David was easily accessible by phone and email when we had questions both before we left and once we arrived. The unit is on the middle floor between David who lives above, and renters on the ground floor. Please note that you can't see the unit number from the street since the entry door is up a flight of stairs and perpendicular to the street. The parking was also a little difficult to find since it is on the side of the house but we happened to see several off road parking spots. One spot was marked with a 3 and I remembered David mentioning something about our spot being marked with a 3.
Our welcome note stressed that we be quiet since a baby lives below but fortunately we aren't a loud group so it was no problem. This is definitely not a party house.
The unit was very neat and clean and it felt very homey once you were inside. I agree that the neighborhood is an urban setting, located on the edge of nice and edgy. On the nice side, there is a Whole Foods store a few blocks away and Lake Merritt which is a large beautiful lake that a diversity of of people walk around. On the edgy side, the building is in an area which I wouldn't want to walk around in at night. This is probably an up and coming area of Oakland.
We did appreciate the location's accessibility to visiting Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco. We drove to nearby Jack London Square and took the ferry to Pier 41 near Fisherman's Wharf. Between walking and the cable car we saw a lot of San Francisco without the hassle of driving. Overall we were quite happy with the unit and its location and would definitely stay there again.