I need to move. Soon. Very very soon.
Dearest Friends,
If any of you decide to move to SF, I would like to offer some advice.
Firstly, do not rely on a few people and their opinion of the safety of a neighborhood, especially if they don't actually live in SF.
Secondly, do combine search terms such as : X neighborhood + shootings + gang violence + "your general run-of-the-mill (you can use your imagination here)" violence + stabbing + drug trade in researching your potential new living situation!
Thirdly, cheap rent probably comes at a cost, so even though that room is 600, think twice over the following neighborhoods:
I heard a drive-by shooting the third night at my new digs.
Just this past weekend, there was a stabbing at 24th and Capp (about three blocks from me), a shooting at Harrison and 6th (about 18 blocks away), a shooting at 24th and York (about 4-5 blocks from my place) and another shooting at 24th and Shotwell (once again, three blocks away). Did I mention I live between 24th and 25th, and there was a shooting in broad daylight three blocks from me in July?
It turns out, I live in the Norteno gang's turf, and they happen to be feuding with the Surenos for the drug trade (okay, I like the show The Wire, but I do not want to live in The Wire). The attorney general would like to create a safety zone in this area. I am smack dab in the middle of this safety zone, just to give you an idea...
This morning, I was fiddling with my bike on the street corner a block from my house, when a car rolled up with some thug-looking guys who shouted for a guy to get in the car. He got in the car, and proceeded to start screaming. Now, between you and me, I don't think he was screaming because they threw a fake snake into his lap as a joke. Nope. Tinted windows says otherwise.
Do I find this interesting? Yeah, I guess, sort of, um, okay not really actually. Do I want to be around it? Hell. Fuckin. No. Can I have a sense of humor about it? Yeah, a couple hours after the latest shooting/stabbing/incident, I suppose I'm feeling well enough to crack a joke.
Wish me luck! I have a curfew. Gotta be home by 10.
Love Love Love!
-Michelle
If any of you decide to move to SF, I would like to offer some advice.
Firstly, do not rely on a few people and their opinion of the safety of a neighborhood, especially if they don't actually live in SF.
Secondly, do combine search terms such as : X neighborhood + shootings + gang violence + "your general run-of-the-mill (you can use your imagination here)" violence + stabbing + drug trade in researching your potential new living situation!
Thirdly, cheap rent probably comes at a cost, so even though that room is 600, think twice over the following neighborhoods:
- Hunter's Point (okay, this is obvious)
- Tenderloin (okay, you'd have to be oblivious to not know the Tenderloin is not where it's at)
- Western Addition (yay, feuding gangs!!!!)
- Visitacon Valley
- Outer Mission/Excelsior
- Ingleside
- Southern half of the Mission (more feuding gangs!!!! yay!!!!!!)
I heard a drive-by shooting the third night at my new digs.
Just this past weekend, there was a stabbing at 24th and Capp (about three blocks from me), a shooting at Harrison and 6th (about 18 blocks away), a shooting at 24th and York (about 4-5 blocks from my place) and another shooting at 24th and Shotwell (once again, three blocks away). Did I mention I live between 24th and 25th, and there was a shooting in broad daylight three blocks from me in July?
It turns out, I live in the Norteno gang's turf, and they happen to be feuding with the Surenos for the drug trade (okay, I like the show The Wire, but I do not want to live in The Wire). The attorney general would like to create a safety zone in this area. I am smack dab in the middle of this safety zone, just to give you an idea...
This morning, I was fiddling with my bike on the street corner a block from my house, when a car rolled up with some thug-looking guys who shouted for a guy to get in the car. He got in the car, and proceeded to start screaming. Now, between you and me, I don't think he was screaming because they threw a fake snake into his lap as a joke. Nope. Tinted windows says otherwise.
Do I find this interesting? Yeah, I guess, sort of, um, okay not really actually. Do I want to be around it? Hell. Fuckin. No. Can I have a sense of humor about it? Yeah, a couple hours after the latest shooting/stabbing/incident, I suppose I'm feeling well enough to crack a joke.
Wish me luck! I have a curfew. Gotta be home by 10.
Love Love Love!
-Michelle