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View Poll Results: SF, LA, Oakland or what?
LA 0 0%
San Francisco 2 15.38%
Oakland 10 76.92%
Other, please tell me where this other is 1 7.69%
Voters: 13. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 11-18-2012, 09:01 PM
 
5 posts, read 8,363 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello to all

The short version of my is where should I move being a young black single LA, SF, or Oakland?


The long version is below.

I am a 25 year old black male originally from Birmingham, Al now living in Chicago, IL. I've been in Chicago for about 8 months and while it is an upgrade from Alabama this place is not home. I am a bit of an adventurer and if my money was right I'd be traveling the world. (hopefully this is in my future) I came to Chicago to get the big city experience and also to experience life in another region. While Chicago is diverse it is very segregated. It has been very hard for me to find like minded people to befriend. The majority of the black people here are very poor and isolated away from everywhere I want to be. Also I dont really like my job which isn't Chicago's fault. My entire life I have wanted to live in California. Openminded people, great weather, laid back feel, 420 friendly and the Lakers... sounds like the place for me! I've always been infactuated with LA even though I have never been. I've heard some things that have turned me off a little bit, like that its superficial and... that car is a must in LA... I really dont want to own a car again until I have kids. I am interested in SF and Oakland also. SF because of the tech jobs and the supposed best public transit system on the west coast. Oakland because I hear its very diverse and more affordable than LA and SF. What are your opinions of the 3 and if you were a young, Black, deepthinking, introverted, somewhere between hippie and hipster where would you move?

Heres a little bit more about me:

I work in IT sales. I have a few certifications and should I move to San Francisco I would get a couple more to ensure that I'm actually able to find work.

I am looking to live in a city where I would not need a car. Or 1 that I would not have to drive my car everywhere. So there would need to be a grocery store, a bank, a couple good resturaunts (at least 1 really cheap 1) and a bar or 2 or 3 in the neighborhood I live.

I want to live in a diverse city... no Joke Birmingham is like 70% black and 25% white. Vice Versa for the suburbs. Chicago is more diverse but segregated. With that being said I dont want to live somewhere where its only like 5% or so black but 70% is ridiculous. Maybe around the 20-30% range.

I want to be around young singles.

I go out often but not everyday or every weekend. When I do its just a neighborhood bar or lounge. I rarely hit nightclubs. I absolutely avoid dress codes as much as possible. I wear a t-shirt, jeans/shorts, and sneakers. If I cant wear that I'm not going. I've been denied at a few Chicago places because of this.

I have tattoo sleeves. I would prefer not to have to cover them for work, even though I do now.

I currently make a base pay of 30k with commissions and bonuses of about 10-15k. I work for a crappy technology reseller though. When you work directly for the manufacturer you typically get a much higher base pay and a little bit more commissions. Preferably I'd want to work for a tech startup. I was interested in working for a company called Meraki whose headquarters are in SF, but Cisco announced its intent to acquire them today. So I suspect they'll lose some of the fun, casual, family feel that start ups have after they sellout to the man.

I currently live in a studio for $625 a month. I would prefer a 1 bedroom but I really dont want to spend more the $750 on rent per month.

I like the occasional Art of Music festival. I like to take walks and enjoy nature not a lot of that in Chi Town

Again I dont want to be the token black guy. I'm black black, I say it that way because you have some that the only thing about them that is black is there skin. They talk dress and act white. I was raised in a ghetto in Birmingham so I talk and dress black. Not like a thug though... despise thugs.

I could go on and on about me and what I'm looking for, but this should be plenty. My lease expires in July, please take this post seriously even though am I in the early stages of consideration I am by no means window shopping. Thanks
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Old 11-18-2012, 09:32 PM
 
1,018 posts, read 1,842,409 times
Reputation: 754
If you work in IT sales, the mother lode of potential employers would be in Silicon Valley, no? That's where Apple, Intel, HP etc are all based. But I'm guessing that you wouldn't enjoy living there that much--it's generally not walkable and transit access is spotty. What a lot of people do is live in either San Francisco or the East Bay (Oakland/Berkeley) and commute down there. Some do it on the commuter rail (Caltrain), some big companies like Google run their own shuttle bus. Maybe as a salesperson you wouldn't have to go down there every day.

