How bad is Oakland California?

denverpilot said:
Broken California thinking. Theft is never your fault. People should leave stuff that isn't theirs alone. Even the guys at the homeless shelter know that basic rule of civilization.
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X10000

I have to budget for knuckle heads stealing chit in CA, I figure about 500 a year.
 
denverpilot said:
Broken California thinking. Theft is never your fault. People should leave stuff that isn't theirs alone. Even the guys at the homeless shelter know that basic rule of civilization.
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??? Theft sucks and I haven't met a fellow Californian who didn't feel violated after a theft or robbery. We all work hard for our $h**t and don't enjoy it being stolen. If you live in an area where theft, violence and crime are more prevalent, you are less surprised when it happens, though (I currently don't, but have in the past). California certainly doesn't have a lock on bad neighborhoods.

California is a liberal state in many regions, but even a liberal doesn't support crime. I guess many Californians wouldn't support concealed carry but that is a far cry from endorsing crime. That is a pretty ignorant point of view, IMHO. The world isn't painted in black and white.
 
N801BH said:
Orlando is a tourist town.. Go to Church Street Station and it is kinda safe.. walk two blocks west to Parramore and Central and a black person has a 'shelf life' of an hour or so... A white person will be a chalk outline in just seconds...:eek::hairraise:....
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I'm not doubting you and I would take Jackson over Orlando any day, but I just Google-maped Parramore and Central and I didn't see any bodies. In fact the only building there is a fire house next to a pond with a fountain (no floating bodies).
 
garyb said:
I'm not doubting you and I would take Jackson over Orlando any day, but I just Google-maped Parramore and Central and I didn't see any bodies. In fact the only building there is a fire house next to a pond with a fountain (no floating bodies).
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Well.. I have been in Jackson for 23 years so things might have changed in the landscape... I do know I worked at Auto Machine and Parts at 1011 West Central Blvd and Westmoreland for 10+ years in the 80's. I put in some serious hours, like M-W-F 5AM to 6PM, Tu-Th- 5AM to 11 PM and 5AM to 3PM on Sat.. Yeah, I worked like a dog but saved ALOT of my salary and that is why I have what I have today..:yes::):):)...

In those 10+ years I saw the most disgusting and criminal and insane acts that 99% of the population cannot EVER imagine.. It got soooooooo bad that on the nights I worked till 11 pm, the night supervisor would open the gate and we would get a flying start out of the parking lot and if things looked real sketchy, all of us would not stop at traffic lights so the " hoodies in the crib" could not drag us out of our vehicles and rob and kill us... This ain't no joke either...

In fact, during the Miami riots caused by the cop who shot the black motorcyclist, the african community in Orlando got all riled up and several of us spent a few days sitting on the roof, armed, just to keep them from burning down the business...

I have seen the bad side of life.............. And it ain't pretty..:no::nonod::mad:

Did I mention I LOVE Wyoming...:wink2::yes:
 
JoseCuervo said:
If you don't know what street smart means, you don't have them, and you need to stay in Kansas and skip life.
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Ah yes, your old classic definition of street smart.

So mine was on but, incomplete. How's this:

It's someone being not only too dumb or unfortunate to get off the street .hithole life that they're on, but they've convincingly deluded themselves that they've got some knowledge or style that will protect them while there and also that it is a worthwhile life.
 
MAKG1 said:
I'll say it again. What part of Oakland? If you don't think it matters, you're not thinking at all.

I used to live in Oakland, specifically, Rockridge. It was a very interesting place to walk around at night. I was never robbed, never threatened, though I was occasionally asked for spare change (but that was a lot worse a couple of miles northwest -- still plenty safe at night; I lived there, too for a year or so).

You can run around in fear or you can deal with it. I won't live somewhere where I can't go out at night. There are a couple of places that qualify, but not many.
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I worked a half a block north of the Rockridge BART station on College. Spent some time at The Hut.
 
John221us said:
??? Theft sucks and I haven't met a fellow Californian who didn't feel violated after a theft or robbery. We all work hard for our $h**t and don't enjoy it being stolen. If you live in an area where theft, violence and crime are more prevalent, you are less surprised when it happens, though (I currently don't, but have in the past). California certainly doesn't have a lock on bad neighborhoods.

California is a liberal state in many regions, but even a liberal doesn't support crime. I guess many Californians wouldn't support concealed carry but that is a far cry from endorsing crime. That is a pretty ignorant point of view, IMHO. The world isn't painted in black and white.
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California also has the two most conservative towns I know, San Diego and Newport Beach. Even as liberal as SF is I remember when a law was being passed to make loitering within 20' of an ATM illegal, when some advocacy group started a stink over it, even the most liberal San Franciscans told them to shut the hell up lol. It used to be funny, dudes would sit by the ATMs panhandling. I told one he was an idiot, the machine spits out $20 bills, nobody is going to give you a $20, go hang by the drug store or fast food eatery where people walk out with some change.
 
