Ohlone Park East

The dog park is pretty nice. The dogs there are pretty well behaved and the owners are pretty laid back. Coming from NYC, I think it’s weird that they allow balls in the park for the dogs. In my opinion they shouldn’t be allowed. I’ve seen a couple fights over them. I think it’s hysterical when people bring their own balls and a dog steals it and they want it back. I’ve heard that the police ask all the dogs to leave when they start barking per request of the neighbors which I guess is understandable.

I’ve dropped in here a couple times with the boys when I wanted a break from the usual dog park rotation. It’s a moderately large fenced area surrounded by cute little Berkeley homes. Some houses are right up against the dog area which makes me worry when my dogs start barking while playing.
The park is in decent shape although it can get dirty and dusty. There’s an assortment of picnic tables and other seating options. The crowd is mixed. I’ve definitely felt a little uncomfortable with a handful of dogs there — some have acted a little aggressive and unsocialized.
The owners are hit and miss too. One owner was doting over her full-​sized 30lb pit bull. At one point, it runs over to where I’m sitting so I say hello and give a couple pets. Soonafter, it jumps up into my lap and wiggles for more attention, covering me in dirt. The owner didn’t seem bothered and actually praised the behavior. I definitely wasn’t overjoyed to have a big dirty pit bull writhing for attention in my lap. Teach your dog some manners!

Meh… even though this park is less than five minutes away from my home, i’m not thrilled. People leave their dogs here while they go to work, and oftentimes these dogs are not well-​behaved. Also, since the dog park is small and there are a lot of dogs going through it sanitation isn’t very well done. My dog and I leave this park FILTHY every time.

It’s rare that a dog park doesn’t smell like poop. This is one of those rare parks.
I am always shocked to see how clean and well-​kept the dog park is whenever I pass-​by. I always see the pups happily sniffin’ at each other rather than aggressively barking up a storm.
The exercise stations also seem fun and functional. The pull-​up bars and push-​up blocks are no match, though, for the climbing dome for the kiddies.

It’s nice that there’s a dog park in Ohlone Park East. That’s about it.
I’ve been here about a dozen times. There’s always a crowd in the evenings and on the weekends, and the bad dog owners definitely spoil the experience. There has always been one or two dogs that are too aggressive, bark too much, or are generally not that nice (and the owner isn’t well-​equipped or doesn’t care enough to solve the problem).
The park’s surface is tan bark on dirt, so both you and your dog will be super dusty when all is said and done.
There are enough nearby parks that you can take your pooch elsewhere, and you’ve got a good chance of meeting up with other owners that are fed up w/​the dog park here.

Yes, I have dogs. No, this is not a review of Ohlone Park East as a dog park. It’s a review of OPE as a great place for kids, picnics, jungle gym climbing, and just general lounging about of a Sunday.
Folks, this is really a People Park. (Not to be confused with the People’s Park, which is a very different place and phenomenon.)
First the history:
Ohlone Park East was created on a swath of turf which was dug along Hearst street to create a tunnel for BART. Sweet little houses along Hearst were either moved or razed from the site… but in the end, the long thin parkway known as Ohlone emerged. BART moves quietly beneath the surface. Quietly and ecologically efficient.
This is know. I was there. Visited friends who lived in a carriage house exactly where Ohlone Park East stands today.
SO…
when I was invited to a high school graduation party to take place on a Sunday afternoon, I had to go. The honoree was my favorite great-​nephew. And the site of the party was, yep, at the same spot where I had visited his great-grandmother’s home in 1965.
KARMA is alive and well in Berkeley, CA. Good karma, that is!
The party was on a beautiful, bright day. (It had rained two days before, so the air was amazingly clean.)
Friends, relatives and teachers milled about on the green grass.
A group of children could be heard singing under a nearby tree. (It sounded like Filipino folk songs, but who knows?) Two menus were provided as some of us were vegan, but some were not. Two types of cake were served… everything was consumed in a twinkle .
My nephew (who is Deaf) and his two friends vigorously conversed. Probably ASL, although you could put it by me. Could have been SEE. They were happy older teens, chatting away on this sunny Berkeley afternoon. DIscussing what college to go to next.
And (for I have an active imagination) I believe that somewhere out there, a band of indigenous Ohlone sent good thoughts to waft over the group. The graduate’s great-​grandmother surely joined them.
Ohlone Park East is like that of a Sunday. Makes you believe in a bright tomorrow. And in good urban planning. Its a fine place to sit, stay and play. Even if you don’t have a dog.

