Is it just me, or does the black community in SF seem marginalized? (San Francisco: eviction, houses)

[slumcat]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

NYers aren't THAT rude. Many of us will help you if we have the time and it's not taking us out of our way. We don't disrespect people who do not disrespect us FIRST.

Anyways, the black population in LA and California as a whole is nowhere near as huge as on the east coast and the south. If there was a ton of blacks here at one time, then they're long gone now.

There's still a sizeable amount in Oakland I hear.

You're right, once we went to see the Phillies play at Yankee Stadium and got lost on the subway. A very nice older gentleman helped us with directions. Not everyone is NY is mean, but it's just a bit too fast-paced for me.

[slumcat]

Well, thanks for the thoughtful and interesting responses everyone. I'm glad that people were able to give honest answers without things getting really unpleasant.

Two things I did like about San Francisco: the beautiful vegetation (I'm a "plant nut") and Britex Fabrics (I'm a sewer and a fabricholic. It's an amazing place -- I could of spent thousands there, if I had thousands). Also some of the parks were beautiful.

BTW, before she went my daughter had heard terrible things about East Palo Alto, but she said that the people she encountered were very nice (she was tutoring Mexican children). I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

Thanks.

[CyanideThistles]

Originally Posted by RozCat

Later in the week I caught up with Black friends who mostly live in the East Bay and basically they dismissed my observations, generally writing off San Francisco as for white folks. These are educated, degreed, working, middle-to-upper middle class Black people who seemed to have no interest in the San Francisco of white folks' dreams-- the tech entrepreneurship, progressive causes, funky art scenes, the foodie scenes, the outdoorsy adventurism, etc.

San Francisco is for everyone that wants to be a San Franciscan. It's not a race thing at all, and I hope they realize that should be a reason to judged by on a first impression. However, I wouldn't say SF is just for Caucasians. The city obviously has a large Asian population in the Chinatown/North Beach/downtown area, as well as the Sunset District around Golden Gate Park. The whole city in general has a lot of Chinese people, but those areas especially.

[jade408]

Personally I am a foodie. I work in tech. I want to have a startup. I like art. I don't go to sf super often to go out because there just aren't enough black people. I feel like instance out. And I generally have a diverse group of friends, but it feels like i am an oddity.

As I was commenting to a friend only in sf can you go to a hip hop club and have it be only Asians or only Latinos or whoever. With no other people. It is annoying. Oakland is a lot more mixed. I matter where you go and what your interests are.

This is why I tend to just stay in the east bay for socializing. I go out to eat sometimes in sf. And occasionally meet friends there or go shopping.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by RozCat

I am from the East Coast and recently visited San Francisco on business for an extended period of time. I've been to the city a dozen or so times over the last 20 years, but something about this recent visit seemed different. Granted I was staying in a downtown hotel and not in a residential area with friends, but the few black folks I saw downtown were mostly hanging out on street corners, strung out, selling drugs, homeless or shooting dice...in the middle of the day... on a busy downtown street...Who does that anymore??

Wow. I'm from the east coast too and haven't seen anyone shoot dice since I was a kid. I didn't know they still did that in 2012, but I bet many of those druggies are probably in their late 40s or just got out of prison.

Depending on how long you've done drugs or spent time in jail, you're still emotionally/mentally stunted at the age when you first got locked up or started using.

[Joy74]

I thought everyone already knew that SF has no middle class Black community anymore. That population left decades ago. What remains is a marginalized group that is largely stuck in a really bad situation.

[RozCat]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

Wow. I'm from the east coast too and haven't seen anyone shoot dice since I was a kid. I didn't know they still did that in 2012...

.

That was my reaction too. Dice?? Really??

I did a double take; and honestly thought that maybe someone might be filming a movie or something. But, no this was a legit craps game going on in broad daylight-- a gaggle of young men huddled on the sidewalk, rolling dice, a stack of bills in the middle, onlookers oohing and ahhing over the results.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by RozCat

That was my reaction too. Dice?? Really??

I did a double take; and honestly thought that maybe someone might be filming a movie or something. But, no this was a legit craps game going on in broad daylight-- a gaggle of young men huddled on the sidewalk, rolling dice, a stack of bills in the middle, onlookers oohing and ahhing over the results.

LMAO!!! Next, you'll be telling me how you saw a shell game being played to yank "tourist" aka "pigeon" money.

All is missing is a game of dominoes and it's a wrap!

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

All is missing is a game of dominoes and it's a wrap!

Dominoes is quite widely played.

Rolling bones is something encountered in projects and alleys and darker sidewalks.

[LunaticVillage]

Yes, SF's Black population is largely marginalized. You wouldn't know SF even had Black people unless you went to the hood in Fillmore, Lakeview, Hunter's Point, Sunnydale or Potrero Hill. That very small Black 6% of the population in SF is very deceiving as many blocks in the formerly mentioned neighborhoods are anywhere from 50-90% Black. Many majority Black areas in SF are very poor. The median household income in the Sunnydale projects is about 14K a year and the projects are about 50-70%+ Black.

SF isn't really different from many "world class" American cities in its Black population. The Black population in Manhattan in NYC is also largely marginalized and poor living in the high-rise projects in Harlem. Similar to SF, most of the Black people you see out and about in downtown Manhattan are either tourists or Black folks from the less wealthy satellite boroughs of Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens because lower Manhattan, like Northern San Francisco, is incredibly White in residency. Similarly, the median household income in many predominantly Black areas of Harlem is well below 20K a year. While wealthy Whites gross well over six figures a year below 125th street.