It’s like a black and white cookie – but in South San Francisco
508 Rocca Ave, South San Francisco, CA 94080 Parkway MLS# 80759381 – Property Details
$680,000
* Status: Active
* Bedroom: 3
* Bathroom: 2
* Year Built: 1956
* Lot Size: 5096
* Square Footage: 1150
* List Date: 10/24/2007
* Garage Spaces: 2* MLS#: 80759381
Come see this great starter home in one of South San Francisco’s most popular neighborhoods. 3 bedroom, 2 baths, hardwood floors throughout, large private,rear yard. NOT A SHORT SALE…..JUST REDUCED $40,000
Wow… who knew that dual tone houses were such a rage. Lately I’ve seen quite a few! You know what it reminds me of?
Oh come on… you don’t see the resemblance?
In any case, this is located in one of South San Francisco’s most popular neighborhoods – you know, that one. No no… you’re think of the other one. This is the most popular one. Yeah! Exactly!
Buy this house today. Whether you’re in your blue phase, or your minimalist phase, you can live with your multiple personalities just fine in this hot city!
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:46 am
Nothing wrong with this, just your typical Daly City/SSF squared-off house. And you get to see the famous Sign Hill right above you every time you come home. How much would you pay to live right under the Hollywood sign? That’s right, baby!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:33 am
San Franciscans have the worse taste when it comes to choosing paint colors for their house. One house is painted Yellow. The one next to it is Green. Next is Orange. Looking for a house in SF is easy. Forget Google /GPS/Address, just look at the ugliest house on the block and you’ll find it.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:39 am
San Franciscans have the worse taste when it comes to choosing paint colors for their house. One house is painted Yellow. The one next to it is Green. Next is Orange.
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Having different colors – why do you think it’s a bad taste? Standard cookie-cutter homes with same size, same color, same layout, very uniform – that’s builder/developer’s concept, typically in suburbs.
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:42 am
Or another way to ask the question: Does someone have to paint his house same color as his neighbors to demonstrate that he has a good taste?
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:52 am
Its cuz half of the homes for sale here were probably owned by little old women who seem to wear nothing but easter egg pastel colored clothes and drive pastel colored Toyotas. Makes sense. I’m sure the old person who owns this will be giddy with glee if they get 600k for this POS. That way they can retire to Bend Oregon or play slots at the bingo casino for the rest of their lives.
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
SF has the worst taste for housing, in the BA, period.
Where is the most popular neighborhood in SSF? Is that equivalent to heaviest traffic? Does non-SSF really care? I mean, SSF is so popular that I am just dying to get my space in there.
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Pralay,
Why so defensive? Do you live in a two-tone house?
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Where do you find “defensive”? It’s just an argument, RE.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Pralay, if your neighbors house is adobe yellow, would you paint your house green? If you do, yes you do have bad taste. If you wear yellow pant with a green shirt, yes you do have bad taste. Did that answer your question?
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Where is the most popular neighborhood in SSF? Is that equivalent to heaviest traffic? Does non-SSF really care? I mean, SSF is so popular that I am just dying to get my space in there.
You might care after Roche moves all their jobs up here. Anyway, the most popular area in SSF is probably Westborough. My favorite area is Avalon Park because of the gargantuan lots and good housing stock, but sales are slow even with only three houses on the market. 366 Dorado Way has been on the market over a year, probably because it’s priced like it’s in the Burlingame highlands.
September 3rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Roxboy – Nicely put 🙂
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Pralay, if your neighbors house is adobe yellow, would you paint your house green?
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I would paint the color I prefer. Not based on what my neighbor painted. Come on, do you want someone to have “matching color” just because his neighbor has some whimsical idea?
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If you wear yellow pant with a green shirt, yes you do have bad taste.
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That’s a very bad analogy. The correct analogy would be if I would wear yellow shirt when my friends/colleagues/neighbors wearing green shirt. Of course I would.
So, do you wear your shirt based on what your neighbor wearing?
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I’m not sure I understand the issue with the exterior color of the house, there are companies that do make exterior paint, in comparison to the 680k, painting the exterior will probably seem cheap. Why doesn’t the owner do it, I don’t know, maybe they like the color.
