AARoads Forum

The word in quotes is subjective...

I lived in St. Louis for 16 years and never had a problem. Hell, people up in the north end of the city knew me by my first name. I do not understand why STL city is rated most dangerous in the USA. North St. Louis County, on the other hand is more dangerous than the city itself. Yes, the latest rash of violence within the city limits doesn't look good, but it's not like that throughout the city.

As for most dangerous I've been to? Joliet, IL. I stayed at a no name motel there and as I stated in a post in the road trip forum, the place was infested with brown recluse spiders. About halfway through the night, some man came up to the door and he started pounding it and screaming that I "better have the fucking money" Luckily for me, I was in my truck, sleeping as I didn't want a brown recluse bite to ruin my day. He went at it for a good forty-five minutes. The lot was unlit so he couldn't see me. Gunshots rang through the night. People watching was pretty good as there were all sorts of "Ladies of the Night" I guess entering and exiting the rooms. That night was wild and I shall never forget it.

Alexandria, KY.

San Francisco. Even worse than NYC and several other big cities. My dad had a panhandler come into the Walgreens that he was in, and the panhandler shook his cup in my dads face. Also, my parents' friends watched a policeman shoot an extremely aggressive dog (probably a pit bull).

Detroit by a large margin.  I was born there and the city was in worse shape back when I was a kid with crime.  Really you have to watch your back outside of downtown, going to Tigers Stadium was always an adventure.  I remember watching some guy get shot at some on ramp to I-75 leaving a Tigers game one night when I was a kid.  My Dad gunned through the light and hit the Interstate, we never did find what happened or if the guy died.  I had a Cousin from Cleveland get lost trying to find me at Tigers stadium get mugged because he didn't listen about not stopping to ask for directions in the city.  It wasn't so bad two years ago when I scoped out the Packerd Plant but I would chalk that up to almost nobody living in the city limits anymore, 1.8 million in the 1950s to about 600k today is a hell of a drop. 

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 03, 2017, 01:58:19 PM
San Francisco. Even worse than NYC and several other big cities. My dad had a panhandler come into the Walgreens that he was in, and the panhandler shook his cup in my dads face. Also, my parents' friends watched a policeman shoot an extremely aggressive dog (probably a pit bull).

How is NYC bad? You're pretty safe in most parts of the city 24/7. I ride around on the subway at all hours, I have yet to get hassled for more than spare change or a smoke. The most danger I've ever been in, maybe was taking the two dollar vans to Jamaica when I worked in Glen Cove, and my CNA's would give me a ride as far as New Hyde Park, and that's just because those kids vans were held together with bailing wire and bubblegum....

P00I

Quote from: Otto Yamamoto on August 03, 2017, 03:07:59 PM

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 03, 2017, 01:58:19 PM
San Francisco. Even worse than NYC and several other big cities. My dad had a panhandler come into the Walgreens that he was in, and the panhandler shook his cup in my dads face. Also, my parents' friends watched a policeman shoot an extremely aggressive dog (probably a pit bull).

How is NYC bad? You're pretty safe in most parts of the city 24/7. I ride around on the subway at all hours, I have yet to get hassled for more than spare change or a smoke. The most danger I've ever been in, maybe was taking the two dollar vans to Jamaica when I worked in Glen Cove, and my CNA's would give me a ride as far as New Hyde Park, and that's just because those kids vans were held together with bailing wire and bubblegum....

P00I

This thread seems to be "most dangerous experiences", not which cities are statistically the most dangerous (which is why I deleted my post about going to the aquarium in Camden, NJ).

Quote from: CapeCodder on August 03, 2017, 01:41:01 PM
As for most dangerous I've been to? Joliet, IL. I stayed at a no name motel there and as I stated in a post in the road trip forum, the place was infested with brown recluse spiders. About halfway through the night, some man came up to the door and he started pounding it and screaming that I "better have the fucking money" Luckily for me, I was in my truck, sleeping as I didn't want a brown recluse bite to ruin my day. He went at it for a good forty-five minutes. The lot was unlit so he couldn't see me. Gunshots rang through the night. People watching was pretty good as there were all sorts of "Ladies of the Night" I guess entering and exiting the rooms. That night was wild and I shall never forget it.

I'm curious as to which motel you were in.  Fenton's, Joliet Inn & Suites (a former HoJo at one time)?  Especially with shots ringing out through the night.  I live not far from there and have never heard such gunshots.  Fireworks yes, gunshots no.

As for me, I'd say the most dangerous city is Chicago.  Yes, it even outdoes Detroit nowadays.  Hell, downtown Detroit felt downright safe compared to the Loop at night.

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 03, 2017, 01:58:19 PM
San Francisco. Even worse than NYC and several other big cities. My dad had a panhandler come into the Walgreens that he was in, and the panhandler shook his cup in my dads face. Also, my parents' friends watched a policeman shoot an extremely aggressive dog (probably a pit bull).

The panhandling story sounds annoying, not dangerous

Quote from: AlexandriaVA on August 03, 2017, 04:06:43 PM

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 03, 2017, 01:58:19 PM
San Francisco. Even worse than NYC and several other big cities. My dad had a panhandler come into the Walgreens that he was in, and the panhandler shook his cup in my dads face. Also, my parents' friends watched a policeman shoot an extremely aggressive dog (probably a pit bull).

