Although I do not belong to this Center, workers there assisted me when the CDFA and the County of…read moreAlameda left me out to dry. Although I signed up via the CDFA website months ago, I was unable to get the ecard necessary for this year's Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP). This very likely due to the new Federal Administration. Historically I had been able to get these benefits (vouchers then) at my local farmers market here in Alameda. But due to the unbelievably awful behavior on the part of a mob of seniors (!) apparently from the Asian American community out of Oakland, no one wanted to risk going through that nightmare on distribution day again - EVER. The closest distributions this year were in San Leandro and Dublin; not close AT ALL, particularly for a disabled senior. I'm old but I'm also extremely persistent, and given the rising cost of food now the SFMNP benefits are a lifeline more than ever. So, I kept asking and researching, wash, rinse, repeat over and over and over. Finally, a worker from the Oakland Center came to our f.m. last week to arrange for an educational outing for the Oakland seniors who had gotten the benefit SFMNP ecards at that Center. He told me how to contact the worker in charge of distribution in Oakland, and added that there were still some ecards left. Cue the clouds parting, the sunbeams and the angelic chorus! Yesterday, I took the local bus, hobbled down Grand Ave. to the Downtown Oakland Sr. Center and received this year's SFMNP ecard. Re-cue the sunbeams and angels x 10. This place deserves 5 stars and then some. Note: While at the Oakland Center, I noticed (in late morning) some elder women dressed wildly inappropriately in (gaudy) evening gowns, sparkly shoes & too much makeup. Eh? No, not Halloween costumes, perhaps due to the dancing going on in one large room. This was in the morning...harmless but weird. I guess when one becomes very old, fun is where you can find it. Note taken.

Wide range of activities, close to public transportation, beautiful building, friendly staff…read more.. what's not to like? Dance classes, exercise (yoga, Tai Chi, ping pong), knitting circle, support group, tea dance, and more!

My mother has lived at Elders Inn for many years. The staff is very caring and patient. My mother…read morewas lonely and depressed and the administrator arranged for a Friendly Visitor to come in for her. The staff treats their residents with compassion and dignity. I visit frequently as do my children and we feel like we are part of the family. We are very happy with our decision to have our mom live at Elders Inn. She is able to retain her independence but be well-cared for. If you are looking for a facility that will take care of your loved one in a safe, homey and clean environment you will get that at Elders Inn.

My Aunt and Uncle became residents at Elders Inn in October 2017. She was diagnosed then with early…read morestages of dementia, and he had a colostomy bag. Elders Inn is a well-run family-owned managed business located in Alameda. This facility is a safe, wonderful, engaging place for the residents who live there and for the family/friends who visit them. It is very 'clean' and the residents are cared for appropriately. We have found the staff to be very professional, kind, caring, and attentive to the needs of the residents. The nursing staff does an excellent job in medication management and any other medical issues which may arise. A monthly calendar of events is provided to each resident containing all the daily activities, entertainment, and special events which the residents can optionally attend. We have always felt welcome when visiting. The management and staff have always been responsive to our needs and requests. Sadly, my Aunt and Uncle passed away in January 2024 and October 2018 respectively. The family will 'always' be indebted to Elders Inn for their loving and diligent care! Elders Inn has exceeded our expectations 'in every possible way' by providing quality senior living services and striving to provide 'value' in all that they do for your loved ones! For those reasons, if you are looking for an assisted living facility, I highly recommend without reservation that you consider Elders Inn!

One of my favorite places to hang out at in Uptown! The Hive is a mix of local businesses,…read moreapartment homes, and courtyard space that's located just off of Broadway. It includes various businesses such us: *The Impact Hub *Drake's Dealership *Calavera *Humphrey Slocombe *The People's Barber & Shop *Firebrand Artisan Breads *Numi Tea There's also a courtyard hangout spot where numerous outdoor events are held throughout the year. My two favorite spots to frequent at the Hive are Drake's and Humphrey Slocombe. Beer, pizza, and ice cream... how about that mix? I've also attended a few events at the Impact Hub and I really admire that space as well. Would love to visit the other businesses that also occupy the space in the future. If you're looking for a fun place to hangout or for local events going on, check out the Hive!

