Here's What Downtown Oakland, California Looks Like Today
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2022
- Oakland just might be broken for good.
Some say tech will help - bringing in new fancy high paying jobs and companies. Some say tech is making things worse here by blowing up the cost of living and forcing people into the streets.
Here's the Oakland PTSD T Shirt featured in the video: my-store-578844.creator-sprin...
Downtown Oakland everyone! Don’t get too excited. This isn’t a very fun place. In fact, it’s not a very nice place at all. Oakland has always been the cheaper, more culturally stimulating ugly sister of San Francisco across the bay. And based on what I saw and from what people are saying, Oakland is in a bad place right now.
For this drive, we’re going to tour downtown Oakland and visit a few neighborhoods here. It was late in the day at the end of October and the skies were partly cloudy.
You probably won’t be wowed by this downtown. But it’s actually nice compared to the surrounding areas. Cause Oakland is a very rundown place in every direction. Trash graffiti and homeless people seem to be in every nook and cranny. You can see that in other videos I did.
Downtown is one of the few areas in Oakland that’s not completely trashed. Yet. It’s in west Oakland which is the better Oakland - but that's not saying much. This downtown isn’t fancy and it's very dangerous at night. A little later I’ll talk about my night walk through downtown, but as you might expect it wasn’t pleasant.
Oakland is trying to gentrify the downtown area. They’re tearing out old ugly warehouses and putting in sparkling new condos in parts of town. However, it can be hard to justify paying $5,000 a month for a condo here when the first floor windows get smashed, people are getting shot nearby or your car is vandalized. And all the new growth has outpriced a lot of people here, so there are a bunch of empty buildings. People here wonder why they can’t be turned into cheap apartments.
Now I talked to several people while in Oakland this day, and there seems to be a dichotomy among residents here. On one hand, there’s a lot of pride among people in West Oakland. Oakland is very funky and gritty and rough around the edges, and a lot of people here are into art and music and self expression. It’s often hard to tell what’s vandalism and what’s art. Or what’s both.
Many residents have pride in Oakland, and they think San Francisco is an overpriced bunch of snobs without a sense of community and culture. Here in Oakland you pay $5k for a condo only to have your windows shot out. But across the bay, you pay a million bucks for a house with poop on your porch.
People I talked to say they look out for one another on this side of the bridge and they want change. A lot of people here say they want to make Oakland better - or at least not let it get worse. Some will say Oakland is pushing BACK against the negative that has crept in. Locals will tell you stories about how during protests, the community would stand guard to protect the small business owners from being looted. Or how people will demand a more even playing field for the poor.
But when I drove around Oakland and the surrounding areas, it was hard to see evidence of the community pride. It’s like people live in what they used to call paradise, but now treat it like hell.
Oakland is challenged in many ways. Drugs, gangs, shootings, graffiti, trash, homelessness and poverty are issues that are getting worse all the time. And it used to be that you could flee up into the surrounding hills to get away from Oakland’s drama, into areas like Walnut Creek. But it’s even creeping into the nice neighborhoods, too.
Here in downtown, it’s not very safe. Besides the property crime that happens on just about every block, there are often shootings. Sometimes you can hear gunfire down here every night of the week.
It’s not ALL bad here. Because it’s cheaper here than in San Francisco, a lot of technology companies have moved into the downtown area. There’s certainly a startup scene here and with that comes a lot of smart, motivated wealthy people. The city has a downtown economic development plan with hopes to revitalize the area with additional housing, public spaces, and other improvements. So that’s good.
#california #moving
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This channel is about America!
The best video on this topic!
Here's my entire California playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLq-_cmf3H6yomU5rB6yOC5C9hr0Qnkf1l.html
Why did you say shut up for
Oakland is actually a beautiful city with lots of parks and victorian's and beautiful trees. There are redwood forests and lots of hiking trails. Lake Merritt is nice and totally safe during the day. My 98 year old grandma talks about how beautiful Oakland was when she was a child. It's a shame that this beautiful city has gone so far downhill because it has the potential to be a gem.
He never said it wasn't a beautiful city, it even says it in the title.....
Lake Merritt is a dump now. Sad
My hometown I love it but haven’t been in the area for decades.. I agree so much potential
"Totally safe during the day"
bruh Lake merritt?🤣 where 3 PEOPLE have been robbed and killed in the last months including the mother of a 2 year old baby girl ? and then another victim was beaten, Dragged, and shot for a Louis Vuitton bag .....why not show it?🤣
I'm sad watching this because in the '70's I worked in Oakland and it was pretty nice! LOVED DOGGIE DINER! There was a great Hof-Brau to have lunch and some cute boutiques..great book and newspaper place, nice department stores, friendly people walking around. Lake Merritt was great...I'm tearing up just thinking about it 😢...oh and Boz Scaggs had a New Year's Show at the Paramount Theater - New Year's 1974 which was incredible and great clubs to go dancing...great memories of Oakland! I lived in Berkeley and Alameda at the time..very nice
The seventies were great in Oakland. When cocaine hit the streets in the eighties, all hell broke loose. It has been lights out since then.
