Oakland is a dangerous place?? (San Francisco, Paramount: upper-class, home, to live in)

[Uptown Oakland]

Originally Posted by trunky

So Oakland has gotten a lot of negative publicity because at one point it was predominantly black?

No, it's gotten negative press because it's next door to SF.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by trunky

So Oakland has gotten a lot of negative publicity because at one point it was predominantly black?

I think what they're saying is, in the past, many places that were majority minority (not just black) are often portrayed negatively to some extent. I don't think this is too much of an exaggeration; remember the yahoo news pictures from Katrina with the people wading through the water with food? The white couple "found it" but the black guy "looted it". No one knows how either party actually obtained it. While that may have been a coincidence (we will never know), it's those sort of things that give that impression of minority areas. There are other cities with rather high crime rates that are majority white that we almost never hear about, Everett Washington comes to mind. While murders in Everett remain low, it has twice the national average of rapes.

While there is always some truth to the rumors about any city, a lot does get blown out of proportion and I have known many people who have gone to Oakland scared for their lives. Then they completely fell in love with it, many of these people I know now call Oakland their favourite Bay Area city. Yes there is lots of crime in Oakland but it's concentrated in specific areas, not all over.

[gogetta]

Great post Gentoo!

[trunky]

Thanks Gentoo. I think there's a big difference between what you said and:

"Years ago it was predominately black by about 5%, (hence the negative publicity) but due to gentrification the population now is majority caucasian."

[mstnghu2]

Originally Posted by TwinMom06

Oakland is the biggest city in the Bay Area. Its land area is much bigger than San Francisco's land area. Not all of Oakland is the "Oak-town" referred to in rap songs. (forgive me if I got it wrong, I haven't listened to rap for about 20 years now) It really depends upon the neighborhood. There are nice places in Oakland are now nicer to live in, in particular, Claremont, Rockridge, Montclair. The area around Lake Merritt has cleaned up and been yuppified, too. Some of the most wonderful architectural treasures are in the Oakland and Berkeley Hills. Schools in some of those neighborhoods are decent up through jr. high.

While it's true that Oakland is bigger than SF in covered area, it's not the biggest city in the Bay Area. San Jose is actually the biggest city in the Bay Area by both land and population. Even Fremont, which has about half the population of Oakland, covers about 12 more square miles than Oakland...just had to clear that up.

With that said, Oakland does have some very nice areas. Many people who want to live close to SF find that their money goes much farther by living in Oakland. I think the difference in pricing is mainly due to Oakland's perceived negative image. I'd have no problem living in one of Oakland's nicer areas. Many people would be surprised if they'd dare to venture into many parts of the city. The bad areas really are bad though.

[ZhugeLiang]

For such a dangerous place, I feel safer at 20th and Broadway at 10:30 at night than I do on 16th St in the Mission.

Oakland just has a couple really messed up parts. As far as the rest of it, I see women walking their dogs alone at night. Oakland's crime is a bit overblown.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

For such a dangerous place, I feel safer at 20th and Broadway at 10:30 at night than I do on 16th St in the Mission.

Oakland just has a couple really messed up parts. As far as the rest of it, I see women walking their dogs alone at night. Oakland's crime is a bit overblown.

Exactly, everytime I'm in Oakland, I'm amazed at how safe it feels at night and I see lone women, some of them older walking their dogs or just taking a stroll, perhaps after getting off of work. I make sure I leave SF before sundown because there, the freaks really do come out at night!

[rah]

^ i haven't been to Oakland at night enough to comment on it, but for SF, it does often seem like a different world when the sun goes down, but not just in the bad areas like you might expect...Pretty much the whole city, even some of the nicest, most affluent parts are fair game for those looking to get over on others, once it's dark. I think i blame SF's small size for this. If you're a criminal living in the hood it's usually just a short drive (or bus ride, or walk) to the nearest middle class or upper class area. Most of the out of place-seeming violent incidents that take place in nice parts of the city occur at night, it seems (such as a kid getting shot in the stomach during a robbery in Forest Hill, an Irish tourist getting shot during a robbery in Pacific Heights, tourists getting beaten, stabbed, pistol-whipped, beaten with bats, and robbed, in North Beach, or my mother getting jumped by 5 dudes in Noe Valley, to give some examples from the past few years that pop into my mind).

[BayDude]

Originally Posted by rah

^ i haven't been to Oakland at night enough to comment on it, but for SF, it does often seem like a different world when the sun goes down, but not just in the bad areas like you might expect...Pretty much the whole city, even some of the nicest, most affluent parts are fair game for those looking to get over on others, once it's dark. I think i blame SF's small size for this. If you're a criminal living in the hood it's usually just a short drive (or bus ride, or walk) to the nearest middle class or upper class area. Most of the out of place-seeming violent incidents that take place in nice parts of the city occur at night, it seems (such as a kid getting shot in the stomach during a robbery in Forest Hill, an Irish tourist getting shot during a robbery in Pacific Heights, tourists getting beaten, stabbed, pistol-whipped, beaten with bats, and robbed, in North Beach, or my mother getting jumped by 5 dudes in Noe Valley, to give some examples from the past few years that pop into my mind).

Wow, thats horrible. Hope your mom is ok. Seriously why does it take 5 guys to jump a single person (woman no less)? Not only are they criminal scum they are cowards.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by BayDude

Wow, thats horrible. Hope your mom is ok. Seriously why does it take 5 guys to jump a single person (woman no less)? Not only are they criminal scum they are cowards.

The world is coming to an end. A baydude post I actually agree with.