Nice to see this! Currently watching this on the patio of an old house in Oakland while renovating it. Awesome to see what the city looked like while this house was still new
Nice to see those homes restored . Friends live near EastMont mall when it was a Chevrolet factory . Some of those homes sold for $5000 in the 50’s now $500,000
They showing the poor areas in Oakland like " The Lower Bottoms " after they have already come in and destroyed what was a beautiful, black-owned, wealthy town like Black Wallstreet in Oklahoma. Oakland was full of Prominent black doctors, and businessmen who owned provident businesses as well as ships that imported goods into the Bay Area ( San Francisco and Oakland). We owned the first key Rail system that moved all over the Tri-Valley area long before Muni and Bart. They burnt down our homes and businesses and with the help of Ronald Regan and J Edgar Hoover flooded our neighborhoods with drugs
I wonder where you found this history. Much of West Oakland was in very poor condition long before RR. That Hoover guy was just everywhere I suppose, The Key System was the creation of "Borax" Smith and was a private company. I do not know what you mean by "we owned". The SF Muni is a city owned consolidation of various companies, such as the Market Street Railway. It and its antecedent companies go back, like the Key System to the 19th Century. I do not know what you mean by the Tri-Valley Area, which has long been used to describe Amador Valley, San Ramon Valley, and Livermore Valley. None of these were served by the Key System. I've noticed that along with renaming many old neighborhoods in Oakland there has arisen a sort of folk history about the time before about the 1960s. For example a newspaper interview with a women who claimed to be an original resident of Picardy Drive (Christmas Tree Lane). I can tell you that she was not a resident before 1970, when all of the home owners, many of them elderly and the original buyers, were white. The first Hispanic family moved in about 1972, at which time there were as yet no Black families. I don't say the women or the reporter were deliberately falsifying anything, I do think that for whatever reason they were just ignoring 40 years of history that was before their time. I was raised in Oakland , in East Oakland, on the flats. Five people in a two bedroom house. A white neighborhood, where children could play outside after dark in the summer and no one worried about crime. No gun shots, no drugs, no gangs, first graders walked to school. But by the late 1970s , gunfire would disturb the North Oakland area where I was living, Daylight break ins and night time break ins and finally a murder on the street. We moved out. Just as a few years later did many Black families. You cannot blame any of that on J. Edgar. You can blame a lot of it on two things, Lyndon Johnson and the corrupt and incompetent people voted and appointed to govern Oakland.
That was a racist time for oakland in the 50's and now it's just Turning into a shit hole,mentally ill on the streets.Police not doing their job and a DA being too soft on criminals.We need men back in those positions to take action and regulation should be met by force.
@@sandman5088 You’re welcome, and I’m not a nazi. Rather than be snarky, learn what I told you. It’s important in adulthood to communicate clearly. Others will disregard or not understand you if you don’t. I love Enter Sandman by Metallica. Good luck buddy!
@@bigmanonthehustle658 : Too bad Capitalism is making living in cities crazy hard. It was bad enough for a lot of people back then, but now things are untenable even for thousands of people who have full time jobs. I grew up in Oakland and Berkeley, but after two bad back injuries I'm on Disability and can no longer afford to live there. Now I live in a Red county. You know, in the country where people are so "welcoming." It's a myth.
I remember this slum clearance-urban renewal drive. They called it Acorn and cleared many houses that would today have been rehabbed. It was a shameful effort and left blocks after empty block, but none of the promised new development. It was certainly the most racist thing the city did then or later.
@@kaiwilder124 abitofhistory.website/2020/09/14/the-acorn-projects/ Much of the cleared area was left vacant for years. In hindsight the city had no real plan beyond demolition. At that time it was just thought of as clearing out a slum. Not much was said about what would happen next. In retrospect it was racist, and the federal money that eventually came in did put up some better housing, but it did not change the root problems. Those continued in West Oakland and in subsidized housing in North and East Oakland. I watched a brand new apartment house/townhouse just blocks from where I lived, deteriorate almost from day one. First the landscaping and fences, then graffiti on the walls and the groups of men just hanging about. It wasn't about race, it was a government funded culture that devalued education, and denied that a man must have a purpose. It was about good intentions and left progressive ideas, that thrived only as long as there was a problem to solve. In was people like Ron Dellums, who put posturing and expensive suits, and an anti-military view above jobs. When he refused to oppose closing the Naval Air Re-work Facility 8500 people , many of he Black lost good jobs. Sorry for the rant but I watched and continue to watch so many bad polices for helping people, promoted by Black "leaders" and liberals in Oakland and Sacto.