I'm not American, but watching this guy drive through peaceful streets that basically just look like they need some life (the intersection at 5:00 actually looks very nice) and say that he could get mugged and he's on "his toes" is pretty hard for me to understand. I feel like any major city has the exact same problems as Oakland, California has, please correct me if I'm wrong though. All Im saying is if this is what is considered broken in America then you guys are in a good position in your country.
I'm actually surprised by how calm and nice this video looks. Oakland looks nothing like this, from what I've seen as of late.
The homeless encampments are all over, and growing. A lot of once nice places just look really run down now, the streets are in a sad state of affairs and desperately need repairing, and crime? Arghhh... Yeah. That's definitely an issue.
This video was surprisingly calm. I'm in Oakland several days a week, and I wish things were this "zen". It's actually depressing.
Oakland has a lot of crime , poverty ,gangs and drugs more so than most cities it's size . That's the problem .
I grew up in Oakland and there's a lot of race violence, mostly gangs. But now I only visit every few years or so and every time it gets worse with the homeless/drug problem. People who aren't in their right mind and will gladly stab or shoot you to get their fix. Walking around at night feels like a zombie movie with all the twitching people.
@arizenation3188 I got a question if you don't mind answering, I'm planning on heading out there for a concert at fox theatre with my girlfriend but having second thoughts, I'd like to hear what your opinion is on if we'd be pretty safe in the area? I'm mexican by the way if that matters
Our local government loves to replace the old residents when they no longer benefit thier agenda unfortunately. Most of the people you see trashing and living in the streets used to have lives and live in the homes they are now parked around.. At least the ones that lucky enough to not be dead already .
Oakland is a picture of the future of all California under Governor Gavin !
Unfortunately I think your right.
This is the same state that gave us Adam Schiff Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi so what do you expect
@@Ryguy-lg2xz yeah they are soft leaders but their human beings let's still try to love all people.
Futurles would be the correct terminology!!!
Even the police keep a couple of cars together under this wonderful governor.
KEEP VOTING DEMOCRATIC CALIFORNIA
@@timweb1510 votes don't matter they get selected.
Like florida is better ugh
Idaho Wyoming and Montana are better anyway. So was Colorado before all the Calis screwed it up
All of these cities...same problem.
Ya because America will rot up😨😱〽🔻❗
13/90
Oakland has a lot of problems. And a lot of homless are in the center of down town. But you didn't really go anywhere. You circled china town went down 12th street, did a 180 then went back to china town. You went nowhere past outside of 12-15th street. You missed all of uptown, the lake area, jack london square and the college area.
I agree, this was a very limited (and seemingly biased) presentation of Oakland.
@@susanbrown4507 It's very much biased. The video said "here is the rest of downtown Oakland" but that's not true. Its the same street on 12th where he left Chinatown where he just did 180 on the same street. Even people who have never been to downtown Oakland can just google downtown Oakland and see its MUCH more to it than that. Oakland has its problems though. in fact there is a global housing shortage and drug pandemic in every major city on earth. in cities where homelessness isn't that visible, often criminalize homelessness and even make it illegal to give food or money to homeless persons. So I'm curious where he lives now.
I honestly don't know why anyone listens to this guy... it's incredibly frustrating that he spends a few days or so in a place and claims to be an expert. Also, I am really upset that he's marketing and selling those OPTSD shirts. Not cute, not funny. He needs to take that off of his online store and donate any money he's made to an honest Oakland-based organization that benefits the community, like EFAM and Cob on Wood.
He has a biased agenda. It’s not an honest review. He literally generalizes based off two blocks.
"Noo all the bad places are not here but a few blocks away from here". You're just coping your city is Mogadishu.
This is what decades of terrible policy and governance leads to.
THe woke voters deserve the blame first. This is what they voted for.
@@kanank13 exactly! It’s every city in America now. Sad.
How? Be specific
@@portland675 You're asking a lot from this comment section, all they know is "liberals bad" and "BLM burnt down blank city"
@@portland675 are you really clueless?
Oakland is not for the weak! I was born and raised in Oakland, ALL cities have a rough side. It looks like you're only driving around a five mile radius. There's a lot more to Oakland than that.
I live in Oakland too and I was thinking the same.
There's probably a few nice blocks
THANK YOU. Someone that understands, all city’s have bad neighborhoods and good neighborhoods and what this channel is focusing on is only the bad places. If you drive a bit more around downtown and not just focus on Chinatown, there is jack London square, Uptown, lake Merritt and other places that aren’t even around downtown. Dimond, rockridge, piedmont etc. this guy also went past broadway like 5 times and broadway is one of the nicest streets in Oakland which shows that you were trying to highlight just the bad stuff. focusing just on the bad places is kinda manipulative because people watching this video that never have seen oakland will be mislead that it’s an awful city with nothing good, even though most of it is really nice.
Broad way is cleaner and safe but the whole thing is done…… People should get some help but I don’t blame them I blame the expensive price no wonder why people are doing this it’s beacuse of how expensive it is
Empty streets. Seems that people do not walk anymore, except for homeless people. All drive Toyotas. Feels something off with this city. Looks more like a computer game, no life there, no heart, dead robotic town.
