It's a generally clean station with working ticket machines. I didn't have to interact with the staff because I really didn't need their help with anything. Even when I come back to this station late at night from San Francisco, the outside is well-lit and there's plenty of lime or bird scooters around for me to take back to wherever I need to go. read more

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Calling all commuters! Calling all Warm Spring riders! I would have to say, compared to most other stations, Lake Merritt is much cleaner and safer. I've gotten off at this station a handful of times when I had to attend jury duty at the Alameda County Superior Court offices. So yup, you read that right... if you got summoned for jury duty for this location AND you live in the San Leandro, Lorenzo, Castro Valley, Plesanton, Hayward, Union City and or Fremont Area....ride Bart to this station and walk to the superior courts. Also, on the weekends when they don't have connecting flights that go straight to SF so I've used this station as a transfer point. This station is well lit at night too. read more

BART - Lake Merritt Station - The platform - Metro Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

This review is for the Customer Service Center and the people that work there. I use the commuter checks program from work for my BART tickets, and it was convenient for me when they had the ticket exchange booth at the Montgomery station. Sucks ever since they closed down for reasons that don't make sense since a lot of commuters would have to go to the East Bay in order to exchange their commuter checks. The "closest" location is at Lake Merritt so I have to plan a trip every month or so that makes it very inconvenient for those of us that work on this side of the bay. I've been here several times since then, and the interactions I had with the people working there had been atrocious. The people working at this booth must be miserable at their jobs and they gladly spread their "joy" unto others. I've been treated like garbage here by several of their customer service staff on multiple occasion. Ironic since they work at the "Customer Service" booth and they don't provide you that. Look, I get it, you deal with the general public and it probably sucks. I don't expect great service, but at least provide decent service and respect. Don't lump everyone into a one-size-fits-all type of customer and category, plus have a little bit of patience. I dread coming here to exchange my commuter checks and I shouldn't feel this way as a grown-ass man. The only time I was treated with dignity and respect was my latest visit on February 8th. It was a nice Asian lady (unfortunately I didn't get her name) that saved it from being one star. The rest of these miserable customer service professional could learn a lot from her. read more

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I was visiting Allameda for the first time in March 2024 and had the pleasure of meeting William Cromartie who was manning the booth at the Lake Merritt BART station. What a lovely human! I found him to be joyful, helpful and pleasant and he had something kind to say to everyone that came by and many knew him by name and spoke to him as if they were all close friends. William went above and beyond, letting me use his phone as a hotspot, showed me how to get easy transit information and walked me up and across the street to show me where to catch my Uber. I feel bad for posting this so late but I absolutley wanted to show my gratitude and appreciation for William's kindness. He really is a one in a million And I'll never forget his level of friendly service. Thank you. Rozana read more

The parking is closed forever so there is no longer any parking for the commuters or the riders. Thank you, BART, the state, the city, the county and Chinatown for making commuting so much more difficult and arduous. read more

A friend of mine moved to a different part of Oakland and now this is the closest station to her. So I went to check it out. After doing a little bit of research, this was the station that President Nixon himself got off at after riding the soon to be open BART system from San Leandro. It still looks like it's a relic from the '70s. But it was pretty functional and easy to navigate. At the time the station was pretty empty and seemed mostly clean. It definitely looks like it's from the '70s though in case I didn't already say that. Good signage pointing you to what street you want to go to and overall good experience. Can't complain! read more

Everybody talks about Lake Merritt these days. So many young people live around Lake Merritt and there's this Bart station at Lake Merritt. It's a stop you can't miss and it feels alright. You can get around Oakland by getting to Lake Merritt. They have transfer points nearby. This is at Dublin/Pleasanton. The East Bay Bart transportation system is quiet and Lake Merritt is the Lake Merritt stop in Oakland. If you have somewhere to go then you do, and if you don't you don't. read more

BART - Lake Merritt Station - Metro Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