Old Geek said:
I worked a half a block north of the Rockridge BART station on College. Spent some time at The Hut.
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Rockridge is were I have been living for the last 30 yrs. I am both resident and a landlord here, many young couples moving down here from San Fran, the rents are going up and with very vibrant nightlife within walking distance it is attractive with young people.



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Well, a couple things, we will be at the Marriott hotel. Thanks for the advice about staying somewhere else and taking the BART to the conference, but considering this whole thing has been planned out for almost a year, I don't think that is a viable alternative. I am not especially nervous or anything, I ask because I will not have a car there, and I am prone to long walks and exploring new places. Someone mentioned Mexico, and we visit Mexico every year, wander or drive all over the place, and have never had a problem. So I know how that goes. I mean how a place gets a rep that is undeserved. I was sort of wondering if that was the case with Oakland. Maybe it is. I was just surprised by my cousin's remarks, considering he is from Oakland. He did say that we could go to Jack London Square for lunch.
 
Hop across the bay and grab a hipster to use as chaff. Any bad people start your way deploy the hipster to feed them and carry on.
 
Jack London is a great place to eat and drink, I don't ever remember getting a 911 call for a shooting, stabbing, or assault.
 
Just stay away from the crack house neighborhoods and stick around the crack mansion neighborhoods and all will be fine.
 
olasek said:
Huh?
A few blocks of pure concrete.
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Are we talking about the City, or Oakland?

(Nevermind I know what he's talking about)
 
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Sac Arrow said:
Oh, and avoid Oakland after a Raiders game. If the Raiders lose, they burn cars in the street out of anger. If they win, they burn them out of celebration.
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And that's just the players, the fans really get cranked up!:rofl::rofl:
 
Everskyward said:
I'm sure there are nice ares in Detroit too.
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Actually Detroit has a very nice areas, and some VERY BAD ones!:yikes: We used to have meetings at the Renaissance center, the rule was no one goes out alone after dark. This wasn't an informal idea amongst the guys, it came from the company rep and it we were at Ford's national headquarters! :dunno:
We went to the Super Bowl in Detroit, the city did a great job on that one! But I don't think it's gotten any better since then.:mad2:
 
Old Geek said:
I'm always amazed at what a bad rap Oakland gets. I lived in Oakland for nearly 20 years and found it to be about the most friendly and tolerant place I've ever lived. Other than a couple of minor thefts, mostly my fault, I was never victimized and neither was my wife.
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This is exactly why Oakland is such as hellhole. Before you can deal with a problem, you must admit you have one. Second, being tolerant of wrongdoing is the worst thing ever. What is the value of being "tolerant" in the abstract?
 
Jack London Square is Sketchy now, like the rest of Oakland. A few Murders in the last year, Right across the street. Also home to one of the worst ranked, dirtiest hotels in America. That said, like any town you should be ok there. Pay Attention to your surroundings. Don't get Sloppy. And a good run is better than the bad stand.
 
Old Geek said:
Other than a couple of minor thefts, mostly my fault, I was never victimized.
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denverpilot said:
Broken California thinking. Theft is never your fault. People should leave stuff that isn't theirs alone. Even the guys at the homeless shelter know that basic rule of civilization.
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Nate, roll up (5) $20's in a rubber band and lay them on your car hood in any US town. Come back 8 hours later and let us know how that worked out for you.
 
Maxmosbey said:
I was just surprised by my cousin's remarks, considering he is from Oakland. He did say that we could go to Jack London Square for lunch.
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Your cousin knows. Listen to him. Here is only the latest homicide at Jack London Square. http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Man-fatally-shot-near-Jack-London-Square-4102711.php It sits between east and west Oakland and sometimes the gangs collide there.

I lived, worked, owned a home, owned a business and kept my plane there for 20 years. As of this year, I am finally free of the mess that is Oakland. The government there is completely corrupt and dysfunctional and the city deserves the reputation it has. It is a crap hole. There are nice things there, but on the whole, the city is a lost cause.

Can you tell I'm bitter much?

I spent years going to city council meetings. My wife and I went to and participated in neighborhood watch groups. There really isn't anything anyone can do when the police are under staffed and overworked, the DA is underfunded, the prisons are over crowded, the city officials are corrupt and worst of all, the citizens there vote exactly the same way every single time. It is one party government and this is the result.

My wife still gets the neighborhood email group postings. Last week, she told me that just three blocks from our old house, a professional pet sitter/dog walker had a confrontation with someone on the street in the middle of the afternoon in a seemingly decent neighborhood and was shot in the face and died. Man o' man we are glad we moved!!

Did you know that it is legal to steal cars, or take things from other people's houses there? Oh, technically it's against the law, but in practice, unless the crime was committed with a gun, or it's the criminal's third strike, the case is dropped. So even if the criminal is caught, it is likely the charges will be dismissed. This is because all resources available are directed towards homicide cases and also the prison over crowding issue.