The panhandling story sounds annoying, not dangerous

Maybe 20-30 years ago you could make more of a reasonable argument for SF and NYC being unsafe but not these days.  SF is just s beautiful city to wander around in, with NYC there are cops everywhere. 

Someone mentioned Chicago, I'd put that right up there with Detroit aside from downtown.  I might reevaluate my opinion after I visit both cities later this month.

Baltimore, although I pretty much stayed around the Inner Harbor every time.

I spend lots of time in Richmond, but it's much better than it used to be.

Holyoke, MA

Quote from: Rothman on August 03, 2017, 05:56:26 PM
Holyoke, MA

I don't get it.

Quote from: Rothman on August 03, 2017, 05:56:26 PM
Holyoke, MA

:clap:

Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2017, 06:05:51 PM

Quote from: Rothman on August 03, 2017, 05:56:26 PM
Holyoke, MA

I don't get it.

There's nothing to get.

Quote from: Rothman on August 03, 2017, 06:27:52 PM

Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2017, 06:05:51 PM

Quote from: Rothman on August 03, 2017, 05:56:26 PM
Holyoke, MA

I don't get it.

There's nothing to get.

Apparently it does have pretty high crime statistics for what it's worth.  Might worth a look at the UCR.  South Tucson would probably be pretty high up there on my list of dangerous cities and it is only about a square mile in size.

I spent 30 minutes trying to find my way back to the interstate in East St Louis once. I wasn't ever fearful for my safety but I definitely didn't want to hang around any longer than I had to.

edit: Alorton/Centreville, to be more specific

Easily Nassau. That place has (had?) a murder rate worse than Baghdad. Don't want to walk anywhere in that town past dark. We've been there four or five times and always had a good time though. Like anywhere, don't be stupid and be aware of your surroundings and you'll be fine.

In the US, every city has a bad area and every city has good areas. Just avoid the bad areas.

A good rule of thumb from someone who has traveled extensively: even in areas that look rough or places where you obviously don't fit in, pay attention to other people. If everyone is just going about their business and ignoring you, you're fine. If a number of people stop what they're doing and look at you, turn back.

Homeless people don't make an area a bad part of town. Some cities just attract them more than others even in areas that are perfectly safe, like downtown San Diego.

Edit: also wanted to add that there are very, very few places where driving through a bad part of town on a freeway or major through road is dangerous, even at night. Same for riding mass transit. With trains and buses, even if criminals are on there, they're just trying to get someplace else just like you. Crimes are exceedingly rare actually on a train or bus. Just avoid getting off at a station in a bad area at night.

Quote from: csw on August 03, 2017, 07:55:17 PM
I spent 30 minutes trying to find my way back to the interstate in East St Louis once. I wasn't ever fearful for my safety but I definitely didn't want to hang around any longer than I had to.

edit: Alorton/Centreville, to be more specific

ESL certainly has a reputation. My dad had several books on old US 66 and several of them had dire warnings about ESL.

I guess I'd list Miami, specifically the area around the old Orange Bowl. I went down there for a football game the Saturday after Thanksgiving in 2005 and I parked and took the Metrorail to the game. There was a shuttle bus to the stadium, but I had in mind to walk to meet some friends to tailgate. All the black people getting off the train stopped me and said to take the bus because it was too dangerous for a white person to walk through that part of town. I figured if they went to the trouble to warn me of that instead of secretly laughing at the dumb whitey, it had to be a pretty bad area, and I also noted THEY were all taking the bus, so I took that bus both ways.

There are parts of Washington DC where I've considered not stopping at the red lights late at night for safety reasons, especially east of the Anacostia River when I've driven through after midnight on the way home from FedEx Field. The more sensible option is to go a different way!

Florida isn't exclusive to Miami.  Orlando had some really bad neighborhoods along Orange Blossom Trail "OBT" especially the closer you got to the Parramore neighborhood.  I've never seen so many used tire shops in my life before, the area was heavy on industry and older homes.  I-4 with Parramore was almost like an urban barrier from downtown, essentially conditions changes almost instantly once you cross the Interstate.

I've lived in or have family in several cities along the east coast, plus I've visited Detroit and Chicago several times. But probably the most dangerous is New Orleans, the first night I was there a man and woman at the hotel I was staying at was shot (the man died)... talk about first impressions smdh

Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2017, 04:47:53 PM
Baltimore, although I pretty much stayed around the Inner Harbor every time.

I spend lots of time in Richmond, but it's much better than it used to be.

Indeed Richmond used to be a very dangerous city with a ridiculous murder rate (#2 in 1994, #1 in 1997). I remember a few of the neighborhoods I lived in through most of the 90's were about as rough as they come.. at one point I lived in the East End in an area between two projects and hearing gunfire was normal. The city still has it's issues but you're right it's definitely much better than it used to be.

Been in both Camden, NJ and Wilmington, DE many times without issue.

Detroit, MI, hands down.

I would say Bucharest Romania.  There are packs of wild dogs that run the streets.  The hotel staff would not let me walk out at night.  I thought they were just trying to get a kickback with trying to arrange a car for me but man they were right that I would not want to walk around at night.

Everyone is saying Detroit.  When I visited Detroit, I found downtown pleasant enough.  I know it is a rough, half-empty city overall, but Holyoke doesn't have any redeeming quality to it.