And what is with the taste police? Come on, do you go around and also criticize people’s clothing, and colors of their cars when you’re out in public?
I personally don’t find yellow on non-sports cars appealing, a yellow Porsche is okay to me, a yellow Corolla not so much. But if another person likes a yellow Corolla, I’m not going to campaign against it, I won’t say his taste is wrong, I won’t try to get a law passed banning yellow cars that are not sports cars, I would just leave the person be.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Pralay, lets just say we all agree that you live in a two-tone house in SFrancisco and you have no taste in colors and that you are very defensive when people talk about you.
September 4th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
He’s actually a Santa Clara boy last I checked
September 4th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
You know, in my neighborhood, everyone is painting their houses the same colors. It was not like this when we moved in, but now everything is either sandstone, white, or grey. All the pink, green, and blue houses were redone in the more boring colors. I actually like seeing different color houses in my neighborhood although there is this one house a mile away that has not only pepto bismol pink but bright magenta trim that makes me want to hurl.
Today’s house isn’t a black and white cookie, it’s a yin-yang sign, the variant with the opposite color dots in it.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Ack, posted too quick – picture here.
September 4th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Pralay, lets just say we all agree that you live in a two-tone house in SFrancisco and you have no taste in colors and that you are very defensive when people talk about you.
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Roxbox,
Nice try. I don’t live in SF (and not SSF either).
BTW, the color-police did not reply if he wears matching shirt with his neighbor.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:37 pm
Hey Madhaus and others knowledgeable on Sunnyvale,
Is the area between Central and 101, and Fair oaks and Mathilda a ‘hood? Theres a few really cheap houses there, even cheaper than San Jose. This is not in the Sunnyvale Town Center area, it is on the east side of Central directly across central from where STC used to be. Can the neighborhood improve? I’m a little skeptical because they look like flat roofs, but not all of them.
September 4th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Painting the exterior on this will run about $2K if you don’t do the gutters at the same time, those add about $400 to the cost. Always buy the very top of the line exterior paint because it is maybe $50 more than the cheap stuff, and you might get 5 more years out of it. Sometimes old houses still have lead paint, although this doesn’t look like it (too new) but if you do have lead paint you are supposed to do extensive cleanup after the power washing to remove the lead and that can be expensive, but I think it is overkill because lead paint has not been sold in California since 1973. Any lead paint that old has mostly all chipped off anyway. But sometimes you have annoying neighbors who make a big deal out of it.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
WG, I’ve driven through it and it’s crowded with everyone’s cars (no parking spaces). Location is good for jobs, but the prices are cheap because it is low-riderville. Not sure if it’s as much of a hood as Redwood City off 101, though.
This is the part of Sunnyvale that had the third high school that was closed in 1981. I am sure racism played a part in this decision because that part of town is more Hispanic than the southern (read: expensive) part. Now kids from that part of town commute FIVE MILES to high school.
If you want to know whether the neighborhood is okay, you’re going to have to check the usual things, broken windows, lawns full of trash, too many cars up on blocks, that sort of thing. Although there was a Sunnyvale house from these parts featured on burbed that did have a concrete front lawn and 4 cars, and windowbars if I remember correctly.
The homes near Sunnyvale Town Center are not cheap, if they ever do anything about Sunnyvale Town & Country (which is NOT Sunnyvale Town Center) they will be worth all the annoyance.
There’s a Mexican restaurant on Fair Oaks/Evelyn along with a market that I’ve been to a few times, can get corn masa in 10 lb bags if I need that much. Haven’t done much east of there.
September 4th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Blast from the past madhaus. Now that you mention Sunnyvale High School, god darnit I remember waay back like maybe 1980, I was driving around that area because I had a class at a junior college satellite campus or something, and had never heard of Sunnyvale HS and turned the corner and there it was. LOW RIDER CITY! Absolutely! This was something of a shock to me at the time, since I had lived in the good parts of town and only went to sunnyvale to go shopping. I didn’t know sunnyvale had a bad area, then. I wonder what they did with the HS grounds. It might have been racism but it also might have been poor construction.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
BTW your description of that area of sunnyvale would not exclude me buying there btw. I buy in areas like that from time to time. There is a sunnyvale house in a similar area (greenlake street) going up for auction at the REDC auction at the end of this month- I won’t be bidding on it because every one of those auctions I have attended ended up selling houses for more than if you just made an offer on an REO. But it will be interresting to see what it sells for.
