Oakland is scaring me! (San Francisco, Richmond: apartments, condos, employment)

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by jadybug

I was so desperate to move out of the area and back into Berkeley that I wished upon a star and challenged a God I did not know to help. He did!! Next move: Avalon Ave. near the Clairmont Hotel. Needless to say, I'm not an Atheist anymore!!!! LOL!! Thanks Oakland and thanks GOD!!!!!!!

Avalon Avenue is the nicest residential street in Berkeley! Good going.

Anyway,
You really cant label the entire city of Oakland for the negative experience you had in one area-not fair.

I was born and raised in Oakland and loved it, consider myself lucky to be brought up in what I consider the center of the Bay Area Universe, as far as diversity, its like we had the whole world in one city. Oakland has great food, thriving arts, beautiful neighborhoods, very intelligent and sophisticated people.

[bigcats]

Hmm... count me in as another person who lives in Oakland (6 years, from Maine) and has never been threatened, mugged, etc. I spend quite a bit of time in the "bad" neighborhoods too due to my volunteer work. I also spend quite a bit of time in the Montclair/Hills areas. I know both ends of the spectrum.

I live in an apartment complex where there has been drug activity from time to time... it hasn't affected me. I mind my own business as far as all that is concerned. I'm not scared to live where I do. I walk to the grocery store a few blocks away after dark. Yes, I lock my door. I don't leave my car unlocked. I would do those things anywhere.

I also work for the school district The school where I teach is a lovely community in a poor neighborhood. If I had kids, I'd be ok with them attending my school.

I'm leaving Oakland at some point this year or next, so it's not like I'm defending Oakland because of fierce loyalty. I just have no problem with Oakland, and it's been a fine place to live. The weather is absolutely the best. The fact it is a city so close to parks, trails, historical sites, etc, is another one of my favorite things about Oakland. And so much to see within a "one gas tank"' ride. Political viewpoints are generally a good match for me here.

And it's funny... I knew very little about Oakland when I arrived here. I didn't know its "reputation". And I only picked up on a lot of that stuff AFTER hearing the reputation, not because I experienced things that way firsthand.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by bigcats

I only picked up on a lot of that stuff AFTER hearing the reputation, not because I experienced things that way firsthand.

The same can be said for like 6.9 Million people in the Bay Area. LOL

[jadybug]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Avalon Avenue is the nicest residential street in Berkeley! Good going.

Anyway,
You really cant label the entire city of Oakland for the negative experience you had in one area-not fair.

I was born and raised in Oakland and loved it, consider myself lucky to be brought up in what I consider the center of the Bay Area Universe, as far as diversity, its like we had the whole world in one city. Oakland has great food, thriving arts, beautiful neighborhoods, very intelligent and sophisticated people.

In my case, probably an allowed situation by an omni-present, omniscient God. Just to get this little gal who made fun of, "Jesus Freaks" attention.

[jeevcy]

I have passed through Oakland a couple of times (Broadway) and more recently today (International Blvd). Place is a ghetto with urine stench almost everywhere. Forget safety, talk hygiene. The only places that impressed me in Oakland are Lake Merritt, Piedmont and Rockridge. Else, it is a sea of slums and makes you feel you are in a third world country. You can feel a huge difference when you enter San Leandro.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by jeevcy

I have passed through Oakland a couple of times (Broadway) and more recently today (International Blvd). Place is a ghetto with urine stench almost everywhere. Forget safety, talk hygiene. The only places that impressed me in Oakland are Lake Merritt, Piedmont and Rockridge. Else, it is a sea of slums and makes you feel you are in a third world country. You can feel a huge difference when you enter San Leandro.

Bull. Other than the pretty marble statues erected to proclaim the San Leandro border, you have the same "urine stenched" abandoned storefronts and gold tooth stores you have just across the border in Oakland.

With more crime! There's a reason why the Oakland Police Department is referring to San Leandro as District 7.

And oh - yeah -- that's exactly where I live, so I DO know what I'm talking about.

[kraigk1]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

I park my car in Oakland all the time (I work there almost every Saturday) and haven't yet had it broken into, dinged, or even keyed... not to say it doesn't happen, but you make it sound like nobody parks downtown without incident. And I go to many different parts of the city, from the worst to the slightly nicer, and still haven't been scared or threatened once - don't even have problems when I work in Richmond, and that's arguably worse than O-town.

FYI - I'm originally from the east coast, and have lived in Maryland, Philadelphia, and Oregon... was FAR more scared in West Philadelphia, where my sister was mugged 3 times in her 4 years there. As for D.C., well let's ask my mother about her years as a schoolteacher downtown. I don't know the deep south very well, so can't disagree with you on that area, but I know the northeast cities are sketchy at best. I'm not trying to say that Oakland is 100% safe, because we all know that isn't true... however, people do love to exaggerate about it.

I have a buddy who has had his car broken into 4 times in 4 years in Oakland. We all have stories going one way or another

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by jeevcy

I have passed through Oakland a couple of times (Broadway) and more recently today (International Blvd). Place is a ghetto with urine stench almost everywhere. Forget safety, talk hygiene. The only places that impressed me in Oakland are Lake Merritt, Piedmont and Rockridge. Else, it is a sea of slums and makes you feel you are in a third world country. You can feel a huge difference when you enter San Leandro.

You've overlooked about half of Oakland...

Sheffield Village (everyone thinks it's San Leandro)
Grass Valley
Montclair
Crocker Highlands
Glenview
Lakeshore
Lincoln Highlands
Redwood Heights
Trestle Glen
Sequoyah Heights
Skyline-Hillcrest Estates
Caballo Hills
Leona Heights
Chabot Park
Claremont
Montclair
Piedmont Pines
Panoramic Hill
Hiller Highlands
Glen Highlands
Merriwood
Forestland
Shepherd Canyon
Upper Dimond

well the list goes on...

one correction... Piedmont is not part of Oakland. Piedmont is a separate city with it's own Police, Fire and Schools.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by jeevcy

I have passed through Oakland a couple of times (Broadway) and more recently today (International Blvd). Place is a ghetto with urine stench almost everywhere. Forget safety, talk hygiene.

Urine? What an exaggeration.

Nowhere in Oakland, and I mean no where, is as ghetto and smells of urine anywhere near the degree of San Francisco along Market and Mission between 5th and Van Ness. That is the Bay Area's skid row and anywhere in Oakland, including the depths of East Oakland's crime triangle, is far better than that dump. Puhleeze.

The only places that impressed me in Oakland are Lake Merritt, Piedmont and Rockridge.

Once again, an outsider who doesnt know Oakland as well as he thinks. What else is new?

Else, it is a sea of slums and makes you feel you are in a third world country.

Actually, its just as American as apple pie suburbia.

[Joe_Ryder]

Originally Posted by jeevcy

You can feel a huge difference when you enter San Leandro.

You mean as you pass from the Oakland flats into the SL flats?