Los Angeles. I was assaulted by someone in a subway station who thought I was photographing them (I wasn't, but it's still okay in a public place anyway). Police came by, took names, and told me that I had to come back down in order to press charges, so he got off scot free.

Berlin. I was nearly mugged on a train by a trio of guys who were trying to physically separate me from my luggage. Managed to run out of the door before they could, but the amount of non-reactive bystanders was just shocking.

My hometown gets an awful rep nowadays, but nothing compares to Motown itself.

And L.A. and Oakland are pretty bad too, what with their gangster mentalities running rampant.

Went to school in Camden, NJ - had no problems. Situational awareness is the key.

Not exactly a city, but Pine Hills, a section of Orange County, FL, next to Orlando is dangerous as there is always domestic disturbance or a store robbery there daily.  In fact its urban but not part of the city for this reason as Orlando is trying their damnedest to get more land annexed including Lake Nona east of Orlando International Airport (done actually ) and even recently annexed more rural land up to Osceola County to get more revenue.  However, Pine Hills they do not want despite all other areas who have not yet been annexed  have residents are worried of a city take over.

Even a user on here actually lived there and bailed cause of the riff raff that took over and moved out of what we locals call "Crime Hills."

Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2017, 04:47:53 PM
Baltimore, although I pretty much stayed around the Inner Harbor every time.

I'm pretty sure I told this story before, but I drove through Baltimore four years ago, for pics of West Balitmore's MARC station, and the former Pennsylvania Railroad station that it replaced. I think I would've felt safer in the South Bronx... in the 1970's! I also went to the Inner Harbor, and I thought the cobblestones in the streets were going to pop out and ruin my car.

Easton, PA, not the greatest after 11pm

The bad parts of Bridgeport, CT, or perhaps Waterbury. I think moreso Bridgeport, but you should generally be on the lookout in any post-industrial city with a racially diverse population. Hell, really any post-industrial city for that matter.  :-/

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 03, 2017, 04:09:50 PM
SF is just s beautiful city to wander around in, with NYC there are cops everywhere. 

depends on which parts of SF - the Tenderloin is still not really the best place to go at night (though that has never been the case really), as are portions of the Mission District and the Hunter's Point area.  On the other hand, the Mission is also home to the rather fancy Valencia Street with its boutiques.

IIRC, Potrero Hill and the Panhandle are areas that were considered less than ideal in the 1990s but have gentrified significantly since then.

I dunno.  When I lived in SF, Hunters Point was the only "Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter Here" area.  Tenderloin was just filled with mostly harmless and even friendly freaks and junkies.

Probably Birmingham, AL. Never felt too unsafe while I've been there, but never felt the safest either.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 03, 2017, 10:24:08 PM
Florida isn't exclusive to Miami.  Orlando had some really bad neighborhoods along Orange Blossom Trail "OBT" especially the closer you got to the Parramore neighborhood.  I've never seen so many used tire shops in my life before, the area was heavy on industry and older homes.  I-4 with Parramore was almost like an urban barrier from downtown, essentially conditions changes almost instantly once you cross the Interstate.

I just started a new job and the office is right on OBT.. 'Life on the trail'  when leaving office at 8pm propositions from hookers, multitudes of cheap motels, and all the meth you want... I dont feel unsafe per se, but i would just very mindful of surroundings and i would not live close to the office, even though it would be nice to ride a bike or walk to work

Its alwasy funny what people from newer suburbs consider to be the hood... 'You must have never been in the hood'

LGMS428

Quote from: D-Dey65 on August 04, 2017, 11:21:12 AM

Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2017, 04:47:53 PM
Baltimore, although I pretty much stayed around the Inner Harbor every time.

I'm pretty sure I told this story before, but I drove through Baltimore four years ago, for pics of West Balitmore's MARC station, and the former Pennsylvania Railroad station that it replaced. I think I would've felt safer in the South Bronx... in the 1970's! I also went to the Inner Harbor, and I thought the cobblestones in the streets were going to pop out and ruin my car.

Um, yeah, you probably would, since the South Bronx, is perfectly safe, I've lived here for three years, and have yet to have any difficulties.

STV100-2

Quote from: roadman65 on August 04, 2017, 10:38:24 AM
Not exactly a city, but Pine Hills, a section of Orange County, FL, next to Orlando is dangerous as there is always domestic disturbance or a store robbery there daily.  In fact its urban but not part of the city for this reason as Orlando is trying their damnedest to get more land annexed including Lake Nona east of Orlando International Airport (done actually ) and even recently annexed more rural land up to Osceola County to get more revenue.  However, Pine Hills they do not want despite all other areas who have not yet been annexed  have residents are worried of a city take over.

Even a user on here actually lived there and bailed cause of the riff raff that took over and moved out of what we locals call "Crime Hills."

Orlando city limits are interrsting.. Gerrymandered to avoid particularly crime prone places like Pine Hills and South OBT but includinf the Millenia area in between the 2... As you mentioned Lake Nona us fancy and new.. Orlando was happy to get all that developable land in city limits

LGMS428

Quote from: Otto Yamamoto on August 04, 2017, 04:27:39 PM

Quote from: D-Dey65 on August 04, 2017, 11:21:12 AM

Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2017, 04:47:53 PM
Baltimore, although I pretty much stayed around the Inner Harbor every time.

