Susie and her wonderful apartment are in the middle of the best that Oakland and the East Bay have to offer.

Its a huge apartment with lots of charm and all of the amenities a traveler wants. I travel extensively and she really has been a big help working with my schedule. So much so that I've actually rented from her on 3 separate occasions.

Its the people that make the difference and Susie really has.

Safe travels,

Red...

P.S. The following is from an article I found on the area near her place that I thought would be helpful.

.......No longer the underdog of the Bay Area, Oakland — with its trendy restaurants, exploding art scene and hip DIY underground culture — has officially emerged from the shadow of San Francisco. Recently cited by national media as the go-to city for affordable housing and hip culture, one could say Oakland is the new Brooklyn.

Just as New Yorkers now make their way to their once poorer cousin for innovative experiences in culture, food and art, San Franciscans increasingly head to Oakland to glimpse the new and unique.

The monthly Oakland Art Murmur art walk in the hot Uptown district attracts thousands to a tangle of crowded galleries, swamped food trucks and edgy street performances. For these "First Fridays," as they are known in street parlance, throngs are now crossing the Bay Bridge from west to east.

Oaklandish, a nonprofit apparel company that operates from a storefront near the Art Murmur in the heart of downtown, launched the city's "roots" logo as part of a street art campaign designed to illuminate local history. Now the company is leading the pack toward collaborations between businesses and artists and donating 10 percent of proceeds to local organizations working to strengthen the community.

Within an easy 9 block walk ...Other O-town neighborhoods have been revitalized by the proliferation of diverse new businesses launching throughout the city. In North Oakland's Temescal district, cuisine from Burma, China, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Morocco and Spain can be found in a three-block radius.

Farther south along the Oakland Estuary, Jingletown is a creative community with a large number of working artists living in converted lofts. Nearby Fruitvale is home to Oakland's largest Latino population and the city's original — and still stellar — taco trucks. Jack London Square is a revitalized nighttime drinking destination with pubs and several spots for "locavore" artisan cocktails.

Ironically, Oakland is not only the "new Brooklyn" but the "old Brooklyn" as well. In 1846, over 200 settlers from New York arrived in San Francisco Bay after sailing around South America on board a ship called the Brooklyn. Many settled in the East Bay. For a time, East Oakland was even called Brooklyn Township.......

Portions of the following review came from an excellent article posted in its entirety at the at the link your find at the bottom of the page.

http://rediscover.msn.com/city/32243562/feature/32262081