When I lived in SF 20 years ago, tech companies were just coming in and changing the city, and a lot of my friends were moving to Oakland. It was up-and-coming with a vibrant cultural scene, cheaper rent, and better weather. Although it had a reputation for being dangerous, there was a feeling that it was improving, and that some day it would rival San Francisco as a premier city by the bay. It is sad to see that both cities are regressing now. The point that was made in this video about not wanting to go there because it isn’t safe should concern the city’s leadership. If there is no physical security, then businesses will not invest and people will not come there to spend money. In turn, the city will deteriorate. I avoided going to Oakland, and now I avoid going to SF because I don’t want my car windows smashed. (There’s always someone who replies, “Good. We don’t want you anyway.” It’s working out fine for me and everyone else in my shoes. I hope it works out for you too.) As far as I know, there has always been corruption and incompetence in the city governments of both Oakland and SF. I don’t know how you turn this around.
We just avoid California altogether. Well, we avoid the total West coast of the US.
Stop voting in the same liberals over and over again.
One of my nieces lives in Oakland and has a good job working for Google.I live in Raleigh NC and will take Raleigh any day over any area in California.
@@jan22150 It is weird talking to some of my friends who live up there. It’s like they’ve been brainwashed so they can’t see what is happening right in front of them. One friend was complaining about Republicans. Meanwhile, she has had her car broken into multiple times, and her apartment broken into by a psychotic crack-addict neighbor that the landlord was unable to evict. That neighbor made is unsafe to go in and out of her apartment because he and his girlfriend were always hanging around behaving erratically. I told her she is literally the poster child for how Republicans view progressive dysfunction. I wonder if she will ever stop voting for more of the same.
It's called Progressives, Democrats and your term culturally vibrant you primarily talking Joggers who commit the majority of violent crime.
I was a cop in Oakland 28 years ago. I wouldn't go back there without a gun for any reason in the world. It wasn't a nice place back then and it's only gotten way worse.
This dude said he was scared for 5days, scarf of what!! Oakland like every other town mind ur business you be alright
LA has it's problems but Oakland looks way worse and way dirtier.
Wow.
He's scared of fast scooters and loud doors apparently
Not true at all lol.
LA is the dirtiest city in the galaxy
When I was a little boy, my grandmother lived in Alameda and we regularly went to Oakland. I remember a clean and safe downtown, and have many memories of good times at the Oakland Zoo and Children's Fairyland. What I see now looks like the dystopian timeline where Biff Tannen had the sports almanac.
I'm guessing you were a little boy well before 2015. See my comment thread for more details.
I agree when I was about 10 or so. I would take the bus downtown alone. All my mother asked me to do is be home for supper. If I was that age and my family still live in Oakland, that traveling alone would never, never happen. Nice fancy tall office buildings now, by no street life that would interest me.
Oakland is safer now than it was 30 years ago.this video is a big pile of 💩
GOVERNOR NEUSOM, NANCY PELOSI, DIANE FINESTEIN, JOE BIDEN, HILLARY & BILL CLINTON, O'BAMA, and co are letting the homeless people sleep over at their house - spread the word!!!
@@nicoleerny635 It certainly isn't as safe as it was in 1968. I can't say about 1991 (in many places around the US crime peaked in the mid nineties, but many of those same places are now approaching the same levels of crime), I do know that by the mid 1970s it was well known to be a place to stay away from. My aunt lived on East 14th until probably 1973 when she GTFO.
Thanks for the RIDE, Nick.
Great video 💯 🔥
Soft on crime, tough on life (for tax-payers).
I blame Trump and then covid.
J. Biden
Covid phyop
aka. The people that actually work
Well at least Biden promises to cure cancer now.
@@kandyaxelrod8797 I hope this is sarcasm.
Jerry Brown wasn't too bad as governor of CA, although far from perfect, but Gavin Newsom has destroyed the state and has no clue what he's doing.
U nuts? Brown was a complete sell out acehole. He gave 10's of millions to illegals! Gavin is straight evil, yet doest get impeached!
@@benrichards9667 I'm going by the lesser of 2 evils. He at least had experience and kind of knew what he was doing.
Of course he knows what’s he’s doing! Wake up!
Gavin is holding his breath.....LOL
What a dump!! Sadly all coastal cities are going to hell. Very tragic. Vote useless politicians out!!
Visit my home city of Portland, that went to shit real fast. Not coastal but near the Wilamette and Columbia River.
Unfortunately. It’s not just costal cities. Memphis, St Louis, Philadelphia ,Little Rock, Montgomery , Chicago .... etc...come to mind.
Not really. Visit Cambria, CA. Its quite beautiful.
@Nat D I think he means anything within 2 hours of the coast is "coastal." Oakland isn't really coastal but an short drive to the ocean
True. Was born and raised in Oakland but moved to the Seattle area when I was 8 years old. It didn't seem similar at first but its slowly and slowly getting the same way.
It breaks my heart because Oakland was my home for 20 plus years, I lived and walked around on all the streets in this video. Having grown up in poverty as an adult Oakland was all I could afford and I lived there longer than I'd lived anywhere in my life. I grew up witnessing crime, homicides and the downtrodden but after the looting and dead guy I saw under a yellow plastic sheet then hauled off by the coroner I just couldn't take it anymore, all of my previous trauma returned, the callousness of criminals and the disregard for victims made me move with a deeply heavy heart that I had to escape my home and move far away from my friends in Oakland. My new neighborhood is calm, quiet and peaceful I see animals here coyotes, owls, lots of crows and can hear the waves crashing at night but am deeply saddened that I had to flee my home because of corrupt government, political correctness and violent criminals. I think 50% of my building moved, too. Those sociopaths who say good you left don't return fail to understand the psychological impact Oakland had on some really decent people who couldn't take it anymore and left.
