<p>Lol green-aw-lives. </p>
<p>And then theblacklantern gets robbed and comes back on this board and says, you *****. hahaha</p>
<p>^ you are scaring me</p>
<p>They’re both extremes. :P</p>
<p>It’s intimidating for a suburban kid to end up in a city. It’s a lot of stuff going on at once! And cities definitely have a different… flavor. A city like Oakland, one that is notorious for being “unsafe,” is especially intimidating.</p>
<p>The fact is that, yes, there are some bad parts of Oakland. There are bad parts of Berkeley, too. Oakland’s bad parts are said to be worse than a lot, but to be honest you’re not going to be tempted to go to those places in the first place as there really isn’t anything for you there unless you live there or want to buy drugs. You should research hotels before renting because those places can sometimes be in sketchy neighborhoods.</p>
<p>But the BART station at the Coliseum? So not dangerous. The only really sketchy BART station I know of is the area surrounding Macarthur (NOT the station itself – it’s a major transfer point, lots of people always going through it), and even that would require being a lone female on the street in the dark with a flashy iPod and diamonds glittering. >_></p>
<p>Yea, the MacArthur area is rather sketchy. The Oakland Kaiser Permanente center is near the MacArthur BART station. I had to go there to get my vaccinations for going to India in Dec 07.</p>
<p>(Don’t worry, if you are Kaiser patient, they have a shuttle that takes between the BART and the Kaiser buildings)</p>
<p>I thought it was was nice for transportation of that sort. Oakland supposedly has a high crime rate. I know that Jerry Brown used to walk the streets of Oakland when he was mayor. I have heard the police are bullies.</p>
<p>I am more concerned about possible crime in Berkeley. I keep getting information that stuff happens there but not a lot of specifics.</p>
<p>Have they cleaned up Hunter’s Point in Oakland? I heard that long ago an old couple got lost in Hunter’s point and stopped to ask for directions and the old man got shot. Also, are the Oakland police still shooting strikers on the docks with rubber bullets?</p>
<p>We should have a list of areas that are suspect and areas that are usually safe.</p>
<p>Hunter’s Point is not in Oakland. It just makes me angry that everyone thinks that Oakland is full of thugs and drug dealers when it isn’t. Sure some parts of Oakland are bad but not every single part of Oakland is. And common street sense should be used when you travel alone and at night everywhere not just in Oakland.</p>
<p>is this thread freaking serious?</p>
<p>its not dangerous at all, Ive lived here all my life and Im a skinny indian kid. Nothing has ever happened to me.</p>
<p>BART is usually filled with white businessmen going to SF anyways…calm down.</p>
<p>Im more scared of the Bart police (see: Oscar Grant) than the Bart riders!</p>
<p>SERIOUSLY???
this thread is extremely funny. Oakland obviously has bad parts, but most of it is not bad. i would know after living here my whole life. i ride bart all the time and I have had no problems whatsoever. i usually get on at the rockridge station and that is just as safe as the lafayette or walnut creek one. stop being so sheltered. you’re going to college next year and you need to learn to not be so stupid.</p>
<p>Best thread title ever…</p>
<p>To the two of you who have lived in Oakland all your lives:</p>
<p>Yes, of course Oakland isn’t scary. You grew up in it. For someone coming from the suburbs – suburbs not even around Oakland – it is extremely intimidating to get the media and common knowledge version of Oakland spoken to you and then have to worry about going through it.</p>
<p>Being sheltered does not mean being stupid, and at least the OP was willing to ASK so as to be prepared for showing up here at orientation/move in. </p>
<p>Show a little compassion and get over yourselves.</p>
<p>Wow at this thread.</p>
<p>I stayed in Oakland my Freshman year, and …yeah, you don’t have anything to worry about unless you put yourself in those situations. </p>
<p>I feel you two from Oakland because I would take it personal if people made this thread (LOL) about where I live thinking something would happen to them when this isn’t this case, but people don’t know…so they assume these things, but…better that they ask these questions…hahaha. [:</p>
<p>But really, the BART is safe, don’t worry about it. </p>
<p>Even going up to Oakland I didn’t have such a bad mind set…as someone else has said tho, if you are (for whatever reason) going to Oakland (like, going there for whatever reason) good to have a buddy. I would travel from Oakland (Fruitvale BART) to Berkeley or SF all the time alone…I look back now and I couldn’t believe I did that, hahaha. Oh well, it worked for me, guess I just wasn’t scared. [:</p>
<p>I don’t know but I’m feeling concerned because I have to take a self-guided tour of Oakland for class, and I’m doing it this weekend. I haven’t really been to Oakland, but the tour book even advises people to go in groups. I don’t think I’ll find anyone in class who wants to tour Oakland this weekend. After reading about the city’s high crime statistics, I’m a bit scared, especially since I’ll look like a lost tourist trying to figure out where my book is guiding me. Wish me luck, and pray that I don’t end up in a Daily Cal story. I’m not kidding.</p>
<p>And by saying that it’s better to travel with someone implies that Oakland is dangerous or scary.</p>
<p>Hire some hobos. Oakland is like a bear. You have to make yourself as big as possible and then it’ll run away from you.</p>
<p>Oakland is fine as long as you travel in groups (3 or more!) and NEVER travel at night. I never had a problem during the daytime, so it should be safe during the day.</p>
<p>I live in west oakland,it was horrible. I was walking back home from bus stop one time at night, and someone just come up and ask for money and said she can “walk me home”. The other part of oakland is ok though. I have live in other places before and if I could afford it, I couldn’t live in oakland.</p>
<p>“undecided”, the original poster of this is blinded by their being sheltered. Maybe they should educate themselves before getting scared of a really beautiful city. The only real ghetto parts are near the Oakland airport, a 20-30min drive from UC Berkeley! There is nothing to worry about, and NO hobos do NOT **** in the bart trains…Bart has nice seats and does not smell (although it used to stink in the 1990s Ill admit).</p>
<p>the bay area has one of the best public transportation systems in the United States, on par if not better than Boston’s…and trust me I felt more worried about pickpocketers in the crowded Boston subway than I have ever been “scared” about the “daunting african-americans” in Oakland…</p>
<p>get over yourself.</p>
<p>cut the euphorisms, what everyone wants to say is…
grow some balls lol </p>
<p>i’m a little asian girl and im not even scared</p>
<p>I feel like it’s a lot easier to educate yourself if you ask questions and get answers that aren’t personal attacks. Laughing at the OP because the OP doesn’t have the same experience you do is counter-effective. </p>
<p>The question was about the Oakland airport, so saying “The only real ghetto parts are near the Oakland airport, a 20-30 minute drive from UC Berkeley” doesn’t even address it, especially not the way you’re trying to portray Oakland.</p>
<p>Putting words in other people’s mouths isn’t really helping anything either. I don’t see anything remotely close to someone being “‘scared’ about the ‘daunting african-americans’ in Oakland.”</p>
<p>There is nothing wrong with Oakland except its PR regarding the crime statistics. The BART is likely the safest public transportation there is – they have their own police even. Be street-smart and you will be fine, same as anywhere else.</p>
<p>That was just rude, jenkkie.</p>
<p>Pretty much all of West Oakland is shady. The BART itself is quite safe – I’ve had some crazy people running through trains I’ve been on, but I wasn’t too worried because BART has cameras everywhere.</p>
<p>And I wouldn’t say there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Oakland. I grew up there and can remember when we had riots when the Raiders lost the Super Bowl in 2001 or something. That was pretty sad. People trashing their own streets because their football team lost.</p>