Piedmont/Montclair vs. Castro Valley (Fremont, Berkeley: community, liberal, living)

[teachcal]

I take no offense to the Jewish comment. I'm Catholic myself and if a neighborhood is close to a church and mostly "Catholic," I would take no offense.

For good or bad, Jewish neighborhood is code for $$.

[fizbin]

Originally Posted by teachcal

I take no offense to the Jewish comment. I'm Catholic myself and if a neighborhood is close to a church and mostly "Catholic," I would take no offense.

For good or bad, Jewish neighborhood is code for $$.

I'm not Jewish or any other religion. However, I am well aware of comments which are racist/religionist in the guise of being informative . . .

[skatealoneskatetogether]

I'm just letting them know. I wouldn't want them to move to Piedmont and be well.... shocked. Some people simply don't have morals and values that other communities have and prefer to live amongst certain people.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by skatealoneskatetogether

I'm just letting them know. I wouldn't want them to move to Piedmont and be well.... shocked. Some people simply don't have morals and values that other communities have and prefer to live amongst certain people.

Shocked??? Ummmm, I'm a Jewish woman, and I don't think you'd even realize it... especially since I doubt you'd recognize the mezuzah on my door-frame. But really, what is your point, and what do you mean by "morals and values?" If anything, that would be a positive aspect of living amongst religious folks, no matter what their religion. Please explain further, if you don't mind.

P.S. The Bay Area actually has a rather small Jewish population (for a big city), so I doubt any town would have enough to "shock" anyone. Not to mention, the majority of our Jewish people are Reform or Secular, Conservative at the most.... this isn't Brooklyn or anything, so you won't see many who are easily recognizable as Jewish.

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by teachcal

I take no offense to the Jewish comment. I'm Catholic myself and if a neighborhood is close to a church and mostly "Catholic," I would take no offense.

That wasn't the point... obviously there's nothing offensive about saying a neighborhood is heavily Jewish/Catholic/Black/Asian/etc. It's only offensive or questionable if the person is saying it negatively, which that post may or may not have been. If I said "that area is very Catholic, so you probably don't want to live there" - wouldn't you be offended or at least confused?

For good or bad, Jewish neighborhood is code for $$.

Now that is a comment I may take offense to, especially since it's fairly untrue... the REALLY Jewish neighborhoods are typically poor or working-class, which I know because my father grew up in one (Flatbush - Brooklyn). The Chasidic and ultra-Orthodox Jews will rarely work in a high-paying field, since they'd have to give up some of their beliefs (like working on Shabbat & Jewish holidays, following dress codes, etc.) It's only a few select towns, like Beverly Hills and parts of Long Island, which would fit that stereotype. We're not all wealthy, believe it or not. Boy do I wish that was true, though - LOL.

[fizbin]

The original comment by skatealoneskatetogether used the supposedly large Jewish population of Piedmont (now that is a tough one to prove) as a negative for Piedmont in comparison to Castro Valley. It is obvious from his subsequent posts that he has some kind of problems with Jewish folks and prefers not to live near them. All of this couched in plausibly deniable PC-speak ("Oh, I don't personally have anything against them, but was just pointing it out in case others did - kind of a community service and all.") Very transparent . . .

[skatealoneskatetogether]

This is what I can't stand about pseudo liberals, always putting words in your mouth. All i said was that Piedmont had a large Jewish population where as castro valley doesn't have as many. Living in Berkeley now, and growing up in Pleasanton I recognize the differences between a community dominated by WASP's vs Jews. Some people may not recognize or care (by all means don't) and some do. I just merley pointed out a fact. If it matters for the sake of honesty, I do prefer to live in an area dominated by exclusively WASP's if possible. Not out of dislike for any race, but as I feel I have more in common and can relate to my own people. No different than a chinese person wanting to live in china town, or a black wanting to live in richmond, or a pakistani wanting to live in Fremont.

[skatealoneskatetogether]

I never once suggested she should not live in Piedmont. If you can find some where I did, I would like to see.

[fizbin]

Whatever . . .

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by skatealoneskatetogether

This is what I can't stand about pseudo liberals, always putting words in your mouth. All i said was that Piedmont had a large Jewish population where as castro valley doesn't have as many. Living in Berkeley now, and growing up in Pleasanton I recognize the differences between a community dominated by WASP's vs Jews. Some people may not recognize or care (by all means don't) and some do. I just merley pointed out a fact. If it matters for the sake of honesty, I do prefer to live in an area dominated by exclusively WASP's if possible. Not out of dislike for any race, but as I feel I have more in common and can relate to my own people. No different than a chinese person wanting to live in china town, or a black wanting to live in richmond, or a pakistani wanting to live in Fremont.

There's no need to put words in your mouth... you're doing a fine job on your own.