The Western Addition? (San Francisco, Laguna, Alamo: apartments, rent, high crime) - San Francisco - Oakland - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

matt345 · 09-09-2009, 10:06 PM

Where exactly is this neighborhood? I'm currently looking for apartments in San Francisco and a few former residents have advised me that the Western Addition can be a little dicey. Okay, no big deal - only problem is I really can't figure out exactly which parts of this neighborhood to avoid. I've looked at maps and it seems like a pretty large area. Maybe I'm naive, but I have a hard time believing that everything north of Oak, east of Golden Gate Park, and south of Pacific Heights is a dangerous place to live. Is Alamo Square considered part of the Western Addition because that area seemed perfectly fine to me when I was there.

jman650 · 09-09-2009, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matt345

Where exactly is this neighborhood? I'm currently looking for apartments in San Francisco and a few former residents have advised me that the Western Addition can be a little dicey. Okay, no big deal - only problem is I really can't figure out exactly which parts of this neighborhood to avoid. I've looked at maps and it seems like a pretty large area. Maybe I'm naive, but I have a hard time believing that everything north of Oak, east of Golden Gate Park, and south of Pacific Heights is a dangerous place to live. Is Alamo Square considered part of the Western Addition because that area seemed perfectly fine to me when I was there.

For the most part the Western Addition is fine now. Even in the shadier parts civilians are able to walk or ride their bikes through, where in the past this was not the case. (It actually kind of pisses me off in a way that they get a pass now where I used to have to fear for my own safety lol.) The bad parts don't really appear bad just by looking at them, and you probably wouldn't even know that a lot of the buildings there are public housing. But there are key areas you should avoid, so here's the breakdown:

http://imgs.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2007/06/22/ba_sfgangs22_038_kk.jpg (broken link)

These are two "safe zones" where they put gang injunctions in place 2 years ago in order to try and disassemble some of the main gangs in the neighborhood. In case you're curious, the one on the right is the territory of the Eddy Rock gang and they occupy a housing project there that now looks like a bunch of townhouses. It's a bit misleading how they look b/c they were rebuilt a few years ago, but it used to be a 12-story project known as "Outta Control," so if you hear someone mention "OC" in that neighborhood that's what they're talking about.

The zone on the left is the territory of KOP (Knock Out Posse) and Chopper City. These are some of the main areas to avoid, but I'd also be cautious anywhere between Gough and Divisadero (East/West), and Eddy and Fulton (North/South). Alamo Square itself is fine now as far as I know (used to be a dope spot at night before, but I haven't heard anything like that in quite a while), but the blocks surrounding it to the north and east can get a little shady at times. But nothing is truly that bad in the Fillmore (that section of the Western Addition) anymore.

Other parts to probably avoid/be cautious in are Grove between Laguna and Fillmore, Page/Haight between Buchannan and Webster, and Sutter/Post between Baker and Broderick. That accounts for most of the public housing in the area as well as most of the liquor stores. I'd look at areas a block or two away from most of these zones. For the most part you won't have too much to worry about there, but if you have a car you might have something to worry about there. And anything west of Divisadero should be just fine.

Other than that you just want to make sure you're not there when any gang members run into each other b/c in recent years they've been known to shoot in broad daylight without warning. But since the gang injunctions things seem to have calmed down so much I wouldn't even worry. Just be aware.

If you see these areas I'm talking about they really won't look like much at all to you though. These co-ops and projects look pretty tame compared to other parts of the City. But don't underestimate them or get too complacent b/c they do get pretty dangerous when drama builds. Hope you find a cool spot! There are plenty to choose from and most people I know who have lived there haven't had any trouble at all.

Yvetta · 09-10-2009, 12:40 AM

Western Addition is a relatively nice neighborhood. They actually considered renaming it to Lower Pacific Heights at one time. ( remember that movie?)
However, there is some city owned 'housing' near Scott street and Turk, it's just a little pocket in that area to be aware of. Otherwise, it's San Francisco! It's nice!

destroycreate · 09-10-2009, 01:38 AM

I don't get it...everyone ******* how expensive and yuppiefied SF is and how it's impossible to find affordable rent but then how can there be places with gangs and poverty right IN the city?! Isn't Alamo Square one of the most expensive and photographed areas of the city to live in?

lekker · 09-10-2009, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by destroycreate

I don't get it...everyone ******* how expensive and yuppiefied SF is and how it's impossible to find affordable rent but then how can there be places with gangs and poverty right IN the city?! Isn't Alamo Square one of the most expensive and photographed areas of the city to live in?

There is also public housing in SF. The inner city areas are not all yuppified. Alamo Square is one of the most photographed, but not expensive areas to live in. The prices have gone up in recent years, but I remember when I lived in Fillmore there were a lot of gang shootings around the square. It's much better now, the police don't mess around in the WE. Shootings have been pushed to other areas.

lekker · 09-10-2009, 02:05 AM

Welcome to the Western Addition. Striped shirts call it NOPA.

destroycreate · 09-10-2009, 04:42 AM

So the "painted ladies" are not very expensive to live in?

iTsLiKeAnEgG · 09-10-2009, 10:48 AM

The Western Addition and surrounding areas are still pretty shady (though not as bad as before). I used to live in the Banneker Homes (went to John Swett Elementary), my dad lives around Laguna/Gough and my grandmother still lives around Laguna/Golden Gate. There is a pretty good police presence there at night but you still get a lot of the typical vehicle break ins and property damage associated with a bad area.

BayAreaHillbilly · 09-10-2009, 01:09 PM

Eventually, the whole place will be like Hayes. At that point, there will be a problem. There will be this continuous yupped out zone with projects still embedded. You can count on the nihilistic, cynical poohbahs who run The City to come up with a "creative solution" to get rid of the projects in some fashion.

City Boy · 09-10-2009, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Eventually, the whole place will be like Hayes. At that point, there will be a problem. There will be this continuous yupped out zone with projects still embedded. You can count on the nihilistic, cynical poohbahs who run The City to come up with a "creative solution" to get rid of the projects in some fashion.

In 10 years the fillmore's history will be completely washed away. Next up hunters point. They can't continue to let the best weather in SF be in a high crime area. San Francisco is turning into Vancouver.