What's life like for a youngish African American male in SFO? (San Francisco: maintenance, to live)

[maaci]

Originally Posted by Melody74

Most of the Black men
that I know are doing just fine, enjoying life here.
Some were born and raised here, and others
moved here from other places. The men that
I know are all clean cut, educated, professional
men.

I need to hang with you!

[PeixeGato]

Originally Posted by DjRey

Yeah but for those people that are new to the Bay and just moving here..The Bay can be very "clickish" and difficult for a new person to break ground and bond with people. I have friends from New York,New Jersey,Miami,Seattle, Puerto Rico who all said the same thing. Plus the music scene is so WACK out here.LOL!!! For real.

The same can be said for most major cities, depending on what you are into. I've talked to people who moved to NYC (I used to live in the NYC area) and said while they loved the city, they found it impossible to find people to hang out with and connect with.

For each person, it will be different, based on any number of factors including your personality, the personalities of the people you are trying to meet, the mood you are in when you are trying to meet people, the mood they happen to be in, and so on, and so on, blah blah blah.

All I can say is that as a black man from the east coast, I have not found it difficult to find people to hang out with here in the Bay Area. But that's just me. I can't really speak for anyone else.

[DjRey]

I'm just saying the Bay does not have that same energy and vibe that we used to have here. I was born in the Bay,so i know when it was at its best. I'ts just fallen off alot(Nightlife,Lounge spots,social places,Etc). I'm not the only that has noticed this out here fam.

[rexthedestroyer]

I am new to the Bay having been here for 5 months. I am a black male and never really faced any racism in the city. I experienced more covert racism in the Mexican mecca of LA. I live in Albany, which is pretty white-washed, and I head to SF occassionaly for liesure activities. Can't say I have any compliants about either area. SF is very white and asian oriented. I would love to see more blacks in SF, but the real estate market prevents that. I see SF people like a city full of the cast of "Friends".

The east bay has a substantial black population. Instead of griping about the white people in SF, I think some of these black posters need to work on making the the east bay a social and cultural alternative--for blacks--to San Francisco.

I am from NY originally, and I can honestly say that I am much happier out here than when I lived in Brooklyn.

I don't want to discount anyone elses experiences, but I have lived in the East, South, and now the West. All have their good an bad points. When I lived in North Carolina, the people were probably the most overtly racist, but I still had a good time living there and had no problem meeting nice women. Sometimes I think these people who make extreme arguements have a lot internal problems that won't be rectified with a change of environment.

[blofeld9999]

I've lived in Ottawa, Toronto, Orlando, and the Bay Area. Out of those, the Bay Area has been the least racist for me. It's the only place where people were very friendly to me. Orlando's been okay, but not great. My parents are Indian, but most people think I'm Hispanic or Black.

Mind you, I lived in San Mateo and Cupertino when I was in the Bay Area. I never even went to East Bay except for when I went to the Ikea in Emeryville. :-) So maybe East Bay is worse?

[PeixeGato]

Originally Posted by DjRey

I'm just saying the Bay does not have that same energy and vibe that we used to have here. I was born in the Bay,so i know when it was at its best. I'ts just fallen off alot(Nightlife,Lounge spots,social places,Etc). I'm not the only that has noticed this out here fam.

I hear what you are sayin. I don't have any historical frame of reference for SF, so your point is well taken. Maybe the incredibly high cost of living is making the city much older and therefore lower energy (no offense to the older crowd). I don't know what the trend in the age demographic has been. I do know that young families have been and continue to move out for any number of reasons.

SF definitely does not have the pull of an NYC in terms of jobs for young people or other career options that are more geared toward younger people (fashion industry, film industry, etc). NYC is definitely unique in terms of the level of energy that exists in the city. This is part of the reason I left actually.

[UrbanQuest]

Originally Posted by rexthedestroyer

I am new to the Bay having been here for 5 months. I am a black male and never really faced any racism in the city. I experienced more covert racism in the Mexican mecca of LA. I live in Albany, which is pretty white-washed, and I head to SF occassionaly for liesure activities. Can't say I have any compliants about either area. SF is very white and asian oriented. I would love to see more blacks in SF, but the real estate market prevents that. I see SF people like a city full of the cast of "Friends".

The east bay has a substantial black population. Instead of griping about the white people in SF, I think some of these black posters need to work on making the the east bay a social and cultural alternative--for blacks--to San Francisco.

I am from NY originally, and I can honestly say that I am much happier out here than when I lived in Brooklyn.

I don't want to discount anyone elses experiences, but I have lived in the East, South, and now the West. All have their good an bad points. When I lived in North Carolina, the people were probably the most overtly racist, but I still had a good time living there and had no problem meeting nice women. Sometimes I think these people who make extreme arguements have a lot internal problems that won't be rectified with a change of environment.

When you are alone and walking down the street, and happen to pass a white woman. What are your average experiences. Smiles and batting eyelashes. Comeon man, you know damn well they hold their purses under their vulture wings 9 times out of 10 out there. In other places around the country, generally I have seen white women, when I approach, look at me with many different manerisms etc. according to the type of person they are or what they happen to be experiening that day, but they usually don't clutch their purses. At worse, they will purposely not hold their purse but remain vigilant that you might be of the bad element (skin color folks). While this is annoying, I respect these women in an Amelia Earhart kind of way (trying to do my part in the fairness game). Hang out in Montclair or Walnut Creek, or better yet, head out to the Richmond or Sunset districts. Right in the San Francisco CBD environment things may be bareable, but outside that ring (barring Marin county [go figure]). If you can get lucky and find a white or asian girl to date you, get ready for an onought assualt, art of warfare, penis envy venum to shower down on you like sulphuric acid. Good luck though......

[gizmo980]

Gee... I didn't realize I caused an onslaught of envy and rage with my Black ex-boyfriends, LOL. Luckily most people didn't seem to care, and I never noticed anyone clutching their purses or raising an eyebrow as we passed. Granted, I've always lived in diverse neighborhoods (Stockton, EPA, Hunter's Point, etc), so maybe things are different in Marin.

[Jeff Jarrett]

I really can't blame a White woman for becoming scared and start clutching her purse if she is walking down the street and crosses paths with guys like this or example, especially if it's late at night and the area looks seedy.

For most White women political correctness takes a backseat to fear in situations like that.

[serpent_of_old]

Originally Posted by Jeff Jarrett

I really can't blame a White woman for becoming scared and start clutching her purse if she is walking down the street and crosses paths with guys like this or example, especially if it's late at night and the area looks seedy.

For most White women political correctness takes a backseat to fear in situations like that.

finally, a city that rejects THAT???
i'll take two tickets please
that pic is a cartoonish, fuzzy, and friendly version of modern Philly (my home, native and currently)
i spent 7 years of my childood (70's and 80's) in Pasadena thank goodness