Worst city in the Bay Area to live in? (Oakland: high school, gated)

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

If we're going to be technical about measuring diversity by comparing the proportion of the largest racial and population groups relative to the total population of a place, then Oakland is probably first in the US. I say that with a reasonable degree of confidence because as far as counties, Alameda County is a close 2nd to Queens, NY. Ft Bend, TX is 3rd.

If we just looked at cities, only a few cities can compare to Oakland. Jersey City, NJ and possibly Long Beach are the only 2 that come to mind-possibly some other towns in Greater NY or Greater LA. Maybe Houston? I cant say without crunching the numbers.

As majoun said, the number of languages spoken in Oakland really puts it up there as well. Dialects of certain languages exist in more than one form which often means more than one ethnic group. In Oakland Chinese is both Mandarin and Cantonese, most Chinese communities are predominantly one or the other. Filipinos speak about 3 dialects in Oakland and Oakland is one of the only places on the west coast where there are still a few French Creole speakers. Everytime I'm at Lake Merritt I encounter German speakers who been in Oakland for at least two generations. Of course there's Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, Russian etc.

[goldenchild08]

Yes, many areas Bay Area are far more diverse and less segregated than even than cities like NYC. In fact, NYC is one of the most segregated places in the USA. In Brooklyn, Fort Greene, East New York, Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Canarsie and Crown Heights make up the largest Black neighborhood in the US which is over 82% Black. If you've ever walked the Fulton strip in Brooklyn and you are anything but straight up Black or you don't look obviously Black, the residents of this area will look at you like "What the f*ck are you doing on Fulton Street?!!"

Bedford

Most cities in the South, Northeast and Midwest are equally segregated. Many cities in the Bay are much more diverse and integrated in comparison.

Nation's most segregated cities - Yellowworld Forums

As you can see from the data, Asians, Whites and Latinos tend to to be more segregated in Bay Area cities like SF and Oakland. But this is because there are a lot of Asians in the Bay and the West Coast. In addition, the entire population of all of the Bay Area counties is mostly White while the cities are diverse. This data is obviously skewed because Asians live almost everywhere in SF. Asians even populate poorer Black neighborhoods like Lakeview and Hunter's Point as well as making up a huge percentage of wild high crime impoverished areas like the Tenderloin. Even the historically Black neighborhoods in SF are much more diverse than most other cities. When Hunter's Point and Lakeview were much more Black during the 70's, 80's and 90's these neighborhoods were 50-60% Black at the most. Since Blacks are such a minority in SF, it is hard to have complete segregation.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by goldenchild08

Yes, many areas Bay Area are far more diverse and less segregated than even than cities like NYC. In fact, NYC is one of the most segregated places in the USA. In Brooklyn, Fort Greene, East New York, Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, Canarsie and Crown Heights make up the largest Black neighborhood in the US which is over 82% Black. If you've ever walked the Fulton strip in Brooklyn and you are anything but straight up Black or you don't look obviously Black, the residents of this area will look at you like "What the f*ck are you doing on Fulton Street?!!"

Bedford

Most cities in the South, Northeast and Midwest are equally segregated. Many cities in the Bay are much more diverse and integrated in comparison.

Nation's most segregated cities - Yellowworld Forums

As you can see from the data, Asians, Whites and Latinos tend to to be more segregated in Bay Area cities like SF and Oakland. But this is because there are a lot of Asians in the Bay and the West Coast. In addition, the entire population of all of the Bay Area counties is mostly White while the cities are diverse. This data is obviously skewed because Asians live almost everywhere in SF. Asians even populate poorer Black neighborhoods like Lakeview and Hunter's Point as well as making up a huge percentage of wild high crime impoverished areas like the Tenderloin. Even the historically Black neighborhoods in SF are much more diverse than most other cities. When Hunter's Point and Lakeview were much more Black during the 70's, 80's and 90's these neighborhoods were 50-60% Black at the most. Since Blacks are such a minority in SF, it is hard to have complete segregation.

Great post

[goldenchild08]

Ultimately, San Francisco is the least safe big city in California with a population over 500,000 other than Fresno, which has a population barely over 500,000 as of 2010. Los Angeles earned a 17 on the safety index according to neighborhoodscout.com. The second largest city of San Diego earned an 18 on the safety index. The third largest city in CA of San Jose earned a 33 on the safety index. All while SF the 4th largest city earned an 11. However, given that SF is the second most densely populated city in the country explains the wild street crime that San Franciscans see on a daily basis. It has nothing to do with population density alone because NYC is a much safer city compared to SF. In fact, Queens which earned the safety rating of a 53 is safer than many small towns and suburbs. It is because police presence in NYC is unavoidable in many ghetto areas. If you live in the hood in Brooklyn or Queens you will hear police sirens all night. Whereas in SF you will hear homeless people fighting, yelling and gunshots depending on where you are. I go to NYC on a regular basis and have never witnessed gruesome public fights and beatdowns, harassment at the hands of gang members, dangerous loitering thugs everywhere, wild mentally ill street people, constant disruption of the peace or the lack of police presence and law enforcement incompetence that is the norm in San Francisco.