Born in Providence hospital on pill hill 1956 . For those of u reading this that don’t know “pill hill” is between Broadway and Telegraph from about 25th to 32cnd . Where all the hospitals are. Providence hospital long gone. I think it might be summit now. . Oakland It’s a beautiful city but like any city or town there will be problems . People make the problems and so it’s up to people to fix them. Volunteer once in a while . give a dollar here and there don’t just be out for you, doesn’t hurt to give a little.
And vote vote VOTE !! Even in general elections about 38% to 48% of Americans don't vote. Voting local is how you build power. Until you have a third party. a third party president can't get anything done. Real change starts with us voters. Besides: when people vote for Nobody, then complain that Nobody keeps winning.🙄 Also, people should read about the 1960's party-flip. Without knowing that, it's impossible to really understand modern American politics.
I'm here for both!😊 But yea, I grew up in Oakland and Berkeley from the 70's onward, and was a carpenter / woodworker for 3 decades. I worked on over 100 homes there, and am a fan of not just older architecture, but also learned from old books about hand tooling methods and complex installations like curved stairs and hand-railings. As for politics, I'll just remind folks that economically everything was better before the 80's, and leave it at that .
@@montinyek6554 S.F. yes it is you are 100% right but the prostitutes hang out in East and West Oakland at night. Drive down International Blvd past 98th ave and you will see plenty heading towards Broadway
My grandmother's family is from Oakland. She was gifted a house by her aunt when she married. This was in 1932 and the house is still going strong today, with new owners. This is in the beginning of East Oakland.
Isn't East Oakland a dangerous neighborhood? I have watched recent youtube videos of Oakland California in 2020s being run down and old buildings falling apart everywhere and homeless people living in tents also known as Tent city and crime happening with robbery or attacks on the streets. I don't know how Oakland California could go from being a nice city shown in the 1950s documentary video to now having gang members or questionable politicians running the city in the 2020s. I wish I could fix all the rundown buildings and end the homeless crisis. I have never been to Oakland California. I only went to Disneyland, Universal Studios theme park and downtown Los Angeles on vacation. I live in Utah in a safe part of the neighborhood. By the way, is your grandmothers house under lock with bars on windows or strong door locks, or the yard fenced off, or other security features? Let me know. I'm sorry that Oakland has gotten rundown. Sadly I'm not Superman so I can't fix the crime problems of Oakland since I'm 1 person and I don't live in California. I pray that someone will fix the city so it can go back to the way it was when it looked like a nice neighborhood as seen in the 1950s video.
@crosswalkX Yea east oakland is ran down alot you see allt of proverty but once you cross the green bridge to enter alameda is a completely different world
Lucky af!!! Wish my family bought a house back then. Rent in Oakland is way too expensive especially being the hood like WTF!? One of the most dangerous cities in the US is also one of most expensive, doesn't make sense to me.
Me seeing this video in my feed: Oh boy I wonder what Oakland looked like back then The Video: Poverty is literally cancer and you should be mad that poor people are lowering your property value
Why do you choose to blame those with the least power? A person with courage never kicks down, only punches up at our mutual oppressors. Call me prideful, but if my Representative implied that I was so much weaker than those with less power than me, that they could actually oppress me? I'd be pissed and certainly never vote for that Representative again. *Without bigotry it would impossible for the very few to oppress the very many.*
Utopia isn’t achievable. It’s up to everyone to do the best they can and take care of those that can’t. Those that can but don’t it’ll be the sorry story of their life. Take care of the people who can’t deal. No one should be forced to help still I think most will if they can be taxed less and choose where the tax relief $$$ go . I don’t mind paying taxes I just don’t like my $$ going to the military, Amazon or any corporation that doesn’t pay into the infrastructure that they use.
Hi there. Would it be possible for me to use some of these clips in video I am making? The video is for a nonprofit-affiliated group of people who have previously been homeless and who are advocating for affordable housing in California. I would of course give proper credit. Let me know! Thanks!
Before the 1980's there small businesses everywhere, we had the world's #1 public school system, a person with a weekend job could put themselves through a 4 year college, & a minimum wage job could buy a house. We traded it for this: 1940-1980 Median wage growth rose 260%. 1981-2020 Median wage growth rose 5.4%. Bigotry is the tool the wealthy elite use to divide and oppress We The People.That's how Reagan got away with all of that.
Also, you're the same race as them. You and I just have less melanin and are the exact same species, just adapted to a colder climate with less sunlight. All forms of bigotry are solely based on unfounded biases and unwarranted fears. They exist so the wealthy elite can convince you that people with even less power than you (money is power) are somehow your oppressor. Call me prideful, but I'd be pissed if my representative implied I was that weak. U do u.
