We enjoyed our stay in Oakland. Alex's flat is located a few streets down from several lovely coffee shops (highly recommend Blue Bottle Coffee), the great Swan Market, and the BART station. It's a good base for exploring San Francisco and the wider Bay Area, albeit the streets slightly further up from the flat are much nicer than where the flat is located.
The flat itself is as described - basic amenities but functional. Overall, it was an adequate base for our trip at a good price.