Oakland has a lot more to offer than the above mentioned crime...
For example, just recently Oakland was named one of America's Top Art scenes, ranking above SF in the line up.
http://www.artplaceamerica.org/articles/americas-top-artplaces-2013/
Why not share something positive about our city instead of perpetuating stereotypes?
Oh, and welcome to the Bay Area thread, glad you found us!
Depends on which area you live in. I grow up there, but when my 3 oldest were babies I looked around and decide to move somewhere safer. I didn't do that of course. Didn't know that at that time Union City was the drug capital of the US. LOL I'm in Modesto now and on the bad side of town, but there are good places too.
And of course Art is a major factor. I went to CCAC and although everyone thinks SF has control, CCAC is where you go when you want to learn. I can remember when they were galleries everywhere. And Oakland has up out some of the best athletes, singers and actors in it's time. Been used to film many movies and even movies that have been based in SF have had a lot of filming in Oakland. Oakland Ballet was once one of the highest ranked. But when my family lost it's money and we went from the Claremont/Broadway Terrace area to 2 blocks from High Street....It was like a whole different planet.
Jack London Square was once so beautiful and then became to dangerous to enjoy at sunset. Jack London Village was the same way, although I miss that place and all the shops and Galleries. Security finally stepped up and it did help, but there was a 4 year period that security was able to be bought with a bag of drugs. Trust me I know that one for sure. The Claremont is actually Oakland, not Berkeley. It has a story and it used to be full of the rich and famous, most now going to The City. Still I have always loved the buildings there. I wish people could see it the way it used to be. Heck I wish I had seen it the way I've seen it in photos from even longer ago. They built up Fruitvale and although it looks nicer, it's still not somewhere you want to be at night or if you don't know the area.High St? Bill and I stayed there a few months when daughter #3 was separated, working, going to college and doing some small acting jobs or commercials to help with just being in the house, so nothing happened to watch her daughter. That year was the year that High St had it highest amount of killings. Most were drive bys. I watch a mom bury two sons in just a couple of months, because her sons were shot on her front porch and in her front yard. High St has always been like that for as long as I remember.
In the 70s I was at Brookdale Park and had to run up a slope to gave a little baby left in the play area buy a group of kids that ran when shooting started. My sister looked at me contemplating and told me not to do it, but I was a teenager, so the brain didn't register the danger till afterwards. I've always felt weird there since and it wasn't all that long ago I was there I still see it happening over and over. The drive bys happen and the crack houses????? I'm going to guess between 86Th and 98Th, probably between E14Th and Mac or around D St. Then again there's also Jingle Town. hmmmm Funny thing is, there's a gas station on 98Th, off the freeway. Selling a bag of whatever is right there in plain sight on the corner across the street. I know people who won't drive through there in broad daylight. Twice, I've had those same guys selling, come to my aid. Once I ran out of gas before I got to make the turn. They all ran out and pushed me to the pumps. Another time I hit something in the street in the middle of the night. Night crew was out there then and they gave me a push and changed my tire for me. All depends on what you expect to happen and what you hope will happen.
So there are good things and bad things and I wish people had loved it enough to make it a nice place to visit like it once was. Once it became dangerous to be downtown, Oakland lost a lot of money because of it. The lake used to be the place to be on the 4Th of July and then they let it get polluted and nasty. Oakland is where I grew up, went to school minus the 3 months in Washington state and 5 months in Michigan. School was hard at times. Not the courses, the intimidation, so at 21, I didn't want my kids to go through that. Union City might not have been a better place to live at the time, but had the #3 high school in the country, so I moved.
Just showing both sides although I'm pretty sure tgooberbutt, was just joking their way into the thread and feeling out the possibility of humor. Plus it's what most people hear when they say they're in Oakland, so it's usually a defense mechanism
My chickens love the leftover malted barley! Not so keen on chocolate malted stout grains though. And the home brewers are all around Oakland too: See, positive side!
