PICS of the REAL Oakland (San Francisco, Paramount: apartment, condo, crimes)

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

I never said there wasn't more than Lake Merritt. That's just where I spend more of my time because there's a bird refuge there and I'm a birder and bird photographer.

And it's not just a bird refuge... Lake Merrit is the first Bird Refuge in North America by goverment law in 1870...

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

And it's not just a bird refuge... Lake Merrit is the first Bird Refuge in North America by goverment law in 1870...

Yes it was, at least the first state refuge. I used to volunteer there was I was younger. That place has a lot of sentimental history for me beside being a beautiful place.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Gentoo

Yes it was, at least the first state refuge. I used to volunteer there was I was younger. That place has a lot of sentimental history for me beside being a beautiful place.

Used to go there a lot as a child and later I've taken my Nieces there...

A few years ago the National Rowing Competition was held a Lake Merritt... I think some of the teams went to the Olympics if memory serves...

I volunteered to to ferry the officials around... it was fun being on the lake with a small runabout

[Shananagans]

i think people should stop talking about how great Oakland is so I have a chance to move in before the rent gets ridiculous!

[BayDude]

Originally Posted by Shananagans

i think people should stop talking about how great Oakland is so I have a chance to move in before the rent gets ridiculous!

The rent won't be be going anywhere lol. Theres plenty of room for you in and people like you in Oakland.

[goldenchild08]

The negative perception, and reputation of Oakland is not good.
That is the hardest thing to shake. The negative press has been
a part of Oakland for so long that even those born and raised there
believe it. Oakland natives have the worst things to say about their
hometown, and the people that live there. I personally think that
Oakland is a beautiful city with a lot to offer, but the crime is just
shameful. That must be dealt with before the real Oakland can
shine through. As those pictures suggest, Oakland looks nicer
than it is often depicted.

I'm not from Oakland. I was born across the bridge in San Francisco and I never understood why Oakland got such a bad rap. It's weird that the local and national media only focuses on the good in San Francisco and focuses on the very bad in Oakland. I grew up in one of San Francisco's less desirable, low-income tucked away hoods so I can tell you the City is not always "the nice place" it is cracked up to be. I think Oakland gets such a bad rap because it is historically the center of Black culture in Northern California. I live on the East Coast now in Maryland and everybody out here thinks every square inch of Oakland is an impoverished ghetto warzone and every inch of San Francisco is rich latte sipping flaming male homosexuals rocking the latest Apple gadgets. Go figure.

[The Land]

Originally Posted by goldenchild08

I'm not from Oakland. I was born across the bridge in San Francisco and I never understood why Oakland got such a bad rap. It's weird that the local and national media only focuses on the good in San Francisco and focuses on the very bad in Oakland. I grew up in one of San Francisco's less desirable, low-income tucked away hoods so I can tell you the City is not always "the nice place" it is cracked up to be. I think Oakland gets such a bad rap because it is historically the center of Black culture in Northern California. I live on the East Coast now in Maryland and everybody out here thinks every square inch of Oakland is an impoverished ghetto warzone and every inch of San Francisco is rich latte sipping flaming male homosexuals rocking the latest Apple gadgets. Go figure.

San Francisco is a White & Asian yuppies playground so they must preserve that image. No better way of doing that than to shift all crime stories to a neighboring city. We are saying the same thing though.

[jade408]

So true. It is funny, my cousin recently got married. When I told him I like in Oakland he was like "wow it is soooo rough over there." He's from a small town in the South. And I said, not really. The violence is pretty concentrated to a few areas/blocks, its pretty nice otherwise.

Recently, I wrote a letter to the editor for the Chron calling out the unequal reporting, and I even had a couple of links to similar SF incidents in the same period. No response.

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by jade408

So true. It is funny, my cousin recently got married. When I told him I like in Oakland he was like "wow it is soooo rough over there." He's from a small town in the South. And I said, not really. The violence is pretty concentrated to a few areas/blocks, its pretty nice otherwise.

Recently, I wrote a letter to the editor for the Chron calling out the unequal reporting, and I even had a couple of links to similar SF incidents in the same period. No response.

I make it a point to host meetings, dinners and parties at my house in Oakland or at a restaurant or venue in Oakland.

Each and everytime, a good number of my guests are actually stunned at how nice Oakland actually is compared to what they see on the news.

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

I make it a point to host meetings, dinners and parties at my house in Oakland or at a restaurant or venue in Oakland.

Each and everytime, a good number of my guests are actually stunned at how nice Oakland actually is compared to what they see on the news.

Took my girlfriend to Oakland. Her family was utterly terrified and she was nervous as all hell. After spending a week there with me, she now wants to live there more than anywhere else. I love that the city hasn't lost it's original charm and character in the last 15 years the way Berkeley seems to have to a degree. Perhaps that negative image is what's saved it from snooty transplants.