I'm pretty sure I told this story before, but I drove through Baltimore four years ago, for pics of West Balitmore's MARC station, and the former Pennsylvania Railroad station that it replaced. I think I would've felt safer in the South Bronx... in the 1970's! I also went to the Inner Harbor, and I thought the cobblestones in the streets were going to pop out and ruin my car.

Um, yeah, you probably would, since the South Bronx, is perfectly safe, I've lived here for three years, and have yet to have any difficulties.

STV100-2

South Bronx in 1970s and 1980s was a battlefield.

Quote from: jwolfer on August 04, 2017, 04:26:19 PM

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 03, 2017, 10:24:08 PM
Florida isn't exclusive to Miami.  Orlando had some really bad neighborhoods along Orange Blossom Trail "OBT" especially the closer you got to the Parramore neighborhood.  I've never seen so many used tire shops in my life before, the area was heavy on industry and older homes.  I-4 with Parramore was almost like an urban barrier from downtown, essentially conditions changes almost instantly once you cross the Interstate.

I just started a new job and the office is right on OBT.. 'Life on the trail'  when leavinf office at 8pm propositions from hookers, muktitudes of cheap motels, and all the meth you want... I dont feel unsafe per se, but i would just very mindful of surroundings ans i would not live close to the office, even though it wouls be nice to ride a bike or walk to work

Its alwasy funny what people from newer suburbs consider to be the hood... 'You must have never been in the hood'

LGMS428

A couple of my distance run routes went through downtown which required either taking Orange Avenue or or OBT to get to.  I wouldn't say that I felt "unsafe" per se given that I was moving at speed, but it was apparent the area was a little more on the seedy side of the equation.  When I lived in Orlando I would often take family on Orange Avenue to downtown, they always seemed shocked the city really was way older than they thought.  I think the general perception of Orlando is that it was some country side dot on the map when Disney rolled into town, I want to say it had 100,000 plus residents in the city limit when the park opened. 

Really I've been struggling to think of a west coast city to really talk about aside from South Tucson.  Oakland, El Monte, Compton, East Los Angeles, and maybe San Bernardino come to mind as questionable.  I've had some issues dealing with robberies at buildings I managed in Yuma in the past as well on the Arizona side. 

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 04, 2017, 04:34:14 PM

Quote from: jwolfer on August 04, 2017, 04:26:19 PM

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 03, 2017, 10:24:08 PM
Florida isn't exclusive to Miami.  Orlando had some really bad neighborhoods along Orange Blossom Trail "OBT" especially the closer you got to the Parramore neighborhood.  I've never seen so many used tire shops in my life before, the area was heavy on industry and older homes.  I-4 with Parramore was almost like an urban barrier from downtown, essentially conditions changes almost instantly once you cross the Interstate.

I just started a new job and the office is right on OBT.. 'Life on the trail'  when leavinf office at 8pm propositions from hookers, muktitudes of cheap motels, and all the meth you want... I dont feel unsafe per se, but i would just very mindful of surroundings ans i would not live close to the office, even though it wouls be nice to ride a bike or walk to work

Its alwasy funny what people from newer suburbs consider to be the hood... 'You must have never been in the hood'

LGMS428

A couple of my distance run routes went through downtown which required either taking Orange Avenue or or OBT to get to.  I wouldn't say that I felt "unsafe" per se given that I was moving at speed, but it was apparent the area was a little more on the seedy side of the equation.  When I lived in Orlando I would often take family on Orange Avenue to downtown, they always seemed shocked the city really was way older than they thought.  I think the general perception of Orlando is that it was some country side dot on the map when Disney rolled into town, I want to say it had 100,000 plus residents in the city limit when the park opened. 

Really I've been struggling to think of a west coast city to really talk about aside from South Tucson.  Oakland, El Monte, Compton, East Los Angeles, and maybe San Bernardino come to mind as questionable.  I've had some issues dealing with robberies at buildings I managed in Yuma in the past as well on the Arizona side.

Orlando before Disney was much smaller but still significant regional center like Columbus GA or Augusta GA. The Navy Training Center was here, Martin Marietta and other space race stuff thanks to Kennedy Space Center being nearby. Orange County was 6th in population in the state. At the time of the moon launch the network feeds were from channel 12 in Jacksonville, not channel 2 in Daytona Beach/Orlando. I read some local history that into the 1930s Sanford was more or less equal to Orlando, it was a riverport back in steamboat days
------------
Orlando is an example of how roads can make a place grow.. leaders back in the 1950s lobbied to have the Florida turnpike curve inland to Orlando instead of going straight up to Jacksonville (Walt Disney saw the intersection with i4 in the middle of nowhere and decided to build near there) they built the Beeline( now Beachline) to connect to the space center. 

So the start of growth was before Disney.  Disney and the other attractions have made Orlando an International city

LGMS428

Quote from: Rothman on August 04, 2017, 04:30:56 PM

Quote from: Otto Yamamoto on August 04, 2017, 04:27:39 PM

Quote from: D-Dey65 on August 04, 2017, 11:21:12 AM

Quote from: Takumi on August 03, 2017, 04:47:53 PM
Baltimore, although I pretty much stayed around the Inner Harbor every time.

I'm pretty sure I told this story before, but I drove through Baltimore four years ago, for pics of West Balitmore's MARC station, and the former Pennsylvania Railroad station that it replaced. I think I would've felt safer in the South Bronx... in the 1970's! I also went to the Inner Harbor, and I thought the cobblestones in the streets were going to pop out and ruin my car.