My favorite gentrifying area that I never bought into was Hayward Park San Mateo, this is the area across from the Hillsdale mall on the 101 side of El Camino. In the 90s that was a HOOD. It is the home of the notoreous PALM THEATRE, all PORN, the only 24 hour porn movie theatre in the bay area I think and the only porn movie house that stayed open until 2004 I think? The owners raked in almost $10K PER WEEK in this place and it was THE place for “hookups” on craigslist for 10 years. Wonder where those people go to hook up now. Anyway this was right in the middle of HAYWARD PARK so a neighborhood can be pretty far down there and still gentrify although I think the neighbors have been trying to get the Palm closed for 20 years or more. BTW this Palm theatre is how they entrapped Bernie Ward on the porn charges I hear.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
so r u saying it is never going to gentrify? or that it has?
September 4th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
If you mean Hayward Park, it has. BIG TIME.
http://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Mateo/115-15TH-Ave-94402/home/2047441
This is the closest house I can find. Palm theatre used to be at 1705 Palm in San Mateo but is torn down. All of these streets used to be filled with Mexicans it was amazing. You could see the potential with the beautiful houses, there are still areas like this today in San Jose with big old victorians filled up with Mexicans. Well Hayward Park used to be like that, no more. And the Palm theatre is finally closed,
September 4th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
oh. i c. the area right next to hillsdale mall along hillsdale between el camino and 101 doesn’t look all that great. i guess i never drove further in.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
WG I believe the high school is now a K-8 private school, maybe even K-12, called Kings Academy, very very pushily Christian. I say pushily because I know a family that considered going there until they found out their (non-christian) kids would be aggressively prosletyzed as school policy.
You are right, the area could gentrify, and if the old high school was HOOD CITY that is probably why they dispersed those kids with the rich ones in the 2 schools down south, and make them ride the city bus to get there.
September 4th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
thanks Madhaus thats interesting, I will check out Kings academy. Theres a christian school here called valley Christian, a very high end elementary and high school up on the hill that bought into an area of ESJ and really improved the neighborhood. I think Valley Christian has a real high end reputation though.
September 4th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Some interesting Palo Alto news:
A Parks and Recreation Commission turned ironic recently as commissioners debated how to regulate use of the city’s playing fields. They first debated how many non-residents should be allowed, with some commissioners worrying that too many kids from other communities would take up scarce field space. Later they came down against retaining the composting facility in the Baylands, a decision that, if enacted, would probably mean trucking 21,000 tons of green waste to another community. In other words, neighboring cities shouldn’t send their kids over — but Palo Alto will send its garbage out.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Who wants to still move to Palo Alto? 🙂 Where you get the very best by walling off the rest.
A few more years of this and we can start the inbreeding jokes.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
DreamT,
Actually, PA has a very legitimate issue. As I mentioned before, many EPA residents don’t go to their own parks, and instead come to PA to play soccer and tear up the lawns. They also occupy the play structures and BBQ tables. These people have contributed nothing to PA, and yet consumes PA resources disproportionally. When these people are around, residents shy away from the parks, as they don’t want their kids to be around ill-behaving and improperly dressed kids. It’s not fair to PA residents.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Palo Alto sucks. There are too many squirrels.
Too many non-residents, too many squirrels, too many mountain lions… Palo Alto welcomes you with arms wide open! 🙂
September 4th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Yes, everyone, Palo Altans play soccer without damaging the lawn a bit. They naturally glitter. Everything they touch turns into gold. And they sh*t roses.
🙂
September 4th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
RealEstater – Not disputing whether the issue is legitimate or not. As is regularly the case, many Palo Alto residents react disproportionally. Palo Alto would be better off teaming up with East Palo Alto to improve the latter’s park services rather than trying to shut off ALL their neighbors.
