Palo Alto Society and Culture (East Palo Alto, Stanford: middle-class, buy, high school)

[LostinCalifornia]

Hi,

I've lived in Palo Alto for nearly two years, but just now wisening up to its culture (at least I thnk I am). Tell me: is this any place for an egalitarian, all-people-are-equal, respect your fellow citizens sort of person? Everywhere I go, I witness snobbery and elitism that is really quite baseless. I believe in being courteous and treating other people as you would like to be treated. I've encountered plenty of incredibly intelligent, talented, and creative people so as to stop myself when feeling like I want to strut around with a sense of superiority, as I believe that humility indicates a kind of world awareness--that no one is the center of the earth, many people have talents and aptitudes and worth in many different areas, and all contribute to our world. Most of the time, I look out onto a crowd of people in the city and think: hrm, these people don't seem very nice to me, and it seems like they haven't really figured out what really matters in life. I feel especially badly for the working class or people in servant positions, as they are treated like scum, sub-human--and it's a disgusting thing to have to experience, their poor treatment by the ruling class. If I treat them decently--like humans--I get scoffed or subtly ignored by the white collar set.

Has anyone here had a different experience as a newcomer to Palo Alto? Are my perceptions off? If my assessment is correct and my values aren't in accordance with this society, where in California would I be better off (high quality of living is important to me, and so is a smart and consciencious populace).

Thanks for your help.

[sonarrat]

From your first post here:

An ideal place: safety, proximity to natural beauty (lakes, parks), lack of crowds, pleasant atmosphere, live and let live mentality, suitable for a would-be writer informed by the classics and contemporaries alike. Lots of greenery. Don't have to get dressed up to the nines to take a simple jog. Charming and/or unique in some way; aesthetically interesting. Smart, educated, and articulate; open-minded; somewhat laid-back; some modicum of depth and gravity. Worldly--aware of life outside of the community. Not occupied with material dispays of wealth, but not an impoverished community, either. Not too hot; clear air. Somewhere between socially conservative and liberal--not afraid of sexuality and pushing boundaries, but tasteful enough not to show a lot of skin or use profanity in public.

If you didn't get an answer from that, you're not likely to get a better one here. Palo Alto's nouveau-riche snobbery is very well documented, unfortunately. Too many people who buy into the TV/movie image of wealth flooding a town that otherwise meets all of your aesthetic and natural requirements.

[NorthernCalifornia]

it's called Shallow Alto for a reason...

[sav858]

It's a wealthy area right next to one of the country's elite private university's, this kind of atmosphere/society/culture is to be expected pretty much in a place like that.

[gizmo980]

Yeah, I lived in East Palo Alto, but that's a whole different world. Palo Alto is known for snobbishness, which I blame more on the University than the wealth - since I grew up in a wealthy area (Hillsborough/SM Park) and didn't see nearly as much of that. Guess you can't have it ALL, and some bad will always come with the good... I loved how down-to-earth and real my neighbors in EPA were, but the trade off was 5 murders (in a 2-block radius) in under three years. As my mother would say, you have to pick your battles and make compromises in life.

[Alexus]

Originally Posted by LostinCalifornia

Hi,

I've lived in Palo Alto for nearly two years, but just now wisening up to its culture (at least I thnk I am). Tell me: is this any place for an egalitarian, all-people-are-equal, respect your fellow citizens sort of person? Everywhere I go, I witness snobbery and elitism that is really quite baseless. I believe in being courteous and treating other people as you would like to be treated. I've encountered plenty of incredibly intelligent, talented, and creative people so as to stop myself when feeling like I want to strut around with a sense of superiority, as I believe that humility indicates a kind of world awareness--that no one is the center of the earth, many people have talents and aptitudes and worth in many different areas, and all contribute to our world. Most of the time, I look out onto a crowd of people in the city and think: hrm, these people don't seem very nice to me, and it seems like they haven't really figured out what really matters in life. I feel especially badly for the working class or people in servant positions, as they are treated like scum, sub-human--and it's a disgusting thing to have to experience, their poor treatment by the ruling class. If I treat them decently--like humans--I get scoffed or subtly ignored by the white collar set.