Um, yeah, you probably would, since the South Bronx, is perfectly safe, I've lived here for three years, and have yet to have any difficulties.

STV100-2

South Bronx in 1970s and 1980s was a battlefield.

As told in song and legend, it's annoying the stereotype lingers. Then again,  it might slow the gentrification of the area.

STV100-2

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 04, 2017, 04:34:14 PM

Quote from: jwolfer on August 04, 2017, 04:26:19 PM

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 03, 2017, 10:24:08 PM
Florida isn't exclusive to Miami.  Orlando had some really bad neighborhoods along Orange Blossom Trail "OBT" especially the closer you got to the Parramore neighborhood.  I've never seen so many used tire shops in my life before, the area was heavy on industry and older homes.  I-4 with Parramore was almost like an urban barrier from downtown, essentially conditions changes almost instantly once you cross the Interstate.

I just started a new job and the office is right on OBT.. 'Life on the trail'  when leavinf office at 8pm propositions from hookers, muktitudes of cheap motels, and all the meth you want... I dont feel unsafe per se, but i would just very mindful of surroundings ans i would not live close to the office, even though it wouls be nice to ride a bike or walk to work

Its alwasy funny what people from newer suburbs consider to be the hood... 'You must have never been in the hood'

LGMS428

A couple of my distance run routes went through downtown which required either taking Orange Avenue or or OBT to get to.  I wouldn't say that I felt "unsafe" per se given that I was moving at speed, but it was apparent the area was a little more on the seedy side of the equation.  When I lived in Orlando I would often take family on Orange Avenue to downtown, they always seemed shocked the city really was way older than they thought.  I think the general perception of Orlando is that it was some country side dot on the map when Disney rolled into town, I want to say it had 100,000 plus residents in the city limit when the park opened. 

Really I've been struggling to think of a west coast city to really talk about aside from South Tucson.  Oakland, El Monte, Compton, East Los Angeles, and maybe San Bernardino come to mind as questionable.  I've had some issues dealing with robberies at buildings I managed in Yuma in the past as well on the Arizona side.

Berdoo has been dodgy since Hector was a pup, likewise Lancaster and most of the Antelope Valley.

STV100-2

I've been to several towns and neighborhoods where little-known diseases are present. However I managed to meet and even befriend one case of those, and I'm still healthy.

Now more seriously, there's that one neighborhood in Zaragoza, Spain that most avoid and I was brave enough to enter it. I didn't see anything out of normal (except the police checking something once), so I guess I haven't been to a really dangerous place.

The town of South Tucson, AZ supposedly has a very high crime index. I've been through there several times day and night, and while I wouldn't buy a house to raise a family there, I've had some amazing food and never felt unsafe in the town.

Baltimore or philly.

Quote from: roadiejay on August 04, 2017, 08:40:01 PM
The town of South Tucson, AZ supposedly has a very high crime index. I've been through there several times day and night, and while I wouldn't buy a house to raise a family there, I've had some amazing food and never felt unsafe in the town.

About half a decade back some co-workers from Phoenix were down in Willcox for a project.  Just so happens there was a huge 200 car pileup that day on I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix which shut the freeway down.  One of my co-workers called me and I told her to take AZ 79/Old US 80 & 89 to get up to US 60, she made it home fine.  The other two guys stayed in South Tucson at some $19.99 hotel.  They kept hear gun shots nearby and screams from the hotel through the night and bailed out at 3 AM.  They could have spent up to $150 on a hotel which would have been reimbursed, I have no idea what they were thinking stayed in South Tucson. 

Quote from: roadiejay on August 04, 2017, 08:40:01 PM
The town of South Tucson, AZ supposedly has a very high crime index. I've been through there several times day and night, and while I wouldn't buy a house to raise a family there, I've had some amazing food and never felt unsafe in the town.

Sounds like Petersburg, VA. I know where not to go, and where I do go, there are great places to eat and drink. But I would never live there.

I almost completely forgot about Desert Hot Springs or as many refer to it as "DHS."  DHS is a city a couple miles north of Palm Springs near the junction of I-10 and CA 62.  I once had to close a business out there because the city was so crime ridden that it was literally impossible to pull a profit.  There was all sorts of rumors (which I have no idea if they are true) that Los Angeles County would give the city of DHS money to house felons in halfway houses.  Apparently the windmills that bled onto Dillon Road were known locally as the "Windmill Graveyard" because bodies would be found out there dumped in the desert with alarming frequency. 

I wasn't especially fond of traveling through Rockford,  IL at night any of the times I had to do so. Beloit, WI up the road wasn't much better.