That’s the thing when you’re surrounded with lesser folks: a constant battle to wall them off.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
Madhaus,
Remember 1342 Flicker that we talked about? It sold for full price at $1.268 million. Yeah right, 94301 is going into the toilets for sure!
September 4th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Sorry, I meant 94087.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
> battle to wall them off
A wall around Palo Alto, that’s a pretty good idea.
“But remember, the brick walls are there for a reason. Alright? The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” – Randy Pausch, “Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”, Carnegie Mellon University
September 4th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
Having lived 2 blocks from Mitchell Park in South Palo Alto, and having walked through that park on a daily basis for about 14 months, it is unquestionable that PA parks are heavily used by nonresidents. In Mitchell Park in particular I would guess that the majority, perhaps the vast majority, of people having barbecues, picnics, etc are non-residents. I personally have less of a problem with the soccer players (they only mess up the grass, as do the ultimate frisbee players, some of whom may actually be PA residents) than with the barbecuers, who commonly leave large amounts of trash all over the place (walk through on a Saturday or Sunday evening and see for yourself).
It’s not a question of being surrounded by “lesser people”. It’s simply that EPA parks, such as they are, are apparently not as attractive as PA parks. There being plenty of parking, close proximity, and no barrier to entry at PA parks, non-residents naturally use them, and in large numbers.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Maybe if Palo Altans stopped building 5,999 sq ft houses on 6,000 sq ft lots they would have some backyard left and could bbq at home 😉
September 4th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
I’m still trying to figure out what “improperly dressed” kids are wearing… RE, you guys don’t have little nudists running around, do you?
🙂
(As for ill-behaving, well, seems the majority of kids are these days.)
September 4th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
See, some people here make certain assumptions without truely understanding the issue. Thanks for RBA_renter’s perspective.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
I was trying to reserve a BBQ table last month, and couldn’t get a spot anywhere in PA. It’s really annoying.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
>>Maybe if Palo Altans stopped building 5,999 sq ft houses on 6,000 sq ft lots they would have some backyard left and could bbq at home
Another idiotic statement by someone who doesn’t know anything about building codes. PA has some of the strictest codes around. You can barely build a 2200 sq ft home on a 6000 sq ft lot in PA.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
RealEstater said:
> See, some people here make certain assumptions without truely understanding the issue. Thanks for RBA_renter’s perspective.
RBA_Renter said:
In Mitchell Park in particular I would guess that the majority, perhaps the vast majority, of people having barbecues, picnics, etc are non-residents.
Yes, thanks for RBA_renter’s perspective, free of assumptions or guesses…
September 4th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Herve,
You shouldn’t comment on something if you have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s not exactly difficult to “guess” who are the non-residents when you go to a PA park.
September 4th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
> It’s not exactly difficult to “guess” who are the non-residents when you go to a PA park.
Thank you, that’s exactly what I wanted you to say.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Herve,
If I go to East Oakland, it’s not exactly difficult for the residents to tell I’m not from there.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
Herve,
My guess was about whether the percentage of non-residents in PA parks was a large minority, a majority, or perhaps even a vast majority. In any case, it is a lot.
For what it’s worth, I am not advocating any type of change to this situation (although it would be nice if EPA improved their parks). I’m merely pointing out the reality on the ground, as it were, at my former neighborhood park, which I spent time in on a daily basis for a year. It is still a very nice park, by the way. My son loves the library.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:04 pm
>>A wall around Palo Alto, that’s a pretty good idea.
The best wall I can think of is high prices. It’s almost impermeable.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
The best wall I can think of is high prices. It’s almost impermeable.
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I bet it’s not working. Otherwise why would they be thinking about banning EPA people from parks. They indeed need a Great Wall of Palo Alto.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
> I was trying to reserve a BBQ table last month, and couldn’t get a spot anywhere in PA. It’s really annoying.
