I am interested in working with at risk students and would like to obtain a teaching position in the area. However, I was wondering about the safety. Is East Palo Alto a safe place to live?
The IKEA they built next to Highway 101 several years ago has done wonders for the area I believe. Being an anchor tenant, it has provided jobs for the locals and I've noticed honest hard working people who really want to own a home are taking a chance on the neighborhood(s). On the other side of the freeway (West Palo Alto), the police still are overzealous in trying to keep the riffraff out. I think that in 10 years gentrification will really have changed the face of East Palo Alto for the better. The bad elements will probably be forced to move to the East Bay (Antioch), Richmond, or somewhere closer to Fresno or Stockton.
EPA!!! I currently live in EPA and I don't have any problems living here. I wouldn't live here for the rest of my life but it works for now. The crime is not as bad as it was 10 years ago. I think it is important to be friends with your neighbors so that they can keep a look out on any unusual activities in your area. That is the big reason I feel safe in EPA. I have been living in EPA for a year now and I witnessed very little crime. The one that stuck out the most was a fight outside my house but the cops quickly stopped it from getting serious. So I wouldn't cross them out of your list=)
