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Location: 105 Echo Avenue in Oakland.

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   Location    Driving    Public Transportation

Classes are taught at 105 Echo Avenue – located off Piedmont Avenue in Oakland, California, towards the Pleasant Valley end of Piedmont Avenue. You can only turn in one direction onto Echo Avenue from Piedmont Avenue. After turning from Piedmont Avenue, we are roughly 1 block and 2 or 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Click on picture for larger image.)

Click one of the following to go to a Mapquest map:
       Large Map (opens in new window)
       Small Map (opens in new window)

At 6:00 pm there is often fairly good parking however on some occasions you may have trouble finding a spot.If you can't find anything directly on Echo, try "Glen Avenue," which dead-ends into Echo right before our house at 105 Echo Avenue – see map to Left. No permit is needed and there is no time limit.

From:    Berkeley    San Francisco    The North    The South    Walnut Creek

Parking

There generally is parking within a reasonable distance. If you don't find anything directly on Echo Avenue, try Glen, which intersects Echo in a T intersection just before the house towards Piedmont Avenue.

You can also request directions from Mapquest (opens in new window).

From Berkeley

1) Take Telegraph Avenue to 51st Street. Turn left. Continue on 51st Street past Broadway, at which point the street name turns into Pleasant Valley Avenue.
2) From other locations it might be easiest to take College Avenue until it turns into Broadway and then to turn left onto Pleasant Valley.

Continue on Pleasant Valley until you reach Piedmont Avenue (the second light after Broadway) – turn right onto Piedmont Avenue. Turn left onto Echo Avenue – the second or third left-hand turn (depending on whether you count a little alley just after you turn onto Piedmont). You can only turn left onto Echo). Echo is led up to by a large, cream-colored school building (on the left), and on the other corner is a Szechuan Garden restaurant. If you reach Fenton's (on the left: the ice cream parlor) you have gone too far.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

You can also request directions from Mapquest (opens in new window).

From San Francisco

Cross the Bay Bridge. Get on 580 East (going towards Hayward). Almost immediately there is an opportunity to merge to the right to get onto highway 24 going towards Walnut Creek. Begin to get onto highway 24 but before you actually complete the merge, there is an exit for 51st Street: take the 51st Street exit.

Turn right at the stop sign. Continue on 51st Street past Broadway, at which point the street name turns into Pleasant Valley Avenue.

When you reach Piedmont Avenue (the second light after Broadway), turn right. Turn left onto Echo Avenue – the second or third left-hand turn (depending on whether you count a little alley just after you turn onto Piedmont). You can only turn left onto Echo. It is led up to by a large, cream-colored school building (on the left), and on the other corner is a Szechuan Garden restaurant. If you reach Fenton's (on the left: the ice cream parlor) you have gone too far.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

You can also request directions from Mapquest (opens in new window).

From the North Bay

From Marin it is easiest to cross the Richmond/San Rafael Bridge and get onto Highway 80 West. From further North, use 80 West. Stay in the left-hand lanes and merge onto Highway 580 East (toward Hayward). Almost immediately there is an opportunity to merge to the right to get onto highway 24 going towards Walnut Creek. Begin to get onto highway 24 but before you actually complete the merge, there is an exit for 51st Street: take the 51st Street exit.

Turn right at the stop sign. Continue on 51st Street past Broadway, at which point the street name turns into Pleasant Valley Avenue.

When you reach Piedmont Avenue (the second light after Broadway), turn right. Turn left onto Echo Avenue – the second or third left-hand turn (depending on whether you count a little alley just after you turn onto Piedmont). You can only turn left on Echo. It is led up to by a large, cream-colored school building (on the left), and on the other corner is a Szechuan Garden restaurant. If you reach Fenton's (on the left: the ice cream parlor) you have gone too far.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

You can also request directions from Mapquest (opens in new window).

From the South Bay

Depending on where you are one of several routes might be better. On the west side of the bay you may want to take highway 101. If you live in San Mateo or further south, you might choose to take the San Mateo or Dunbarton bridge and come up 880 North or 580 West. From Palo Alto or Redwood City, we prefer the Dunbarton bridge. From San Jose, your best bet is probably to head up 880 North.

You can also request directions from Mapquest (opens in new window).

Using Highway 101

Take 101 North and use the Bay Bridge. From there directions are the same as those for coming from San Francisco.

Using Highway 880 North

Follow 880 North up to the end of 880 where you merge with Highway 24 heading toward Walnut Creek. Exit at the 51st Street exit. Turn right at the stop sign there. Continue on 51st Street past Broadway, at which point the street name turns into Pleasant Valley Avenue.

When you reach Piedmont Avenue (the second light after Broadway), turn right. Turn left onto Echo Avenue – the second or third left-hand turn (depending on whether you count a little alley just after you turn onto Piedmont). You can only turn left onto Echo. It is led up to by a large, cream-colored school building (on the left), and on the other corner is a Szechuan Garden restaurant. If you reach Fenton's (on the left: the ice cream parlor) you have gone too far.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

Using Highway 580 West

This may be a possibility even if you begin on 880 North (you can get onto 580 West in San leandro). Take the Harrison Street turnoff – the first exit after the Lakeshore and Grand Avenue exits. After you exit you will, for a brief time, be on Santa Clara street – continue following the curve of the street around to the right onto MacArthur Blvd. Turn right at Piedmont Avenue.