Social media companies like Twitter are congregating in San Francisco itself, a much easier commute even from the East Bay.

San Francisco is a very mixed city, but it doesn't have a very large Black population. San Francisco is only 42% non-Hispanic White, but only 6% Black. 1/3 of the city's residents are Asian. All but a few of San Francisco's historically Black communities have changed to something else. It's not a discriminatory city as far as I can see (I'm White) but there are those demographics. San Francisco is also a very expensive place to live, though you might want to start out sharing a place. There are lots of fun walkable neighborhoods and it's easy to live without a car.

Oakland is a different picture. Oakland is 28% Black, 26% non-Hispanic White, 25% Latino, and 17% Asian. It has historically had the highest degree of Black-White integration in the Bay Area. Oakland's population density is less than half of San Francisco and it's less urban overall. Many Oakland neighborhoods have BART rapid transit stations (there are 8 in the city) or frequent bus lines, some don't. Given what you've said you might want to look in the Uptown neighborhood--part of Downtown Oakland--or maybe in Adams Point near Downtown, or possibly Temescal a little further north on the way to Berkeley. You could get by without a car in Oakland, a bike would help (it would also help you commute in Silicon Valley). You might try not buying a car but joining a carshare service so you have access to one when you need it. Oakland is not as much of a "fun city" as San Francisco, but a really strong restaurant and bar scene has developed in Uptown in the last few years. There are lots of walkable neighborhoods in Oakland but you have to look for them while in San Francisco they're all over the place. Oakland rents and house prices are cheaper than San Francisco. If you can find a good spot in Oakland, I think you might feel more comfortable than in San Francisco.

I don't anything about the tech business in LA, except that it exists. There are neighborhoods that would fit with your walkability goals, like the Fairfax district. There are many parts of the city that have good transit (mostly buses, some rail), some parts that don't. The challenge would be where your home is in relation to your job. There are numerous job centers around the LA basin so you might find yourself with a significant commute. You could choose housing based on your employment, but then it could be hard if you change jobs. You might look for a situation where you commuted by car, but could do other stuff on foot or by transit. Downtown LA is definitely the best neighborhood to live car-free, numerous train and bus lines converge there. It's got a very integrated residential population and all sorts of living situations. There are a few spots in Downtown that are party central but you can avoid them. You might really enjoy LA

No place in California has the urban density and intensity of central Chicago, just don't expect it. But there are lots of good reasons to come out here.
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Old 11-18-2012, 11:35 PM
 
Location: DC
17 posts, read 23,560 times
Reputation: 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by postmodern View Post
I am looking to live in a city where I would not need a car. Or 1 that I would not have to drive my car everywhere. So there would need to be a grocery store, a bank, a couple good resturaunts (at least 1 really cheap 1) and a bar or 2 or 3 in the neighborhood I live.

I currently live in a studio for $625 a month. I would prefer a 1 bedroom but I really dont want to spend more the $750 on rent per month.
These 2 points are going to be your main issues, especially in the field you're going for. The closest I can think of is SF, but the obvious problem is the cost of rent. As previously stated Oakland is probably your best bet. Outside of Oakland, you'll have to live literally next to a BART station, which sadly still would exceed your rent expectations.
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Old 11-19-2012, 11:34 AM
 
Location: Northern California
3,721 posts, read 14,686,999 times
Reputation: 1962
Quote:
Originally Posted by postmodern View Post
Hello to all

I currently live in a studio for $625 a month. I would prefer a 1 bedroom but I really dont want to spend more the $750 on rent per month.
You can forget about San Francisco. A 1 bedroom apt in SF runs about $2700/month It's cheaper in Oakland, but $750 won't get you anything unless you want room mates.
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Old 11-19-2012, 11:55 AM
 
