Good apartment, tough neighborhood. Not for the faint of heart.
I had read the reviews and thought how bad could the neighborhood be. It was worse. Cars parked in street with wheels missing. A homeless encampment has taken over an empty plot 2 houses down. A seedy 2 star hotel is next door. Worst of all are the cars that stop in the middle of the street and chat leisurely appearing to be engaging in illicit transactions. The building is gated but its operated with a manual lock so you have to get out and unlock it. At night, this can feel quite unsafe! Recommend automatic gate.
Once inside, you can barricade yourself in what is a rather spacious and tidy apartment. A very bright security light is lit all night from the hotel and generously seeps into the room, so bring a sleep mask.
I can recommend this apartment to only those who plan to be inside and stay inside by evening and have a car to get around. In daytime the safety factor felt significantly better. The location is just minutes away from downtown Oakland and MacArthur Bart. There was a plumbing issue and host sent a plumber right away which was great.