I can't say I've ever felt truly in danger behind the wheel (if things seem sketchy, I become cautious to the point of paranoia), but there was one time that I truly felt I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I had plans to clinch US-1 north to Fort Kent, which meant driving through Baltimore.  Outside of the traffic, it was uneventful, until I hit the Fulton Ave corridor.  As I approached the US-40 interchange, the only vehicle on an increasingly desolate road, it turned into a surreal experience, a live-action end-of-the-world-survivor movie.  While stopped at a red light (for what?), a homeless individual started moving in the direction of my car.  I admittedly freaked out a bit, and booked it one the light turned green.  After the experience, this stretch of US-1 went down on my list of roads not to be driven again.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 05, 2017, 12:27:42 AM
I almost completely forgot about Desert Hot Springs or as many refer to it as "DHS."  DHS is a city a couple miles north of Palm Springs near the junction of I-10 and CA 62.  I once had to close a business out there because the city was so crime ridden that it was literally impossible to pull a profit.  There was all sorts of rumors (which I have no idea if they are true) that Los Angeles County would give the city of DHS money to house felons in halfway houses.  Apparently the windmills that bled onto Dillon Road were known locally as the "Windmill Graveyard" because bodies would be found out there dumped in the desert with alarming frequency. 

When I was living in Portland back in the mid-90's, Clackamas County -- particularly the "hill country" around Estacada -- had a reputation as the "meth lab" capitol of the Northwest; an acquaintance at PSU suggested that at least a quarter of the mobile homes scattered around that area were meth lab sites.  When I relocated to the I.E. in 2004 -- and occasionally had to go out in the field for business -- I was informed by colleagues to avoid DHS like the plague unless I were to have a gun with me; the reason was the multitude of meth labs in the area, accompanied by often violent confrontations among the participants in that activity.   Fortunately, I only needed to go out there a few (IIRC, less than 4) times in the 6 years I ran our Ontario office.  One of the times I accompanied one of our delivery drivers (I went along to make sure some papers got signed correctly) -- this guy was 6-9 and went 325 pounds -- and even he had serious reservations about delivering our load (a mainframe plus all the internal components) to anywhere in that town.  We stopped by my home in Redlands en route, and I snagged one of my 9mm autos (the Taurus, IIRC) and stashed it under the truck seat -- just in case.  This was back in 2005 during the housing boom; we were delivering to a new title-company office.  Luckily it was early spring and not excruciatingly hot in the desert, since I remained in the truck "standing guard" while the gear was offloaded.  There were a lot of cars that seemed like they were circling the block while the offload took place -- but fortunately no incidents happened.  We couldn't wait to get our collective asses out of there and back to the I.E.   Not so ironically, when the housing boom went bust a couple of years later, the several planned housing tracts in and around DHS were among the first to be deleted.     

Quote from: sparker on August 07, 2017, 01:24:39 AM

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 05, 2017, 12:27:42 AM
I almost completely forgot about Desert Hot Springs or as many refer to it as "DHS."  DHS is a city a couple miles north of Palm Springs near the junction of I-10 and CA 62.  I once had to close a business out there because the city was so crime ridden that it was literally impossible to pull a profit.  There was all sorts of rumors (which I have no idea if they are true) that Los Angeles County would give the city of DHS money to house felons in halfway houses.  Apparently the windmills that bled onto Dillon Road were known locally as the "Windmill Graveyard" because bodies would be found out there dumped in the desert with alarming frequency. 

When I was living in Portland back in the mid-90's, Clackamas County -- particularly the "hill country" around Estacada -- had a reputation as the "meth lab" capitol of the Northwest; an acquaintance at PSU suggested that at least a quarter of the mobile homes scattered around that area were meth lab sites.  When I relocated to the I.E. in 2004 -- and occasionally had to go out in the field for business -- I was informed by colleagues to avoid DHS like the plague unless I were to have a gun with me; the reason was the multitude of meth labs in the area, accompanied by often violent confrontations among the participants in that activity.   Fortunately, I only needed to go out there a few (IIRC, less than 4) times in the 6 years I ran our Ontario office.  One of the times I accompanied one of our delivery drivers (I went along to make sure some papers got signed correctly) -- this guy was 6-9 and went 325 pounds -- and even he had serious reservations about delivering our load (a mainframe plus all the internal components) to anywhere in that town.  We stopped by my home in Redlands en route, and I snagged one of my 9mm autos (the Taurus, IIRC) and stashed it under the truck seat -- just in case.  This was back in 2005 during the housing boom; we were delivering to a new title-company office.  Luckily it was early spring and not excruciatingly hot in the desert, since I remained in the truck "standing guard" while the gear was offloaded.  There were a lot of cars that seemed like they were circling the block while the offload took place -- but fortunately no incidents happened.  We couldn't wait to get our collective asses out of there and back to the I.E.   Not so ironically, when the housing boom went bust a couple of years later, the several planned housing tracts in and around DHS were among the first to be deleted.     

There was something going on in DHS in regards to scrap metal theft that was a big thing.  The business I cited earlier frequently had the copper pipe out back stolen which took the entire plumbing system down until it could be replaced.  I want to say in the year I dealt with the place that the thing was stolen at least half a dozen times, I never could get a fencing unit approved given the shut down that was eventually coming.  All and all it was just an awful place...I still don't know why anyone would want to establish a business there with all the crime that DHS brings.

Like previously mentioned in this thread, Desert Hot Springs 10 miles north of Palm Springs has a real high crime rate, in fact one of the top 10 worst places to live in CA. Then there's the "ABC" club of totally awful CA desert cities: Adelanto near Victorville, Barstow (where historic route 66 crosses) and California City - they have a minor league baseball team? Seriously? I'm sure they're relocating to Palm Springs. And finally, next to my hometown Indio CA is Coachella - not the music festival, the farm town with the feel of an urban ghetto...and most Hispanic/Latino percentage city in CA except Calexico, also among the state's 10 poorest and the Palm Springs area's oldest community since 1876.