You mentioned it was not fair to Palo Alto residents, but I read the picnic reservation information and it says the following:
Individual picnic areas may be reserved at both Rinconada and Mitchell Parks. A single table with one barbeque may be reserved by Palo Alto residents on Monday through Wednesday of the weekend of use. Individual site reservations are not taken for Monday through Friday use and fees are not collected for these days. Non-residents may make reservations on the Wednesday of the weekend of use if tables are available. Tables that are not reserved in advance may be claimed on a first-come, first-served basis, at no cost.
It seems pretty fair to me. You get first dib. And you have Foothills Park, only for residents. What else do you want?
September 4th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I was trying to reserve a BBQ table last month, and couldn’t get a spot anywhere in PA. It’s really annoying.
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Sympathy to you, RealEstater. And sympathy for ALL the PA residents who are paying premium mortgages for premium BBQ spots.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
It seems pretty fair to me. You get first dib. And you have Foothills Park, only for residents. What else do you want?
———-
Herve,
There are two possiblities:
– He was trying to grab one of those free BBQ spots. And failed.
– There are too many Facebookers, Googlers doing BBQ in summer. Damn, those bustard Facebookers and Googlers….and mythical foreigners with lots of cash (f**k, they don’t even use gas or charcoal for BBQ, they burn dollar-bills).
September 4th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
#49 – Wrong, the best wall is progressively wealthier neighborhoods keeping the “undesirable” miles away, not a rich enclave at spitting distance from its drug furnishers. Since PA does not have that Cushion Cities option with EPA, PA high prices have the opposite effect from a wall. Short of improving EPA’s parks, the answer is for PA folks to drive all the way to Hayward to get their drugs. Tough call.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Herve,
I do not recall those rules when I applied. Those must be newly adopted measures to combat abuses by non-residents. That’s great.
They also need a rule that says all soccer games must be reserved, and only residents are allowed to play.
>>And you have Foothills Park, only for residents. What else do you want?
That’s where I ended up going.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
A few more years of this and we can start the inbreeding jokes.
———
I guess it’s already happening. Who wants to share BBQ spot with non-resident relatives coming from East Oakland?
September 4th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
> I guess it’s already happening. Who wants to share BBQ spot with non-resident relatives coming from East Oakland?
I’m in. Let’s go to Foothills Park. We’ll play soccer. We’ll be loud. And we won’t be wearing no designer clothes! Palo Altans can go play polo some other place 😉
September 4th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
RealEstater – Foothill Park’s pleasant. I was there last month but forgot to check the vaunted restrooms (silly me). Frankly, too many wasps in the barbecue area, although they weren’t aggressive. I didn’t find it to be baby-friendly. The Stanford folks playing freesbee were all over the place. The lake was not walkable. Lots of wet spots on the grass, seems like the sprinklers need some adjusting.
But… still it was pleasant, we had a good afternoon. The lack of a crowd is definitely a plus.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:50 pm
> The lake was not walkable.
Who are you? Jesus? 🙂
September 4th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Herve – I wish, then I wouldn’t complain.
In any case, as far as lakes go, Vasona lake is a much nicer stroll.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
I do not recall those rules when I applied. Those must be newly adopted measures to combat abuses by non-residents.
——-
Herve,
See. You haven’t checked the website last month. Last month was different (and “annoying”). That’s because PA city official slept through whole summer season and decided to change the rule only at the beginning of fall – so that PA residents can enjoy BBQ in the winter rains.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
>>Since PA does not have that Cushion Cities option with EPA, PA high prices have the opposite effect from a wall.
No, PA prices needs to be sky high to shield itself from the craps around it. This wall is very effective. There used to be a “Cushion” called South Palo Alto and Midtown Palo Alto, but now those places have becomes walls in themselves. Still, the highest walls are in PA 94301 and 94303.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Pralay says,
>>Herve, See. You haven’t checked the website last month. Last month was different
Pralay,
You didn’t check post #29.
September 4th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
>>I was there last month but forgot to check the vaunted restrooms (silly me).
I could be wrong, but when I turned on the lights in the bathroom, I felt air conditioning turn on.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:04 am
You didn’t check post #29.
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I did read it, RE. The news was completely different (it was about allowing how many non-residents) and does not fit your BBQ spot story. Needless to say that the news is about “debating” (not making rules).
