Richmond, CA… Armpit of the Bay Area, or Hidden Treasure?
By Susan Pomeroy | April 16, 2008
I moved to Richmond about five years ago, after many years spent in Berkeley and environs. From the time I was a child, Richmond was always somewhere we drove through to get somewhere else. It was marked by the Chevron refinery, which sent forth a stench you could smell for miles, and scary streets where, driving by, you’d often see groups of men huddled in front of liquor stores, even in the middle of the day.
When disaster befell me and I suddenly lost my home, the insurance company resettled me here in Richmond temporarily. At first, I hated the very idea of Richmond. Then, I started to explore. And to like it, even love it. And I stayed. Yes, the refinery is still here. Yes, some of the streets are so scary I don’t even like to drive on them… and some are so dangerous you might get shot just walking by. There are murders, drugs, drive-by shootings. Everyday tragedies. Not enough youth programs. Not enough money for schools. Superfund sites, environmental illnesses, high rates of childhood asthma. What one might call crimes against humanity. There are many ways life can be dangerous here.
There are also these things. The best climate in the Bay Area… cool when everyone else swelters, warmer when others freeze, sunny when Berkeley is locked in fog. Astounding, atypical views of Mount Tamalpais, the North Bay hills, the East Bay hills, and San Francisco. Easy access to the Bay Trail. A public library, strapped for cash, but with the best collection of classic and mid-20th-century fiction, including second-tier authors, that I’ve ever seen. People of all backgrounds, ages and colors who are friendly, warm and unpretentious. A progressive mayor and a strong community working hard to offer opportunity to all. An excellent and thriving adult education program. Easy access to public transportation and freeways. Ample parking!
No Bay Area city that I know of has so little–on the surface–to recommend it. Like Oakland, it has severe poverty, and lots of crime that’s gotten lots of publicity. Unlike Oakland, it has no downtown to speak of, no civic life, no sports team, no museum. But surprisingly, one can live here quite happily, in beautiful surroundings, with interesting and kind friends and neighbors–people who don’t seem to have caught Pretention Fever yet. People who want to live a satisfying life and would like everyone else to have that opportunity too.
Here’s to Richmond, hidden treasure of the Bay Area. May all her people thrive.
Recent photos from one of the best San Francisco Bay shore vantage points.
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