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uptown has a pretty nice dining and entertainment scene and is full of white people when i go out there but they may not live in the area.while uptown has had a large influx of wealthier and white residents(per jerry brown's 10k plan) it is still what i would call a transitional neighborhood.this propably what is reflected in the census data
the gentrification is still early days
I love how everyone assumes the gentrifiers are white. Not true at all, the "new" residents of uptown are diverse. I know lots of non white new residents of uptown that are educated and well off. Gentrification isn't only for white people.
I love how everyone assumes the gentrifiers are white. Not true at all, the "new" residents of uptown are diverse. I know lots of non white new residents of uptown that are educated and well off. Gentrification isn't only for white people.
Agreed, though in a way it makes sense why people assume that... a large percentage of the gentrifiers are moving in from SF and the gentrifiers from SF tend to be white.
uptown has a pretty nice dining and entertainment scene and is full of white people when i go out there but they may not live in the area.while uptown has had a large influx of wealthier and white residents(per jerry brown's 10k plan) it is still what i would call a transitional neighborhood.this propably what is reflected in the census data
the gentrification is still early days
Hey folks, allow me to add a bit of an outsider perspective.
To give you a bit of background, I'm a mid-20s black guy who travels to SF once a month or so on business. I enjoy the city immensely. (Otherwise I would probably try to figure out a way to minimize my trips here lol.
With that being said, after probably 30 trips here over two years, I cannot fathom how most black folks can live here, for a variety of reasons. I find it to be passive-aggressively bigoted and very insular. My hypothesis is because blacks lack a critical mass here - if you are the only black person or one of few in a public setting, people give out a "why are you here" vibe. Its almost never in an unfriendly or threatening way - but it is annoying to be questioned for just existing outside of where folks think you should be.
Allow me to explain with a few examples from this most recent trip alone. I'm at a reception last night (1 of 2 black people I saw), im standing in a line for drinks. GM comes over and asks me whether I'm in line for a drink. Personally, I thought that was pretty obvious. He asked no one else and then moved on to another endeavor. In my opinion he was checking me out to determine if I belonged at the reception.
Getting a breakfast at the hotel this morning, the rule is you must be a hotel guest. Standing in line, (the only black person) the gentleman serving food was jovial, laughing and joking with patrons. When I come up, the guy gets stone faced and asks for my hotel room key. I ask him why. His answer? Anyone getting breakfast must be a hotel guest. I suppose my undershirt and silk pajama pants wasnt proof enough for him?
Or maybe Thursday, when I'm on a crowded rush hour BART train and two gentlemen next to me were chatting about Silicon Valley and its culture. My assumption based on the parts of the conversation I caught was that both of these guys worked for the same company and one guy was a relative new hire. The older guy made an offhand comment that "a lot of these guys walking around in hoodies are big movers and shakers, and you wouldn't even think it." I had on a black California Republic hoodie. Once the guy fully realized I was standing next to him, I saw him out of the corner of my eye turn to me and say "Sorry." I just ignored him, but what went through my mind was "I'm quiet, clean cut, and wearing a hoodie. I wonder why you're assuming I'm not one of those people you're talking about?"
I don't really blame the purple of San Francisco for these (and other) behaviors - when you don't have experience dealing with something (in this case middle class black people) you probably might not handle it as well as you otherwise would. I blame the fact that San Francisco sees itself as a diverse, cosmopolitan place when in reality it is more of an insular bubble. The Bay Area is diverse, but let's all be honest - San Francisco isn't. Not racially and definitely not socioeconomic. It looks more diverse than it actually is, primarily because of tourism. True examples of diversity are cities like New York and Houston, and I'd throw Chicago in there too.
To be fair, I have a few black friends here, and for the most part they enjoy it. However, they are about my age and don't see themselves here when its time to start a family or buy a house.
I really like the Bay Area. There are too many positives about this area to list. But simply being black here seems like a bit of a chore. You constantly have to defend your presence. That alone would deter me from living here and I'm sure I'm not the first person to feel that way.
The difference between many (not all) whites in a place like Atlanta or DC is that those whites are used to living in close proximity to blacks and all of what that entails, both positive and negative. They come down on one side or the other of the "Tolerance Fence", and its normally pretty obvious which side that is. San Francisco in aggregate just treats us as foreigners, frankly.
C'est la vie. There's always room for improvement and SF is no exception.
Time for a lil bar hopping. Hope you find my post thought provoking.
I've been saying this for years. That same attitude is why the Tech Companies are not diverse. All of those people are ruining SF. Like I said before, SF will look like Carmel Valley in a few years.
I find that over time I spend a lot less time in SF and a lot more time in Oakland (of course I live in Oakland). It is a much better scene for black people in my book. There is way more income (and lifestyle) diversity in the black community. ANd like many of us have mentioned. Oakland is one of the few places anywhere in this country where you can claim to be from any part of town from rich to poor (as a black person) and no one will bat an eye or act shocked. It is nice not to have to deal with that.