Gentrification is it a bad thing ? Was white flight a good thing ? I think Money prosperity no matter who brings it To a neighborhood is a good thing. Life is hard , harder for some yes, still if people want to restore a old beat down house live there it’s cool .
“Urban renewal” Everything old is new again. Now it’s call “gentrification”. Guess that sounds more warm n fuzzy to them. Kinda like when they call weed, cannibas or pot or marijuana-it’s still weed😂😂.
Nice to see this! Currently watching this on the patio of an old house in Oakland while renovating it. Awesome to see what the city looked like while this house was still new
Nice to see those homes restored . Friends live near EastMont mall when it was a Chevrolet factory .
Some of those homes sold for $5000 in the 50’s now $500,000
They showing the poor areas in Oakland like " The Lower Bottoms " after they have already come in and destroyed what was a beautiful, black-owned, wealthy town like Black Wallstreet in Oklahoma. Oakland was full of Prominent black doctors, and businessmen who owned provident businesses as well as ships that imported goods into the Bay Area ( San Francisco and Oakland). We owned the first key Rail system that moved all over the Tri-Valley area long before Muni and Bart. They burnt down our homes and businesses and with the help of Ronald Regan and J Edgar Hoover flooded our neighborhoods with drugs
That's crazy, I'm still in Oakland and it's getting worse full of rv's and homeless ppl and tents, crime police don't do anything like before
Removing the key system was a big mistake
it was pro dominant white.
I wonder where you found this history. Much of West Oakland was in very poor condition long before RR. That Hoover guy was just everywhere I suppose, The Key System was the creation of "Borax" Smith and was a private company. I do not know what you mean by "we owned". The SF Muni is a city owned consolidation of various companies, such as the Market Street Railway. It and its antecedent companies go back, like the Key System to the 19th Century.
I do not know what you mean by the Tri-Valley Area, which has long been used to describe Amador Valley, San Ramon Valley, and Livermore Valley. None of these were served by the Key System.
I've noticed that along with renaming many old neighborhoods in Oakland there has arisen a sort of folk history about the time before about the 1960s. For example a newspaper interview with a women who claimed to be an original resident of Picardy Drive (Christmas Tree Lane). I can tell you that she was not a resident before 1970, when all of the home owners, many of them elderly and the original buyers, were white. The first Hispanic family moved in about 1972, at which time there were as yet no Black families. I don't say the women or the reporter were deliberately falsifying anything, I do think that for whatever reason they were just ignoring 40 years of history that was before their time.
I was raised in Oakland , in East Oakland, on the flats. Five people in a two bedroom house. A white neighborhood, where children could play outside after dark in the summer and no one worried about crime. No gun shots, no drugs, no gangs, first graders walked to school. But by the late 1970s , gunfire would disturb the North Oakland area where I was living, Daylight break ins and night time break ins and finally a murder on the street. We moved out. Just as a few years later did many Black families.
You cannot blame any of that on J. Edgar. You can blame a lot of it on two things, Lyndon Johnson and the corrupt and incompetent people voted and appointed to govern Oakland.
@@fred1barb Nah, it’s easier to blame whitey for one’s own incompetence.
Wow im from Oakland this is amazing
That was a racist time for oakland in the 50's and now it's just Turning into a shit hole,mentally ill on the streets.Police not doing their job and a DA being too soft on criminals.We need men back in those positions to take action and regulation should be met by force.
@@sandman5088💯agree
@@sandman5088there their they’re and to too two are all different words with different meanings. Also learn how periods work.
@@markgothard7158 Thanks grammar Nazi i did some editing recheck genius.
@@sandman5088 You’re welcome, and I’m not a nazi. Rather than be snarky, learn what I told you. It’s important in adulthood to communicate clearly. Others will disregard or not understand you if you don’t. I love Enter Sandman by Metallica. Good luck buddy!
remember when oakland was nice?
Said no one ever😂
Certain areas still is
This is insanity seeing my hometown way before I was even born
Yes, it was nice......once.
Oakland till I die lol 🤣🤣🤣
@@bigmanonthehustle658 : Too bad Capitalism is making living in cities crazy hard. It was bad enough for a lot of people back then, but now things are untenable even for thousands of people who have full time jobs.
I grew up in Oakland and Berkeley, but after two bad back injuries I'm on Disability and can no longer afford to live there. Now I live in a Red county. You know, in the country where people are so "welcoming." It's a myth.
