I went swimming with Akaya and Kim, my neighbors and friends, at the Bellevue Club on Lake Merritt. This is the sweetest club. It was originally a women's club and is located right on the shores of the lake, beautifully luxurious in an understated way and kept up as if it were still 1907. What a treasure! Kim is a member (lucky Kim) and it costs big bucks, you can just tell.
We were the only ones in the underground lap pool, which was nice and warm. The dressing room, which now admits a few men in their own cordoned-off area, features a gadget that spins your swimsuit dry (no earplugs or swimcaps, please - the gadget eats them).
Upstairs there are rooms opening out on a balcony over Lake Merritt that can be let to your visiting out-of-town guests, whether or not you're a member.
Further u
pstairs there's a gorgeous bar with a balcony overlooking a white-tablecloth restaurant, and the lake. The restaurant serves dinner on Wednesdays and Sundays, and sometimes on Fridays. The bar is open when the restaurant is serving dinner. It is unclear so far whether or not you must be a member to eat at the restaurant and/or drink at the bar, but what is clear is that you must call in advance so they can turn the credit card machine on. (!)
The entire building and all it represents is priceless. What a fabulous place it would be if it were part of the regular Oakland scene. But then, it wouldn't be pristine, would it? When I find out whether non-members are welcome, I'll write more.
We were the only ones in the underground lap pool, which was nice and warm. The dressing room, which now admits a few men in their own cordoned-off area, features a gadget that spins your swimsuit dry (no earplugs or swimcaps, please - the gadget eats them).
Upstairs there are rooms opening out on a balcony over Lake Merritt that can be let to your visiting out-of-town guests, whether or not you're a member.
Further u
pstairs there's a gorgeous bar with a balcony overlooking a white-tablecloth restaurant, and the lake. The restaurant serves dinner on Wednesdays and Sundays, and sometimes on Fridays. The bar is open when the restaurant is serving dinner. It is unclear so far whether or not you must be a member to eat at the restaurant and/or drink at the bar, but what is clear is that you must call in advance so they can turn the credit card machine on. (!)The entire building and all it represents is priceless. What a fabulous place it would be if it were part of the regular Oakland scene. But then, it wouldn't be pristine, would it? When I find out whether non-members are welcome, I'll write more.
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