I don't feel this way when visiting SF in certain types of neighborhoods in SF. I rarely go outside of SOMA, downtown or the Mission for that reason.
I am happy, that in my small tech niche, it is actually pretty diverse. Especially compared with the rest of the industry. I am not sure why it is much more diverse, but I find lots of (in comparison) blacks and latinos. I am never the only person in the room, usually one of dozens. And even in my small company, we are fairly diverse. Especially when considering where the company was founded.
There are definitely still many Blacks left in the general Bay Area even if declining in SF. As an African-American homeowner and as someone whose deeply involved in my community, I've come to find that Blacks in the Bay Area are split into 3 groups:
Group #1: Those who have decided long ago that Oakland & SF is no longer for them, and sell their homes for many times more than what they paid for it decades ago.
Group #2: Those who are priced out of rent or homeownership due to rapid gentrification in many Bay Area neighborhoods.
Group #3: Those who absolutely love the Bay Area and plan on never leaving. As one local woman put it: "People are moving all out to Stockton and Antioch to buy homes, but I really don't care because I love the Bay Area and I'm not gonna ever sell my house." This woman lived in a beautiful Victorian home in West Oakland and was getting her door beat down by buyers who desired to have it.
In my experience I would say that at least as of 2012, Group #3 is the most predominate in the Bay Area's African-American community. Those who are still here plan on being here beyond the foreseeable
Hey folks, allow me to add a bit of an outsider perspective.
To give you a bit of background, I'm a mid-20s black guy who travels to SF once a month or so on business. I enjoy the city immensely. (Otherwise I would probably try to figure out a way to minimize my trips here lol.
With that being said, after probably 30 trips here over two years, I cannot fathom how most black folks can live here, for a variety of reasons. I find it to be passive-aggressively bigoted and very insular. My hypothesis is because blacks lack a critical mass here - if you are the only black person or one of few in a public setting, people give out a "why are you here" vibe. Its almost never in an unfriendly or threatening way - but it is annoying to be questioned for just existing outside of where folks think you should be.
Allow me to explain with a few examples from this most recent trip alone. I'm at a reception last night (1 of 2 black people I saw), im standing in a line for drinks. GM comes over and asks me whether I'm in line for a drink. Personally, I thought that was pretty obvious. He asked no one else and then moved on to another endeavor. In my opinion he was checking me out to determine if I belonged at the reception.
Getting a breakfast at the hotel this morning, the rule is you must be a hotel guest. Standing in line, (the only black person) the gentleman serving food was jovial, laughing and joking with patrons. When I come up, the guy gets stone faced and asks for my hotel room key. I ask him why. His answer? Anyone getting breakfast must be a hotel guest. I suppose my undershirt and silk pajama pants wasnt proof enough for him?
Or maybe Thursday, when I'm on a crowded rush hour BART train and two gentlemen next to me were chatting about Silicon Valley and its culture. My assumption based on the parts of the conversation I caught was that both of these guys worked for the same company and one guy was a relative new hire. The older guy made an offhand comment that "a lot of these guys walking around in hoodies are big movers and shakers, and you wouldn't even think it." I had on a black California Republic hoodie. Once the guy fully realized I was standing next to him, I saw him out of the corner of my eye turn to me and say "Sorry." I just ignored him, but what went through my mind was "I'm quiet, clean cut, and wearing a hoodie. I wonder why you're assuming I'm not one of those people you're talking about?"
I don't really blame the purple of San Francisco for these (and other) behaviors - when you don't have experience dealing with something (in this case middle class black people) you probably might not handle it as well as you otherwise would. I blame the fact that San Francisco sees itself as a diverse, cosmopolitan place when in reality it is more of an insular bubble. The Bay Area is diverse, but let's all be honest - San Francisco isn't. Not racially and definitely not socioeconomic. It looks more diverse than it actually is, primarily because of tourism. True examples of diversity are cities like New York and Houston, and I'd throw Chicago in there too.
To be fair, I have a few black friends here, and for the most part they enjoy it. However, they are about my age and don't see themselves here when its time to start a family or buy a house.
I really like the Bay Area. There are too many positives about this area to list. But simply being black here seems like a bit of a chore. You constantly have to defend your presence. That alone would deter me from living here and I'm sure I'm not the first person to feel that way.
The difference between many (not all) whites in a place like Atlanta or DC is that those whites are used to living in close proximity to blacks and all of what that entails, both positive and negative. They come down on one side or the other of the "Tolerance Fence", and its normally pretty obvious which side that is. San Francisco in aggregate just treats us as foreigners, frankly.
C'est la vie. There's always room for improvement and SF is no exception.
Time for a lil bar hopping. Hope you find my post thought provoking.
Hey folks, allow me to add a bit of an outsider perspective.