And can you believe a lot of people on here are defending oakland?
@@NickJohnson why is that hard to believe ? Who hurt you growing up ? Seems you just wake up to post negative FALSE mainly assumptions from the camera I guess it’s a step above from keyboard right?
Lol. Its ruined & you moved because of political correctness & corrupt politicians? I hate to burst your bubble, but those things are pretty much anywhere you go.
@@NickJohnsonI know how much you like the bash Oakland. Look at San Bernardino where you’re from it’s a shit hole just like cities like Riverside, Stockton, Bakersfield etc…
@@NickJohnson how long have u lived in Oakland?
1000 years from now, the homeless will still be homeless.
And to think the cheapest and most successful way to fix it is to simply give people housing. But we refuse to do it, and then we all suffer.
being homeless will be the new thing and the working man will get laughed at
Are they ever going to extinction?
1979/82 was station in the navy, in alameda. did a lot of (10) k road races around the bay area, oakland, held the best races and even with the crime, never had any problems catching the bart or waiting for the bus.
Appreciate the service. Lots changed unfortunately...
I can totally relate to the OPTSD feelings. Back around 2005 I lived right next to Jack London Square for 6 months. Luckily our complex was completely fenced in and so cars were safe, and I could walk to Jack London Square itself during the day and it was kind of nice. But as soon as it started heading towards evening, I made sure I was back home because it started getting much more shady. Definitely avoided walking across to the other side of the street during the day and at night, no way! During your drive around the city it reminded me of driving around, checking around all directions at the stop lights in case I needed to run the light for my safety.
During the day in downtown I have no worries ever, but at night yeah I always feel a bit on edge and definitely keep my guard up a little more. Never walk under the freeway overpasses at night.
GOVERNOR NEUSOM, NANCY PELOSI, DIANE FINESTEIN, JOE BIDEN, HILLARY & BILL CLINTON, O'BAMA, and co are letting the homeless people sleep over at their house - spread the word!!!
It would be nice to see a gang on homeless camping out front of the politicians house
Oakland is the hood...but it has hella nice areas too.
Enough with the hella, fella.
I rent an office in downtown Oakland. The other day, I couldn’t get inside because someone was sleeping in the entry way. I called the non-emergency police line and yet no one came.
It was such a disappointing moment.
Thanks for sharing Oakland👍🙏
I left Oakland in 2014 and lived in the area for 20 years. Moved to the east bay in 1992. I loved Oakland and it was still so vibrant when I left eight years ago. However, I had witnessed a car jacking. A friend still there was jacked. Another friend a victim to home invasion and held up at gunpoint. They got maximum withdrawal from his bank account, 10k. A friend in the hills said she never drives downtown anymore after the pandemic because things have grossly deteriorated. Glad to be outta Ca in general.
I hate driving by Oakland. The whole bay are in general looks really bad. Trash, homelessness,BLM signs, crime
Lol what? BLack lives matter signs offend you?
@@portland675 they support communism and abolishing the police. Two things I oppose
@@MrMet-ih5jv That is 100% false
@@portland675 look it up
The signs are a problem?
Nick would live to see you do some direct comparisons of cities. I.e. Kansas City Vs. St. Louis or Dallas/Houston.
I could!
@@NickJohnson what were the gangs you're referring to?
@@MJ-bm8oq coming from him he’d make up 100k hangs out of “Oakland “!
@@MJ-bm8oq 2’s 3’s and 4’s
It's always interesting, Property owners will leave a space empty rather than lower the rent value to reflect the market.
Thanks you, Barbara boxer, Diane fineStein and Nancy polocy.
Is what a fine job you've done for your costituents
always love you content, Nick. Great work!!
I grew up Oakland CA lived on lake shore on lake Merritt. 1975 to 2000. It is great place back then. Great ethnic restaurants. Walks around the lake. Rent boats on the lake. Great place to live back then.
Still is, truthfully, this video is idiotic
I left San Francisco twice to live in Oakland. I enjoyed living in Oakland when I was young!
It's still great. A little wobbly after corona but so much great stuff did survive.
There are plenty of issues in Oakland, but it’s a pretty fantastic place to live. Go to telegraph, old Oakland, lake Merritt, Jack London square.
Hope you will come check out downtown Nashville. There is a growing litter and homeless problem here. Some of it within 50 yards of City Hall…a lot of people from California and Washington and New York have moved here, and unfortunately it seems they have brought the same mindsets with them as well…
I'm going to!
@@jackip2ava conservatives won’t make it any better though.
@@kaydenchan7093 You are wrong about that. Wherever an influx of people turns a city from red to blue, the same thing happens. It all has to do with values. If you don't see a difference, you aren't paying attention. Liberalism: No individual responsibility, rights without responsibilities, handouts, equal outcomes instead of equal opportunities, identity politics, guilt by ancestry, etc. Conservative: You are responsible for the outcome of your choices, work hard, no one owes you anything, safety net, not a trampoline, work toward equal opportunity insofar as it is possible, but you are responsible for the outcome of your life. "The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." Ben Franklin
@@frankrosenbloom no it’s you who’s wrong, everything you said is just myths and lies and false accusations.
