Here is some general information regarding Jewish living in the Bay Area.
SUPERMARKETS –
1. Safeway – Noriega at 31st Ave. No kosher section in the supermarket, but it is clean and often has good produce at good prices. (A little more expensive than Lucky’s though)
2. Lucky’s (aka Albertson’s) – Sloat Blvd at 34th Ave. in the Lakeshore Shopping Center. Has chicken, deli meats, frozen kosher section, Grand Bakery challah. Great for general shopping, good prices.
3. Trader Joe’s – Stonestown Shopping Center on 19th Avenue AND Westlake Shopping Center in Daly City (about a 10 min drive). Has kosher chicken, turkey, meats, some cheeses, healthy breads, pareve choc chips and pareve ice cream. Also recently started carrying glatt kosher meats in certain stores Generally a more “health-conscious granola-ey” store with many whole grain and organic products.
4. Albertson’s in Los Gatos (about 40 min drive, near Palo Alto) – HUGE selection of kosher products.
5. Mollie Stone’s in Palo Alto (about 40 minutes, down the street from Izzy’s) – Very good selection of kosher products. In general, the store is more high-end, expensive pricing.
6. Lucky’s by Fulton and Masonic – I sometimes shop here because they have children’s cars attached to the shopping carts, so it’s more fun for the kids.
7. Mollie Stone’s on Portola - Getting more kosher products within the next few weeks. In general, the store is more high-end, expensive pricing. Offers organic produce.
8. Other Avenues Food Store - Judah and 44th. Health food store offers organic produce and specialty flours.
PRODUCE MARKETS –
1. Noriega between 24th and 25th. Great produce at very cheap prices.
2. Irving at 22nd. Huge selection of very good produce at super cheap prices.
3. Parkside Farmers’ Market (Taraval at 16th) - lots of kosher Israeli and Middle Eastern products, plus Metropolis breads, baguettes, sour dough, rye, etc.
KOSHER MARKETS –
1. Oakland Kosher on Lakeshore Ave in Oakland (about 30 min drive). Carries extensive selection. Also has different cuts of meat and poultry and a larger menu.
KOSHER BREADS, etc. –
1. Trader Joe’s – see above.
2. Andronico’s Supermarket – 14th and Irving (I think).
3. Grand Bakery on Grand Ave in Oakland – nice bakery with cookies, muffins, sandwiches, etc. Call beforehand if you want breads because sometimes they have and sometimes not.
4. Parkside Market (see above)
RESTAURANTS –
1. Izzy’s Bagels and Pizza (Palo Alto) – pizza, great bagels and wraps. Call for hours before you go.
2. Sabra’s Grill at Bush and Grant in Chinatown. Middle Eastern style cuisine.
3. Oakland Kosher – burgers, schnitzel, grilled chicken salad, deli sandwiches, etc. Call for hours before you go. See above for more info.
4. Grand Bakery – see above. They have one or two tables that you can sit at and eat tuna or egg salad sandwiches, soups, etc.
5. The Kitchen Table (Mountain View, near Palo Alto) – A nice meat sit-down restaurant, great food. It’s both kid-friendly and a nice place to go out for special occasions.
6. Amba Felafel – (Oakland) – felafels, pizza, salads, soups, etc.
MIKVAH –
Located at 3355 Sacramento Street betw Walnut and Presidio. You can call the mikvah directly (415-921-4070) and leave a message to make an appt. Someone will call you back within a day. We check the messages in the morning, so if you need to make an appt, make sure to call at least 24-36 hours in advance.
POST OFFICE –
1. Located on Taraval at 28th. They are great there, and there is usually little to no wait time.
2. Located on 22nd between Irving and Judah.
OTHER STORES –
1. Stonestown Shopping Mall (5-10 min drive) – nice large mall with Macy’s and Nordstrom’s flagship stores and also Gap, Banana Republic, Nine West, Pottery Barn, etc.
2. Target – there are two Targets about 10-15 minutes away in Serramonte. They are actually right across the highway from each other off of Rte. 280S. (Turn right on 19th Ave, and follow it down for a few miles until it turns into 280 South.)
3. Bed Bath and Beyond, Marshall’s, Nordstrom Rack, Home Depot (10-15 min away), Old Navy, etc. in Colma, right near Serramonte, off of Rte. 280. (Same directions as above, but after you get off at Serramonte exit, turn left and then make another left, and then a right after Target.)
4. Union Square Shopping Area – TONS of stores! The only reasonable parking I could find there is the “Union Square Parking Garage” across the street from Macy’s on Geary Blvd (I think.) It is actually right underneath Union Square itself. Parking is around $5 an hour, maybe a little less. Otherwise, it might be a better idea to take the street car/ train there. The best one is the L – line which runs on Taraval. It comes pretty frequently and usually takes 20-30 min travel time. Just make sure you take it going AWAY from the beach/ ocean. The N – line which runs on Judah can be very slow. Fare is $1.50 each which you can pay in coins or dollars in the first car on the train, but they don’t give change.
CHILDREN’S PARKS –
- 28th Ave just past Vicente. Really nice, but it can get cold there because it is very well shaded.
- West Portal Park – down Vicente by 14th Ave
- Vicente at 41st – nice small playground area
- 24th and Quintara – very small playground, good for Shabbos afternoon.
- Golden Gate Park playground – Left on 19th Ave, right on Lincoln, then left again by 9th or 10th Ave (whichever one takes you into the park). Bear right and follow signs to the Children’s Playground and Carousel.
- 28th and Lawton. Nice park, but it can get cold sometimes because of the ocean breeze. Great for Shabbos afternoon.
- 9th and Ortega (Murphy Playground) - nice, new park, never crowded.
