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.

In The Teen and I's new Friday ritual of water watching before we head home, we stopped by Crown…read moreMemorial before heading through the tunnel to let traffic die down a bit.. This was definitely the place to be back in the day! Parking was a snap and we found a bench to sit on starting the water watching. The view was awesome and the sun was shining just like Bob Marley said. There were people, young and old playing in the sand, lots of bike riders, and of course, those dog walkers. The Teen put the phone down and ventured out and some sand, touching and driftwood drifting.. Definitely, we will be back when it gets warmer with hopes of finding front row parking again!

This is a nice park in Alameda, but nothing too special about it…read more Pros: There's a separate area for big kids and little kids. There's also a tennis court and picnic tables under lots of shady trees. Cons: Some parts of it look a bit run down. The office had a boarded up door with graffiti, and the picnic tables were not in the best shape.

Franklin Park is a block wide/long park that's packed with something for everyone. technically…read moreclosed, there are some people enjoying themselves. amenities: tennis court, basketball hoops, greenery, bbq pits, children's playarea. bathrooms. notes: -parking around the area. no parking area.

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.

I think Shoreline Park is just as long as the Bay Farm Island Shoreline Trail!! I see 'Shoreline…read morePark' signs all along this 1.5 mile stretch. Now, it is broken up by houses, but every patch of green grass is the park, I think. So, it starts near the Harbor Bay Club and ends at the Harbor Bay Isle Ferry Terminal. There are 3 restrooms along this park, and all 3 have water fountains. The Bay Farm Island Trail that runs along this park connects to the Harbor Bay Trail, which runs along Harbor Bay Parkway. The largest grassy area of this park is next to the Ferry Terminal, that's where you see most people hanging out. I run along this stretch very often, right next to the water with great bay views. It's often windy here, in the summer it's soothing, but when it's cold it gets even colder here. This is a great park on Bay Farm Island in Alameda!!

This park is absolutely delightful. It sits in the city of Piedmont, which is a bit of unusual city…read moregeographically because it is completely encapsulated by Oakland. It's somewhat of an oasis in Oakland. And this park is an oasis within that. The park isn't huge, but it does the job. Love the trails, great with the dog, and every once in a while, they'll have the food trucks. Parking nearby is easy.

We spent a crisp morning walking throughout the variety of trails in Piedmont Park. There's a dog…read morerun, play structure, plenty of bench seating, and many shady areas to explore. The safety railings and paved walkways with extra grooves to prevent slippage, especially in steeper sections. The trails would also make a great place to run as most of the paving is flat. This is definitely a place for repeat returns.

This is a cute neighborhood park for all ages. There's a picnic area with a BBQ grill that's…read moreusually used for parties on the weekends. I used to see a couple of homeless folks sitting in this area, but I haven't seen them in quite awhile. The playground is enclosed by a low fence. The ground is some foam material, which I prefer to bark. There's a few swings, slides, and various structures. It's suited for ages 1-8 or so. There's a baseball field and a basketball court and a large grassy area. There are a few benches along a path. There's nothing about this park that really stands out, but it's a great neighborhood park for the kids to have fun and get their energy out.

Some shade, green lawn and an overall good open feeling. Given how it is surrounded by lots of…read morestreets there is a good chance of getting some street parking. Green lawn in center in good condition. Not going to win any lawn awards but for a public park its very good. This offers space for kicking a ball around or some other informal ball game. Along the perimeter I noticed one white windowless van with one or two parking tickets on it. I only noticed this as my mom never told me not to talk to strangers or be scared of people I didn't know as a little kid - but she advised everybody who would listen to stay away from these kinds of vans. Enough of me sounding like Forest Gump telling you about 'Momma always said...." Weather in Alameda is nice and that is a plus - but the problem is you would never come to this park if you didn't just stumble upon it or live close. No, no, this isn't some destination. Across the street is a new development. I like it because it kept the old brick historical front and it hid well the huge new monstrosity sitting just behind. I heard that developer is huge in the area and owns and collects rent from many hard working locals. Get the kiddos out - they had enough Tic Tok - talk to them. Tell them something - let them know if they listen to all the social media nonsense its message starts to have too much weight in life.