A lot of crazy people in SF know that they can get away with blatant crimes in broad daylight in public because of the corrupt and incompetent police force. For instance, according to the SF neighborhood scout map, the toursity area near Golden Gate Park on Stanyan St is one of the statistically least safe areas of the city. This area earned the low rating of a 5 out of 100 on the safety index. The crazy part about it is that there is a police station right in this area across from the McDonald's in Golden Gate Park! Even though there is a police station right there, there are the same drug dealers hanging out there all day everyday. Albeit, most of them only sell weed which is harmless. At the same time, a lot of the run away homeless kids that are always in this area at the park have serious hard drug problems and mental illnesses. I've seen homeless people and dirty drugged out kids fist fighting in this area day and night and harassing innocent people. This area is a magnet for dead end homeless kids addicted to drugs. Even I have been threatened by complete strangers in this area before which never happens to me in these cities back East.

[goldenchild08]

in nyc it isnt just black crime, and unlike most places Mexican crime isn't plenty in nyc. its most dominican/rican which the bay barely has any of.

Just like in the same way NYC doesn't have projects full of Samoans and Tongans. And there are some sizable Puerto Rican concentrations in the Mission District with PR's banging the same things as the Mexicans. Check the neighborhood scout map of SF in the Mission District. However, trust me, there are a lot more Asian/Islander thugs in the Bay than NYC or the East Coast because Asians and Islanders coming to California are sometimes very poor and were refugees of war and moved to some of the most high crime areas of SF like the Tenderloin. Lets put it this way, Asians and Islanders are much more likely to live in the roughest hoods in the Bay in Lakeview, the TL, Hunter's Point, parts of Oakland than they are to live in the hood in NYC in Harlem or Brooklyn as we can see from the segregation stats I posted earlier.

[Nikefutbolero]

North Richmond, East Oakland, and Hunters Point SF.

[goldenchild08]

You just don't understand us" is the biggest cop out this side of Yassar Arafat, and Malcolm X.

Malcolm X was one of the greatest Americans to ever live. I take it you didn't read his Autobiography. It is only lauded as one of the greatest pieces of American literature ever written. Also, Malcolm X realized the error of his racist ways once he made his pilgrimage to Mecca and saw Muslims of every race, color and class. Even before that, Malcolm X turned from being a common criminal, a pimp, a hustler; a product of the run amok ghetto streets of Inner City, USA in Boston and Harlem and managed to turn his life around and make a difference for ALL people in America. I wish you would realize the error of your ideologies concerning people who look different from you as well because those differences are meaningless. And as far as you not understanding the Bay you obviously never will.

[The Land]

Originally Posted by goldenchild08

Malcolm X was one of the greatest Americans to ever live. I take it you didn't read his Autobiography. It is only lauded as one of the greatest pieces of American literature ever written. Also, Malcolm X realized the error of his racist ways once he made his pilgrimage to Mecca and saw Muslims of every race, color and class. Even before that, Malcolm X turned from being a common criminal, a pimp, a hustler; a product of the run amok ghetto streets of Inner City, USA in Boston and Harlem and managed to turn his life around and make a difference for ALL people in America. I wish you would realize the error of your ideologies concerning people who look different from you as well because those differences are meaningless. And as far as you not understanding the Bay you obviously never will.

Right Wing Extremists and racists have 3 cliche people they feel are racist and against whites. Al Sharpton, Jessee Jackson & Malcolm X. Anytime somebody starts talking about they are racists, they are usually racists themselves.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by goldenchild08

Malcolm X was one of the greatest Americans to ever live. I take it you didn't read his Autobiography. It is only lauded as one of the greatest pieces of American literature ever written. Also, Malcolm X realized the error of his racist ways once he made his pilgrimage to Mecca and saw Muslims of every race, color and class. Even before that, Malcolm X turned from being a common criminal, a pimp, a hustler; a product of the run amok ghetto streets of Inner City, USA in Boston and Harlem and managed to turn his life around and make a difference for ALL people in America. I wish you would realize the error of your ideologies concerning people who look different from you as well because those differences are meaningless. And as far as you not understanding the Bay you obviously never will.

It would probably break his heart if he learned that Berkeley re-named Lincoln elementary school to Malcolm X. I was lucky enough to attend schools named after Malcolm X and ML King back to back. Most people in the Bay Area understand what you said above and seem to know this, at least when I was there. This is a part of what outsiders don't get when they attempt to "know" the Bay Area.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by The Land

Right Wing Extremists and racists have 3 cliche people they feel are racist and against whites. Al Sharpton, Jessee Jackson & Malcolm X. Anytime somebody starts talking about they are racists, they are usually racists themselves.

Very true