Location: Bay Area
3,981 posts, read 8,961,690 times
Reputation: 4728
Plenty of jobs in your field in/around Oakland. It's a really cool, hip, becoming more gentrified in many areas and is really the place for arts/artists nowadays (since nobody can afford sky high rents in San Francisco anymore). Depending on your salary, you'll probably need roommates since rents are still pretty high. You would want to thoroughly investigate neighborhoods though--there are some bad areas that few would choose to live in. Plus, it's just a BART ride away from San Francisco. Berkeley would also be a good option.

Don't have much info on LA though.
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Old 11-19-2012, 02:12 PM
 
18,172 posts, read 16,295,077 times
Reputation: 9325
Quote:
Originally Posted by postmodern View Post
Hello to all

The short version of my is where should I move being a young black single LA, SF, or Oakland?


The long version is below.

I am a 25 year old black male originally from Birmingham, Al now living in Chicago, IL. I've been in Chicago for about 8 months and while it is an upgrade from Alabama this place is not home. I am a bit of an adventurer and if my money was right I'd be traveling the world. (hopefully this is in my future) I came to Chicago to get the big city experience and also to experience life in another region. While Chicago is diverse it is very segregated. It has been very hard for me to find like minded people to befriend. The majority of the black people here are very poor and isolated away from everywhere I want to be. Also I dont really like my job which isn't Chicago's fault. My entire life I have wanted to live in California. Openminded people, great weather, laid back feel, 420 friendly and the Lakers... sounds like the place for me! I've always been infactuated with LA even though I have never been. I've heard some things that have turned me off a little bit, like that its superficial and... that car is a must in LA... I really dont want to own a car again until I have kids. I am interested in SF and Oakland also. SF because of the tech jobs and the supposed best public transit system on the west coast. Oakland because I hear its very diverse and more affordable than LA and SF. What are your opinions of the 3 and if you were a young, Black, deepthinking, introverted, somewhere between hippie and hipster where would you move?

Heres a little bit more about me:

I work in IT sales. I have a few certifications and should I move to San Francisco I would get a couple more to ensure that I'm actually able to find work.

I am looking to live in a city where I would not need a car. Or 1 that I would not have to drive my car everywhere. So there would need to be a grocery store, a bank, a couple good resturaunts (at least 1 really cheap 1) and a bar or 2 or 3 in the neighborhood I live.

I want to live in a diverse city... no Joke Birmingham is like 70% black and 25% white. Vice Versa for the suburbs. Chicago is more diverse but segregated. With that being said I dont want to live somewhere where its only like 5% or so black but 70% is ridiculous. Maybe around the 20-30% range.

I want to be around young singles.

I go out often but not everyday or every weekend. When I do its just a neighborhood bar or lounge. I rarely hit nightclubs. I absolutely avoid dress codes as much as possible. I wear a t-shirt, jeans/shorts, and sneakers. If I cant wear that I'm not going. I've been denied at a few Chicago places because of this.

I have tattoo sleeves. I would prefer not to have to cover them for work, even though I do now.

I currently make a base pay of 30k with commissions and bonuses of about 10-15k. I work for a crappy technology reseller though. When you work directly for the manufacturer you typically get a much higher base pay and a little bit more commissions. Preferably I'd want to work for a tech startup. I was interested in working for a company called Meraki whose headquarters are in SF, but Cisco announced its intent to acquire them today. So I suspect they'll lose some of the fun, casual, family feel that start ups have after they sellout to the man.

I currently live in a studio for $625 a month. I would prefer a 1 bedroom but I really dont want to spend more the $750 on rent per month.