@@kaydenchan7093 Sorry, but you are reacting emotionally, as do most liberals. Everything I said can be shown to be true. You don't want it to be, but reality does not depend on your wishes. I'm ready to accept what you say, but show me evidence and proof of where I am wrong. You call me a liar. Specifically show me where I have lied. Back up your assertions and persuade me.
From what I've seen, California's idea on how to fix the state is to gentrify everything. Money can only coat a problem for so long. A town where I live that had been gentrified to oblivion is actually worse off now for how expensive the town has gotten.
I can see that's exactly what's happening with most metro areas minus some such as Saint Louis, Missouri which has a great museum and zoo, but nothing more I'd want in my life.
Exactly.
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GOVERNOR NEUSOM, NANCY PELOSI, DIANE FINESTEIN, JOE BIDEN, HILLARY & BILL CLINTON, O'BAMA, and co are letting the homeless people sleep over at their house - spread the word!!!
Kids did not get accepted to any college or university with free tuition after high school. UC Berkeley is the enemy for the community that only increase homeless people for the poor, while the educated rich get wealthy, despite no one will dare to say it.
This is not representative of what Oakland looks like. If you go to the run down parts of any major city, this is what you’ll find. Conditions have absolutely worsened as a result of the pandemic in terms of encampments and crime, as is true across the country.
The truth is that there’s a bustling food scene, vibrant and beautiful waterfronts a few blocks from this, dozens of “full service” new condo and apartment buildings, and most Oakland is actually verdant residential territory. It’s a sprawling city, so barely anyone lives downtown except for transplants from SF who don’t get it.
Exactly I live here and this guy is def pushing a certain narrative. Also graffiti doesn't mean unsafe.
Get real What about lake Lake merritt?🤣 where 3 PEOPLE have been robbed and killed in the last months including the mother of a 2 year old baby girl ?🤣😭🤣😭 and then another victim was beaten, Dragged, and shot for a Louis Vuitton bag .....?🤣
@@rdzrdz2312 yeah 3 compared to the 111 that happend in east Oakland it ain’t that bad bruh lol
Lol be riding my fixie between 6pm-12am lol just keep it pushin 😂💯
Congrats on the 1/2 million subs!
People I used to know would call it Coke-land, for obvious reasons. 😆😄😅
Here in Oakland, you pay 5k for a condo only to have your windows shot but across the bay, you pay a million bucks for a house with poop on your porch; lol😂
I live in a veterans homeless shelter here on 8th st. The beginning of this video is a cruise down 7th st.
@@sanbruno6010 !!
Appreciate ya service!
Have lived in downtown Oakland since 2003 - time flies ! Biggest problem is there is no affordable housing. You can’t have developers come in, gentrify the shit out of an area and throw people, many which have lived here all their lives, out into the streets. The pandemic has also dealt another heavy blow and made it almost impossible for small businesses to survive. To sum it up in one word, GREED !!!! The entire country is going to shit and your videos are proof
Or maybe because property taxes are high, so no one wants to invest there. Maybe it is expensive for a reason? You can blame greed, but I think there are other reasons. Wasn't rent cheaper in the past?
Yep, greed 100%
Greed on both ends of spectrum .
Yes. Coming from someone born and raised in the east bay I have seen the downfall since the tech industry has boomed as well. They have brought all the gentrification. People moving in from all over the world and we are pretty much getting pushed out.
Sabotage! our government has sold us out. Everything we are told is a lie, our president was not even elected.
Great videos Nick, you do a great job.
I moved to Oakland 20yrs it was beautiful. 7yrs ago the rents went up and the trash moved in. I blame the mayor oh and that Newsom ugh
I have to go to 827 Broadway in Oakland next month for a dental surgery. I am apprehensive as the office I go to is in Berkeley Is this one OK? Did you drive thru here?
Berkeley is better
@@NickJohnson they are sending me to the Oakland office in Broadway n 8th for the surgery..it looks like Chinatown? I'm nervous
Thanks!
Dang I never realized how boring the color of cars were until watching this video 😂.
I’m always saying that....white is so cutting edge these days...
yup! The 1950's are long gone....
White, red.& silver is pretty much the colors todays car dealers offer. Once in a great while, blue or a faded green. When cars were outstanding it used to be, Metallic blue and candy apple red Pontiac G T O's and Chevy Chevelle's. Green, blue, or red Metal Flake Chevy Corvettes. The same thing that happened to Oakland happened to corporations. What people want will get zero consideration. What they will get shall lead the dealer or entity behind them to the mother load of money, And the consumer gets no choice other than the bland obvious. Todays car all look identical, a Toyota looks exactly like a Chevy, Ford, Honda, Buick, Acura, They all look the same.
@@richardbartolo2890 i miss seeing the pastel cars of the sixties and fifties,....gorgeous....
I appreciate all the hard work that you put into these videos!
i actually live in downtown oakland and i would say that its pretty chill
Nick, have you ever done a video on the Bronx, particularly South Bronx? I think that would be right up your alley!!
