Central Alameda, Alameda

I've lived in Central Alameda (Minturn and Lincoln) since summer 2007. I really like the neighborhood, though I've got a couple of frustrations.

The major frustration is parking. Much of central Alameda didn't used to be a renter's paradise. Victorian homes converted into duplexes, triplexes, or n-plexes still only have one driveway. Including my neighbors, the four people living in my duplex have three cars. I've learned to expect to park a couple of blocks away. This is actually how I ended up picking up bicycling.

Central Alameda is heaven for bicyclists. Hardly anything is more than a 2 mile ride away and the island itself is quite flat. I really enjoy commuting to work on my bicycle and I rarely get into that impossible-to-park car unless my destination is taking me away from my fair city.

It's fairly quiet, though night winds bring in the sounds of BART and public transit isn't dreamy, but it's easy to get on a bus near home. Being in the middle of the island means traffic is less, as there just aren't that many attractions that are worth driving 25 MPH for three miles to experience.