[skybrian]

This article shows the danger of going by surface appearances and statistics in areas that you don't know.

There are a lot of places that don't look like much (for someone used to rich areas) but are decent, stable communities. That run-down looking restaurant might be a stable business that serves great food.

[cwyers]

I think there's two things that are true -- the author is kind of a glib poverty tourist, and the Bay Area is becoming increasingly stratified in income, as illustrated by some of the things he notices. He'd be more credible if he was better informed about the people he's writing about.

[tracker1]

It's funny, but that's true in a lot of places.. I happen to live in an apartment in an older neighborhood in Phoenix, mainly because the location and pricing was great... the crime rate's very low, and it's really close to a higher end area, so nice restaurants are close as well. It's not a bad neighborhood, just older. Most of the buildings were from the 50's to early 70's.

It's funny but more than one of my neighbors is in a similar boat, early 40's, works in IT, divorced, and just saving, mostly.