San Francisco, Oakland Among America's Most Unequal Big Cities (Fremont: to buy, private school)

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by calicoastal

If you need to send your kids to private school, and you need to hire private security, then what are your taxes paying for? I'd be miffed my taxes are going down a black hole.

Couldn't let this one go by...

I work with a lot of East Bay Doctors... they live in Piedmont, Orinda, Kensington and even as far away as Pleasanton and Alamo...

Guess what?

The majority of them with school age children send their kids to Oakland for school... even some that moved out of Oakland for schools now send their kids to Head/Royce in Oakland.

Plus a few have high school students going to Bishop O'Dowd.

Just think of all the taxes that they pay for living in affluent areas with private school added.

[ExeterMedia]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

Oakland, and the other half is denying that Oakland even has a middle class, when we've very clearly demonstrated that it does.

Of course Oakland has a middle class, where did I say "it has zero middle class"? Again, you're making an assumption or inventing something I never said. Is this an SF Bay forum specialty?

I'm talking about middle class families looking to move, say a random family from Seattle. Do they look at Oakland and think "Gee that's a desirable city. Cheap housing. Great schools, low crime. I'll move there" ?

Nope. Not a chance (if you're honest with yourself).

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by ExeterMedia

Plus how many middle class residents can afford private school, let alone private security?

If anything, this stark difference between people living in the hills, and those who don't, exemplifies the income inequality in Oakland.

95/20 ratio of 12. Think about that, that's a massive difference. Almost third world.

Many that live in the Hills... like Sequoyah, Chabot Park and even Skyline and Montclair have Social Security for the bulk of their income... if they are like my neighbors... they average 80 and 90's age wise.

Many have been there since the late 50's and 60's and don't move until they need assisted care.

[ExeterMedia]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Many that live the Hills... like Sequoyah, Chabot Park and even Skyline and Montclair have Social Security for the bulk of their income... if they are like my neighbors... they average 80 and 90's age wise.

Social security pays for private school? How cheap is private school in Oakland? Must be a lot cheaper than down here in SoCal.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by ExeterMedia

Social security pays for private school? How cheap is private school in Oakland? Must be a lot cheaper than down here in SoCal.

Where did that come from?

Everyone I know that with kids in Oakland private schools DOES NOT live in Oakland.

I'm the youngest home owner in my neighborhood... the entire neighborhood. Neighbor to the right 96... to the left 81 and 85... across the street 80 and 82... up the street several more in their 90's and the woman almost 105 died last year across the street... retired school teachers, letter carriers, small business, city workers... etc.

[ExeterMedia]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Where did that come from?

Everyone I know that with kids in Oakland private schools DOES NOT live in Oakland.

I'm the youngest home owner in my neighborhood... the entire neighborhood. Neighbor to the right 96... to the left 81 and 85... across the street 80 and 82... up the street several more in their 90's and the woman almost 105 died last year across the street... retired school teachers, letter carriers, small business, city workers... etc.

Okay, but what does someone who has been living in the hills since 19-diggity-do have to do with the middle class? Today a middle class family is not going to go and buy a home in the Oakland with good schools, good location, and low crime without taking on tough financial hardship.

Sure, someone who bought their home 50 years ago is going to be fine anywhere, even Beverly Hills. But as our awesome friend 18Montclair loves to point out, the median income and prices for homes in the Hills is high, certainly not within reach of middle class families. The only homes a middle class family can buy, after a quick check on Zillow, seems to be in the hoody areas.

Do you think the article is not accurate in its rankings?

[04kL4nD]

Originally Posted by ExeterMedia

Of course Oakland has a middle class, where did I say "it has zero middle class"?

Originally Posted by ExeterMedia

Oh really?


That's why Oakland is #8 on that list, and that's why the middle class has virtually disappeared from the city.

So Oakland has a middle class, but it's 'virtually disappeared' from the city? Which is it now?

Originally Posted by ExeterMedia

People are being priced out of SF, but the middle class is simply not choosing to move to Oakland. That's the big difference and why HockeyMac18 couldn't reconcile good affordability in Oakland, yet a lack of middle class movement to the city.

Except that they ARE moving to Oakland. LOL


You are so far out to lunch you can't see straight.

[ExeterMedia]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

So Oakland has a middle class, but it's 'virtually disappeared' from the city? Which is it now?

Exactly, where did I say ZERO middle class? None of the cities on the list have ZERO middle class, but they do have a middle class that is disappearing. Thank you for proving that you tried to attribute a false statement to me.

Except that they ARE moving to Oakland. LOL

You're going to have to cite a source for this statement if you want to appear credible. Middle class employment has dropped multiple percentage points year over year according to BLS statistics. So I find it hard to believe that middle class population is flocking to Oakland in significant numbers.

[04kL4nD]

Ah, I totally misunderstood you then. When you say 'Virtually disappeared', you didn't mean it's nearly non-existent. My bad. What you really meant is that it has a healthier middle class than SF, which coincidentally is why a number of folks are leaving SF and moving into middle class areas of Oakland. I totally agree. Thanks for clarifying

Here's some light reading for you to peruse. Note the very first sentence.

http://m.theatlanticcities.com/housi...o-exodus/7205/

Here's another one, in case the Atlantic isn't a credible enough source:

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/blog/real-estate/2013/10/san-francisco-exodus-oakland-
opportunity.html?page=all

How about the SF Chronicle? They love to report stories about crime in Oakland, so they must be credible too:

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/articl...se-3393637.php

[ExeterMedia]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

Ah, I totally misunderstood you then. When you say 'Virtually disappeared', you didn't mean it's nearly non-existent. My bad. What you really meant is that it has a healthier middle class than SF, which coincidentally is why a number of folks are leaving SF and moving into middle class areas of Oakland. I totally agree. Thanks for clarifying

Here's some light reading for you to peruse. Note the very first sentence.

The San Francisco Exodus - Gabriel Metcalf - The Atlantic Cities

Everyone knows that San Francisco is pricing out many renters. Also, it's statistically safe to assume that SF has less middle-class individuals because of the high price of rents.

But you still haven't shown that the middle class is growing in significant numbers in Oakland. Can you cite at least one source to backup that statement?