Nick should tag along with CharlieBoi13 in a collaboration effort. That'd be insane!
Ok, this is going way way back in time but while I was in the Navy back in 1971-1974 both Oakland and San Francisco were wonderful and I loved walking all over both cities, day and night. I loved Golden Gate Park. I’ve never been back since leaving and I’d hate to see these places anymore with how bad everything’s gotten.
Rockridge..Piedmont.. Temescal aren't run down.. walk from chapel Oakland to the end of Piedmont and it's super nice
Oakland right off the airport was so bad, we didn’t stop at red lights.
There are many locals in Oakland who don't stop at red lights and who also exceed the speed limit straight through 4 way stops without even slowing down.
As someone who has lived in the area you showed this video felt very out of touch. You really overplayed how bad downtown Oakland is. It's pretty safe and clean, especially in comparison to the actual bad parts of Oakland.
As someone who was born in Oakland in 77 he has plenty videos stating that very fact and is just pointing out the very obvious disability Oakland has, engineered and otherwise.
With all the shootings and homicides that happen every week, I’m glad you feel safe in Oakland.
Hey Nick, thanks for showing Oakland. It really is hellish and I don’t blame anyone in particular but everyone in general. Lack of support, poor management, broken legal system, and I can go on forever. When visiting Oakland you really have to be careful. There’s been a lot of car break ins and robberies in broad daylight. Don’t make yourself an easy target by hiding all your valuables and you should be fine.
that earthquake cant come soon enough
I remember over 25 years ago setting a boat in the water @ the 5th Ave boat launch on the Embarcadero and spending a day on the bay with my cousins...one visiting from Oregon....We returned to find the truck window smashed and my poor cousins purse that was hidden underneath the seat long gone.....Smash & Grab has been a long time Oakland tradition....Started going to Alameda after that event....Even to this day....Alameda has a very pro-active police force....Oakland PD....They have always had problems.
As a Bay Area local and someone who lives in Oakland I agree that Oakland has really bad areas but you have to show the good areas too, Oakland Zoo, Montclair, The Cathedral Building, Oakland City Hall, Chabot Space and Science Center, Shepherds Canyon Park, Lake Merritt, Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park, and other places. Oakland may not be the best city, but it’s my city. Another thing I would like to point out is that other big cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York also have areas like this. Every city has its ups and downs.
I’m not saying that this video is wrong, there are many places like this in Oakland, but I just wanted to point out some of the highlights of the city.
I use to work in Oakland and I was born there in 1948. Move out in the 50s. I lived in Sacramento in the 50s and 60s. Moved to Concord Ca about 30 miles from Oakland and worked many years in the bay area. In the 80s I worked at William D White Co. on Magnolia St and 35th. A real bad part of Oakland. In the 70s I work at a gas station on the corner of High and Mc Arthur Blvd.
Oakland has been that way for a long time. I worked downtown in the 1970s. the government is always proclaiming Oakland is up and coming.
20+ years of far-left politics and Oakland is now Detroit's "sister city." LA and SF are not far behind.
I'm from Oakland,it's the kind of place you get in and get out as quickly as possible...run!
What a beautiful little coastal city.
ITS JUST CALIFORNIA WAY
I lived in Alameda county for 35 years. Oakland has always had a promise of becoming a great place, but it has never happened. I am a big fan of Oakland as I have always seen it as the underdog. As you can tell from the video downtown Oakland does not look that bad. I think what Nick found is that it does not have the hustle and bustle of SF. You feel alone downtown and given the reputation it makes you feel unsafe. As Nick said Oakland is complicated. You will see the crazy people but you will also find many kind people that want you to find the enjoyable parts of Oakland. The guy that greets you with a welcome coming out of the BART station is certainly something you won’t see in SF. But alas I have retired and moved out of the Bay Area. The reasons for moving just overwhelmed any reasons for staying.
Born and raised in West Oakland. I remember when Oakland was the little brother to San Francisco. Both cities were fairly clean back then. Parts of San Francisco became dirty, graffiti everywhere city. Drugs and the homeless problem really grew. When San Fran people migrated to Oakland, they brought the good bad and ugly with them. Parts of Oakland to me looks like the worse parts of San Fran. 580 freeway going thru Oakland was always clean. Now it's a dumping ground. Lake Merritt was always clean and there was very little violence there. Downtown now has all these new apartments which have very little parking. The last two super liberal mayors for Oakland have been horrible for the city. I have no problems with liberals, but super liberals' politicians have been horrible for Oakland and California period. Just my opinion. Northern California has morphed into the negative parts of Southern California. Moved from Oakland many years ago. Now we are ready to leave California.
*_Luke 19.10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”_*
*_Matthew 11.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."_*
_Jesus Christ loves you. Repent and be saved. Only Jesus Christ saves. God bless you, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family._
-
Oakland does look bad... and no way it's not on purpose...
SF is just as bad.. TL,HP,Swampy D..
Hey nick. You should make videos asking people what u should check out in your up coming places. You missed filming the many skid row streets downtown.
Some gorgeous old low rises with eye catching architectural.
Outside water issue, or lack there of , everything can be overcomes , it only takes time.
I used to live in Fresno, could you create a video on its current status?