September 5th, 2008 at 12:06 am
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/csd/parks_and_open_space/default.asp
Individual Picnic Site Application & Park Rules Agreement
Individual picnic site application & park rules agreement for Rinconada, Mitchell, and Foothills Parks.
Revision Date: 08/15/2007
September 5th, 2008 at 12:08 am
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civica/filebank/blobdload.asp?BlobID=2181
Waow, $10 to reserve a table. $15 for non-residents.
Seriously, why make residents pay $10? This will make them go to Foothills Park for free, hence the BBQ tables will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis for non-residents. Back to square one.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:16 am
>>Revision Date: 08/15/2007
Take note, Pralay.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:22 am
> PA city official slept through whole summer season
I heard they saw their shadows. Six more weeks of summer.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:32 am
>Revision Date: 08/15/2007
Take note, Pralay.
———–
So when you said that you did not find BBQ spot, did you mean it was last year (2007)? Apparently, that’s what it looks like. The rule was changed last time was 2007.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Pralay, it’s most likely a typo on the site. RealEstater could not be wrong. When he turned on the lights in the bathroom, he did feel air conditioning turn on.
RealEstater is the new Chuck Norris.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:49 am
RealEstater is the new Chuck Norris.
——–
Except the horse thing (“Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink”). A donkey cannot lead horse to water.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:51 am
RE, stop crying about ghetto people coming to your neighborhood and using resources ‘disproportionately.’ I know its tough to guess whose who and all, but I would expect that you would be the first to admit that this is part of what makes the BA so great. Diversity. This ain’t Texas, bucko.
Somehow there’s this memory about talking about how you look out and just see italian living. Do you not enjoy foreigners enjoying the same lifestyle? Their money is coming in by the truckload rescuing your properties.
Seriously, you have no reason to complain. You paid the price of admission, now enjoy the show. You deserve it.
pr, don’t blame the facebookgooglers, they’re the source of infinite economy.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:57 am
pr, don’t blame the facebookgooglers, they’re the source of infinite economy.
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But when it comes to BBQ spot, they are the source of infinite annoyance. The rule has been changed in 2007 to block non-residents, but yet these googlers are occupying all the BBQ spots. Keep in mind that there is free lunch and dinner in weekends for googlers. They have to find some BBQ spot.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Correction in #74: Keep in mind that there is no free lunch and dinner in weekends for googlers.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:18 am
hm. The rule was changed in 2007 and yet not everyone was aware of the rule “last month”?
Curse YOU FACE BOOK GOOGLERS. If you’re not pricing people out, you’re bbqing using resources disproportionately.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:22 am
Now if they could have ninjas to keep non-residents out, that would be kind of cool.
DreamT, you mentioned Palo Alto druggies. I guess you were right: http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=9146.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:32 am
ninjas would tear up the grass worse than migrant soccer players. Can’t have that. Plus there’s only one ranking black style ninja available and he looks to be presently occupied.
September 5th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Glad I didn’t stick around to answer the late night time wasters, but just a quick reply to this one:
>>Seriously, you have no reason to complain. You paid the price of admission, now enjoy the show.
If you paid the price of admission, do you expect someone else to be sitting in your seat?
September 5th, 2008 at 9:32 am
If you paid the price of admission, do you expect someone else to be sitting in your seat?
——–
Those bustard Facebookers, Googlers….and mythical foreigners. 🙂
September 5th, 2008 at 9:34 am
hm. The rule was changed in 2007 and yet not everyone was aware of the rule “last month”?
———
That’s typo. RealEstater is always right. It should have been “2008”. 🙂
September 5th, 2008 at 9:53 am
“If you paid the price of admission, do you expect someone else to be sitting in your seat?”
Depends on the show. In the Bay Area? Yes. This ain’t Texas, fool.
September 5th, 2008 at 10:26 am
This sounds worse then people just taking up BBQ space.
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=9055
September 5th, 2008 at 10:32 am
…and watch out for the paintballs too.
