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Old 04-20-2012, 12:55 PM
 
Location: San Francisco
330 posts, read 748,413 times
Reputation: 324

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Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408 View Post
I hear the same thing from other similar people (white middle class upbringing). Not sure how these people also came to find this "diversity" important. Haven't had a chance to inquire further. It is really interesting. Generally speaking, for the average white american, living in a diverse place is low on the priority list.
I think this is completely false. If this were true how would you explain the mass migration of white folks back into the downtowns and inner-cities of America, places where diversity is generally the strongest? How would you explain gentrification? Aren't people always complaining that white yuppies are moving into black and latino neighborhoods and changing their character??

Sure, perhaps the older generation of retirees still would rather live in all-white communities, but I've seen absolutely zero indications that Gen X and Y feel that way.

Also, I found it rather ironic that in order to make your thinly veiled accusation of racism, you judged an entire group of people based on the color of their skin.
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Old 04-21-2012, 07:43 PM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,784,942 times
Reputation: 28561
Quote:
Originally Posted by SunDevil1212 View Post
I think this is completely false. If this were true how would you explain the mass migration of white folks back into the downtowns and inner-cities of America, places where diversity is generally the strongest? How would you explain gentrification? Aren't people always complaining that white yuppies are moving into black and latino neighborhoods and changing their character??

Sure, perhaps the older generation of retirees still would rather live in all-white communities, but I've seen absolutely zero indications that Gen X and Y feel that way.

Also, I found it rather ironic that in order to make your thinly veiled accusation of racism, you judged an entire group of people based on the color of their skin.
I should clarify. These people are young to middle aged singles. Judgement? No. I am generalizing but to he honest there are two different things here. 1. People actively choosing to live somewhere diverse vs 2. People choosing to live somewhere with xyz amenities that happen to be more diverse. In my experience white Americans do not purposely choose diverse neighborhoods and put that on their shopping list.

Most of the white people are moving back downtown because they realized it was convenient. Not because they wanted to live in area with a wider range of people and ethnic groups.
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Old 04-22-2012, 04:47 PM
 
143 posts, read 295,768 times
Reputation: 157
Quote:
Originally Posted by jade408 View Post
I should clarify. These people are young to middle aged singles. Judgement? No. I am generalizing but to he honest there are two different things here. 1. People actively choosing to live somewhere diverse vs 2. People choosing to live somewhere with xyz amenities that happen to be more diverse. In my experience white Americans do not purposely choose diverse neighborhoods and put that on their shopping list.

Most of the white people are moving back downtown because they realized it was convenient. Not because they wanted to live in area with a wider range of people and ethnic groups.
In other words, no white parent has ever said, "I am not sending my kid to this school because there aren't enough black kids in enrolled"! lol

Seriously, I was in a bar in oakland where i got in to a conversation with two ladies originally from Marin. Both said they loved living in Oakland for its vibe, and that Marin was too boring for them.
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Old 04-22-2012, 05:03 PM
 
Location: SW King County, WA
6,409 posts, read 8,251,572 times
Reputation: 6588
Eh. I dunno. jade408 is probably right when describing most of the country

People who live in the Bay Area, especially natives, live in a bubble where outwardly visible racism isn't so common. I think that the East Coast is generally much more racist and open about it and that people moving to downtown Philly or Baltimore are doing it for the convenience/hipster aspect, not because they are trying to have more of a diverse collection of friends. I can't really speak for the Midwest because I've never actually been there, but I can't imagine it being much different.

With that said, one of the reasons why I left the East Coast was because of the pervasive racist/homophobic/religious overtones. I'm also not going to lie and say I moved to West Oakland because of diversity either- I moved here because it's cheap and close to SF and downtown Oakland.
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Old 04-22-2012, 06:46 PM
 
2 posts, read 2,117 times
Reputation: 10
Holy God. Isn't the whole hipster thing kind of played out? There are douchebags in every strand of our fine cultural fabric, my friends.

I'm going back to the bay area in the fall, and... **** me, I guess? I'm getting an MFA in music, I'm working but broke, I ride a fixed bike, I wear black, my boyfriend is 70% tattooed. Am I a hipster? I don't care about living somewhere cool or 'edgy'. I don't want to gentrify any poor neighborhoods or alter any cultural landscapes. I just want to live in a place where I feel ok walking/riding around for a few miles, where there's a decent bookstore, and where I'm not paying out the ass for a dingy broom closet *coughSFcough*

Oakland is weird. It's a little like Portland in attitude. 'Quirky.' But some people wear kevlar. And yeah, people are going to make a big deal over the crime because there IS A LOT OF CRIME. SORRY. In the first six months I lived there (on College and Alcatraz, mind you -- arguably the NICEST area of Oakland) I was privy to: three muggings literally right outside my door, crack addict going through my garbage every goddamn night, and two friends being robbed at gunpoint 5 min after leaving my house. Not counting anything I saw or experienced elsewhere in Oakland, particularly Ghosttown where all my DIY ******* friends live and pretend they're revitalizing a particularly fetid circle of hell, and where a group of unsavory people once mobilized in the middle of the street and tried to pull me off my bike in broad daylight. I've lived in the Soviet residue cluster**** Czech Republic, I've lived in different and not-so-shiny areas of Chicago for 6 years, and I never really witnessed a crime till Oakland.
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Old 04-22-2012, 07:46 PM
 
Location: SW King County, WA
6,409 posts, read 8,251,572 times
Reputation: 6588
Cool story bro
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Old 04-22-2012, 09:19 PM
 
Location: The Bay
6,914 posts, read 14,707,530 times
Reputation: 3119
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kriztinzki View Post
Holy God. Isn't the whole hipster thing kind of played out? There are douchebags in every strand of our fine cultural fabric, my friends.