Has anyone here had a different experience as a newcomer to Palo Alto? Are my perceptions off? If my assessment is correct and my values aren't in accordance with this society, where in California would I be better off (high quality of living is important to me, and so is a smart and consciencious populace).

Thanks for your help.

Your experiences and perceptions are right on. I don't care for Shallow Alto, a place full of people with an incredible sense of entitlement and a false sense of superiority. What a bore the place is.

[Katimae]

I like living in Palo Alto for all the amenities, Farmer's Market, stores and restaurants, lots of libraries, parks, Stanford's campus is beautiful and a great place for a bike ride. But I dislike it for the people. I have asked someone for directions and she looked at my bag and shoes and chose to ignore me. I mean, they are not Prada, but I'm not exactly a bag lady either. Shallow Alto is pretty much right on.

[hsw]

"Snobs"...whatever that means....exist everywhere incl ghettos, working-class areas, Midwest, Woodside/Greenwich....

Have several Asian Indian colleagues who are US-born and raised who relay many tales of obnoxious racial discrimination while growing up in middle-class suburbs in the allegedly wholesome, friendly Midwest in '80s and '90s....today, they are rather affluent hedge fund guys who live in allegedly elitist parts of SF or NYC regions....and tell me their world is far less snobby and more friendly than when they were growing up in the supposedly "down to earth" Midwest...

Similarly, know several older Asian Indian gents who came to Stanford as grad students in '60s and '70s, as penniless kids from rural India....they relay how kind were many of their profs/fellow students/general PA community way back then....today, they are rather wealthy guys who live in affluent suburbs and still view their neighbors as friendly....

Intellectualy elite/wealthy places sometimes provoke absurd jealousies/claims of snobbery....but plenty of middle-class or poor places are no less abusive or more welcoming to strangers....

[LostinCalifornia]

Originally Posted by Alexus

Your experiences and perceptions are right on. I don't care for Shallow Alto, a place full of people with an incredible sense of entitlement and a false sense of superiority. What a bore the place is.

At least I'm not alone. The culture can be all-consuming. Thanks!

[EllenOlenska]

Originally Posted by hsw

"Snobs"...whatever that means....exist everywhere incl ghettos, working-class areas, Midwest, Woodside/Greenwich....

Have several Asian Indian colleagues who are US-born and raised who relay many tales of obnoxious racial discrimination while growing up in middle-class suburbs in the allegedly wholesome, friendly Midwest in '80s and '90s....today, they are rather affluent hedge fund guys who live in allegedly elitist parts of SF or NYC regions....and tell me their world is far less snobby and more friendly than when they were growing up in the supposedly "down to earth" Midwest...

Similarly, know several older Asian Indian gents who came to Stanford as grad students in '60s and '70s, as penniless kids from rural India....they relay how kind were many of their profs/fellow students/general PA community way back then....today, they are rather wealthy guys who live in affluent suburbs and still view their neighbors as friendly....

Intellectualy elite/wealthy places sometimes provoke absurd jealousies/claims of snobbery....but plenty of middle-class or poor places are no less abusive or more welcoming to strangers....

Totally agree with this.

To the OP: mean, bigoted people exist in all socioeconomic classes. The more privileged ones are targeted because they are often the center of attention more so than their less privileged counterparts.

I grew up in a lower middle class area and the kids at my school were very cliquish and often were "snobby" even though their families were middle class at best. Conversely, I have met kids from nicer backgrounds who were very generous and kind.

I am an upwardly mobile person myself, and have actually encountered the stereotyping that hsw mentioned. My neighbor is a high school drop out, and jokingly called me a snob (but not really joking) once.

It's funny to me, because I have been nothing but courteous to her and her family. They were the ones that were always making fun of my parking, etc. And yet, I'm the "snob".

Sometimes I think people paint a certain group a certain way because it makes them feel better to think that the more privileged are somehow less human and less worthy than they are.

I've been in SF for almost one month, and have yet to encounter the cloud of smug everyone's talking about.