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If you're headed to Lake Merritt, Chinatown, or the Oakland Museum, Lake Merritt is the stop to get off at. Both the ticketing area and train platforms are located indoors at this BART station, making it a convenient and more comfortable switching point. Other stations in the East Bay have open-air, above-ground platforms, exposing riders to the elements. Not here. It's a warmer, "cozier" place to change trains, so keep that in mind. Three lines run through Lake Merritt station: 1. Daly City to Dublin/Pleasanton. Crosses the bay. 2. Richmond to Fremont. Does not cross the bay. 3. Daly City to Fremont. Crosses the bay. This is a simple station with a single island platform. Island platforms are the way to go. There's no need to switch platforms unlike other stations like nearby Fruitvale station which has side platforms. This station is brightly lit, satisfactorily clean, and easy to navigate. Outside, on street level, there's a concrete park built on top of the station. This is where BART HQ used to be until their offices were moved and the building demolished (2010). Across the street is a small, one-block private park called Madison Park. It has a tiny playground with half a basketball court, four square, and hopscotch. I exited at this station and waited for my ride outside one of the entryways at 8th St and Oak St. The neighborhood felt safe enough, late on a weekday afternoon. This is a good station to be picked up and dropped off at because the roads bordering the station are wide -- four lanes with additional parking lanes, making it relatively easy for vehicles to maneuver in and out. There's a parking lot too. You can use the fare schedule posted inside the station to determine exactly how much it'll cost you to get from Lake Merritt to your destination. You can put the exact amount it will cost for your ride onto your BART ticket at one of the ticket kiosks. You can do this by increasing or decreasing the amount of money on your ticket in increments as little as 5 cents. At the time of writing this review, the cost of a one-way ride from Lake Merritt station into the city of San Francisco is $3.45. The cost of a one-way ride from Lake Merritt to San Francisco International Airport is $9.25. These costs are the same heading in the opposite direction. Finally, if you're like me and wondering what that "Hometown Donuts" place with beer, wine, liquor, and "Chinese Food To Go" is like, check out their Yelp listing here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hometown-donuts-liquor-and-food-oakland. read more

BART - Lake Merritt Station - Inside. - Metro Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

This station is the closest to my home in Alameda. It also is the station that I used every weekday for at least 6-1/2 years (until July 2013 - BART Strike) for my daily commute to and from work in San Francisco. One thing I like about this station is the fact it is within walking distance to Oakland Chinatown, the Oakland Museum and of course, County of Alameda Superior Court. However, the one thing I don't care about this station is that pissy smell when I exit the station, especially the parking lot area. I remember several years ago, some guy went to use the men's restroom and he was in there for a hella long time. BART agents and BART police knocked on the door; the guy was still in there. After a while, when nobody was around, he exited the restroom. I told the station agent that I saw a white guy exited the restroom. He and the officers went to check. Y'all ain't gonna believe what they saw...a very wet bathroom floor. Yep, the guy was bathing himself in the restroom...damn. SMH and ewww!!! A custodian was called in to mop up the floor and clean the restroom. Between this station and the Civic Center Station in San Francisco, I don't know which one is worse for different reasons. I'm just glad that I don't have to do a daily commute anymore involving these two stations. read more

This review is for the customer service people who actually serve customers. The lady who helped me was friendly, efficient and very knowledgable. She processed my transaction quickly and was very nice to me. In contrast to Embacadero Clipper who are clueless and I left like the people here actually wanted to help me. For any Bay Area transportation needs I'm coming here. read more

Lake Merritt Bart is my embarking point to s.f. when i get the urge. sure, there's no public parking. however, there are 4 hour parking spots a few blocks away. also some streets have no time limit. can usually score s spot in the mornings. not sure about the afternoons. trains past here to s.f. every 10 minutes.so it's not a long wait. lines aren't long either. best thing, train aren't full (post 10 a.m.) so i almost always get a seat. even if the escalators aren't working, it's not a long walk. cool bart station! sites of interest nearby: -oakland museum -chinatown -laney college -courthouse/law library/country administative offices -lake merritt. note: there are 3 entrances to this station, the one across from bart h.q. is the least congested with hanger-ons, panhandlers et al.. coincidentally, the bart police park their cars near this entrance. read more

Always came here to this Bart Station everytime I got dropped off back in high school. To this day, I still come here. Why? Parking is ample (you can park in a choice of two lots--one covered and the other uncovered) and you can even park on side-streets, which is free, or in the Laney College lot too (but not past 10pm). So parking is truly easy to find and cheap (free on the side streets or discounted at 50 cents for the Laney Lot). A lot of times when I miss my train (or feel that I'll miss my train) at the Fruitvale Bart Station (the other station I use often), I head out to the Lake Merritt BART station. The drive takes about 3-4 minutes by freeway, and the time that the Bart takes to go from Lake Merritt to Fruitvale is 6 minutes, so it's easy to be dropped off (and be on time) at either station if you miss a train at either station. What do I love most about this Bart Station? It's proximity to Chinatown, its proximity to Laney College (especially for those taking classes there), its cleanliness and tidiness, and its enclosure in a safe, security-patrolled area. Even though Lake Merritt BART is in Oakland, it's one of the safest BART stations. Plus, since it's underground, it's free from the cold wintery winds of the Bay Area...so waiting for your train is not too big of a deal since it's warm down there! read more

