Vicky was easy to communicate with via the vrbo app and sorted out the confusion when 2suitcase initially sent check-out instead of check-in instructions.We stayed in Oakland to be near our son who lives in West Oakland. Despite the location near a busy corner, the vrbo was secure and fairly quiet. The eat-in kitchen was nice, though we just had breakfast in it. The back bedroom with the king-sized bed was large enough for the port-a-crib, too. Generous closets could use a few more hangers. It was convenient to be a short walk from the Grocery Outlet and a bus line. We had to keep our three year old from running up and down the hall because one of the other people in the building works from home and needs quiet for Zoom meetings.
Pros: location, spacious, clean, comfy beds, good communication with host. Cons: smoky neighbors which came through the vents, getting in and out of parking was tricky on a windy hill with a big suv. Couldnât get tv to work.
The apartment was ok and well restored. However, the mattresses were very uncomfortable and prevented us from getting decent rest.
The parking was extremely tight for our larger rental vehicle. We ended up having to park several blocks away in a parking garage as we were concerned about damaging the vehicle backing out with the concrete walls on both sides.
If you enjoy the real experience of a new place like I do then this is the place for your stay. Modest but well stocked with everything you will need and in a great location to get a real feel for the city. 5 stars and highly recommended for your Oakland Experience! Walking distance from pretty much anything you will need and not too far from the ferry landing if you want to bump over to SF for the day. The one minor extra I requested was granted quickly and graciously and I will definitely stay again if I ever make it back to the East Bay.
Spotlessly clean, excellent location (two-minute walk to the grocery store). The only issue was late Christmas Eve when for some reason the door code wouldn't work and it took a bit to get hold of the host. Otherwise, very pleasant stay.
This property was perfect for my combination business/pleasure stay. The property owners were excellent and responded to my questions and were very available when needed, but also gave me full privacy. Check in was a breeze. The house was super clean and had everything I needed. 3-4 grocery and convenience stores were within walking distance and I could also walk to my work conference location. You definitely want to know what you're doing when walking around Oakland, but this neighborhood was safe and I was only met with kindness. The property owners had no problem with my sister and her husband joining me for the weekend in the 2nd bedroom of the house and we had a great time exploring thrift stores and used book stores in Berkeley and Oakland. The restaurant scene was fabulous - check out Low Bar nearby for great cocktails and good food. The Grand Lake Kitchen near Lake Merritt had fabulous coffee and brunch - get the savory French Toast, you won't regret it. For an awesome brewery experience, go to the Telegraph Beer Garden. Also, for a quirky, unique music/cinema experience, check out Shapeshifters Cinema to see if they have any shows going on. I would most certainly stay in this house again!
We rented this property to visit our daughter, who had recently moved to Oakland. This rental was exceptionally clean. The owner was very responsive to our questions. The location was very convenient for us, close to the BART & Lake Merritt. The neighborhood felt very safe and walkable. The only disappointment was that the parking was in the back of the house. Our van was too big and the driveway was too narrow, to park there. We ended up parking on the street, which is free.