East Bay Provincialism - Anyone else notice this? (Oakland: condo, crime)

[mayorhaggar]

Des Moines in Washington? It's right next to Tacoma, which is like the Oakland of Washington State! Or so someone on a message board once told me. I bet it's the murder capital of the galaxy (after Oakland of course).

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by lmk1707

I would recommend taking 680 to 280 to get to San Francisco. One cannot be too careful in one's car when driving through undesirable places.



You're welcome. And if you need further proof, well, it's in the pudding:

Murders in Des Moines: 8
Murders in L.A.: 515

Median home price Des Moines: $141,000
Median home price L.A.: $378,000

I believe I have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Des Moines is vastly superior to L.A.

Hell who needs LA when we can go tot he gorgeous state of Iowa.

I think you, clongirl and myself will forever be indebted to Mr. Craptastic.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Des Moines in Washington? It's right next to Tacoma, which is like the Oakland of Washington State! Or so someone on a message board once told me. I bet it's the murder capital of the galaxy (after Oakland of course).

Yep it is. Ever hear of Tacompton?

Like Oakland it deserves to be entirely painted that way. Looks like you too have benefited from the indispensable knowledge of a certain someone.

We should show him our gratitude for sure LOL

[sonarrat]

Sounds like something a transplant would say. On the other hand, the warehouse workers here are fiercely provincial.. I hear things like "west side is the best side," and don't even think of mentioning Los Angeles.

[Ceece]

I haven't really heard that but after working in SF for 11 years I did "get over it" and am happy living in the East Bay with an occasional trip into SF for whatever reason. There is no reason to NOT like SF really, but there is nothing there that isn't in the East Bay either. At least nothing that I haven't already done or seen.

[sav858]

It does sound like a transplant thing, maybe from some that couldn't afford SF. I and all of my friends are from the East Bay and I've never noticed any sort of inferiority complex like this. Basically the biggest complaints about living in SF over the east bay is the weather and cost of housing.

[batransplant]

OMG...Can it possibly be yet another bay area post bashing LA?

How utterly provincial. *yawn*

[LisainCalifornia]

Sorry, I just don't agree with your assumption. I lived in San Francisco for 15years (we bought our first house there) and now live in the East Bay in Lamorinda area.

At one glace anyone can see that East Bay offers much different things than San Francisco--especially the comparison between Lamorinda and San Francisco. You are really comparing apples and oranges, and people who live around me know this.

We actually chose to live here because of the differences (we were ready for that change) as did most people, but I still cherish San Francisco and we go there often. My husband still works in the city, and we live close enough that we can go anytime we want. They are so dramactically different that I can't imagine anyone worrying about trying to show one up over the other.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by batransplant

OMG...Can it possibly be yet another bay area post bashing LA?

How utterly provincial. *yawn*

I don't think you've read the OP and the following responses. Nobody is talking about L.A., hon.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by lmk1707

I would recommend taking 680 to 280 to get to San Francisco. One cannot be too careful in one's car when driving through undesirable places.

Yeah, whenever I roll through the Tenderloin commuting through Union Square or at the intersection of Broadway and Grand in Oakland, sitting in my convertible sports car with the top down, wearing a custom-tailored shirt with diamond cufflinks, I have to brandish my .40 to keep all of the neer-do-wells from trying to carjack me and take my rims and clothes as I sit at a light

You're welcome. And if you need further proof, well, it's in the pudding:

Murders in Des Moines: 8
Murders in L.A.: 515

Population in Des Moines: 198,460
Population in LA: 3,833,995

So, LA is roughly 19x more populous. If Des Moines somehow managed to grow 19 fold and keep the same murder per capita ratio, we're looking about 152 murders per annum according to your statistics. Still over 300 fewer murders per year, but still.

Median home price Des Moines: $141,000
Median home price L.A.: $378,000

I believe I have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Des Moines is vastly superior to L.A.

Yes, because the whole reason that the median cost of a home in LA is higher has nothing to do with the fact that millions of people from all corners of the globe want to live there, or that there are more jobs, more commerce in general, and I'm going to wager that there's a bit more stuff to do in the first place based on my having been to Des Moines, and having lived in LA.

No, it's because LA is just plain worse. Things cost more there because they want to punish anyone who's dumb enough to move there, yup... the free market be damned, there's no reason anyone should move to LA unless they want to kill people.