West Oakland: up and coming or just a trap? (Montclair: high crime, safe area)

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by majoun

Not if one sees the crime statistics...

I don't get the Oakland/Brooklyn comparisons being rather familiar with Brooklyn. Brooklyn still has some bad hoods but it has far more great areas than Oakland does, and also has a sizeable middle class unlike Oakland.

If we're talking anywhere near NYC Newark's probably a better comparison. One decent and rather pleasant neighborhood (Ironbound, comparable to Rockridge) and the rest consists of extremely dangerous hoods.

Oakland is PRIMARILY middle class. If you look at the median income, that's right where it is. Is there crime - yes - but is everyone in Oakland a criminal? No! There are neighborhoods all over the city, even in West Oakland and East Oakland, filled with decent, hard-working people with jobs and businesses.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by majoun

Not if one sees the crime statistics...



I don't get the Oakland/Brooklyn comparisons being rather familiar with Brooklyn. Brooklyn still has some bad hoods but it has far more great areas than Oakland does, and also has a sizeable middle class unlike Oakland.

If we're talking anywhere near NYC Newark's probably a better comparison. One decent and rather pleasant neighborhood (Ironbound, comparable to Rockridge) and the rest consists of extremely dangerous hoods.

Can you show me the Brooklyn Crime Stats . I can't find them anywhere. Brooklyn has more bad area's just spread out more. There is nowhere in Oakland like Brevort. Nowhere. Those could be the worse housing projects in all of NY.

Go look at the House value and Racial make up in both cities they are almost identical. How is Oakland anything like Newark? Oakland has a huge middle class. Have you been to Newark? Just on looks alone Newark looks like bagdagh with borded up large housing projects all over the city. Oakland is not like Newark.

[hiluv]

A good friend of mine lived up in the hills from west Oakland, he made a fortune buying his house (with xwife) for about 200K and selling it for about 900K a couple years ago.

Since I had a business relationship going on with him, I was often in this area. I honestly think that the 'up and coming' has already happened. The housing around the area has more than double in just under 5 years, and I remember how the 'hood' was back about 7 years ago.. it's so much cleaner now and you cannot beat having Bart close by.
If you are paying 500k for a flat you better be close to everything, which you would be if you buy there. However, keep in mind that the increase and betterment has already happened (in my humble opinion, anyway).

[majoun]

Originally Posted by City Boy

Can you show me the Brooklyn Crime Stats . I can't find them anywhere. Brooklyn has more bad area's just spread out more. There is nowhere in Oakland like Brevort. Nowhere. Those could be the worse housing projects in all of NY.

There was an article in the New York Times talking about how the Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights areas of Brooklyn are amongst the safest areas of NYC along with Manhattan's West Village and certain outer Queens areas next to Nassau County, and managed to not have a single murder in 2008. I don't think that could be said about ANY Oakland neighborhood not even Rockridge, Claremont, or Montclair.

And Lockwood Gardens (I know it's not in West Oakland) does compare with Brevoort in Bed-Stuy.

Go look at the House value and Racial make up in both cities they are almost identical.

Brooklyn's definitely more expensive, although this could be because NYC is the most expensive city in the US and thus everything is going to be more expensive.

How is Oakland anything like Newark? Oakland has a huge middle class. Have you been to Newark? Just on looks alone Newark looks like bagdagh with borded up large housing projects all over the city. Oakland is not like Newark.

Yes I have been to Newark. That's how I know about Ironbound, which is Newark's Rockridge although obviously without the Berkeley influence. West Oakland would fit into Newark VERY well.

[baybook]

Sorry, if you think Oakland is one decent neighborhod surrounded by hoods, you know NOTHING about Oakland. That's why you've also completely ignored Oakland's sizeable middle and upper classes.

Absolutely nothing.

Originally Posted by majoun

There was an article in the New York Times talking about how the Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights areas of Brooklyn are amongst the safest areas of NYC along with Manhattan's West Village and certain outer Queens areas next to Nassau County, and managed to not have a single murder in 2008. I don't think that could be said about ANY Oakland neighborhood not even Rockridge, Claremont, or Montclair.

And Lockwood Gardens (I know it's not in West Oakland) does compare with Brevoort in Bed-Stuy.



Brooklyn's definitely more expensive, although this could be because NYC is the most expensive city in the US and thus everything is going to be more expensive.



Yes I have been to Newark. That's how I know about Ironbound, which is Newark's Rockridge although obviously without the Berkeley influence. West Oakland would fit into Newark VERY well.

[jrb724]

West Oakland is better than it was. Like one of the other posters said, the rerouting of the cypress freeway probably helped the area. Many have fixed up those old Victorians and they have also done some redevelopment around the BART station. The proximity to Emeryville shopping, SF, and BART are its best features. It defintiely has potential BUT keep in mind though that the area has some negatives that haven't really been mentioned here and are highly unlikely to change:

1. Largest concentration of low-income housing and subsidized projects (ACORN, Cypress, etc) in Oakland. Although many of the projects were torn down and rebuilt in the 90's, they are still projects and generally increase the crime rate.

2. Pollution from the port, freeways, bay bridge, and other industrial activity.

[City Boy]

Originally Posted by majoun

There was an article in the New York Times talking about how the Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights areas of Brooklyn are amongst the safest areas of NYC along with Manhattan's West Village and certain outer Queens areas next to Nassau County, and managed to not have a single murder in 2008. I don't think that could be said about ANY Oakland neighborhood not even Rockridge, Claremont, or Montclair.

And Lockwood Gardens (I know it's not in West Oakland) does compare with Brevoort in Bed-Stuy.



Brooklyn's definitely more expensive, although this could be because NYC is the most expensive city in the US and thus everything is going to be more expensive.



Yes I have been to Newark. That's how I know about Ironbound, which is Newark's Rockridge although obviously without the Berkeley influence. West Oakland would fit into Newark VERY well.

The 65 & 69 Ville is nothing like Brevoort. It's not the 80s early 90s anymore, you could fit 10 lockwoods into Brevoort.

Ironbound? Rockridge? Rockridge is not Oakland only nice neighborhood. Ironbound may be Newarks ONLY and is all immigrants, nothing like Rockridge in that respect. Again the level of poverty in Newark trumps oaklands.

[ssmaster]

majoun does not know oakland.his ignorance about oakland is mindboggling
Piedmont Pines
Median Household Income: $116,633
Merriwood
Median Household Income: $101,545
Claremont
Median Household Income: $115,610
Hiller Highlands
Median Household Income: $133,272
Upper Rockridge
Median Household Income: $97,646
Shepherd Canyon
Median Household Income: $105,767
Crocker Highland
Median Household Income: $106,217
Trestle Glen
Median Household Income: $89,220
Montclair
Median Household Income: $102,426
Oakmore
Median Household Income: $79,410
Glen Highlands
Median Household Income: $101,888
Forestland
Median Household Income: $99,262

for comparison look at
Noe Valley
Median Household Income: $77,479

[Lulu101]

Defintely a trap.

[Lulu101]

Montclair, the OP means it's a money pit. (i.e. you pay a lot to buy there and watch your investment loose value over time)

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Gun toting confederate republicans will feel out of place in West Oakland. People who are afraid of black people will feel out of place in West Oakland. Sheltered suburbanites will see West Oakland as a trap. If you are among those mentioned above, West Oakland is not for you and that is just fine.

West Oakland is however, very popular with hundreds, if not thousands of REAL artists who live AND work in Lofts and converted warehouses and old factories. That is a fact. If you are a person who likes that sort of alternative living, West Oakland is perfect for you.