God bless Oakland🙏🏽
I remember this slum clearance-urban renewal drive. They called it Acorn and cleared many houses that would today have been rehabbed. It was a shameful effort and left blocks after empty block, but none of the promised new development. It was certainly the most racist thing the city did then or later.
What year was this?There is an Acorn Project in West Oakland.
@@kaiwilder124 abitofhistory.website/2020/09/14/the-acorn-projects/ Much of the cleared area was left vacant for years. In hindsight the city had no real plan beyond demolition.
At that time it was just thought of as clearing out a slum. Not much was said about what would happen next. In retrospect it was racist, and the federal money that eventually came in did put up some better housing, but it did not change the root problems. Those continued in West Oakland and in subsidized housing in North and East Oakland. I watched a brand new apartment house/townhouse just blocks from where I lived, deteriorate almost from day one. First the landscaping and fences, then graffiti on the walls and the groups of men just hanging about. It wasn't about race, it was a government funded culture that devalued education, and denied that a man must have a purpose. It was about good intentions and left progressive ideas, that thrived only as long as there was a problem to solve. In was people like Ron Dellums, who put posturing and expensive suits, and an anti-military view above jobs. When he refused to oppose closing the Naval Air Re-work Facility 8500 people , many of he Black lost good jobs. Sorry for the rant but I watched and continue to watch so many bad polices for helping people, promoted by Black "leaders" and liberals in Oakland and Sacto.
Same thing has been going on in New Orleans ever since Katrina in 2005 (like many american cities....)
Y'all the ones that keep voting for these 🤡
Well, "friend" seen Oakland these days? Who do you blame for this...? Reckon you are playing the victim card?
I like those "slum" houses, now those same houses if they were still there would be close to 1 million dollars or more.
you mean those condemned pieces of shit? rofl nice try
Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
Great city
Born in Providence hospital on pill hill 1956 . For those of u reading this that don’t know “pill hill” is between Broadway and Telegraph from about 25th to 32cnd . Where all the hospitals are. Providence hospital long gone. I think it might be summit now. . Oakland It’s a beautiful city but like any city or town there will be problems . People make the problems and so it’s up to people to fix them. Volunteer once in a while . give a dollar here and there don’t just be out for you, doesn’t hurt to give a little.
And vote vote VOTE !! Even in general elections about 38% to 48% of Americans don't vote. Voting local is how you build power. Until you have a third party. a third party president can't get anything done. Real change starts with us voters. Besides: when people vote for Nobody, then complain that Nobody keeps winning.🙄 Also, people should read about the 1960's party-flip. Without knowing that, it's impossible to really understand modern American politics.
And yea, I remember Pill Hill. Got a tooth pulled there once, and had a friend that lived on 29th off Telegraph, just at the bottom of the hill.
Lots of politics but i’m here for the architectural nostalgia
I'm here for both!😊 But yea, I grew up in Oakland and Berkeley from the 70's onward, and was a carpenter / woodworker for 3 decades. I worked on over 100 homes there, and am a fan of not just older architecture, but also learned from old books about hand tooling methods and complex installations like curved stairs and hand-railings.
As for politics, I'll just remind folks that economically everything was better before the 80's, and leave it at that .
They called the “low” area in Oakland a “sickness”
Lol
Oakland is the town of STDs
Chris C no, SF is
@@montinyek6554
S.F. yes it is you are 100% right but the prostitutes hang out in East and West Oakland at night. Drive down International Blvd past 98th ave and you will see plenty heading towards Broadway
Chris C dude i lived there for 3 years i used to see them every night. Some of them pretty fucking hot too
My grandmother's family is from Oakland. She was gifted a house by her aunt when she married. This was in 1932 and the house is still going strong today, with new owners. This is in the beginning of East Oakland.
Isn't East Oakland a dangerous neighborhood? I have watched recent youtube videos of Oakland California in 2020s being run down and old buildings falling apart everywhere and homeless people living in tents also known as Tent city and crime happening with robbery or attacks on the streets. I don't know how Oakland California could go from being a nice city shown in the 1950s documentary video to now having gang members or questionable politicians running the city in the 2020s. I wish I could fix all the rundown buildings and end the homeless crisis. I have never been to Oakland California. I only went to Disneyland, Universal Studios theme park and downtown Los Angeles on vacation. I live in Utah in a safe part of the neighborhood.
By the way, is your grandmothers house under lock with bars on windows or strong door locks, or the yard fenced off, or other security features? Let me know. I'm sorry that Oakland has gotten rundown. Sadly I'm not Superman so I can't fix the crime problems of Oakland since I'm 1 person and I don't live in California. I pray that someone will fix the city so it can go back to the way it was when it looked like a nice neighborhood as seen in the 1950s video.
