One old joke is that Albany is where Berkeley Radicals go to die. And a lot of people don't even…read moreknow where Albany is located. I sometimes mention Berkeley first or mention Albany Hill or the Race Track. It also borders Berkeley, El Cerrito, Richmond, and Kensington. Gayle also scoffs when I sometimes tell her that Albany in some ways reminds me of Iowa. She sees an "urban and gritty" East Bay suburb, while I feel that I'm living in a small town with friendly neighbours and a sense of cohesion. We Albanians are passionate about several things. The composition of the City Council changes with the popular issues of the day (like the Waterfront), but those meetings haven't been the same since Dario Mendiketti passed away. We like our services (including schools) and we're willing to vote for most if not all parcel taxes and bond measures put before us. What I appreciate personally is my neighbourhood and local park, the Solano Stroll, the walking distance availability to several things, the Community Center and Library, and the Teen Center services. Good City services and the friendly and helpful folks that provide them are also much appreciated.

Community Centers are the heart and soul of an area now. Combining so many public services that are…read morevital for a healthy community mentally and physically. I went to see an ART SHOW in the FOYER. It was awesome. The exhibit ... "Suenos Enigmaticos"- "Enigmatic Dreams." Local Artist Deborah Schilling make magic happen in pastels. These large pieces invoked a myriad of emotions from different people for different reasons. Just what art is supposed to do. The Albany Arts Committee presented this show and I'm glad they did. The event was January 13 but will run until March 27th, 2017. Wonderful reception and gathering followed this known and respected artist. It is something only your eyes can share with you. A must see.

My 11 yr old son went to their camp this week for the first time. He loved it! I found the head…read morecoach ( Mike, who I believe is the owner) to be very complimentary & supportive of my son. Mike is very friendly. Each day at pick up, he made it a point to catch me & tell me what a great job my son did. Mike & his staff of coaches very quickly pin pointed the one problem my son was having w/his swing which was causing him to either strike out or not hit well. They phrased in easy to understand terms for my son so that at bat, he'll be able to remember what to do. I liked that there was a small group of boys, maybe 40 at the most, making it possible for each player to get more personal time & attention w/the coaches. The kids start the day at Lefty Gomez Field & end it at the Triple crown facility for batting. Triple Crown is just a couple blocks walk away for the kids. The day was 9-1:30 which was the perfect amount of time. My son has done 9-4 baseball camps but that's just too long. The price was right, too: just $125 for the week! It was M-TH. I kind of wish it went thru Friday but my son felt 4 days was just right. His only complaint: he wishes they'd have more time on the field in live batting. If you're close to Rodeo, I highly recommend this camp!

Mr Winslow is a good tennis coach from what I saw of his coaching for my two children. However,…read morethere is a huge personal problem wherein he is verbally abusive to the kids at times. He wrote a long abusive text to my child, basically saying my child was worth nothing--this to a kid suffering from depression. Mr Winslow did refund me the lessons paid for my other child, because of course he knows this is WRONG. If you choose to pay Mr Winslow to coach your kid(s), you're playing abusive roulette. It would be great if he dealt with his personal issues so they don't interfere with his work with kids.

I have personally known Alexander Winslow and the Winslow Tennis Academy for around 30 years since…read moreAlexander was a San Jose State University varsity men's tennis team member. Alexander's teaching of mental and physical preparedness in conjunction with his USTA teaching style is a great fit for a youth just learning tennis or a young player trying to move up the local tennis rankings. Alexander has always made tennis fun for my kids (now young adults) by insightful personal instruction and teaching great sportsmanship. Tennis is a great family sport and my kids enjoyment of tennis will carry onto adulthood which is all we wanted as parents.

This has to be the best team of coaches. And awesome facility Everyone is in it! all the…read morecoaches Show kids how to prep, eat, hydrate, and prepare in order to show up on the field and then coach them. Tad and Michelle and justin are amazing with coaching and conditioning. They make the kids become a better team. Hitting, weights, catching..... I can't say enough. Your kid isn't here? they are missing out.

Michel and the team at 365 Academy of Baseball have a great facility and program for youth baseball…read moreplayers. Previously known as Wheelhouse Academy of Baseball, 365 is under new ownership and has redesigned the physical space and the programming. They have conditioning and development classes and programs for baseball players, beginning at little league age, all the way up through high school and beyond. The organization and its trainers are focused on developing young players to play great baseball for their school and/or travel teams. This is a great option for any player who wants to take occasional classes (like arm care or speed & agility) or sign up for an ongoing development program. They are also affiliated with Coach Thomas and the Richmond-based GameChangers organization for player who are looking for a competitive travel team. Highly recommend!

Visited once for the fast pitch Fridays, the lady at the counter was nice and quickly offered me…read morebeer and wine as soon as I walked in. Their sports complex is so small, they had 3 lanes open if I remember well, 2 were medium sized and one a bit larger. Only the 2 bigger lanes were being used for fast pitch Friday. They had about 20 girls participating, the parents were packed like sardines on the stairs and on the sides with the batters there was no room to walk, they have a second floor but you can't see anything unless your kids pitching. We weren't given instruction on how it would go. They throw in pitchers and catchers first, no adult was keeping count on how many at bats or ball count. The girls were guessing the ball counts/at bats. A few times the owner seemed to just switch out batters at random times and gave preference to his buddies kids. Batters pay more and batters get less time for reps.

From the moment we walked in it was clean, welcoming, and well organized. The batting cages looked…read morebrand new. Adriana was a sweetheart and made sure we had everything we needed and thanked us for coming. Will definitely be coming back :)

Terrible experience. Always having to call to schedule my sons lessons. Scheduling and coordinating…read moreof new players is not coordinated and is mismanaged. Seems as though there is a lot of demand but not enough instructors. Don't feel I got my monies worth. Would not recommend this club. Your better off finding a private instructor.

Wonderful tennis lessons! Sam is very fun and informative. The perfect balance of activity and…read morefeels like a semi private lesson even though it's technically a group class. Everyone was nice and non-judge mental at various levels but no pressure or embarrassment.

Was so happy to finally find a volleyball clinic for my 7 year old daughter…read more I was worried that since they accepted kids so young that the clinic would be too easy but it isn't. Its a great clinic with the perfect balance of encouragement and push. The instructor, Kristina is amazing! She's so knowledgeable! She has a ton of different drills and skill building exercises for the kids! She even gave me some homework/practices for my Daughter to help build confidence. I would definitely recommend this clinic to anyone with a child who has an interest in volleyball. My Daughter has excelled and loved going every Sunday! Thanks VB Synergy!

I just love the training that my girls receive with Coach Kristina. My three girls have attended…read morethe sunday clinics and or camps and it's been great experience. She showed my little one how to serve and my oldest how to improve her spiking and jump serving. She has many years of professional experience and I would like to highly recommend her volleyball coaching. I seen huge improvement in my oldest daughters volleyball skills since she began training with Coach Kristina. On top of her great volleyball skills she is professional, patient and nice!

Our experience with Lefty field has been fairly good. Each season they are making changes and…read moreupdates to support their growing baseball community. I have experienced some racial name calling from the neighbors next to the field while attending one of my son's baseball game. Other than that, I have no complaints.

Massive park with numerous baseball fields usually having multiple games going on at once. It's…read moreamazing to watch my little cousins play baseball on different fields at once, my daughter running around the fields and playing on a playground within vicinity of the field. Birthday parties can be had and friendly games of baseball was so fun! The field is near the freeway and there is a food stand on site for treats and small bites. Cash and cards are accepted. It's enjoyable by all ages. Come out, watch a game or play your own or let your little ones run off sugar highs!