Orinda, Moraga or Lafayette? (San Francisco, Walnut Creek: houses, buy, movie theater)

[jaynetarzana]

Agreed 18Montclair. I just wondered if what I was being told was accurate.

[clongirl]

Sorry about that...I'm a San Francisco liberal that is very happy living in Lafayette. I have not really noticed very many conservatives amongst us here...but again, I don't think I'd recognize one unless they wore a t-shirt or had a bumper sticker to identify themselves as such. I lived in a couple of very conservative leaning towns in the past (Pleasanton and a little town outside of Sacramento) and I don't get that vibe here at all.

[theh]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

I have spoken to several people who have said that Lamorinda is conservative with Orinda being the most liberal of the three. Would everyone agree with that assessment?

Not that it should matter, but I truly don't understand why so many people think Lamorinda is conservative. If you look at election statistics, all three towns tend to vote strongly liberal on almost every issue, by about 70%. No, it's not Berkeley or San Francisco, but it's far from conservative. I am very liberal and do not feel the least bit out of place living in Lafayette.

[jaynetarzana]

That is exactly what my impression was theh. Recently I was having a conversation with a woman from the Bay area and we were talking about where we would live if/when we move back. I told her that if we can afford it, we want to buy in the Lamorinda area and she turned up her nose and said that it is too conservative for her and that there are too many racists there. Then she proceeded to tell me that she would live in Mill Valley because it isn't stuffy and conservative like Lamorinda. My assessment of the two puts Mill Valley in the more conservative spot, but my observation could be wrong. I think it is funny that she wouldn't live in Lamorinda because it is too conservative yet she lives in Chicagoland now. The most liberal parts of Chicagoland make the most conservative parts of California look liberal IMO.

[theh]

Originally Posted by jaynetarzana

That is exactly what my impression was theh. Recently I was having a conversation with a woman from the Bay area and we were talking about where we would live if/when we move back. I told her that if we can afford it, we want to buy in the Lamorinda area and she turned up her nose and said that it is too conservative for her and that there are too many racists there. Then she proceeded to tell me that she would live in Mill Valley because it isn't stuffy and conservative like Lamorinda. My assessment of the two puts Mill Valley in the more conservative spot, but my observation could be wrong. I think it is funny that she wouldn't live in Lamorinda because it is too conservative yet she lives in Chicagoland now. The most liberal parts of Chicagoland make the most conservative parts of California look liberal IMO.

Exactly. I've had so many similar conversations and I find it so bizarre. Lamorinda seems to mostly consist of ex-Berkeley/Oakland/San Francisco residents who moved when they had kids. I'm constantly trying to analyze where it's reputation for being conservative comes from, and I'm stuck! I'm guessing people who make these claims have probably never been to Lamorinda. You'll find an occasional conservative here and there (not nearly as many as people think, and what difference does it really make), but I certainly have yet to run into these racists, gun-happy rednecks, and white trash that I've been told Lamorinda is overrun with...

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by theh

Exactly. I've had so many similar conversations and I find it so bizarre. Lamorinda seems to mostly consist of ex-Berkeley/Oakland/San Francisco residents who moved when they had kids. I'm constantly trying to analyze where it's reputation for being conservative comes from, and I'm stuck! I'm guessing people who make these claims have probably never been to Lamorinda. You'll find an occasional conservative here and there (not nearly as many as people think, and what difference does it really make), but I certainly have yet to run into these racists, gun-happy rednecks, and white trash that I've been told Lamorinda is overrun with...

I think it's because it's a fairly small town, plenty of wealth and older residents, and you don't see tons of diversity like you might in say, Berkeley. I live on a small cul de sac, mostly older Prius driving retirees and I'm pretty positive none of them are conservative.

I guess when people think safe, family friendly, and small they think Republicanville or something. Okay, once I admit there were 5-7 tea baggers chanting on the corner by the Safeway but I saw a lot of folks giving them the thumbs down sign from their cars (including myself and my kids!)

Most everyone I know my own age is actually an ex- San Franciscan/ Oaklander and some from the East Coast/SoCal. Even looking at the C-D website shows that the entire Contra Costa County is nearly 70% Democrat.

[theh]

Originally Posted by clongirl

I think it's because it's a fairly small town, plenty of wealth and older residents, and you don't see tons of diversity like you might in say, Berkeley.

That was kind of one of my thoughts, but wouldn't this also describe Mill Valley? I'm curious about why the two towns are perceived so differently?

Okay, once I admit there were 5-7 tea baggers chanting on the corner by the Safeway but I saw a lot of folks giving them the thumbs down sign from their cars (including myself and my kids!)

Ha! I remember them. I remember saying when we drove by them, "What on earth are they doing in Lafayette?!" NOBODY was taking them seriously.

[The Land]

Originally Posted by theh

but I certainly have yet to run into these racists, gun-happy rednecks, and white trash that I've been told Lamorinda is overrun with...

There's too much money there for it to be overrun with those types. Racists maybe but as far as the redneck, stereotypical trash you won't really find it. Antioch yeah.

[clongirl]

Originally Posted by theh

That was kind of one of my thoughts, but wouldn't this also describe Mill Valley? I'm curious about why the two towns are perceived so differently?



Ha! I remember them. I remember saying when we drove by them, "What on earth are they doing in Lafayette?!" NOBODY was taking them seriously.

I think Mill Valley and just about all the towns in Marin Co. are still mistakenly associated with rich hippies/bohemians/cool folk/mountain bikes.

Contra Costa still mistakenly has that reputation of being either KKK land/farmers of Brentwood/or complete ghetto. It's a lot more diverse so people tend to lump all towns in this county together as one single armpit!

I was shocked recently during a visit to San Anselmo how Marin's reputation couldn't have been farther from that outdated stereotype. I found it so over the top with wealthy and fake looking bimbos loaded down with designer shopping bags as they climbed into their Land Rovers that I thought I might have been in parts of SoCal. It sure didn't live up to that reputation of the land of Jerry Garcia.

Although my husband and I briefly looked into moving to Marin, I'm soooo happy to have landed here in Lamorinda. I don't think I could have kept up with all that high maintenance.

[Frank99]

Ahhh, Lamorinda, home of the guilty white liberal