I want to teach my gf how to drive stick, so want to do the usual large area with few obstacles kind of location to do it. I honestly can't think of any real good spots in Newark area where someone wont likely chase us off. Can anyone suggest some lightly used roads or vacant lots where she can practice?

You can go to the New Park Mall parking lot during non-business hour. Also Pacific Common (@ AutoMall Parkway) in front of the Ashley's Furniture store after 8pm or so.

Jeff

That sounds perfect, I figured New Park security would be there to chase away random miscreants like myself. Pacific Commons sounds good though. Thanks!

San Francisco.

Oh wait... near Newark...

Calaveras.

Well, if you can handle 32% grades without rolling back with a stick, I guess you pass. Not sure I would want someone learning with my clutch on those hills

Craig

Trial by fire. Best way to do it. When I learned stick I spent half an hour in a parking lot followed by half an hour on one of the steepest hills in my neighborhood. After that you can pretty much drive anything.

i was first taught around the sunset. only for like 20 mins though then a few weeks later, i got the miata lol.
also taught my bro and cousin in the sunset

Gran Turismo

newark is the perfect place for long bump free hillfree empty lots. tons of industrial areas, new park mall, auto row, frontage road by walmart. I taught someone in a normal business parking lot and the DMV parking lot.

I learned in the Daly City DMV on the weekend and the Flea market on the weekday.

try devry

Yeah, great, then when she gets into the car she'll be like, "Where's the L2 and R2 buttons?"

What this guy said. I've taught most of my friends either in empty parking lots and then moving on to city streets in the middle of the night when there is no one for us to demolish. Though I ended up learning from some tutorial online when I was 18 'cause I heard my managers would fire me if I couldn't drive any of the customers manual tranny cars.

If you can find a place with a VERY slight slope, that would be ideal. It gives beginners a huge amount of confidence when they can start going ever so slightly downhill and avoid killing the engine, and once they're comfortable with that, you can step up to going across the grade and finally up it.

You could also air up your tires to 35-36psi. That'll help finding "slight grades" easier. But don't forget to air it back down when your done.

There are TONS of industrial parks in Newark, most of them would work just fine. There's lots of lots down by the salt plant, you could surely find something in there. I've taught people in the area out by Coyote Hills too, after 6:00 there's a ton of vacant blacktop out there. The end of cushing Out toward millpitas would probably also work.

i learned when i bought my car.... bought it from the chick then drove it home. then i learned to master the cluch near my house which is all hills. then i learned to revmach on the way to high school in the mornings which led to to heel-toe. and here i am