How is San Ramon/Danville for African Americans (San Francisco, Oakland: renting, high schools)

[partyoffive]

Can anyone tell me what the San Ramon/Danville area is like for African Americans? I realize you could only speak for yourself, but I have researched the schools and it seems there is a 1% population of blacks at two of the High Schools in the area and only a 3% population of black students in the other. Our family is accustomed to living in predominately white suburbs, but not areas where blacks seem so scarce. I don't want our children to feel unwelcomed if it is an area that is not friendly to minorities.

[fromthebay]

i have family in dublin which is right next door to san ramon and i went to the high school.. and trust me youll have no problems.... the people are a bit uppity(because they have money) but you will be fine they are not hateful towards minorities and your kids will have friends in no time...

[partyoffive]

Thank you for your response "Fromthebay", We are actually considering both Dublin and San Ramon. Dublin has about 10% African Americans from what I can tell, which is more representative of the United States as a whole. I know that the bay area in general doesn't have many African Americans and from what I can tell people don't seem to care that much about race as long as you are not a trouble maker (so to speak). I just wanted to make sure we weren't attempting to go somewhere that we would clearly not be wanted. We like the housing options in San Ramon better and it seems like it may be a bit more stable and established. We are quite used to uppity!

Thanks again. Any other info you want to share...please feel free!

[gizmo980]

I can't speak from personal experience (as a White/Jewish woman), but the Bay Area in general is fairly "harmonious" when it comes to ethnic differences. I have a friend in San Ramon who's 1/2 Mexican & her children are 1/2 African-American, and they've never had any problems. She really seems to like it there, and the kids are happy enough with their schools. Oh, and she's definitely not "uppity", and barely has enough money to survive... anyway, San Ramon is a very nice suburb, and I think you'd be quite welcomed there. Can't beat the weather either, if you're into the constant sunshine & mild temps! I personally prefer our chilly San Francisco fog (where I live), but I'm weird that way.

[fromthebay]

i would say danville and san ramon are better... the quality of life there is better most of the time... i dont really like dublin personally... but yeah in my opinion go with san ramon or even danville

[partyoffive]

I am sooooo into the constant sunshine and mild temps!!! We're moving from out east and I have had it with dreariness! It's a real drag. My sisters and I are always waiting with baited breath to see if a nice day will actually coincide with a day that we don't have to work and can actually get outside and enjoy the weather. The two rarely happen together! Yesterday it was still flurrying here!

As for your info on San Ramon, thank you gizmo980. I look forward to the move. It appears from the Cali threads that many more people are headed your way. Do you all ever tire of the influx of people? (Although a fair share seem to be headed out of California...thank God we plan on renting for a few years!)

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by partyoffive

I am sooooo into the constant sunshine and mild temps!!! We're moving from out east and I have had it with dreariness! It's a real drag. My sisters and I are always waiting with baited breath to see if a nice day will actually coincide with a day that we don't have to work and can actually get outside and enjoy the weather. The two rarely happen together! Yesterday it was still flurrying here!

LOL... well, you won't have to worry about flurries out here! We do get our fair share of rain, but the San Ramon/Danville area is usually warmer than other parts of the Bay Area. Where are you coming from?

As for your info on San Ramon, thank you gizmo980. I look forward to the move. It appears from the Cali threads that many more people are headed your way. Do you all ever tire of the influx of people? (Although a fair share seem to be headed out of California...thank God we plan on renting for a few years!)

You're welcome, and yes the constant influx does occasionally get annoying... but as you said, plenty of people are also leaving, so it kinda evens out. The main issue is just with making friends, since many of them will move once you get to know them. My two best friends (since childhood) are Bay Area natives, so at least I know they're sticking around for a while.

[partyoffive]

Originally Posted by gizmo980

LOL... well, you won't have to worry about flurries out here! We do get our fair share of rain, but the San Ramon/Danville area is usually warmer than other parts of the Bay Area. Where are you coming from?



You're welcome, and yes the constant influx does occasionally get annoying... but as you said, plenty of people are also leaving, so it kinda evens out. The main issue is just with making friends, since many of them will move once you get to know them. My two best friends (since childhood) are Bay Area natives, so at least I know they're sticking around for a while.

We're coming from Ohio and we don't know anyone in the area , so friends will be a challenge at our age (mid 30's). However, I will be going to graduate school (once I've established residency) and I hope to meet people that way. In addition, the children's activities usually enable us to meet community members and I will probably meet the spouses of some of my husband's co-workers. I can just hope and pray that I have something in common with them! I think that every town in California should have a "new members club"

[DBLAZEMDM]

Originally Posted by partyoffive

I know that the bay area in general doesn't have many African Americans and from what I can tell people don't seem to care that much about race as long as you are not a trouble maker (so to speak).

What! since when did the bay not have many black people? Oakland is 60% black, parts of SF like bayview district is mostely black. There's a lot of blacks in the bay. Why do people still say African American? When are people going to get over that word and use "black" just like they do in every other country. Considering the large amount of "blacks" that come from Latin America to the U.S I'd say it's time to drop that "African"

[partyoffive]

Originally Posted by DBLAZEMDM

What! since when did the bay not have many black people? Oakland is 60% black, parts of SF like bayview district is mostely black. There's a lot of blacks in the bay. Why do people still say African American? When are people going to get over that word and use "black" just like they do in every other country. Considering the large amount of "blacks" that come from Latin America to the U.S I'd say it's time to drop that "African"

I say the bay area in general because I am referring to the entire area (encompassing all cities in the bay area) which has a 4% population of "Blacks" as compared to the nationwide population of 12%. There are a good many people in the bay area and while pockets of the area may seem to have more than their fair share of blacks...the area as a whole is lacking. That isn't a problem for me, but when you pull up the demographics of school after school and there are a vast number of those schools that have less than 3% blacks...that says something. These aren't rural areas off in the cut, these are actual cities with large populations (not as large as oakland, but still sizeable). Many of these schools have just 1% or so few as to not have to count them as a population at all. You are right about Oakland, but I challenge you to really look around when you are not in Oakland or near a campus and tell me what you see. As I said, this isn't necessarily a draw back for me considering I mix with all ethnicities, but on my many visits to the area, I am as struck by our absence as I have been in places like say...Maine. There are plenty of people of color, just not "plenty" of blacks.