[quote=permabear][quote=CA renter]
Along with the decimation of the middle class, we’ve seen the decimation of middle class neighborhoods, so that today’s families have to choose between gang-infested barrios, or insanely-priced, “fancy” neighborhoods where all the white and Asian families are fleeing to in order to escape the gang ‘hoods. It’s like people have been left with no real options: they either subject their children to the gangs at school and in their neighborhoods, or they have to pay the piper to get them into schools with “Buffy” and “Skip” so they can feel safe and get a decent education. There is no more “middle” left in our society, and this speaks to the root of our problems, and the problems of the world, right now, IMHO.[/quote]

+1

And there are plenty of stats to back this up.

CAR, when are you running for office? :-)[/quote]

While there is some truth to this I dont completely agree. Whats wrong with Clairemont or Mira Mesa? They have a great location, decent size lots many of which are on canyons, affordable home prices. In NC there is Oceanside, Vista, SM and ESC which have very nice parts. There are choices. I think its people’s tastes and expectations that have changed. Many people have risen up from humble upbringings and succeeded by investing in their educations. While they may decry having to live with the Skip and Buffy’s of the world, that segment has always been there too and in the same places. Why would people expect them to leave the nicer places?

I’m more inclined to side with protorio’s “luxury for all” hypothesis.