Bart runs late sometimes . Too many homeless people lurking around and I thought mask is a mandate . Many people wearing the mask improperly or maskless. Lots of people hopping over gate without paying . And people smoking on the platform and on Bart. No Bart police in site. Safety is also an issue too. Too many weirdo or drunks around. This review applies to all stations and if I can, I would give no stars!! read more

This is my favored station to BART out of Oakland. Since I use my bike exclusively on this side, I like to make use of the behind-the-fare-gates bike parking here. Also, the station agents don't seem to bark at you if you take your bike on the escalators -- I at least carry mine up if I'm too wiped out to walk up the stairs. Drivers are generally SOL for parking here unless it's the weekend. read more

Gayle and I went to the Oakland Museum yesterday evening, and the Lake Merritt BART Station is but a block away. They even have a big sign explaining the way for those who are geographically challenged. This is also your Station if you need to go to the Alameda County Courthouse. They must have finished the construction (see Louis L.'s review) as the station was clean, well lit, and safe enough when were were there. I was also impressed with the BART web page that they've developed for each station. When you go to the "Neighborhood Map" Tab, you're offered Food, Shopping and Attractions links that take you directly to the applicable information on Yelp. read more

Seems to be a typical BART station. Seems pretty clean and well-lit. I did not see any restrooms but there might be some hidden away somewhere. It seemed pretty safe, is there were several Bart policemen around. read more

#5 I hate driving--that being said, BART is necessary for my "about town" travels. The people that work at the Lake Merritt BART station are so hospitable, helpful and friendly. Thanks BART peoples--you are appreciated! read more

Right across from Laney College. Doesn't seem that safe of a place to walk around during the night but close to downtown Oakland destinations. read more

I work nearby but before I did I would often park at Lake Merritt BART Station after 3pm when I went to A's games, that way I'm only a couple stops away and don't have to pay $20+ for parking inside the coliseum area. Lake Merritt BART Station may not be glamorous and have a bunch of retail and amenities above it but is has a convenient location of being in the certain of the network and being able to get on all the different lines. read more

If you think there is nothing better than coming back after a long day at work and walking through a haze of pot smoke and urine stench, then this is the BART station for you. I don't know what the attraction is for peeing all over the parking lot, but it seems to be the thing to do here. Once, I walked up to my car and found a guy peeing next to it in broad daylight. People are disgusting. The good thing about this station compared to others is that one gets to wait for the train inside so one is protected from the elements and riffraff. And I was lucky enough to get a parking permit for the very small lot adjacent to the station so that is the reason why I am married to this station. But with the tearing up of the roads around the lake, be warned that access to this station by car is becoming more and more painstaking every day. read more

We had an out of town guest and we were dropping her off at a Bart station. After finding the Lake Merritt Bart we decided against dropping her off. It had just turned dark and was extremely empty and unsafe. Please add extra lighting! Be careful and stay safe read more

Get off BART at this station, make your way to the exit then you'll be steps from Oakland Chinatown and Laney Community College. I'll probably be entering/exiting this station on a regular basis if I went to school at Laney Community College or go to Oakland Chinatown. read more

The result of a major delay due to a broken track. read more

BART - Lake Merritt Station - crowded dublin train - Metro Stations Near Me - Oakland, California

As far as Bart locations go, the Lake Merritt location is pretty nice. The station is generally pretty clean, and there's not a huge presence of individuals loitering around the station. There are no bathrooms in this station so if you need to use the bathroom, run over a block to the Oakland Museum and use their bathrooms (you don't need to buy a ticket to use the bathrooms there). read more