I'm going back to the bay area in the fall, and... **** me, I guess? I'm getting an MFA in music, I'm working but broke, I ride a fixed bike, I wear black, my boyfriend is 70% tattooed. Am I a hipster? I don't care about living somewhere cool or 'edgy'. I don't want to gentrify any poor neighborhoods or alter any cultural landscapes. I just want to live in a place where I feel ok walking/riding around for a few miles, where there's a decent bookstore, and where I'm not paying out the ass for a dingy broom closet *coughSFcough*

Oakland is weird. It's a little like Portland in attitude. 'Quirky.' But some people wear kevlar. And yeah, people are going to make a big deal over the crime because there IS A LOT OF CRIME. SORRY. In the first six months I lived there (on College and Alcatraz, mind you -- arguably the NICEST area of Oakland) I was privy to: three muggings literally right outside my door, crack addict going through my garbage every goddamn night, and two friends being robbed at gunpoint 5 min after leaving my house. Not counting anything I saw or experienced elsewhere in Oakland, particularly Ghosttown where all my DIY ******* friends live and pretend they're revitalizing a particularly fetid circle of hell, and where a group of unsavory people once mobilized in the middle of the street and tried to pull me off my bike in broad daylight. I've lived in the Soviet residue cluster**** Czech Republic, I've lived in different and not-so-shiny areas of Chicago for 6 years, and I never really witnessed a crime till Oakland.
While I'm sorry to hear you experienced crime while living in Oakland,

a) College & Alcatraz is far from being Oakland's nicest area, try the hills above it stretching from Panoramic Hill all the way to Chabot Park
b) **** happens.
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Old 04-22-2012, 09:29 PM
 
Location: Oakland CA
295 posts, read 460,377 times
Reputation: 169
Ya College & Alcatraz is by far not one of the nicest areas of the city. I would say solidly middle class and not rare for that area to have street crime. It actually falls within the cities first gang injunction area. Oakland has a number of very beautiful and extremely safe areas. that area also dense and urban. LOVE OAKLAND BABY.
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Old 04-23-2012, 12:09 AM
 
Location: Oakland, CA
28,226 posts, read 36,784,942 times
Reputation: 28561
Quote:
Originally Posted by jsba View Post
Ya College & Alcatraz is by far not one of the nicest areas of the city. I would say solidly middle class and not rare for that area to have street crime. It actually falls within the cities first gang injunction area. Oakland has a number of very beautiful and extremely safe areas. that area also dense and urban. LOVE OAKLAND BABY.
Totally agree. Heading over a few blocks west on Alcatraz, and you'll see avery different vibe. Rockridge is one of the nicest, denser areas in Oakland wit good access to transit. Which is why it is high on the list of popular areas.
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Old 04-23-2012, 06:35 PM
 
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
9,197 posts, read 16,806,792 times
Reputation: 6373
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kriztinzki View Post
Holy God. Isn't the whole hipster thing kind of played out? There are douchebags in every strand of our fine cultural fabric, my friends.

I'm going back to the bay area in the fall, and... **** me, I guess? I'm getting an MFA in music, I'm working but broke, I ride a fixed bike, I wear black, my boyfriend is 70% tattooed. Am I a hipster? I don't care about living somewhere cool or 'edgy'. I don't want to gentrify any poor neighborhoods or alter any cultural landscapes. I just want to live in a place where I feel ok walking/riding around for a few miles, where there's a decent bookstore, and where I'm not paying out the ass for a dingy broom closet *coughSFcough*

Oakland is weird. It's a little like Portland in attitude. 'Quirky.' But some people wear kevlar. And yeah, people are going to make a big deal over the crime because there IS A LOT OF CRIME. SORRY. In the first six months I lived there (on College and Alcatraz, mind you -- arguably the NICEST area of Oakland) I was privy to: three muggings literally right outside my door, crack addict going through my garbage every goddamn night, and two friends being robbed at gunpoint 5 min after leaving my house. Not counting anything I saw or experienced elsewhere in Oakland, particularly Ghosttown where all my DIY ******* friends live and pretend they're revitalizing a particularly fetid circle of hell, and where a group of unsavory people once mobilized in the middle of the street and tried to pull me off my bike in broad daylight. I've lived in the Soviet residue cluster**** Czech Republic, I've lived in different and not-so-shiny areas of Chicago for 6 years, and I never really witnessed a crime till Oakland.
And you still want to move back to the Bay Area...why?
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