I like the occasional Art of Music festival. I like to take walks and enjoy nature not a lot of that in Chi Town

Again I dont want to be the token black guy. I'm black black, I say it that way because you have some that the only thing about them that is black is there skin. They talk dress and act white. I was raised in a ghetto in Birmingham so I talk and dress black. Not like a thug though... despise thugs.

I could go on and on about me and what I'm looking for, but this should be plenty. My lease expires in July, please take this post seriously even though am I in the early stages of consideration I am by no means window shopping. Thanks
Voted before I read this.

Oakland for sure.
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Old 11-19-2012, 03:51 PM
 
Location: West Coast
1,189 posts, read 2,546,978 times
Reputation: 2108
Oakland all the way in the Bay Area, largely because it's more affordable than the Silicon Valley, and SF, truly diverse, has great public transportation, laid back, 420 friendly, and is close to where the tech jobs are. Also, it has a great live music scene, and a good art's scene. I still like SF, but it's just too expensive. Great place to visit and walk around. Lots of things to do there as well. Awesome restaurants. It lacks a decent size Black population though. It keeps shrinking every year. The Silicon Valley is the center of tech jobs, but it's comprised of a bunch of boring suburbs, and the Black population is 2% if that. If you want a decent social life, I guarantee that you will be going to either Oakland or SF if you live in the valley. Especially Oakland if you want diversity that includes a good representation of Black people socially and professionally.
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Old 11-19-2012, 05:56 PM
 
Location: DC
17 posts, read 23,560 times
Reputation: 22
Just a caveat, DO NOT GO INTO EAST OAKLAND, even if you're black. Geographically speaking it's more like south and southeast of Oakland. I would highly recommend lake merritt and its surrounding communities.
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Old 11-19-2012, 07:02 PM
 
5 posts, read 8,363 times
Reputation: 10
Thanks everybody for your valuable feedback. I've completely eliminated living in San Francisco as an option now. Oakland sounds very intriguing. I have a few more questions... For starters let me make sure I'm clear on this: Its completely possible to live in Oakland but work in San Francisco?... How does this Bart system compare to the CTA here in Chicago? Does anybody know anything about Rockridge? I read somewhere that that is a pretty cool part of Oakland. I hear SF is cool all year round I would assume the same is true for Oakland? Looks like no one recommends LA huh? How are the people, the vibe and life in general in Socal compared to the Bay? I really appreciate your insight everybody.
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Old 11-19-2012, 08:58 PM
 
Location: West Coast
1,189 posts, read 2,546,978 times
Reputation: 2108
Quote:
Originally Posted by postmodern View Post
Thanks everybody for your valuable feedback. I've completely eliminated living in San Francisco as an option now. Oakland sounds very intriguing. I have a few more questions... For starters let me make sure I'm clear on this: Its completely possible to live in Oakland but work in San Francisco?... How does this Bart system compare to the CTA here in Chicago? Does anybody know anything about Rockridge? I read somewhere that that is a pretty cool part of Oakland. I hear SF is cool all year round I would assume the same is true for Oakland? Looks like no one recommends LA huh? How are the people, the vibe and life in general in Socal compared to the Bay? I really appreciate your insight everybody.
Any Bart station in Oakland will get you to SF for work. Oakland and SF are pretty close, even driving. If you are in Oakland, just drive over the Bay Bridge, and then your in SF (After the $5.00 toll). Bart basically eliminates the need to drive to SF for work, so its ideal if you don't want to drive. Oakland and SF both have moderate temperatures, but Oakland is generally warmer than SF. SF can get quite cold at times. LA is great as well, its just that entertainment is the dominant industry, but there are a lot of other sectors as well. If you want a lot of opportunities in the tech industry, or focus on tech, then the Bay Area is best. L.A. is laid back, but its also busy and hectic. A lot of creative energy. Diversity wise, L.A. wins. Due to the sheer size of the place, you will just find even more different types of people. Public transportation wise, Oakland beats L.A. L.A. is so spread out, that not having a car can become a problem over time. Both cities have down to earth people, and not so down to earth types.
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