Paintball attacks raise questions about police response
Crimes & Incidents, posted by Editor, Palo Alto Online, on Aug 21, 2008
A recent spate of paintball vandalism in Palo Alto’s Crescent Park neighborhood has residents frustrated over the police response — and wondering whether Palo Alto’s law-enforcement shortage is hampering the department’s ability to protect and serve.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Paintballs? uh oh! Next thing you know, all those young hoodlums will be out and about with tater’ guns!
September 5th, 2008 at 11:24 am
and wondering whether Palo Alto’s law-enforcement shortage is hampering the department’s ability to protect and serve.
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I guess Palo Alto police is too busy in helping their brothers in Los Altos police dept.
September 5th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
#62 RealEstater – You seem to refer to the home ownership price barrier of entry. These virtual “walls” won’t reduce the number of unwelcome non-residents in your local parks. The reality is that PA does not have a great location in that respect, too close to the EPA and MV gangs. No wonder PA residents move to Los Altos as soon as they can afford to. Heck if Santa Clara’s Maywood Park isn’t safer than Palo Alto’s Crescent park!
September 5th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Blasphemy. The whole BA has “great location.” Everywhere is special.
Diversity, baby; Diversity.
3 million dollars is a small price to pay for a 3000 sqft home when you get to enjoy all the (diversity) the bay area has to offer.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
anon – Everywhere is special, but just like children, some places are more “special” than others. And any racist Palo Altan will confirm this: there is “good” diversity and “bad” diversity. There is “good” special and “bad” special.
I posit this was “good” blasphemy. 😛
September 5th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Au contraire, as any competent real estate agent can tell you: there is only ‘good’ special in the bay area. Similarly, ‘bad’ special lies only outside the bay area.
Funding soccer fields for migrant soccer players is part of the price of admission for living in PA. RE, if you don’t like it then leave.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Did I mention, RBA PROPERTY (ie: paying to keep up the ‘soccer’ fields) is a privilige, not a right?
September 5th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
I know exactly what the “special” people of Palo Alto can do about this “problem” of “those” “non-resident” “(you can guess who they are)” using “their” “special” parks instead of “those non-residents'” “non-special” parks.
This is actually a win-win.
Every Palo Alto home-owner will be required to buy a house in East Palo Alto. The more your house is worth, the bigger (or at least more expensive) a house you must buy in EPA. The purchase will become a tax lien if you do not complete it within 60 days.
Once every home in East Palo Alto is bought (at a 25% premium, to ensure everybody sells!) all renters will be evicted.
The Palo Alto owners will then be required to clean up the neighborhood and improve it to at minimum, South Palo Alto standards. There must be Starbucks, Restoration Hardware, and Ben & Jerry’s in all retail areas, too.
After the area is revitalized, Palo Altans have a choice of renting the homes for a minimum of $30/sf/month or selling for a minimum of $650/sf. They can also keep them as guest cottages provided they do weekly inspections for clutter, tacky lawn furniture, squatters, shooting galleries and meth labs.
There, that should solve the problem of low-income people in proximity to a high-income population and their BBQ tables.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
There, that should solve the problem of low-income people in proximity to a high-income population and their BBQ tables.
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Madhaus,
When it comes to BBQ spots, from rules enacted on 2007 it’s pretty clear that non-residents are not the primary reason for occupying BBQ spots, because Palo Altoans have first priority for reservation. They need some kind of prop 13 kind of law. People with higher home value have higher priority. People who are living longer in Palo Alto will have higher priority. People living on prestigious streets have higher priority.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
My solution not only stops “those” “(you know who they are)” “non-residents” from EVER using the barbecue and table space again, it builds a high-priced wall around the very high-priced wall. If all those residents have to move all the way to Oakland to work as Community Organizers and oppose Drill Baby Drill action, then they will stay the heck off the soccer fields.
Please note I finished this entire post without the use of the code word “uppity.”
September 5th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I don’t think it would work, EPA has strong rent control laws. I’m pretty certain it is part of the original intent of the incorporation, to prevent gentrification. At least that is my guess.
September 5th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
>>This sounds worse then people just taking up BBQ space. http://www.paloaltoonline.com/news/show_story.php?id=9055
Like I said, these are everyday, real issues. It’s got nothing to do with specialness. Quite disappointing to see the usual clowns here distort it out of shape.