Great fenced area for my dogs (one small breed, one large breed).
Some owners really need to train their dogs before they bring them here, or at least arrive sober with your dog.
Though I agree dog parks are for socializing, they should NOT be turned into a training ground for pit bulls or other large breeds to bully smaller dogs while their owners sit around ignoring their dogs or pretending that’s not their dog.
FYI: an 8lb toy dog can’t teach the 60 lbs pit bull to stop biting; control YOUR own animal.
… and, Hey lazy dog owner: It’s not fair to put make a helpless toy breed defend itself just because you aren’t fit to own a dog but got one anyway.

I’m a big fan.
It’s good for runners /​joggers, bikers, and walkers.
Most of the stretch is filled with at least something interesting (public art, garden, parks, grassy fields, a playground, etc.). Its path is great as it winds through a lot of key areas. Also it is not too physically strenuous but is long enough for at least an hour workout.
I recommend not going when it gets dark because it can get lonely in parts.

I went here today with my doggie for the fisrt time and overall we liked the park. I especially like that it is enclosed and there is plenty of free roaming room for the doggies. It is a little dusty and the bark is rather old, but I am just happy to find gated dog parks so I can deal with that.
My dog wasn’t too interested in the other dogs, just as I wasn’t too interested in the people, kidding. There were lots of people there, some congregating together in a group talking about shelter dogs vs. breeders & so on. Others were not so social and to themselves, like myself.
On the upside there were bags for doggie poop clean up and places to sit, another plus. Next time I am in the Berkeley area I will visit this dog park again.

LISTEN EVERYONE, the DOG PARK is on the EAST end of Ohlone Park. Why are all the reviews for the dog park in Ohlone Park West, when the dog park is on the east end of the park?
Anyway, I’m not so crazy about the dog park because it’s dirty and smells. Plus my dog doesn’t really like to run or play with other dogs here anymore since she once got into a fight with another dog which resulted in a $ 700 emergency room visit. The other dog owner took off with his pit bull without exchanging information and that pissed me off.

The terrier-​who-​must-​not-​be-​named often decides to avail himself of a little snack. Said snack often consists of furniture… sigh…You know that design show I Unilocaled? Well, suffice it to say my home will never have any designer furniture thanks, mainly, to You Know Who. Still… I love him and we do what we can.
Ohlone Park is fun! The dog park is great and generally pretty well kept up. I like going here to hula hoop, take my kids for a romp, and exercise the pooch. Today I saw something inspiring! A man was working a remote-​controlled seagull that his dog was chasing like there was nothing better in the world! That dog was obsessed! Now, I said to myself,
«Where can I get or how can I make a remote-​controlled squirrel??»
This is my next quest… Until then, Ed can be found making a general nuisance of himself in the confines of the designated dog area. I will be pleased because he’s not home nibbling on the ottoman. Everyone is better off for these outdoor spaces! I do wish many of the large sleeping bag-​covered humans had a place to go, but this is not the fault of the park department. A grand outing!

I gave ohlone west 5 stars because of the dog park, but ohlone east is quite nice as well.
A community garden, a wonderful kids jungle gym, a winding shady path perfect for jogging, etc.
It’s very nice and you can get there either from North Berkeley Bart at the west end, or take Milvia from downtown.