Is Oakland Safe For A Single 20 Something White Professional? (professionals, place)

[jade408]

Originally Posted by Red Elephants

The thugs began coming from west oakland to set up drug shops in the building across from mine. The area became run down like the rest of oakland.

Wow...if that is your definition of rundown.......

[CityGuy88]

Originally Posted by jade408

Not exactly. But it really depends on what you desire in a neighborhood right this second. West Oakland is under retailed for an area of its size and population. You'd need to leave the area for restaurants, nightlife, groceries, drugstores and so on. But hey you are close to the freeway.

There are many better and established areas for a general audience in Oakland. With services in your neighborhood. If you don't mind being on the 20 year plan, then head over to West Oakland.

I don't necessarily agree. The necessity of having to "leave the area for restaurants, nightlife, drugstores, etc." is not as much of a task when all that is located less than 2 miles away in Downtown. West Oakland is literally in the shadow of Downtown Oakland (and its office buildings). Driving, biking, or taking AC Transit to Downtown is incredibly convenient when you compare it to other under-resourced neighborhoods in the Bay Area. On top of that, being literally encircled by freeways and a BART station directly across and one stop away from San Francisco actually has attracted a class of people who weren't so prevalent 10 years ago.

I'm not exactly sure what a "20 year plan" is, but by the looks of it, new residents have had no problems snatching up those beautiful Victorian homes of W. Oakland which, when compared to the Victorians of SF, Berkeley, and Alameda, are a steal!

[Carlite]

West Oakland is also a short jaunt from the stores in Emeryville. It has an all day AC Transit Transbay bus that goes over the bridge to downtown San Francisco. People are moving in who wouldn't have moved in 10 or 20 years ago. New apartments and condos have gotten built, and more are approved, waiting for the overall housing market to improve. New restaurants are opening up, You have to look at what's actually going on.

[Carlite]

mod cut
So Jade 408 described some of what's available in West Oakland, I described some more. From some of the discussions on this forum, one might think that Oakland was just a vast wasteland, wasted, blasted streets like the South Bronx in the 1970's. And the impression would also be the only thing that anybody in Oakland thinks about is crime. There's definitely risk in West Oakland, we've established that, I was speaking to what's going on within that context.

[Red Elephants]

I know Oakland, I owned property there for over 15 years. It's Detroit of the west coast. I am trying to give a non biased opinion,West Oakland is NOT safe. At all.

[04kL4nD]

You also haven't lived in Oakland this decade, let alone century. So your opinion really doesn't matter to those of us who ACTUALLY LIVE HERE...

[Red Elephants]

So I'm not allowed to give my opinion because i moved?

[Carlite]

Originally Posted by Red Elephants

So I'm not allowed to give my opinion because i moved?

Of course you're allowed to give your opinion, but you should disclose that it's based on your experiences in the 80's and 90's, so people know how to evaluate it.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by Tomlcsc

Might as well get Mr. Fantastic in here and we'll have a full house.

He never left.

Back to convo:

Oakland, yes, even that bad, scary, awful West Oakland, is just fine for a 20something white professional. Especially since SF has pretty much peaked and leaves many house-poor. Oakland is improving as a place to work and play.

[Stephen1110]

Originally Posted by Red Elephants

I know Oakland, I owned property there for over 15 years. It's Detroit of the west coast. I am trying to give a non biased opinion,West Oakland is NOT safe. At all.

Ooo incorrect... West Oakland has a sizable area that's actually one of the safest areas in the city. So how much do you really know?