Alex's studio was great! Extremely clean--one of the cleanest places I have physically existed in my life, basically. Pretty spartan, but that also probably helps them keep it so clean. Location is indeed on a block with some bail bondsmen and the police station, but it's also just around the corner from the main block of Old Oakland, which is one of the nicest parts of Oakland! Lots of great restaurants, local shops, and pubs. Short distance to BART to get to San Francisco, and short distance to the free Broadway Shuttle to travel to Jack London Square or Uptown. I used to live in Oakland and have spent a lot of time there--really nice location, despite this specific block being a little weird right now.
Would for sure book again, if I happened to be in town!