I've been to Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, and Washington, all which have or have had distinctions of having high murder rates.

Several years ago we were passing through Columbus OH and wanted to take in a Clippers ball game. When buying tickets, we asked if there were any hotels within walking distance of the stadium so we could enjoy a few beers when we came back for the game that evening. His reply "don't walk around here a night" . We did but didn't have any problem. A couple of days later in Detroit.....we walked to the stadium for a Tigars game and again no problem.

And in Toronto.....Jays were playing Texas. Leaving the hotel I overheard a fan (from Texas) asking directions to a restaurant a couple of blocks away "is it safe to walk there?"

Perhaps we're a bit naïve.....and I'm sure there are places here where you might want to be a bit more cautious......but generally as a Canadian.......I don't consider our big cities as being unsafe.

Many people who will tell you that a particular city is unsafe have spent little or no time in that city, instead basing their opinions off of television reports or conversations with neighbors/co-workers, etc.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 04, 2017, 08:48:40 PM

Quote from: roadiejay on August 04, 2017, 08:40:01 PM
The town of South Tucson, AZ supposedly has a very high crime index. I've been through there several times day and night, and while I wouldn't buy a house to raise a family there, I've had some amazing food and never felt unsafe in the town.

About half a decade back some co-workers from Phoenix were down in Willcox for a project.  Just so happens there was a huge 200 car pileup that day on I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix which shut the freeway down.  One of my co-workers called me and I told her to take AZ 79/Old US 80 & 89 to get up to US 60, she made it home fine.  The other two guys stayed in South Tucson at some $19.99 hotel.  They kept hear gun shots nearby and screams from the hotel through the night and bailed out at 3 AM.  They could have spent up to $150 on a hotel which would have been reimbursed, I have no idea what they were thinking stayed in South Tucson.

Reminds me of a trip I took to Tucson some 7 years ago... Stepdad got bucked off his horse and flown from Safford to UMC for head injuries. I get the news coming off a graveyard shift. I'm Living in Tempe at the time, and I book it down there. I visit him, find out he's going to be fine, and take off after his "real kids" and mom show up. I cruise around Tucson for a little while and hit that "wall" of fatigue early in the afternoon. Driving back into Phoenix wasn't an option, it was the day before payday and I had maybe $50 to my name...  so I hit that stretch of cheap motels along the I-10 Frontage Road at 22nd Street, the ones that get cheaper the further south you go. I ended up at the last one, also $19.99 and took several naps in an itchy bed until my direct deposit hit and I was feeling rested enough to get back on the road. It was a memorable night for sure!

When I drove an 18 wheeler it was my practice to sleep at the company I was delivering to for 2 reasons #1 was it was a guaranteed wake up call when the biz opened in the a.m, I tend to hit the snooze button & oversleep. #2 I didn't have to put up with a.m. rush hr.  If it looked like a dangerous neighborhood I'd keep a low profile. I'd pull the curtains across the windshield, stay in the sleeper berth outta sight & put the seat belt thru the door armrest making it near impossible to open the door.

I slept near 51st & Halstead in Shitcargo. Seeing the neighborhood in daylight was scary, a couple of the companys' 6 wheel delivery trucks had bullet holes in them :-o. I also saw every bldgs 1st floor doors & windows had burglar bars. No one could believe I slept there overnight. That was the first & last time I did.

I slept overnight near downtown Miami & was awakened by police sirens they found someone shot to death in the alley next to where I was parked. The cops came over & said "this is not a safe place to be after dark duh. I slept in many cities questionable neighborhoods, nobody bothered me. I heard knocking on my door but ignored til they went away.

I thought I was safe with the doors belted but realized they could shoot into the truck or bust the drivers side window to get in. I had my two buddies with me Johnny Walker Red & Jose Cuevio umm I mean Mr Smith & Mr Wesson  ;-) :nod:

I once drove into a section of Tarpon Springs, Florida that I found out was a dangerous neighborhood after I got out of it.

I saw an old map of Pinellas County, and I wanted to do some research on whether the map depicted Mango Road accurately. It turns out that the map was out of date, the road ended at a neighborhood called Mango Circle and I ended up making a U-turn there. Nothing about it looked particularly threatening. Later I mentioned it in a conversation at a Hess Express on US 19, and some guy overheard my conversation and was surprised I made it out alive and wasn't there to buy drugs.

Quote from: Brandon on August 03, 2017, 03:37:24 PM

Quote from: CapeCodder on August 03, 2017, 01:41:01 PM
As for most dangerous I've been to? Joliet, IL. I stayed at a no name motel there and as I stated in a post in the road trip forum, the place was infested with brown recluse spiders. About halfway through the night, some man came up to the door and he started pounding it and screaming that I "better have the fucking money" Luckily for me, I was in my truck, sleeping as I didn't want a brown recluse bite to ruin my day. He went at it for a good forty-five minutes. The lot was unlit so he couldn't see me. Gunshots rang through the night. People watching was pretty good as there were all sorts of "Ladies of the Night" I guess entering and exiting the rooms. That night was wild and I shall never forget it.

I'm curious as to which motel you were in.  Fenton's, Joliet Inn & Suites (a former HoJo at one time)?  Especially with shots ringing out through the night.  I live not far from there and have never heard such gunshots.  Fireworks yes, gunshots no.