Finding this little spot was really exciting…read more This Hive is perfectly named for a stylish place for people to gather. There is a cute coffee shop, ice cream shop, open seating, chess and checkers, sun covered patio tables, beautiful tucked away courtyard restaurants framed in vines and with open tables like a modern day outdoor assembly hall. It is in the center of a few businesses, co-working spaces and residential apartments. Things here are lively and lots of fun. They frequently have events going on and I wish I was in town longer to attend. I met cool people here as I sipped on a fantastic coffee in the sun and played chess with a stranger. I specifically visited Humphry Slocombe here for delicious creamy ice cream. My coffee was from Red Bay Coffee - the cute walk up coffee shop you see near the entrance. I was really impressed by Red Bay! Crazy nice customer service, the coffee is fair trade. Okay but really though - the UNREAL, OUT OF THIS WORLD thing to get from Red Bay is the CHARCOAL VANILLA LATTE. I normally get plain ol' drip but I'm really happy I tried this latte. Honestly, it was originally a do-it-for-the-gram order but thank ig because I wish I could order this Latte back at home. It's creamy and rich but not too sweet, just a little. Really blew my mind. It is my understanding during my brief visit that Red Bay has bigger, brewery sized locations! So, also hoping to check those out the next time I'm in the area. Please do yourself a favor and visit Hive, meet some cool new friends, and enjoy yourself a Charcoal Vanilla Latte. Bonus points if you get it with oat milk.

! I just spoke with Katonya from the Transportation Department, and I must say she immediately put…read moreme at ease while taking down all the information regarding my mother-in-law. I have been given the runaround previously, but Katonya took ownership and is ensuring that my mother-in-law's transportation is properly taken care of. We truly need more employees like her--someone who is proactive and does not procrastinate. I greatly appreciate her assistance. Thank you

This is the most disorganize organization I have ever dealt with. They are very short handed and it…read moreshows. However, they still want you to go into even though you're getting sub par services. When you ask them to follow-up, they never follows through. Its like you can tell them 10 times, they act like they will do it but they don't really care. At the end, nothing happens and you keep waiting and waiting. The constant phone harassment from different nurses, social workers calling to go into the center on different days to do different assessments. Imagine an 80-year old who constantly getting phone calls from different people and making different appointments. If they can't find you, they start calling the family members and blame them for not taking the elderly into the center. They will make last minute appointments without notice and said it has been scheduled. It is very frustrating when talking to people who don't care people have lives outside of CEI. All of this just so they can keep getting government funding so they get paid. The other thing is they will keep pressuring you to sign some legal documents which most of the elderlies are not capable of understand the document. I've told them to give me the copy so that I can have my family and/or lawyer to review it. They won't release a copy. The large healthcare organizations like Kaiser, Sutter Health, PAMF, they are all very courteous and always take customers feedback. After 2+ years, there is no improvement but things have worsened. I have never felt this disrespectful in my life with the tone that they talk to me over the phone and my family.

Happy 40th anniversary to CEI! Truly a second home to my parent. This CEI at JVC is more than just…read morea center to many of the participants... this is a second home it's their safety-net and their community. I've made so many friends here... I feel like I'm part of their community too...I feel my family is welcome. My father loves to attend daily and doesn't want to miss it. He likes the food and the company and all of the attention that he receives. I know post pandemic or pandemic as it is still has been difficult but this is still a place for people to feel/find community and care. Thank you to the CEI team at JVC.

From the owner: CEI offers PACE healthcare. You get medical, dental and eye care. You also get transportation, home…read morecare, a senior gym, nutrition counseling, and you can make new friends in the day center. You'll receive care in your language with our multi-lingual staff and interpreters. Your team will develop a personal, customized care plan with you. PACE Members get doctors who see only seniors. As a PACE member, you receive medical care from an entire team of doctors, nurses and many others who specialized exclusively in seniors and their individual needs. All of these medical services are included with no deductible. *Primary care physician, specialists and nursing care *Prescription medications delivered to your home *Outpatient labs, blood tests and X-rays *Dentistry, optometry, audiology, podiatry and psychiatry *Home care when you need it *Wheelchairs, walkers and other durable medical equipment *Physical, occupational, speech and mental health therapy *Emergency care, hospitalization, and transportation

The Emeryville Senior Center is a bastion of classes for hobbies, exercise classes, computer access…read moreand meals. The calendar of events include trips to the Warriors games, wine tastings, and music events. There is so much to do here. Access to the monthly newsletter is online.

