Amtrak to SF area, where to get off?
Feb 8, 2017, 1:56 pm
#46
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
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Right on Jack London Square is fine, though -- even late.
Feb 8, 2017, 9:06 pm
#47
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,639
Well another data point as someone who lives and works in Oakland and happily makes that walk all the time day or night. It can be a little desolate but it's not unsafe as long as you have your standard city wits about you like you should in any city late at night. Lots of great bars and restaurants. Two new breweries opening up this year in the neighborhood (Federation & Oakland United Beerworks) in addition to wineries and a new pub at 4th and Webster (https://www.facebook.com/SeawolfPub/...00222160332116). Plus Blue Bottle, Chop Bar, Beer Rev, all the JLS restaurants, etc etc etc
Feb 8, 2017, 9:58 pm
#48
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Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
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This forum is pretty dead so ... continuing to wander off topic - in addition to three breweries and six wineries, Jack London District will be gaining a cider taproom this year as well http://www.berkeleyside.com/2017/02/...close-opening/
Apr 16, 2017, 5:38 pm
#49
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: MRY/SFO/SJC
Programs: AS MVP, Hilton Diamond, IHG Gold
Posts: 7,784
My situation was slightly different from OP's, but I'll share my story in case it helps someone down the line.
A couple weeks ago, I had a SFO airport hotel booked before an afternoon flight the next day. Normally, I would get off at SJC, then Caltrain/BART to SFO, but it was a Sunday -- Amtrak arrives 8:11 pm and Caltrain's last Sunday train leaves at 9 pm. Way too risky. So I booked to SFF (SF Financial) via OKJ. If the train was on time, I planned to hop off at SJC. If not, I knew I could BART to SFO from Embarcadero Station (last Sunday train to the airport leaves 1:03 am).
Well, Coast Starlight was 2 hours late. We heard rumors of a landslide on the tracks and of a suicide. Who knows. Anyway, we got off the train at OKJ 11:40-ish and boarded the Amtrak Thruway bus. Ten minutes later, the driver announced we would have to pick up pax at EMY before heading over the bridge. *groan*
Finally, 12:15-ish, we left EMY. Thank goodness at that hour, traffic freely flows. First stop was the Transbay terminal, then SFF. Cripes, I was sweating it. We got down to the BART platform with about 10 minutes to spare.
The one time I Ubered a friend from Fisherman's Wharf to SFO to catch a midweek early evening international flight, the ride cost $60-something. Ordered UberX, but Black showed up and there was no time to argue. Granted a different time of day, but I was *really* not going to be happy paying even half that much to get from Embarcadero Station to my $79+ Doubletree SFO North room. Before leaving home, I mapped the distance between the closest BART stations to Brisbane in case we didn't make it to the airport for the last hotel shuttle. (Data point: Uber from South San Francisco BART Station to Doubletree SFO North at 1:35 am was $9.88.**)
**Strange thing, back in October, we missed the last SamTrans bus from Holiday Inn Express Belmont to get to SFO in time for a flight. A Sunday afternoon. So I had to order an Uber. I noticed the driver's area code was 831 (Monterey County) and it turned out we knew his mom's cousin and family who own a restaurant in town. I figured it was destiny and I was less angry about my dad having to run back across the street to retrieve his phone he left in the hotel room. Well, the Uber I ordered from SSF station two weeks ago was the same guy. Craaazy.
A couple weeks ago, I had a SFO airport hotel booked before an afternoon flight the next day. Normally, I would get off at SJC, then Caltrain/BART to SFO, but it was a Sunday -- Amtrak arrives 8:11 pm and Caltrain's last Sunday train leaves at 9 pm. Way too risky. So I booked to SFF (SF Financial) via OKJ. If the train was on time, I planned to hop off at SJC. If not, I knew I could BART to SFO from Embarcadero Station (last Sunday train to the airport leaves 1:03 am).
Well, Coast Starlight was 2 hours late. We heard rumors of a landslide on the tracks and of a suicide. Who knows. Anyway, we got off the train at OKJ 11:40-ish and boarded the Amtrak Thruway bus. Ten minutes later, the driver announced we would have to pick up pax at EMY before heading over the bridge. *groan*
Finally, 12:15-ish, we left EMY. Thank goodness at that hour, traffic freely flows. First stop was the Transbay terminal, then SFF. Cripes, I was sweating it. We got down to the BART platform with about 10 minutes to spare.
The one time I Ubered a friend from Fisherman's Wharf to SFO to catch a midweek early evening international flight, the ride cost $60-something. Ordered UberX, but Black showed up and there was no time to argue. Granted a different time of day, but I was *really* not going to be happy paying even half that much to get from Embarcadero Station to my $79+ Doubletree SFO North room. Before leaving home, I mapped the distance between the closest BART stations to Brisbane in case we didn't make it to the airport for the last hotel shuttle. (Data point: Uber from South San Francisco BART Station to Doubletree SFO North at 1:35 am was $9.88.**)
**Strange thing, back in October, we missed the last SamTrans bus from Holiday Inn Express Belmont to get to SFO in time for a flight. A Sunday afternoon. So I had to order an Uber. I noticed the driver's area code was 831 (Monterey County) and it turned out we knew his mom's cousin and family who own a restaurant in town. I figured it was destiny and I was less angry about my dad having to run back across the street to retrieve his phone he left in the hotel room. Well, the Uber I ordered from SSF station two weeks ago was the same guy. Craaazy.
Jun 24, 2017, 8:22 pm
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 49
Update: Despite my trepidation, Amtrak ended up being very nice and I would absolutely take the Coast Starlight again. So much more relaxed than dealing with security/checking bags/economy seats on a plane! The roomettes were more spacious than they looked in pictures, the food above-average, and the parlor car comfortable.
We left 2 hours late, but they made up the time and we only arrived a half hour late. After traveling for 12+ hours and it being 10:30 at night, I made the decision to throw away the connecting bus at OKJ and use Uber instead. I was able to schedule Uber XL while still on the train and he arrived just as we were making our way to the meeting point. There was a price surge due to the NBA game, so the ~$25-30 ride ended up costing $50, but to me it was well worth it. We were just too tired and had too much luggage that late at night to try and navigate public transportation in a new city, or even figure out how to go the last mile between the Amtrak bus station and hotel.
Thank you for all of the help planning this part of our trip!
We left 2 hours late, but they made up the time and we only arrived a half hour late. After traveling for 12+ hours and it being 10:30 at night, I made the decision to throw away the connecting bus at OKJ and use Uber instead. I was able to schedule Uber XL while still on the train and he arrived just as we were making our way to the meeting point. There was a price surge due to the NBA game, so the ~$25-30 ride ended up costing $50, but to me it was well worth it. We were just too tired and had too much luggage that late at night to try and navigate public transportation in a new city, or even figure out how to go the last mile between the Amtrak bus station and hotel.
Thank you for all of the help planning this part of our trip!