Thank you
Looked like a City in anywhere USA complete with a few nice apartment buildings What happened to the slime, grime and crime? Your slacking Nick!
Anywhere north of dc and near the ocean but not like any city in 90% of the country
Oakland’s always been pretty REAL. None of this is new. Many parts have also gentrified big time.
I left Oakland in 2011, around the time when the uptown area near the lake was being revitalized. At that time everything was relatively safe and the night life was really starting to step up. It seems like both Oakland and SF started to fall apart during and following the Occupy movement, particularly with the homeless situation and open drug use.
No-one has clued to the fact that property price is what's the driving force tech moving price up down just with homelessness
Nick is one of the greatest journalists of our time.
@@kandyaxelrod8797 Go
he shows more than just two sides of the story. That's why youre right, its not good, its great journalism.
The only bright spot is Jack London Square where people can film trains such as Amtrak and Union Pacific
Oakland Kaiser, one of the city's largest employers in the city, has decided their employees can not leave the building on their lunch times because it is too unsafe. Especially the one on 1950 Franklin where I used to work. I grew up in Oakland and I am SO sad to see what it has become. I was married for 15 years to a police officer there and how they released their last police Chief is not only wrong but disheartening. I will be leaving the bay as soon as I find me a good place to go in the South. Please keep up your great work! Hopefully it will effect positive change.🙏🏾❤️🕊
It’s too bad that you missed out on so much beauty of Oakland. Like Merritt college, mills college,Jack London Square,Oakland zoo, Lake Merritt, Oakland museum, and even the delicious taco trucks lol
Watching this video makes me want to pick up some Chinese food.
Me too
Golden medal 🏅 🔥
I live in the Hispanic neighborhood in Fruitvale. One of the best place to try Mexican food. Taco Sinaloa is one of the best tacos in the town. One thing i miss is going to Raiders and Warriors games. Oakland was so alive back then.
I use to work in Oakland by city center 15 years ago and it kind of still looks like it use to. My first day there a naked guy was pooping on the street near 12th and Broadway and a month later the Wells Fargo by the city center bart station was robbed. Oakland has some nice areas and bad ones, but the area you are in is definitely not safe at night. People use to drug deal in front of my company.
Raised in Oakland Ca. Grew up in Felix Mitchell's 6-9 Vill. Went to local schools. Survived it all with no Felonies. I moved to Texas 15 yrs ago. Best decision I ever made. Now I am a Co Pilot for LifeFlight Helicopter Rescue. I miss Oakland Ca., Well I miss the Oakland ca I grew up in, not this new 1.
Cool
West Oakland has never been considered the better part lol
😂🤣😂🤣 I let tht one slide
Governor Brown used to live in Oakland, although it was some years ago.
Hi Nick. Thanks for this eye opening mess in Oakland. Please do a trip to Boise. I hear that it's quite the place now and it would be interesting to see what it looks like there. Lots of ppl have moved to that area. Also, perhaps, Ogden. Just a thought.
aside from much more graffiti, pretty much looks the same when i was sales rep there in the 90s. lots of the video was also showing oakland's chinatown. wonder if alameda has changed for the worse over the years. i remember alameda as a nice place just a rock throw from oakland with a different vibe and feel.
@@leechurchill1965 from fremont to richmond, alameda was my favorite city within the immediate east bay (not including the 680 corridor with pleasanton/walnut creek/concord/danville/etc...)
The future of oakland is...it will look like Falluja,Iraq or Mogadishu , Somalia.
I love your new O.P.T.S.D. shirt 😂
Get one!
hey man while checking my phone this morning at work to see what's up with the world your video (yes this one lol) popped up under a video game story i saved it and now after doing what i needed to im like, now that im at home i'll relax and check out this guys's video. yea we used to live in a small apt in nicole ave it was fine for a while till the late 80's when the drugs and gangs started coming in so parents were like: when the sun goes down that means you get your butts in this house ok so we knew what they ment it was really scary plus my mom's parents had gotten a nice house on 48th ave in the fruitvale district nice houses but bad neighbors soon cops were called to our place and my grandma's place almost every night in 93 for a reunion cops raided neighbors across the st for major drugs i've lived in this state my whole life it's gotten almost as bad as la (another rams fan story with security as im sure you've read about that too) then in 09 i left mysafeway job where i was in charge of most things to become an assistant mgr for a thrift store in the temscale district in oakland yea remember the world wide riots that took place everywhere but more so here cuz it was about ca, we needed more space so we took over a bulding next to a bar if you look at a pic on my fb pg you'll see the day after the riots someone threw eggs at the windows im like wow and since riots were adding up to where people were getting attacked for no reason we called the opd but they were like sorry...we were like wow that's not cool idk about you but iv'e been to most stadiums but oakland is the worst water leaks and crap all over when libby shaft became their mayor she swore nothing more would happen on her watch and this would be stopped....it stopped alright rents went up more which is why you see more homeless in tents sideshows took place every night like you said you almost got jumped while in 07 a guy did get jumped but 4 cops did nothing and no they weren't even fired she was more focused on playing chess with teams but making them wait now look, the warriors got a bigger and better deal in sf so they own the new chase building mark davis got tired of waiting and dealing with her lies so he moves the raiders to oakland and now the a's are demanding a new building or remodel but nope now their talking about turning the a's home into new apartments mlb in late 2020 gave them permission to look at moving elsewhere but their gm is like hold on they are offering us this much if we wait and stay in oakland (im gonna laugh if they leave too) sure most cities have crazy crime at night but they actually help you deal with it and arrest people but oakland nope in fact they only have 1 cop per school cuz to them it's like eh if a school shooting happens what's the point, we can't give up on these kids if we do they win then what? im looking to move out of my currant apartment...im right next store in san leandro but i'll never move to oakland even if i get married and have kids no just no i won't put my family in that much danger !!
