But all parts of the city are not the same. The very high crime areas, no where near the downtown, are what skews the stats. Downtown Oakland is no less safe

But all parts of the city are not the same. The very high crime areas, no where near the downtown, are what skews the stats. Downtown Oakland is no less safe than a lot of other cities. Certain parts of Oakland are a lot less safe than the worst parts of many other cities. So, do you avoid Oakland or avoid the bad parts of Oakland? I, personally, just avoid the bad parts.