I just started learning to play tennis but have been tennis curious for over a decade. This is a…read morehidden gem, the most beautiful tennis court in Oakland, tucked in a former quarry among eucalyptus trees that provide shade. For tennis lore, check out the wooden clubhouse built by the WPA in the 1930s. Book a court online for popular times in tie afternoon / evening / weekends, or walk on in the daytime.

This place is beautifully located in a canyon surrounded by eucalyptus trees complete with birds…read moreflying overhead. I came here for the first time on Friday night and boy was I impressed. I felt like I had traveled to some secret tennis haven as my tennis partner and I were the only ones for much of the time we were out there. And, best of all this place was ranked as one of the best tennis facilities by the USTA sometime in the early 80's. I can picture it now...all these 80's kids with their white short shorts and sweaters and wooden rackets...Those were the glory days. I am sure of it.

I had a tennis match recently where I had a minor toe injury that I realized might be due to my…read moretennis shoes. I thought I should go to a local store and get some advice on shoes. Tom was super helpful. He recommended wide shoes and also helped measure my shoe size since it can be different for wide shoes, and it totally was. The shoes were reasonably priced and comparable to anything you can find online. But you can't beat a personalized shopping experience with Tom, who helped explain what different brands offer shoe-wise and also measured my feet to be sure. Tom is a true gem and it's always awesome to support a local business with owners like him who have a true passion for what they do. He used to own a bigger store downstairs but during the pandemic, his business suffered and now he's upstairs but still clearly knows all of his tennis stuff. I would definitely come back to support his business whenever I need tennis gear. The only downside is that parking is street parking and you do have to pay for it.

My wife and I recently got back into tennis after watching the US Open. I haven't played tennis…read morebefore, so I didn't have my own racket, but my wife still had some rackets from high school that desperately needed to be restrung. Through Yelp, we found Montclair Sports offered restringing services and I am beyond satisfied with my experience working with Tom. To start, Tom is a seasoned professional in his craft, with over 50 years of experience. We brought over our two beaten up rackets to the shop and Tom walked us through his recommendations for the rackets. We ended up going forward with restringing only one of the rackets, but we actually purchased a new Babolat racket there on the spot. Turns out, the racket my wife had been using her whole life was completely the wrong size! At no time during the racket shopping process did we ever feel like Tom was trying to upsell us. He patiently answered all our questions and I trusted Tom's guidance in every step of the process. Honestly, you won't find a nicer guy in the business; I cannot recommend his services enough.

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.

Found Josh on yelp and stopped by for a lesson. The hour went by super fast and I had a ton of fun!…read moreJosh is super easy going and didn't make me feel bad that I was terrible. Would definitely suggest for people anywhere from beginner to advanced. He's easy to communicate with for scheduling and was nice when I forgot my racket and had an extra. Also the courts were beautiful and super fun to play on, it oversees the entire Bay Area.

I have been looking for a coach to help elevate and improve my tennis. I have tried many coaches…read moreand the sessions are ok. A friend recommended Josh Bernstein Tennis and wow was this a game changer. Within 5 minutes of hitting he saw why was wrong. Unlike other coaches who change you and start from zero. Josh keeps it simple and is very fun to work with. He books up fast so you gotta schedule your appointment ASAP. Thank you Josh B I'll definitely be back for more sessions to improve my game.

I'd especially like to give a shout out to the wonderful massage program at the HBC spa…read more Nonmembers, when booked for a massage, can also have access to use the locker room, women's private indoor hot tub, steam sauna, dry sauna, as well as the private women's sun deck after the massage. What an awesome spa treatment! I've been a member for two years and love the pool and the yoga classes. The staff are very helpful and friendly. Two years ago I booked an introductory tour and swim reservation, and I was immediately impressed and hooked! Parking is plentiful and the setting is very spacious and peaceful overlooking the water.

Rude staff that are clueless and never able to answer any questions…read more Their private swim lessons are taught by amateur high school graduates who dont have any teaching techniques. Thats $50 for half an hour. I would not pay for the membership here. There just arent better options nearby. Response to manager's comment: I have called and also asked the front desk various questions in the past and all seemed to have limited knowledge about the club / undertrained. However the main problem is they are also very unfriendly. Exception: The new gentleman who handles new member inquiries was very friendly and professional. To be fair. Regarding swimming "private lessons", at $100 / hour rate, please hire someone who is a professional or at least have some training at teaching swimming effectively. I could understand if its a $20 lesson at community center. For a club that charges premium rates, please provide services that are in line with the pricing.

This is a critical review because there is nowhere else to criticize the programs I have issues…read morewith. Alameda Rec blanket covers these bad programs and allows the to continue despite obvious shortcomings. My daughter took a variety of summer camps in 2023. We went through the catalogue in the spring and had no issues picking any of our selections. She enjoyed, Hanabi Judo: Pokemon Camp, Young Rembrandts: Colorful Critters Workshop & Children's Aikido. The issues were with: CRTW: Oodles of Noodles, Play-Well: Minecraft Engineering w/ LEGO & Play-Well: STEM + Animal Architects w/ LEGO. Oodles of Noodles was the main offender with an additional $150 for materials that were is definitely overpriced. My daughter chopped vegis for two days of five and not much more than that. She did not learn a single sauce recipe or even tired various sauces to learn what's out there. The teachers were often on their phones bragging about the door dash being delivered to eat in front of the kids but not share. The Lego classes were generally a disappointment, with minor projects loosely tiesdto a theme but most of the time was just freeplay. My daughter was excited for weeks looking forward to the minecraft camp, but left deflated. I honestly felt like I let her down because there wasn't an opportunity to switch another camp, just money paid for "glorified" childcare. We will never sign up for these class again, will advise all within my social circle the same and will do thorough research before selecting future classes within Alameda Rec. I do think there are worthy camps to select.