Great place clean and the lunches are really good love the line classes and computer lab.read more

Funny how the owner David left this comment responding to my review when he wasn't there and all of…read moretheir trash cans were full from the previous party. So we proceeded to ask the lady who he left in charge who pretty much knew NOTHING and she told us to just leave it out there and she would take care of it so WE DID and that resulted in them taking our deposit. Sounds like a scam from the business to me. Employee tells you one thing, owners tell you another. Please people don't even bother getting scammed and I'm sure if I left the place in a mess, he would've taken photos. We cleaned up everything and even swept the place. These people are full of it, don't waste your time. Also took him a year to respond, never responded to any of the emails or calls. Scam likely , bravo!

I have hosted several events at this location (an event for my business, a clothing swap, a class),…read moreand attended many more events and parties since the space opened in February. As a host, the space is reasonably priced, clean, well-lit, conveniently located, and most importantly - completely wheelchair accessible. There are very few venues in the East Bay where the entire space is accessible. In this case, this includes the mezzanine (there is a lift), and there are 2 accessible bathrooms (of the 6 total bathrooms). I have also found that the space has adequate tables and chairs, as well as a small stage, a projector, and sound system, so I don't have the added expense of renting those things. I wish it had a kitchen (it has a fridge), but other than that, this space is awesome for lots of types of events! I already have another event booked there in November.

I've noticed how pricing has really changed. I understand wanting to get top value for the…read morenonprofit mission. But the other side is thrifting is part bargain for the shopper. I'm not go to pay 90 dollars for a used piece of clothing. Regardless of brand. I am not going to donate or shop here for a while because I love thinking that someone will enjoy my nice items at a great price...but that doesn't seem to align right now.

Loved this cute little thrift shop in a quiet neighborhood in Alameda. We stopped by while in the…read morearea and luckily found cheap street parking right around the corner. A quaint store with good lighting and friendly staff, this thrift shop isn't big but does curate a nice little collection - I saw cute tops, dresses, scarves, handbags, and jewelry. Everything was tidy and in its right place. I'm not sure if there's a dressing room since I didn't use one, but there are plenty of mirrors around the store that you can use. Bonus: all proceeds go towards their affiliated animal rescue! I picked up a patterned skirt and T-shirt here for less than $20, and my friend got a few items as well. Checking out was easy breezy, and they let us know that they're able to take most donations (though if you have anything large, best to call in ahead of time). All in all, not much more I can ask for a pleasant thrifting experience.

I believe John D's review of Mercy is poorly written and gives the wrong impression of Mercy…read more Mercy is a non-denominational, full service facility, with a secure campus that has 24/7 Reception, beautifully landscaped gardens, and every service a resident could want: three nutritious meals every day; a variety of daily activities and special events; housekeeping service; 24/7 floor staff for night or day emergencies. Mercy is run by the non-profit Eldercare Alliance. They're associated with the four AlmaVia facilities in the Bay Area. We needed a facility for my 85-yr old MIL who is physically healthy, but has a mild-to-moderate case of dementia. We wanted a full-service facility so that as she declined, we would not be forced to move her somewhere else (disruption is highly stressful for dementia patients). My MIL is in now in Asst. Living. Although reluctant (as many elderly are) to make "the move" out of our home, she quickly adjusted and in less than a month's time was telling her friends she absolutely loves it at Mercy. She loves how caring and friendly all the staff is, and how quick everyone was to learn her name. She loves the reassurance that she will be escorted to and from her bath, so that she need never worry about falling. She enjoys the food, which is quite good (we've eaten there with her a number of times). She appreciates the choice of activities and for the first time since being widowed, is making new friends, because Mercy provides a supportive sense of community for its residents. Unlike John D., we investigated seven different senior facilities nearby our home. There are many different types, but we needed a full service facility with a Memory Care unit. But what makes one facility different from another is the staff. And Mercy's staff is VERY, VERY GOOD - at all levels! There were some minor issues at first because moving in and getting her settled was complex; but Mercy was always responsive and showed themselves willing to go that "extra mile" for my MIL's comfort. We have visited elderly friends at other (even more expensive) facilities where the night staff was sullen and uninterested when a resident comes to ask a question. We have had many interactions with Mercy staff and all have been 100% positive. We are convinced that Mercy was the right choice. They are a caring, compassionate, and highly professional care facility. Oakland seniors are lucky to have Mercy in our city! (Note: edited June 2014 to reflect that Salem is being sold to finance an expansion of Mercy's campus to provide additional Memory Care units. Salem is being purchased by a for-profit corporation, similar to Sunrise Living and AgeSong.)

Mercy Retirement is a hidden gem in Oakland California for senior living. 150 years of caring and…read morecompassion, along with world class culinary experience and award winning executive chef Steven Catindig.