@crosswalkX Yea east oakland is ran down alot you see allt of proverty but once you cross the green bridge to enter alameda is a completely different world
I was born & raised in Oakland & renting. Can I have the house?
@@crosswalkX Lol YES it is very dangerous. The beginning of East Oakland she is referring to is called "Funk Town".
Lucky af!!! Wish my family bought a house back then. Rent in Oakland is way too expensive especially being the hood like WTF!? One of the most dangerous cities in the US is also one of most expensive, doesn't make sense to me.
Me seeing this video in my feed: Oh boy I wonder what Oakland looked like back then
The Video: Poverty is literally cancer and you should be mad that poor people are lowering your property value
This was done to them. It's to late to wake up. Buddha
Why do you choose to blame those with the least power? A person with courage never kicks down, only punches up at our mutual oppressors. Call me prideful, but if my Representative implied that I was so much weaker than those with less power than me, that they could actually oppress me? I'd be pissed and certainly never vote for that Representative again. *Without bigotry it would impossible for the very few to oppress the very many.*
They better looking at those house now...... you can't touch nothing over 250 if you're lucky
Utopia isn’t achievable. It’s up to everyone to do the best they can and take care of those that can’t. Those that can but don’t it’ll be the sorry story of their life. Take care of the people who can’t deal. No one should be forced to help still I think most will if they can be taxed less and choose where the tax relief $$$ go . I don’t mind paying taxes I just don’t like my $$ going to the military, Amazon or any corporation that doesn’t pay into the infrastructure that they use.
The town
Hi there. Would it be possible for me to use some of these clips in video I am making? The video is for a nonprofit-affiliated group of people who have previously been homeless and who are advocating for affordable housing in California. I would of course give proper credit. Let me know! Thanks!
Before people from a certain demographic moved in a ruined it
Before the 1980's there small businesses everywhere, we had the world's #1 public school system, a person with a weekend job could put themselves through a 4 year college, & a minimum wage job could buy a house. We traded it for this: 1940-1980 Median wage growth rose 260%. 1981-2020 Median wage growth rose 5.4%. Bigotry is the tool the wealthy elite use to divide and oppress We The People.That's how Reagan got away with all of that.
Also, you're the same race as them. You and I just have less melanin and are the exact same species, just adapted to a colder climate with less sunlight. All forms of bigotry are solely based on unfounded biases and unwarranted fears. They exist so the wealthy elite can convince you that people with even less power than you (money is power) are somehow your oppressor. Call me prideful, but I'd be pissed if my representative implied I was that weak. U do u.
Move in -> Refuse to better their environment -> Blame others -> Area becomes associated with crime and filth -> Get propped up by others
YO!!!!! I COULD BE WRONG BUT I THINK I JUST SEEN THE INTERIOR OF MY HOUSE 3:33
Well, this video clearly explains my childhood!
🤔😒🙄😤
2024 anyone?
thx fair use
I wouldn’t worry about what Oakland was , think about what it will be.
Amen
Overpriced and gentrified?
Worse. 1,000 times worse than in the video.
Gentrification is it a bad thing ? Was white flight a good thing ? I think Money prosperity no matter who brings it To a neighborhood is a good thing.
Life is hard , harder for some yes, still if people want to restore a old beat down house live there it’s cool .
What year was this
Merit's or Dave's reds?
The politricks of Oakland
“Urban renewal” Everything old is new again. Now it’s call “gentrification”. Guess that sounds more warm n fuzzy to them. Kinda like when they call weed, cannibas or pot or marijuana-it’s still weed😂😂.
Hey! Who would own the license for this footage?
I can’t believe a white mans telling this story 😂
Oakland Eastmont flatland was 65% white in 1965.....within 10 years same area was 70% black. It became a ghetto and has stayed a ghetto! very sad
@Eric Hansen no they don't you fool
Tominika Mailangi it used to be a rival to San Francisco. Then the Martin Luther Communists came in and deduced it to rubble comparable to Detroit
Victor Castillo Oakland is getting way better but you better be making over 200k a year
Victor Castillo poverty and lack of jobs is the problem you fool not race. It’s never about race it’s about money.
Oakland city council?? No 🧔♀️ bearded lady back when real ppl built this beautiful city and didn’t run off the raiders and now Athletics
💔🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮💔🤬
A white city council for ''Urban Development'', lol pot calling the kettle black.
Is this hate speech or the truth..
watch on mute