There has got to be some serious Happy Juice infused in the water that the ARPD staff drinks…read more Seriously, I don't think I've ever used any city's parks, camps, after-school daycare, teen center and field trip operation with such a collectively friendly, helpful, and patient staff. Personally, as the victim of constant 'Mom Poisoning," which typical symptoms often include: random forgetfulness, sleep deprivation, looking constantly dazed and confused, referring to one of your children in a conversation when you were really meaning to refer to another one, talking to the imaginary little plump fairies flying around you a lot of the time while in mid-conversation with a real human being, and sailing away merrily alone in your car after forgetting to make sure that your child actually managed to make his/her way physically into the car with you when you came to pick him/her up. Despite all of my Mom Poisoning symptoms, the ARPD staff has always treated me with the utmost cheerful understanding and respect. Let's look at a few examples of my interactions with them, and compare the responses to what Your Average (anyplace) City Schmuck Park Employee (YACSPE) *could* say to me, the Mom-Poisoned ("MP"). Me (MP) to the ARPD WOW camp staff after taking 6 year old wild child to the completely wrong park thinking it was a the week of a certain soccer camp that actually wasn't happening for another two weeks. MP: I can't believe I got this soccer camp week wrong by two weeks. ARPD staff: No problem, Ms. S. Turns out his regular camp park group is coming over in about 45 minutes for a camp-wide special event at our park so they can just give him a ride back to the correct park and camp after that. MP: I feel like such a ditz ARPD: Don't worry Ms. S., it happens all the time. What a "Your Average Daily City Schmuck Park Employee" (YACSPE) would at least think: What the hell kind of mother are you? That camp isn't for two more weeks! Don't you ever look at a calendar and write these things down? Nutso parent! Get a clue! MP: To the ARPD counselors at the Teen Center after my then twelve-year-old son questioned the existence of God a bit too bluntly to some both very sensitive and even more "very* Christian home-schooled tweens there: MP: I'm really sorry that he offended those kids. Anything that seems "Fundamentalist' to him when discussing religion gets him as riled up as a particular very openly opinionated, sarcastic, swearing, liberal uncle who means well and advocates free speech....and I've reminded him time and again that it's okay to ask questions, but try not to offend people when you do, even if you don't agree with them one bit. ARPD: That's okay. We discussed that he needed to think through what he is going to say in advance since it really did hurt those kids' feelings. However, there wasn't any real harm done. YACSPE might say: Why isn't your son on some serious meds to keep him sedated? Now we could face a major lawsuit against the local churches those students attend! MP to the ARPD RAP (after-school care) staff after wild child decided to get in a tussle with an older kid over wall ball and taking turns that turned into a huge brawl. MP: I'm so sorry he got so worked up. He didn't get enough sleep last night and has been in an atypical bad mood most of the day. He knows he should be using words, not hitting. *migraine ensues* ARPD: Well, we took each of the boys aside and explained how hitting isn't allowed and then eventually had the two of them talk it out. They seem to be good friends now. YACSPE: Christ, I bet you or your Old Man beat the crap out of that kid at home or something for him to get into a fight like that. We're calling CPS! ARPD's staff is even kind enough to call around the night before your kid goes on a field trip and remind you what time to be there the next morning since the tour bus will depart at a set-in-stone time. You know how certain, *ahem*, Night Owls definitely need these reminders so we can set at least two alarm clocks with the loudest one being placed at least 10 feet away from the bed in order to even get out of bed early. Even the person I typically deal with on the phone for scheduling changes and payments is always cheerful and courteous. They now have an online scheduling/payment system too. How convenient is that? There is something in that Happy juice going on, and I'm telling you it's a wonderful thing. Thank you, ARPD staff for your graciousness and your programs. You make a single, working, full-time parent of three kids' schedules so much easier to plan when they all too typically border on the impossible to coordinate.

Lydecker Park is one of those neighborhood gems you don't fully appreciate until you visit. Tucked…read moreinto a quiet residential area, it's the perfect balance of open space, play areas, and that relaxed Alameda vibe. The playground is clean, updated, and thoughtfully designed for a range of ages. Plenty of room for kids to run, climb, and explore without feeling overcrowded. Parents will love the shaded seating areas--ideal for catching a breather while still keeping an eye on the action.

This Park will be so great once COVID-19 is over!!…read more The highlight, to me, is the Golden State Warriors inspired basketball court. It'll be so great once they put the rims back up so people can play here again!! They pack a lot into this park!! They have a softball field, 3 tennis courts, a library along with the basketball court. The large grassy area is maintained very well if you just want to kick back here. I usually run past or through this park when I run in this area. This park is located right next to the Harbor Bay Landing shopping center on Bay Farm Island.