list. But I'm telling you, as memorable experiences go, the Heidi game topped all of them. Fourteen points in Nine Seconds on the game clock! It sucks so bad that the Raiders have fallen on dark times lo these many years now. But I don't give a damn. I'm a Raiders fan for life. Mikey C says: ain't nothing gonna change that.

I was recently here for the New Edition and Boyz To Men concert. I gave it a low rating based on a…read morefew things. The absence of quality/variety of food. I dont mind paying g the higher prices but there should have been more variety and better quality. I paid $12 for a hot dog you usually get in a kids meal. This hot dog looked like it came from.an AMPM Minimart. They ran out of cheese for basic nachos, they charged $10 for a pretzel plain plain. Mustard/cheese was extra. I literally saw their version of basic nachos, hot dogs, pretzels, candy and beverages. I expected more. MUCH more. I should've gotten food from one of the outside vendors, to be honest. They seemed to be severely understaffed in the concession areas. It was disappointing. The concert was good, but the best thing about the venue itself was the parking.

"No Dinosaurs, just a really steep hike!"…read more Dinosaur Ridge is quite a steep hike, but worth the effort to see (once, anyway.) You start at the Chabot Staging area, off Redwood Road. There is a large parking lot there, with a primitive outhouse, and not much else. There might be a water faucet there (but I didn't look for one.) There are signs warning about car break-ins, so don't leave valuables in sight. Note that this hike is on EBMUD land, so you need to get a hiking permit to access. This is available online, and is very cheap. The park police come around occasionally, so don't risk a ticket. Be sure to carry your permit with you. Very close by is a fun business, "Castro Valley Christmas Tree Farm." It's on Miller Road, which is usually blocked off. However, on the trail, you go right behind the farm (see my photos.) From the staging area, it is less than a 3 mile hike to Dinosaur Ridge. For part of the way, you are on the "Ramage Trail." It's a pretty, green-covered trail. Later, you make a right turn to go towards the ridge. Then, it's just brown dirt, and not so pretty. The name of this landmark comes from all the rocks lined up in a row at the top of the steep ridge. Does it look like a Dino-Ridgeback? Well, maybe, if you have a good imagination. (I put a geocache near the top.) The trail you are on for most of the time is also part of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, as well as the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. This latter trail has some interesting historical significance--worth reading about. So all in all, just an "okay" hike. I thought it was worth traveling to one-time, but may not merit a second visit.