Unexpected visited the park recently while accompanying a friend and her toddler. Although I didn't…read moreuse the playground myself, I observed several features worth noting. The park is located in a better looking neighborhood (than mine) near a school and sports field, giving it a lively but not overcrowded vibe. The playground equipment is clean and well-maintained, with options tailored to different developmental stages for toddlers and young children. The park has a shaded picnic area, bathroom facilities (though I didn't use them), and a small parking lot, which adds convenience. It's a walkable spot for locals and a great place for families to spend time outdoors. During our visit, it wasn't busy, with just one other group present. While I can't speak from a personal play experience, the park appears to be a well-kept, family-friendly spot perfect for young kids and their parents, as well as your pets as long as they're leashed.

Multi-purpose public park in a residential neighborhood. Lincoln Park has a small, free, public…read moreparking lot that is accessed by a single-lane, shared road from Fernside Drive. Street parking is also available on Fernside and at the other entrance on High Street. The park has: a baseball diamond that serves as the home of the Alameda High School Baseball Team, the field also hosts many soccer games on the weekends, a public swimming pool - one home of the Alameda Gators Swim Team, a bocce ball court, bbq and picnic tables, a recently remodeled play-ground, a full-length recently resurfaced basketball court with string nets, a handball court, an enclosed area with exercise contraptions, and 4 pickleball courts for the fastest growing sport in the US. The 4 pickleball courts were converted from 2 tennis courts and have permanent but recently replaced nets. Surfaces are very worn with numerous cracks and can get gritty from sand/dirt blown from the 2 adjacent bocce ball courts. Play is from 8am to dusk and players range from beginner to advanced with mostly intermediate players. Players are friendly and receptive to visitors and beginners. Prospective players put their 4 paddles on the fence under the numbers 1-8 and venture on to court as a 4 person group when courts become available. On occasion, a yellow pickleball with a hook is put above beginner paddles in search of other beginner players. The recently renovated playground has structures to climb, slide, swing on and has a new bark surface. The new structure has nearby benches allowing parents to sit and watch their children play. A rose garden and a grove of Redwood trees are on the High Street side of the park for those looking for some Zen time. Beautiful spot for pictures and picnicking below the redwood trees. FYI - there is a defibrillator in the swim center. Public and clean restrooms are located next to the small parking lot. Restrooms are well maintained as the park maintenance department has equipment and workers based at this location. Overall, a beautiful neighborhood multi-purpose gem of a park... needs PBall court resurfacing though...

Small parking lot and just street parking Wide flat paved…read moreroads, not that many trash cans but still please clean up after yourselves Lots of locations to play sports, basketball court, baseball field, pickleball courts There's a playground for the kids with swings, an exercising area and a picnic area with lots of tables and seats Small short walks, pet friendly, clean and very lively with family and friends

Amazing park -- huge and full of charm! There are plenty of picnic tables and spots to sit, and you…read morecan even BBQ here with a beach view. There's a tennis court and a nice fenced dog park, too. Perfect place for a relaxing stroll with your paw buddy. Lots of trees for shade make it super comfortable and plush grass. Washington Park is a hidden gem -- peaceful, relaxing, and one of my favorite spots. Love this place!

Washington Park has been a long time favorite of my family. You have the swings for both bigger…read morekids/adults and then another set for the little ones. You've got a pretty cool baseball field with more field area for some other activities like ultimate frisbee, etc. You've got 2 different play structures and there are bathrooms. There are tables with benches throughout the park and if you'd like to have a party there, you can do so through the parks and rec department. They even have some great basketball courts and I enjoy seeing the pick up games in action! Some sad things are that the bathrooms are never clean. I am not a fan of taking my little ones in there and try to avoid it. I often find drug paraphernalia or needles on the ground and/or tables near the benches, and there's no shade in the park area except for one bench. As much as I love coming here since it is located near businesses like restaurants and we get to run into some friends there, I try to avoid it.