Continue on Piedmont Avenue past the light at 41st. Echo Avenue will be the 5th right-hand turn after the light, or the third right-hand turn after the stop sign at Linda Avenue (where the Piedmont Theater is). You can only turn right on Echo Avenue. There will be a Szechuan Garden restaurant on the near corner (to your right) and a large, cream-colored elementary school on the other (far) corner. If you reach the light at Pleasant Valley, you have gone too far.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

From Walnut Creek

Take highway 24 toward Oakland and take the Broadway exit towards downtown Oakland. Soon after College Avenue merges with Broadway, turn left at the light at Pleasant Valley (which is 51st Street on the other side of Broadway). There is an fairly large shopping center at this intersection on your left, including a Boston Market, a Washington Mutual Bank and a Safeway.

Turn right at Piedmont Avenue, the second light after you turn off Broadway. Turn left onto Echo Avenue – the second or third left-hand turn (depending on whether you count a little alley just after you turn onto Piedmont). You can only turn left onto Echo. It is led up to by a large, cream-colored school building (on the left), and on the other corner is a Szechuan Garden restaurant. If you reach Fenton's (on the left: the ice cream parlor) you have gone too far.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

You can also request directions from Mapquest (opens in new window).

If you will be coming by Public Transportation, we'd recommend a look at the Transit Info Trip Planner. You enter your starting address and 105 Echo Avenue as the ending address and have several options for figuring out how to best get here using public transport.

By BART   By Bus

BART

If you are coming on BART, you want to travel to the MacArthur BART station. We are 1.15 miles from the MacArthur BART. (BART website here – opens in new window). From the MacArthur BART station you have two options.

The Eastbound Number 12 Bus

This bus leaves from S.W. corner of 40th St. & Telegraph Ave. (about a half-block from the BART station in the same direction as you will be walking when you exit the turnstile) roughly every 15 minutes around class time (6:00 p.m.). The sign on the bus should say "11th & Jefferson". You will need to catch the 5:43 departure to get to class right around 6:00 p.m.. The 5:28 p.m. bus will get you to class 15 minutes early, and the 5:58 p.m. departure will get you there a few minutes late.

Your best bet is to sit on the left hand (driver's side) of the bus. You will be traveling down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, turning up Pleasant Valley Avenue and then turning right on Piedmont Avenue. When you turn right on Piedmont prepare to pull the stop request. You will see a large, cream-colored elementary school on your left directly opposite the bus stop, which is just in front of John Street on the right. From there you will need to cross the street and walk up Echo Avenue.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

You may wish to check the latest Schedule for the 12 bus from MacArthur BART (opens in new window).

Note: This bus will not be running after class. You should be able to catch a ride to the station from one of your fellow students.

The Eastbound Number C Bus

Another option in the Evening is the AC Transby C Line / Piedmont. You want to catch the Eastbound bus at 5:39 pm at the S.W. Corner of 40th St. and Telegraph Ave (half a block from the station). The sign on the bus will say "Piedmont". You would get off at Piedmont And Echo, and walk up Echo Avenue.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

You may wish to check the latest Schedule for the C bus from MacArthur BART (opens in new window).

Note: This bus will not be running after class. You should be able to catch a ride to the station from one of your fellow students.

Walking

We are fairly close (1.15 miles) to the MacArthur BART station, which at 550 - 40th Street at Telegraph in Oakland.

Walk east on 40th past Telegraph Avenue and Broadway to Howe Street.
Turn left onto Howe
Turn right onto Ridgeway
Turn left onto Piedmont Avenue
Turn right onto Echo Avenue

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

Mapquest walking instructions & map (opens in new window).

AC Transit

We are unable to provide detailed instructions for AC Transit for all of the East Bay. Please visit AC Transit General Information (opens in new window) or phone AC Transit operators for specific route information:
       * 817-1717 (from any area code in the Bay Area, then say "AC Transit" to reach AC Transit)
       * 510-477-0192 (local call from Southern Alameda County – avoid long-distance charges)
       * 800-448-9790 (hearing impaired TDD/TTY)

You can also get route information via the Transit Info Trip Planner.

If you are coming from San Francisco, the "C" bus will get you to a bus stop at Echo Avenue (on the opposite of the street from John Street) and Piedmont Avenue – the cream-colored "Piedmont Elementary School" will be on your right-hand side. ("C" schedules – opens in new window.) From there walk up Echo Avenue.

We are at 105 Echo Avenue, which is 1 block and 3 houses up on the right hand side. It is a two-story house, painted white with green window trim, an unpainted picket fence and a large, beautiful oak tree in front. (Picture at top of page.)

You may wish to check the latest "C" schedules (opens in new window).

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Page added 24 May 2003. Last Updated 11 August 2006.