September 5th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
One question I have is, how do Palo Alto residents know that certain people are not Palo Alto residents? Looking at the people in downtown Palo Alto, they don’t seem that much different from people in downtown Mountain View to me, but I guess I have more of an untrained eye.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Like I said, these are everyday, real issues. It’s got nothing to do with specialness. Quite disappointing to see the usual clowns here distort it out of shape.
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Gosh, is somebody describing Palo Alto? Or Oakland?
September 5th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
One question I have is, how do Palo Alto residents know that certain people are not Palo Alto residents?
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What I am getting from this whole thread, this is the political incorrect version:
If skin color is black: it is assumed that they are from EPA.
If skin color is white: it is assumed that they are indeed PA residents.
If skin color is brown and hispanic looking: it is assumed that they are from getto area of MV.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
“One question I have is, how do Palo Alto residents know that certain people are not Palo Alto residents?”
Simple – because when the police are called, they are identified.
“Gang members from East Palo Alto have been going to Eleanor Pardee Park” according to police.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Well duh, that was easy. The cops showed up and the park dudes flashed their signs.
See this is why PA residents can’t get BBQ reservations. They hired a bunch of low-paid hood residents to work the reservation desk, and they give priority to their friends who fly colors.
September 5th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Wow that really is an excellent idea, and with nearly 20k as the minimum monthly payment, EPA will be ‘special’ overnight.
“People with higher home value have higher priority.” Yes, this sounds fair to me. The higher home value means that they are paying more. They should have a proportionate amount of access.
Naturally, any home appraised less than $1,000,000 isn’t part of RBA and shouln’t have a rating.
“Like I said, these are everyday, real issues. It’s got nothing to do with specialness. Quite disappointing to see the usual clowns here distort it out of shape.”
What is most disappointing is seeing the original real estate clown blowing up a tiny inconvenience into a “real problem.” You already forgot RBA property is a privilage, not a right.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
I am just trying to be careful, I don’t want to upset the natives when I got to PA. I go there often enough, since it is close to Stanford, and I don’t want to cause any problems. I figure maybe it was the clothes, I know the places at the Stanford Shopping Center are not cheap, though I did buy a suit at the Macy’s there once.
I can’t really afford the Neiman Marcus though.
September 5th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Those who only fear people of non-white skin color do so at their own risk.
http://www.PaloAltoOnline.com/news/show_story.php?id=9003
September 5th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
The Palo Alto Online website is an infinite source of mundane problems:
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/index.php?i=3&d=&t=5054
September 5th, 2008 at 10:24 pm
Oh, that article is a thing of beauty.
What are we teaching our kids here? Time isn’t important? When you encounter a problem, push for a solution until you meet an obstacle, then throw up your hands? Fend for yourself and don’t expect the bureaucracy to help you? That they must find a way to meet the teachers demands even though they are denied even the most basic tools for doing so?
I am a non-RBA renter, so I can afford to buy my kid a $10 watch. Woohoo!
September 5th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
The Palo Alto Online website is an infinite source of mundane problems:
http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/index.php?i=3&d=&t=5054
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Hmmm, this posting asks:
What’s wrong? It’s pretty simple. $500 donation is not enough. Parents either need to hire a guy to set the clock or buy some clocks for this school.
September 7th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I must admit I am puzzled by the idea of all the clocks being set by a secret clock somewhere in the heart of the school district offices. But if I were a teacher and had that kind of parent nagging me, I might be tempted to make up random shit just to get him/her worked up.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
The clocks in my kid’s school are also set by some secret central clock recalibration closet somewhere. The clock in the performance center was wrong for months because nobody reported it. After fall or spring clock resetting, the clocks are always wrong for days, too.
Why the schools insist on buying these slaved clock systems, and then not bother to keep them properly telling time, is beyond me.
Oh yeah, the clock in the music room where I am teacher was 3 hours ahead. It took a while to figure out it wasn’t a random time, but on NY time. Or as burbed prefers, Tenafly, NJ time.