Dear unidentified BART patron, Sunday was a lovely day for me. I had spent the day with Busty W. and John G. and I was finally heading home for some rest before the beginning of another week. I was carrying my overnight bag and one of my favorite fuzzy blankets. Then, next thing you know, I step off of BART, and FALL INTO A LARGE PUDDLE OF ORANGE PUKE. It appeared that you had ingested an entire pumpkin, perhaps in celebration of Halloween, and it did not sit well. Judging from the size of the chunks, you had not thoroughly chewed said pumpkin. Not only did you manage to puke on the platform, you apparently walked through the entire BART station, puking the entire time. There was puke up the escalator, puke to the turnstiles, through the turnstiles, and then up the stairs. I'm not quite sure where you learned puke etiquette, but I believe that at some point, if you continue to feel like you are going to puke, you should really STOP AND PUKE INTO A TRASH CAN, rather than continue walking WHILE PUKING. Not only was I covered in puke, so was my overnight bag and my fuzzy blanket. This is COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE. There is something about being covered in unidentified BART patron puke that is much worse than being covered in, oh, let's say, Baby Soo C. I-drank-too-much-on-my-birthday-puke. So in conclusion you ruined an otherwise perfectly nice day, and if I ever find out who you are, you will be receiving a swift kick in the ass and my dry-cleaning bill. Gas rating: 5 Remembering this incident made me want to throw up in my mouth a little, and that DEFINITELY gives me gas. read more

The people who give this station bad reviews don't seem to actually know anything about downtown Oakland. Perhaps if you stopped worrying about being robbed by crackheads (which if you knew anything about this neighborhood, you'd realize there aren't nearly as many as you think) you'll notice the lake is just about 6 blocks away. it's also incredibly close to Jack London, Broadway, Laney College (which has a super rad flea market on Sundays), the Oakland Museum, the library and duh, it's pretty much in Chinatown. Grow a pair people! read more

Get off here to walk to Oakland Chinatown, Lake Merritt, and Laney College. The Highland Hospital shuttle stops at the Bart parking lot every 12 minutes so it is easy to reach the county hospital. Be sure to exit with the stairs by the huge painted LANEY COLLEGE lettering to end up at the parking lot. The parking lot is small and is full most of the times I get off here. It does seem like most of the people parking there are not riding Bart though. Oh well. The inside of the station and its Bart platforms are not bad. It is nice enough waiting for the trains and there are places to sit. There tend to be homeless outside the station so expect that odor upon entry or exit. read more

So y'all know what my point of comparison is: I lived in Philadelphia for 2 years. Nothing...nothing! can compare to the urine stenched sketchy sketch that is the Philadelphia subway. Well...maybe the NYC subway from the 80s. Let's talk Lake Merritt station. I take you everyday to and from work, on the weekends when I want to go into the city and on NYE and 4th of July... You're always clean, well lit and (at least the entrance I use) does not smell of urine. I see teenaged girls playing violin for tips, tai chi being practiced by a group of elderly folks and even ballroom dance lessons---all of which take place next to the ticket booths. Lake Merritt BART is a fine station. Way less sketch than the 24th/16th & Mission, Civic Center and possibly even Powell st. stations. Stop being such a snob. read more

This station is totally not as bad as people say it is. It's ugly from the outside and weirdly deserted all the time, but it's not particularly scary and it's not as gross as the Civic Center BART station. And what the fuck is with people saying it's not near Lake Merritt? It's like FIVE BLOCKS FROM THE LAKE YOU DIPSHITS. Learn how to read a fucking map. read more

My home BART station is one of the worst. The landscaping outside is dreadful, garbage piled up everywhere. There are homeless people milling around outside, and the elevator is their personal lavatory. It's VILE, FILTHY and DISGUSTING, Sure, I know BART had to close the restrooms after 911, but they've had a DECADE to figure out another alternative to the elevator. I have to use it every time I wheel a stroller down to the BART. Seriously, I gag every time. It smells like pee, and soemtimes there's poop stains up the walls. EW EW EW. There is no excuse for that. Also, I am #600 something on the parking permit waiting list. Maybe you should turn that lot into a parking garage-- WITH A DAMN TOILET! read more

Where the hell am I? Why do all of these blocks look the same? Okay, I know that the Bart station is on one of those presidential streets like Jackson or Jefferson or something. Crap. All of these streets are named after presidents. Except Alice - who the hell is Alice? Damn it, I grew up here and I have a good sense of direction. So why can't I find the damn Bart station? Wouldn't it be easier to have the "Lake Merritt" station say, like near the actual lake? Oh, hell with it - I'm going to 12th Street. At least I can find that one. read more

Pros : 1) Underground so practically safe and sound from weather issues. 2) The information center has at least 2 staff to answer queries and resolve clipper issues. 3) Cleaner than regular Bart stations. 4) Easy to find parking Cons: 1) Due to its underground factor there's a level of creepiness during night time. 2) Bart police not so keen cleaning up homeless n druggies from dungeons. 3) Restroom had a homeless sleeping in once with doors locked for like 8 hrs read more