To give you a bit of background, I'm a mid-20s black guy who travels to SF once a month or so on business. I enjoy the city immensely. (Otherwise I would probably try to figure out a way to minimize my trips here lol.
With that being said, after probably 30 trips here over two years, I cannot fathom how most black folks can live here, for a variety of reasons. I find it to be passive-aggressively bigoted and very insular. My hypothesis is because blacks lack a critical mass here - if you are the only black person or one of few in a public setting, people give out a "why are you here" vibe. Its almost never in an unfriendly or threatening way - but it is annoying to be questioned for just existing outside of where folks think you should be.
Allow me to explain with a few examples from this most recent trip alone. I'm at a reception last night (1 of 2 black people I saw), im standing in a line for drinks. GM comes over and asks me whether I'm in line for a drink. Personally, I thought that was pretty obvious. He asked no one else and then moved on to another endeavor. In my opinion he was checking me out to determine if I belonged at the reception.
Getting a breakfast at the hotel this morning, the rule is you must be a hotel guest. Standing in line, (the only black person) the gentleman serving food was jovial, laughing and joking with patrons. When I come up, the guy gets stone faced and asks for my hotel room key. I ask him why. His answer? Anyone getting breakfast must be a hotel guest. I suppose my undershirt and silk pajama pants wasnt proof enough for him?
Or maybe Thursday, when I'm on a crowded rush hour BART train and two gentlemen next to me were chatting about Silicon Valley and its culture. My assumption based on the parts of the conversation I caught was that both of these guys worked for the same company and one guy was a relative new hire. The older guy made an offhand comment that "a lot of these guys walking around in hoodies are big movers and shakers, and you wouldn't even think it." I had on a black California Republic hoodie. Once the guy fully realized I was standing next to him, I saw him out of the corner of my eye turn to me and say "Sorry." I just ignored him, but what went through my mind was "I'm quiet, clean cut, and wearing a hoodie. I wonder why you're assuming I'm not one of those people you're talking about?"
I don't really blame the purple of San Francisco for these (and other) behaviors - when you don't have experience dealing with something (in this case middle class black people) you probably might not handle it as well as you otherwise would. I blame the fact that San Francisco sees itself as a diverse, cosmopolitan place when in reality it is more of an insular bubble. The Bay Area is diverse, but let's all be honest - San Francisco isn't. Not racially and definitely not socioeconomic. It looks more diverse than it actually is, primarily because of tourism. True examples of diversity are cities like New York and Houston, and I'd throw Chicago in there too.
To be fair, I have a few black friends here, and for the most part they enjoy it. However, they are about my age and don't see themselves here when its time to start a family or buy a house.
I really like the Bay Area. There are too many positives about this area to list. But simply being black here seems like a bit of a chore. You constantly have to defend your presence. That alone would deter me from living here and I'm sure I'm not the first person to feel that way.
The difference between many (not all) whites in a place like Atlanta or DC is that those whites are used to living in close proximity to blacks and all of what that entails, both positive and negative. They come down on one side or the other of the "Tolerance Fence", and its normally pretty obvious which side that is. San Francisco in aggregate just treats us as foreigners, frankly.
C'est la vie. There's always room for improvement and SF is no exception.
Time for a lil bar hopping. Hope you find my post thought provoking.
This.
I takes a very thick skin for a Black person to stay sane in San Francisco. Being Black in San Francisco is like being White in a predominantly Black city. You will be seen as an outsider and people will look at you like "what are you doing here?!" as if you have three heads. It is an unfortunate side effect of our racist segregated society. Black folks in SF are very aware of their extreme minority status. I remember walking down Haight Street a few years ago and seeing two Black guys trying to peddle bootleg Sex In The City DVDs (of all things) to a group of White female yuppies only to be rudely ignored. One of the two guys got really mad and said "Don't treat me like that, I know I'm Black!" I have never witnessed such a bitter racially-charged exchange out on the East Coast in DC, Philly or NYC.
I do believe that you have not thoroughly explored San Francisco. There are a thousands of Black people left in The City mostly in the southern fringes in neighborhoods like Hunter's Point, Lakeview and Sunnydale. Blacks represent the majority of many blocks in these neighborhoods. However, many of these areas are just as run-down, depressing, hopeless, dangerous and socially disorganized as any ghetto areas in Baltimore, Oakland, Detroit, Cleveland etc. The mentality of many native Blacks in these areas is extremely ghetto and they would probably not be open to someone who was a Black young urban professional. You're right in the fact that SF is pretty much devoid of a sizable Black middle class. Areas like Lakeview do have some middle class Black folks living in modest homes in clean neighborhoods unlike the rotting projects in Sunnydale, Hunter's Point and Potrero Hill. However, historically, Lakeview was a deceivingly middle class Compton-like neighborhood that struggled with serious crime for decades before recent Asian immigrants became the majority demographic in the neighborhood as a result of gentrification.
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