What is your perception of Oakland, CA?

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Dr Bob

It's not obvious to me that any of the people (other than Carl) who are answering the question have ever lived in or even visited Oakland, other than driving through it on the freeways.

I lived in Oakland for three years; I'm now a few miles away, but still visit places in Oakland pretty often. Sure, there are dangerous parts of the city with high crime rates, but there are many beautiful neighborhoods with great stores and restaurants also. People have this terrible stereotypical image of Oakland, but that's a real distortion of the truth.

Oakland has some great cultural and scenic attributes also -- the Oakland Museum, the Paramount and newly opened Fox theaters, the beautiful areas around Lake Merritt and in the hills. It has a central location in the Bay Area and the best weather, and it's the hub of the BART system.

That said, Oakland does have a serious crime problem. I've admired Ron Dellums, but he doesn't seem to be an effective mayor. I really hope that Oakland can eventually solve some of its problems. Oakland will never have San Francisco's mystique, but there's no reason why it can't be a really nice place to live.

Finally, all of these remarks about "ghetto" are offensive. I have the impression that many Oakland residents -- in all neighborhoods -- are proud of their city.

Silhouette

where a lot of gangsters live

Crap infested hell hole. Detroit only a lot worse.

superhero09999

lots of Gangs and street Violence. Would not want to live there. There have been many riots lately.

Lonnie P

Not a place this cracker wants to be after dark.

memito

Oakland, so close to beautiful San Francisco

You asked so...

Dangerous, crime problems, community problems with the police. I live in East Bay and go through Oakland. I haven't heard anyone say anything good about Oakland and it's sad. With a history that includes the Black Panthers, there is a lot of positive things lost among the negativity.

With the four police officers killed, after the kid was shot by the BART police, I don't see Oakland's image improving anytime soon.

Delicious

Roid head athletes.

Time travler

I'm glad I don't live there. The creep who killed the 4 cops early this week was exactly why I said what I did. Sorry you live there.

Carl_the_Truth

I grew up in Oaktown. Now in Castro Valley. Oakland is one big ghetto.

katyork93

i'm out in the boonies in clayton
(its under concord, idk if ppl kno its there)
most ppl here think of Oakland as a dangerous place and really ghetto (please don't be offended by that :( )because the crime rate is a lot higher than here. we had like one suicide and one murder in the last ten years or something so thats not really saying much. and everyone loves the A's :)

Carl Marks

I've been to San Francisco 100 times....but really never stopped in Oakland. My views have mainly been from the BART when we park in one of the outskirt cities and ride in (when staying in Wine country or the Sacramento area).

I think of it as the birthplace of the Black Panthers...

I've read that it has had some gentrification due to all the dotCom wealth, and some of the real estate looks expensive from the BART. My guess is that real estate there went through the roof (and is crashing now).

I think of MC Hammer. Sorry, but that's who comes to mind.

abby

I think Oakland is what's wrong with this country. Every time you read about a murder, robbery, rape and we see it happened in Oakland, people in the bay area think, "What do you expect, it's in Oakland. Step foot in the area and this is what you get." People in Oakland accept the violence then blame the government for the violence that the people create.
There is no self responsibility and a lot of blaming, Children are running around in homes with many children, all different daddies, most likely living with grandmothers and getting public assistance.
The Bay Area is such a liberal place that anyone not black is terrified to say anything negative because some group is going to sue and label them a racist. It's a shame these same people who take up so much money to sue for lawyers, won't try to clean up and educate their people.
So Sad....

jlfpunk

RAIDERS USED TO BE AMAZING, but now they are shitty, but i shouldnt be talking from cleveland........

winslow, then vicous, and now stallsworth, wtf haha