There are zero to no cabs waiting at Lake Merrit. If you need to hail a cab, take 12th City or 19th. They're lined up right across the street from BART stairs. If you're getting dropped off here, there are a lot of red zones in front of the BART entrances. Make sure your "driver" DOES NOT do a soft stop here/double park - you'll get a ticket! Less than 5 min walk from Laney. Less than 15 min walk from Jack London. read more

While I am reviewing BART station I have puked at... There is not a single open top trash can at this station and the restrooms are locked. Do you know hard it is to puke in a trashcan with one of those metal thing-a-mabobbers on top of it? You have to try to project your vomit sideways into one of the open slots. Me no likey. read more

I both love, and hate this station. I love it, because it's close to the 880, and it's in close proximity to my house. I hate it, because the parking lot is a joke, and for some reason, poeple like to pee in the stairwell. If you're looking for a BART station that with reliable, safe parking for your car, then take the extra time to go to the Rockridge station. Otherwise, west Oakland or MacArthur both have huge parking lots. read more

Contrary to many of the other reviews on here, I happen to have no qualms with the LMBS. In fact it's one of my favorite stations. Being a resident Lake Merritter, I've found it super convenient to park at on a Friday night, in fact I don't think I've ever had trouble finding a parking spot over the weekend. And weekends are free! Last night due to a combination of one too many vodka soda's and the fact that we missed the last train(!), I had to cab it back and leave my car there. I was a little worried but as sketchy as it can seem, my BF reminded me that it is directly across the street from the Oakland PD. True! And my car was fine. Maybe if I was a better person and rode my bike more often or at all, I would have similar complaints about their alleged non-bike-friendly ways. But I'm not a better person so I can't really relate there. It works for me. read more

I don't hate this Bart -- it's super close to my work and the closest station to the east side of Jack London, the south end of Lake Merritt (near Lake Chalet), and Chinatown. My biggest gripe is that you CANNOT leave your bike there and trust that it will be where you left it when you get back. This are (including Laney College) is a prime target for bike thieves. One of my co-workers tied his bike up to a stand using a special, heavy-duty braided metal cord. When he got back, he found that someone had tried to cut through the cord. Fortunately, his was extra thick. A lesser cord would have cut through. I also wouldn't trust parking my car in the area overnight. I frequently see shattered glass along 11th Street. Parking in the BART lot (tiny as it is) may be safer, be smart and don't leave anything lying around in your car. read more

This BART station will always be associated with the sweet, sweet smell of urine. Nope, there is nothing like that sweet,warm smell of urine in the Morning. Sometimes I have a rolling bag with me that is so stuffed with work accouterments that I can't carry it down the stairs and am forced to take the elevator. WOE IS ME when this occurs. I can officially declare the Lake Merritt BART station elevator a public restroom. They may think they have closed their restroom to the public and the restroom with the toilet may very well be closed. But BART workers take note! People are using your elevator as a restroom!. Would you believe that one morning in my stupor I stepped in a warm puddle of pee in the elevator. My bag rolled through it too. I hate that! I nearly cried and went home but I have to put the bacon on the table so I was forced to go to work with pee on the soles of my shoes and my rolling bag wheels. There was also this time I saw a guy whip it out and pee on the phones down on the platform. Oh yeah I'm looking at you short, white guy dressed all in denim. Thanks for reminding me that touching anything outside my home is dangerous. I now have to add 10 minutes on to my morning routine to account for the time I need to sterilize myself with hand sanitizer and wrap myself in bubble wrap before heading into the PEE ZONE. GROSS BART. GROSS! If you're going to raise my ticket rates then at least use that money to clean the pee out of your friggin stations! read more

I agree with the other reviewers - this is one of the trashiest BART stations - I don't think the escalator has ever worked any time I have been at this station. It's proximity to California Museum is worth an extra star but there are better ways to get to JLS than from here. The only way I end up at this station is usually by accident. read more

You know what's awesome about this BART station, compared to some of the SF stations? The fact that when you walk down the stairs, you can buy your ticket, enter the station, head down the stairs, and be standing at the platform all within 1 minute. Every step is SO CLOSE to each other. You don't have to walk 1/2 mile once you get downstairs. You don't have to decide between multiple hallways. And you don't have to wait too long for the train you need. Yeah, the aesthetics aren't exciting. And the construction downstairs makes it kind of bootleg. But I love how small it is. Three (or four) cheers for Lake Merritt! read more