I have lived in Oakland for 8 years, dont drive a car, take public transit, walk, shop, and work here. Never been mugged. Perhaps the problem was with you and not the city. Anyways, with that attitude Im glad to hear you left. Dont come back.
I see this sentiment a lot, and I appreciate that your visceral reaction is because of the tone of the post you're replying to, so please don't take this too personally.
But, and I say this as a happy resident of the East Bay, you're simply sticking your head in the sand if you ignore the fact that Oakland and some of it's neighbors are very good places to become a victim: ranked fourth in the US, actually. 2010 FBI crime rate data; sort by "violent crime":
I love living over here, but this is a terrible statistic, and Oakland has more than earned it's reputation. Expending all your effort telling people they're wrong to be afraid feels like such a waste; there are so many more productive things that could be done with that energy that might actually address the problem.
True that. I didn't mean to insinuate that Oakland is the safest place to live. I simply found the comment calling it a "huge shithole" mildly offensive. It may be more dangerous than other cities but I do believe, going on years of personal experience as well as observing the experiences of others, that the danger can be mitigated by one's own attitude and actions. I expend much energy in my community and leaving even that aside I believe I make Oakland a better place to live for everyone by smiling and saying hello to my neighbors every day. Perhaps not, just my take.
Comments
I have lived in Oakland for 8 years, dont drive a car, take public transit, walk, shop, and work here. Never been mugged. Perhaps the problem was with you and not the city. Anyways, with that attitude Im glad to hear you left. Dont come back.
I see this sentiment a lot, and I appreciate that your visceral reaction is because of the tone of the post you're replying to, so please don't take this too personally.
But, and I say this as a happy resident of the East Bay, you're simply sticking your head in the sand if you ignore the fact that Oakland and some of it's neighbors are very good places to become a victim: ranked fourth in the US, actually. 2010 FBI crime rate data; sort by "violent crime":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_r...
I love living over here, but this is a terrible statistic, and Oakland has more than earned it's reputation. Expending all your effort telling people they're wrong to be afraid feels like such a waste; there are so many more productive things that could be done with that energy that might actually address the problem.
True that. I didn't mean to insinuate that Oakland is the safest place to live. I simply found the comment calling it a "huge shithole" mildly offensive. It may be more dangerous than other cities but I do believe, going on years of personal experience as well as observing the experiences of others, that the danger can be mitigated by one's own attitude and actions. I expend much energy in my community and leaving even that aside I believe I make Oakland a better place to live for everyone by smiling and saying hello to my neighbors every day. Perhaps not, just my take.
I don't live in Oakland, but glad there was someone with a dissenting opinion to counter this nasty diatribe.