Does anyone want to move FROM the Bay Area? (San Jose: crime, homes)

[griz134]

I live in Portland, my wife was born and raised in SF. She moved up hear, because she knew she would be life long renter down there. We go to SF to visit, which is a lot of fun. Beautiful city! I don't know how people buy houses there. The prices are insane. We own a real nice craftsman bungalow built in 1924. Covered front porch, built-ins, hard wood floors, enclosed sun-porch, full basement, two car garage, private fenced back yard, mature trees front and back. I just added a soap stone wood stove that heats the whole house. I bought the house two years ago for $269,900. I couldn't buy a lot down there for that price. SF is nice to visit, but there is no way I could afford to live there.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by Taboo2

So then why are you incapable of carrying on a normal adult conversation without feeling the need to insult other people's comments when they differ from yours? This says a lot more about you and your self image issues than it does about the person you are trying to insult.

Nobody asks if a kid wants to join a gang? Yes, that is what happens. Just like kids having sex at 11 yrs old is what happened. Kids were drawn to it because it was bad and their parents would hate it (if they even noticed). It can be the neighborhood, not just the parental oversight. I doubt my kids would join a gang because I WOULD Notice, but they certainly could be targeted by them. Not even gangs, just punk thugs. There are plenty of those around.

You used the example Montana, that is not where I would go. It's not about being scared, it's about being protective of my family.

You must not have chilren or you would understand how people change when they are responsible for someone else's safety and development.
How priorities can change.

The area is fine for those who settle for less, or who don't care about the increase in crime.

I didn't insult anything. It's not my fault you wear your feelings on your sleeve. Good , go to your imaginary utopia. The less paranoid people such as yourself the better. Yes my wife is pregnant and I have no plans of leaving Oakland. I don't want to raise a sheltered paranoid child who turns out like you.

[jaynetarzana]

Taboo2, I am looking at different places near the Bay area. Do you mind sharing areas you think one should steer clear of? Because I have many of your same concerns for my own children. Thanks!

[Taboo2]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

Taboo2, I am looking at different places near the Bay area. Do you mind sharing areas you think one should steer clear of? Because I have many of your same concerns for my own children. Thanks!

I would avoid Richmond, East Palo Alto, El Cerrito, Albany, Oakland, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Daly City, Hayward, Fremont, Concord, Pittsburg, Union City, Newark, Marin City. Many of them just because the school districts are no good. You would then have to pay for private schooling which would not be cheap unless you could get a scholarship.

Marin County over all is decent and so is the 24/680 corridor in the East Bay as is 280 on the peninsula.

Cities along the inner bay (follow 101 freeway or 880) seem to have more crime then the parrallel freeways along the ourskirts.

[lynz815]

Originally Posted by Taboo2

I would avoid Richmond, East Palo Alto, El Cerrito, Albany, Oakland, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Daly City, Hayward, Fremont, Concord, Pittsburg, Union City, Newark, Marin City. Many of them just because the school districts are no good. You would then have to pay for private schooling which would not be cheap unless you could get a scholarship.

Marin County over all is decent and so is the 24/680 corridor in the East Bay as is 280 on the peninsula.

Cities along the inner bay (follow 101 freeway or 880) seem to have more crime then the parrallel freeways along the ourskirts.

If one was looking to relocate to the Bay Area, Concord isn't bad as a city per se but some of the schools are not great, however you can get an out of district transfer to attend schools in Walnut Creek, Martinez or Pleasant Hill. I would personally stay away from Richmond (although they are trying to promote the hills and waterfront area alot) and Pittsburg (lived there for a while and the homes in the hills seem nicer than the rest but it's an affordable community for some). I don't know about the other cities listed here as I've never lived there nor visited. I work in downtown Oakland but would not want to live in Oakland (some like the hills, Piedmont, Mills College area etc) - hell I'm trying to get out of CA myself.

[jaynetarzana]

Thanks Taboo2 & lynz815.

If you don't mind my asking, what are the reasons for wanting to leave CA? Where will you go?

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Taboo2

I would avoid Richmond, East Palo Alto, El Cerrito, Albany, Oakland, San Leandro, San Lorenzo, Daly City, Hayward, Fremont, Concord, Pittsburg, Union City, Newark, Marin City.

Albany, El Cerrito and Fremont are actually very, very nice overall. Among the more desirable places in the entire Bay Area. Quite desirable at that. In fact, Fremont has one of the finest public high schools in the entire nation and all of these 3 have low crime.

Don't know how you formulate this list but Union City, Newark and Daly City arent really dangerous either.

[Taboo2]

Originally Posted by City Boy

The less paranoid people such as yourself the better. Yes my wife is pregnant and I have no plans of leaving Oakland. I don't want to raise a sheltered paranoid child who turns out like you.

My actual residential neighborhood is a safe one, it is when you go out to the shopping malls and stores and restaurants that you have to pay attention to the criminal element.

I am not paranoid dear, I have lived here my entire life for the most part so i know what I speak of. I am brutally honest with my hometown's situations and the changes that have occured over the last 20 years or so. Everything I am concerned about has a very strong basis in the reality of living in the bay area.

Things are not the same when you have children in tow. You cannot just fight back when someone tries to harm you or steal your stuff. You cannot confront someone who is threatening you. You have little people with you and that hinders your ability to fight back and therefore makes you vulnerable and an easy MARK (or target to those of you unfamiliar with the term).

I don't pretend to NOT see the decline of personal values and crime that surrounds me and i am confused as to how people think that the level of crime we live with is acceptable.

People getting shot every other day is ok with you? That seems reasonable?
People getting assaulted and beaten and robbed constantly is just fine as long as you're not the victim?
Yes, it is usually thug on thug crime, but there are innocent people standing nearby who also get injured. I am finding the amount of incidents like these are becoming the norm rather than the rarity.

More and more it is becoming the guy walking to the store getting robbed for his wallet and usually there is a parting gunshot as a thank you. It is about the teenage thugs trying to intimidate people.

It gets tiring having to be hyper aware of your surrounding to make sure someone isn't coming to jack me and my car while i put the kids in their carseats. It' annoying and frankly just because i carry a weapon doesn't mean i would look forward to having to use it in front of them.

I wish that people were decent and that they could just restrain themselves and find other ways to make a living other than robbing people. I wish they had motivation and inspiration and ambition to be something other than a crook.

Yes, the less civilized, upstanding, tax paying members of society, residing in Alameda County the better off the leftovers like yourself will be right?

If you were really from this area, you would be able to see the way it USED to be compared to the way it is currently is. .

[ALX8725]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Albany, El Cerrito and Fremont are actually very, very nice overall. Among the more desirable places in the entire Bay Area. Quite desirable at that. In fact, Fremont has one of the finest public high schools in the entire nation and all of these 3 have low crime.

Don't know how you formulate this list but Union City, Newark and Daly City arent really dangerous either.

I second this, especially the Mission San Jose HS district of Fremont. This is a super safe neighborhood with very little crime. There are multi-million dollar homes in this district, children of silicon valley executives go to MSJHS and are pressured to do extremely well. MSJHS ranks up there with the finest public schools in Northern California, they send tons of kids to Cal/Stanford/etc. every year.

[jaynetarzana]

I don't know, I've driven through Fremont and there were things about it that looked pretty scary. I've lived in places where there are good parts right next to bad parts. The problem is that the people who wish you harm don't care about those boundaries. I have close friends who raised their kids in Fremont and worked as teachers in the school system until retirement and they want to move.