Most of the pro sports teams have left Oakland. It must have been a real blow to lose the Warriors and then the Raiders all within a few short years. Here in Philly we take big pride in the fact that all 4 pro major sports teams play in the city proper.
At least Bmore, Cleveland and Detroit still have their teams.
Things look bleak for Oakland... they really do.... I used to live in San Diego and over the years they have lost the Chargers and the Clippers. But I don't think people cared ...
San Diego deserves the chargers back. They have their Padres tho. San Francisco has the warriors (where they began in the Bay Area when they left Philly) giants, and even tho the Niners left 45 min south of SF. They are still in the San Francisco Bay Area and are still the SF Niners. Oakland is about to lose the A’s as well. Sad to see.
Kinda makes you wonder 🤔
My brother used to live there. Saw a lot of poop on the sidewalks as well as trash and homeless people everywhere when we visited him. Could you do Rockford, Illinois next? I believe it was ranked one of the most dangerous cities in the world at one point. When I used to live nearby it murders wouldn't even make the news anymore because there were so many every day.
There is a crap load of new construction downtown and near Bart stations since they are fast tracking multifamily buildings within 1 mile with reduced car parking requirements ( to encourage Muni use)
My dad has two 5000sqft lots near Bart. But right out the circle of 1mile. Too bad since we could turn 2 houses into 12 units if the city planning wasn't fucked.
Another great video Nick. Thanks!
Nick this is one of your best videos! I get the feeling we need to know more about Oakland there are so many things that we don't know. I wonder if you walked around every day and night for 30 days what would be your impression ❓ how different would it be then your current impression ❓ thanks for doing everything you do and stay safe buddy! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
If I walked around oakland for a month I'd probably really start to like the place - or I'd get killed. One or the other.
I lived in North Oakland years ago, and the downtown area looks better now than it did then. However, it was always dreary and depressing downtown. The government tried to improve the area by building a new federal building, and moved a lot of employees over from the SF Federal building. But at 5:00 pm, they got the hell out of there. It was never safe, and not an area they would want to be in at night. I would drive out to suburban areas to shop and dine; there was nothing in downtown Oakland, and I wouldn’t go there if there were, due to the street crime.
Still got some homeless encampment problems just like any other Californian Cities.
*_Luke 19.10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”_*
*_Matthew 11.28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."_*
_Jesus Christ loves you. Repent and be saved. Only Jesus Christ saves. God bless you, and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you and your family._
-
Yukmouth is a rapper from East Oakland. Founder of Smoke-a-Lot Records. Back in in the day I listened to his first few albums. "Thugged Out." "Thug Lord." And "Godzilla." From 1998, 2001, and 2003, respectively. Haven't listened to his stuff since. I wonder if people from Oakland know of local rappers such as Yukmouth just from being a resident or not. Seagram was also from Oakland. Died in a drive-by shooting in 1996. He had two studio albums (1992, 1995).
Seag died in 1996, not 2006.
@@AR-bv9hx Oops. Typo. I corrected it. Thanks.
Hi Nick, I find the difference is that much of the real estate market is no longer owned by family-owned businesses where rents seemed more affordable very little public housing it's real estate owned by big corporations changing the landscape of these major cities raising rents very quickly for most people to afford to create a homeless environment not conductive for most to live in a less stable work market no unions very little job security not to mention drugs which have turn into an incredible addiction to fight off and overcome. I do believe the wealthy class has created this environment setting people up for failure and to continue to reap from their loss. It's going to take certain individuals to realize what's going on and adjust to this ever-changing climate.
Some of it depends on the incentive to learn and find a good job. Net necessarily college, but just wanting to make a decent living. Now so much is drugs, government money, and just hanging out all night.
@@iworkout6912 unfortunately not everybody has the ability to program or learn something complicated I do believe they have skills to learn something with manual hands it doesn't always have to be a computer...
I found myself in this video lol 18:49
Wait what? The person walking in the blue shirt?
@@NickJohnson yea lol
It's actually much nicer and more developed than it was back in the 70's, 80's and 90's. Back then downtown Oakland was like Escape From New York at night. At least now there are restaurants, bars, nice, new buildings and nearby Lake Merritt has been landscaped and renovated.
true but then the losers come and graffiti everything.
Yeah, it looked real charming in the video. SARCASM! LOL
I lived in Oakland twice in part of the 70’s 80’s & 90’s. Downtown became developed in the 90’s. Oakland had a number of nice neighborhoods back in the day. I enjoyed living in Oakland until I got mugged in ‘94.
To be honest, Downtown looked ok, miles better than a lot of the places you’ve shown us