My old neighborhood was not patrolled after 7pm because they needed the cops elsewhere. Everyone of my surrounding neighbors had their houses broken into and robbed. I was held up at gun point, tied up in the back room with three other employees and robbed in the middle of the day when I used to manage a bike shop in Oakland. I was at a neighborhood bar in my area and I experienced a run by shooting. That's right, not a drive by, but a run by. Somebody was mad at somebody else, ran by a car parked in front of the bar and fired five shots into the car as he did it. All five shots missed the guy, but still. Wow! That was different!

I guess I can say that Oakland has given me plenty of stories to tell.:rolleyes2:

To the OP-

Go to your meeting. I've done a lot of contract work at the Marriott there and know the area well. You'll be OK. I would however, suggest not walking around there at night. It may seem is plenty safe... until it's not. There's not much worth going to there anyways. Get a taxi (arranged by the hotel) and go up to Rockridge, or to Piedmont. (Not part of Oakland by the way, it seceded from Oakland decades ago fro very good reasons.) If you really want a special meal and some great foreign wine in a relatively safe area, go up to Bellenico at the upper end of Park street in Oakland.

Sorry, rant off.
 
Oakland is a very large city with some amazing areas and a couple of very small (and I do mean a few square blocks) that aren't so good. But even the bad areas aren't really that bad. After dark, I'd say stay out of west oakland and Fruitvale, and you would not sense any trouble.
 
Maxmosbey said:
Well, a couple things, we will be at the Marriott hotel. Thanks for the advice about staying somewhere else and taking the BART to the conference, but considering this whole thing has been planned out for almost a year, I don't think that is a viable alternative. I am not especially nervous or anything, I ask because I will not have a car there, and I am prone to long walks and exploring new places. Someone mentioned Mexico, and we visit Mexico every year, wander or drive all over the place, and have never had a problem. So I know how that goes. I mean how a place gets a rep that is undeserved. I was sort of wondering if that was the case with Oakland. Maybe it is. I was just surprised by my cousin's remarks, considering he is from Oakland. He did say that we could go to T Square for lunch.
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Oakland's uptown neighborhood has many highly rated restaurants that you can walk to along and off Broadway, you can walk around Lake Merritt or jog as it's a popular place to exercise. Think that you are going to enjoy exploring the area. Your friend or relative from San Jose probably doesn't want to drive on 880 at night.
 
I spent four days in Oakland while my wife was at her conference. I'm a walker, and I walked all over with no problems. We had something going on every night except one, so I was in the hotel. The one evening that we were not in the hotel we took the free bus to Jack London Square for supper and then rode it back. All and all, I didn't find Oakland to be that inhospitable. I never felt threatened. There are a lot of strange people roaming around the streets, but none bothered me other than to ask me for money. On Monday we got up and walked to the BART at five-thirty in the morning and took it to the San Francisco Airport then flew down to San Luis Obispo and stayed in Pismo Beach. Then came home on Wednesday. Anyway, I would visit Oakland again. It was fine.
 
"I can count on one hand how many employees I've lost because they've been jacked in broad daylight in this city."

Not sure if that stat will hold true in the next week or the next month. Visiting the place ain't living or working there.
 
Sac Arrow said:
"I can count on one hand how many employees I've lost because they've been jacked in broad daylight in this city."

Not sure if that stat will hold true in the next week or the next month. Visiting the place ain't living or working there.
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That's too bad that you live in a war zone. I guess I was just lucky. :dunno:
 
So what's the best PIREP to describe Oakland?

1 - Thunderstorm
2 - Lenticular Clouds
3 - Controlled Flight Into Terrain
4 - VFR into IMC
5 - VFR BKN
6 - VFR SKC
7 - other
 
VFR FEW. There are a couple of sketchy spots I might avoid in daytime, none of which you're likely to encounter unless you look for them. A few more at night.

It really is no worse than any other big city, including that King of Boredom, San Jose (which is somewhat larger). Some people need to be reminded that 1970 was over 40 years ago and the Black Panthers are long gone and the Hells Angels are irrelevant.

It's a long drive for me, or I'd not hesitate to take small kids there. I've done it several times; there is a nice zoo, nice lake, decent museums, REALLY good jazz club (Yoshi's), and so on.
 
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There seemed to be a lot of mentally ill people ranting and raving or talking to themselves. Most just didn't even acknowledge that I was there. One time however I was waiting for a bus and there were two homeless looking guys camped out on the benches at the bus stop. One was a black guy and the other white. The white guy just went off on me, yelling about how much he hated whites. So I walked a block up the street to the next bus stop. As soon as I walked away he quieted down. During the whole thing the black guy just shook his head and looked kind of subdued. So I'm pretty good at avoiding problems and that was really the only incident. I could get into the same situation here in Ames, so I wasn't too worried about it.

Mostly I just walked around taking pictures or sketching things and no one paid any attention to me at all. I stopped in at a couple of bars for beers. While I was sketching a building, a security officer came out to see what I was up to and pointed out an area of town that he advised me to stay out of. So I never went over there, but otherwise I went wherever I wanted to go. Luckily no one jacked me. :)
 
It's always a good day when you don't have to use your AK.
 
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