Alameda is an island in theEast Bay of theBay Area,California in theUnited States of America. It is separated from the mainland by theOakland Estuary. One can get there from Oakland very easily, by way of one of the bridges or theWebster Street Tube.
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Alameda is an island city with a consciousness of its history. It was founded as a Spanish settlement and then became a Mexican one. Many of the streets and neighborhoods have names dating back to the 19th century. There are a great many large Victorian houses throughout the town, including the originalAlameda Library,Alameda City Hall, theElks Lodge, and most particularlyHistoric Alameda High School. A few of the streets have been restored to Victorian grandeur, notably the shopping districts ofPark Street andWebster Street. Once one of many of its kind, theAlameda Naval Air Station was decommissioned in 1997, and has since been the site of a few film and TV productions, in its present form,Alameda Point. Around the Christmas season, the residents ofThompson Street participate in lighting up the whole city block, houses and trees alike. The city is home to a single theater, the classic Art DecoAlameda Theatre, built in 1932, renovated and expanded in 2008. South of the main island isBay Farm Island, a mostly-residential and markedly suburban district borderingOakland International Airport.
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Oakland International Airport (OAK IATA) is a close neighbor to Alameda. The traveller's best bet for getting into town is by public transit (AC Transit Line 21). The easiest way for your money is likely to be a taxi, though the major (read: spendier) hotels of Oakland and Alameda offer free shuttle service to and from the airport.
The proximity of Alameda to Oakland makes access by car easy. From Webster, 29th Ave. or Fruitvale in Oakland, all exits are clearly marked. FromI-880/The Nimitz Freeway, the 23rd Ave. exit is easiest, and the exits leading to the island city are all clearly marked.
TheSan Francisco Bay Ferry provides service from several points on both sides of the Bay. There are three terminals in Alameda:
Amtrak does not service Alameda directly, but four of its train routes arrive at two nearby stations.
Passengers riding the Capitol Corridor, San Joaquins, and Coast Starlight trains should arrive at theOakland Jack London Station (OKJ) at Alice and 2nd St. The station is just east of Jack London Square. Capitol Corridor conductors provide two free bus passes upon request. Getting to Alameda by bus requires one transfer. Pick upAC Transit Line 12 at its terminal on Alice, across the street from Amtrak. The bus may wait at this stop for several minutes before departing. Ride the 12 to the 7th and Broadway stop. From that stop, walk back along Broadway, cross 7th, and go with the flow of traffic to the bus stop at 7th and Franklin (less than one block). From this stop, four lines serve Alameda:Line 19,Line 20,Line 51A, andLine 96.
Passengers riding the California Zephyr train should arrive at theEmeryville Station (EMY)—the train's western terminal. Getting to Alameda by bus requires one transfer. From the train, walk through the station, veer left, and continue two blocks along 59th St. to Hollis St. At the bus stop just to the right of this intersection, pick upAC Transit Line 29. Ride the 29 to the 11th and Broadway stop. Wait at this same stop for eitherLine 19 orLine 20. ForLine 51A orLine 96, turn right on Broadway and walk one and a half blocks to the Broadway and 9th stop.
Though the Posey Tube has a sidewalk, it's a noisy, polluted car tunnel and not a pleasant walk by any stretch of the imagination; you're better off taking the bridges further east, which have sidewalks, or using thewater shuttle, a free ferry that operates Wednesday through Sunday during the day. The 10-minute ferry runs from Jack London Square in Oakland, and it allows bikes to be taken on board.
Alameda is an island, and as such it's difficult to get truly lost if you have your basic bearings. The island is bordered on the north by the Oakland estuary and to the south by the San Francisco bay. The west end of the island is taken up by Alameda Point, the site of the former Naval Air Station. At the south end, you'll find a bridge to Bay Farm Island.
Several AC Transit bus lines go around the island. There is a late-night bus service from Fruitvale BART to Broadway, down Santa Clara and up Webster to Downtown Oakland. There are also a couple of rush hour shuttles from Webster St. commercial area to Jack London Square/Lake Merritt BART area.
A free "Island Hopper" weekend shuttle is running as a pilot program until at least the end of 2024, with service to Alameda Point and other areas, and connections to the Main Street ferry terminal and the water shuttle.
Walking is a great way to get around. Walking from Oakland is not recommended.
Traveling from the Harbor Bay ferry terminal area to the Main Street terminal area is faster by ferry than by bus. This only works during rush hour.
(updated Oct 2024)(updated May 2022)San Leandro is across the bay by using California State Route 61, there are plenty of shorelines and beaches here, as well as malls, hotels and worldwide industries (including Otis Spunkmeyer's and Ghirardelli's worldwide headquarters)
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