Keepin’ It Cool In Oakland – Once Summer Gets Here in September

August is here, and across America, it is the deepest, hottest part of the summer. The part of summer where you are sweatin’ in your skivvies and praying for winter. The Bay Area isn’t that part of the country. Instead, we shiver in the chilly fog and turn our eyes towards our summer – September/October.  In but a few short weeks, we will be making an abrupt move from sweater weather to Dante’s motherfucking inferno. To help get you in the mood for “summer,” we’ve put together some places where you can escape the heat on the cheap.

Oakland Ice Center
 519 18th St, Oakland, CA 94612

It’s not brain surgery, if you want something to chill out, you put that bad boy on ice. This applies to drinks, cocktail shrimp, and, yes, even yourself. But where to catch the big chill? Check out Oakland’s Ice Center. Charming and old school, it’s everything you remember from childhood, but better. They have lots of public skate times, and Tuesdays are their very awesome and aptly named Cheap Skate Night.

New Parkway Theater
474 24th St, Oakland, CA 94612

Without trying to bring math into this, I want to introduce you to what I believe to be a universally true equation: move theater + bullshit hot weather= perfect combo. After all, what do you want the most when you’re hotter than hell? To be in a cool, dark place. Oakland’s New Parkway Theater is a great way to escape the heat on the cheap. With lots of new and old movies, big couches, booze, and some pretty bomb pizza, it’s a dream. Combine that with Monday five-dollar movie days and seven-dollar matinees, this is, for sure, your joint.
Robert Crown Memorial Beach Park
1451 8th St, Alameda, CA 94501

You want to go to the beach. You live in Northern California, and that shit is frigid year round – what to do? You grab your sunscreen and towel and get your ass over to Robert Crown Memorial Beach Park. This sprawling beach hugs the coast of Alameda and has a beautiful view of San Francisco. The water is shallow, so it’s nice and cool and not the brutal cold you’ll find at other Bay Area beaches.

Redwood Regional Park
7867 Redwood Rd, Oakland, CA 94619

When it’s one bazillion degrees out and you’re feeling like a mean fucker, the best medicine is to get your head in a better place. And we think that place is Oakland’s Redwood Regional Park. Besides being a beautiful place to commune with nature and deal with your crabby attitude, this place is cool. Like literally cool. The towering redwoods are the OG air conditioning units. So bring some water and some sneaks and spend your day hiking in the shade – believe us, it’s worth it.

We hope these spots give you the freedom to make the most of our short and sweet Bay Area summer heat. After all, winter is coming…