About Us
Your hosts with the boats: Leah & György
Dolce Vita Gondola is our business, Oakland is our home, and Lake Merritt is our happy place.
Being out on the water in a Gondola is simply a magical experience. We believe that the Lake brings people together to enjoy the beauty our city has to offer.
The Story of the Gondolas in Oakland
What is a Gondola doing on Lake Merritt?
That’s exactly what we thought the first time we spotted one, over 20 years ago! We actually parked our car and ran alongside the lake until we found where it docked (at the time it was at the Sailboat House). We became fast friends with the founders of the Gondola Servizio, April and Angelino, and since than the Gondolas became part of our lives.
In 2019, when April and Angelino decided to close Gondola Servizio, they approached us about taking on Project Gondola. We were so excited, and a bit nervous. This would be a major commitment as a wooden boat is a jealous God ... and the Gondola “the Queen of all boats” is a very long and a very delicate boat. But besides being a classical guitarist, Gyorgy is a very “handy” guy and loves to restore things of beauty. As for Leah, she is an event producer, a chocolatier, and a costumer. The perfect recipe for It was as if our whole lives had led us to this point. We got everything in order to start our new adventure and then...well...2020 hit the fan.
Now, plagues are nothing new in the grand scheme of Venice. In fact, the word and concept of “Quarantine” came from the “revolutionary” public health advance of having ships stay 40 (quaranta) days outside of the primary islands of Venice in order to ensure they were plague free. It helped, but La Serenissima still had her share of disaster. But recovery from the plague was reason for major celebration and Festa del Redentore is still celebrated over 400 years later as the deliverance from that pandemic!
So, instead of giving up, we are still rowing ahead to bring the magic of being on the water in a Gondola to Oakland again!
We continue the tradition and bring a new flavor to Lake Merritt -- Dolce Vita Gondola.
Because life is sweet indeed.