As for me, I'd say the most dangerous city is Chicago.  Yes, it even outdoes Detroit nowadays.  Hell, downtown Detroit felt downright safe compared to the Loop at night.

The reason Detroit is more dangerous than Chicago is because Chicago has 2 million more people living in the city limits. Per capita Detroit is worse.

Quote from: TravelingBethelite on August 04, 2017, 01:57:13 PM
The bad parts of Bridgeport, CT, or perhaps Waterbury. I think moreso Bridgeport, but you should generally be on the lookout in any post-industrial city with a racially diverse population. Hell, really any post-industrial city for that matter.  :-/

That's kind of a bigoted comment. What does race have to do with it? I live in a racially diverse neighborhood and I don't feel unsafe at all.

Quote from: bugo on August 13, 2017, 02:05:29 PM

Quote from: TravelingBethelite on August 04, 2017, 01:57:13 PM
The bad parts of Bridgeport, CT, or perhaps Waterbury. I think moreso Bridgeport, but you should generally be on the lookout in any post-industrial city with a racially diverse population. Hell, really any post-industrial city for that matter.  :-/

That's kind of a bigoted comment. What does race have to do with it? I live in a racially diverse neighborhood and I don't feel unsafe at all.

Don't come to my hood in the Bronx, then. And the Nursing home I work in is filled chock a block with retired crims.

STV100-2

Manila, Philippines, and Juarez, Mexico. Take your pick.

Kenwood, Oklahoma

Gary Indiana.

I once found myself in a bad part of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. I was dropping off a friend in a neighborhood when I drove in the middle of a block party that had spilled into the streets. The partiers didn't clear the streets, they just blocked my car in on both sides (so I couldn't even back up and GTFO) and were not letting us get through. My friend's boyfriend, who lived in the neighborhood, got out of the car and spoke with somebody who then told the crowd to move out of the way and let us through. We had no trouble driving out of the neighborhood the way we came either, they just let us drive on through.

I have no clue how much danger we were actually in and I try not to think about it.

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 05, 2017, 12:27:42 AM
I almost completely forgot about Desert Hot Springs or as many refer to it as "DHS."  DHS is a city a couple miles north of Palm Springs near the junction of I-10 and CA 62.  I once had to close a business out there because the city was so crime ridden that it was literally impossible to pull a profit.  There was all sorts of rumors (which I have no idea if they are true) that Los Angeles County would give the city of DHS money to house felons in halfway houses.  Apparently the windmills that bled onto Dillon Road were known locally as the "Windmill Graveyard" because bodies would be found out there dumped in the desert with alarming frequency.

Huh, my great grandmother lived there for a while when I was young. I don't know exactly where, but I do remember we used Dillon Rd. to get there. I always enjoyed visiting her, at least for a day or 2 every summer. Had no idea it was a bad area, though I guess when you're 8 years old you wouldn't know any difference really.

Quote from: doorknob60 on August 17, 2017, 01:27:34 PM

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 05, 2017, 12:27:42 AM
I almost completely forgot about Desert Hot Springs or as many refer to it as "DHS."  DHS is a city a couple miles north of Palm Springs near the junction of I-10 and CA 62.  I once had to close a business out there because the city was so crime ridden that it was literally impossible to pull a profit.  There was all sorts of rumors (which I have no idea if they are true) that Los Angeles County would give the city of DHS money to house felons in halfway houses.  Apparently the windmills that bled onto Dillon Road were known locally as the "Windmill Graveyard" because bodies would be found out there dumped in the desert with alarming frequency.

Huh, my great grandmother lived there for a while when I was young. I don't know exactly where, but I do remember we used Dillon Rd. to get there. I always enjoyed visiting her, at least for a day or 2 every summer. Had no idea it was a bad area, though I guess when you're 8 years old you wouldn't know any difference really.

I used to hear good things about the actual hot springs, I thought they were alright.  Really there was some bad dudes I had to deal with there in DHS.  One guy that we caught ripping a business off had nine felony warrants and was just hanging out there in DHS. 

Baltimore LMAO

Quote from: qguy on August 13, 2017, 08:55:42 PM
Manila, Philippines, and Juarez, Mexico. Take your pick.

Manila, considering my parents lived there for 40 years.

If this is just the worst city I've been in...than the winner is Hartford...
For experiences, NYC, where I saw a homeless take pizza out of the trash.




My dad doesn't really like to go to cities that much, and with the cities in Connecticut, I understand why.

Quote from: JJBers on August 18, 2017, 12:25:45 AM
If this is just the worst city I've been in...than the winner is Hartford...
For experiences, NYC, where I saw a homeless take pizza out of the trash.

In NYC, I saw a homeless man throw his cigarette on the ground when he was done with it, and then another homeless man picked it up and started smoking it.

North Philly and West Philly (west of 40th St)

Baltimore west of the Inner Harbor and the near north side

NYC has rough parts, but there's other parts I've felt safe.  Midtown and the Upper East Side are safe, as is Greenwich Village, Williamsburg, and Park Slope.  Parts of Upper Manhattan, Queens (along the 7), and the South Bronx are kind of rough.

As far as Hartford, the North End and Frog Hollow are kind of rough.  I had a couple of great aunts who lived in the southwestern portion of the city and it was pretty safe.  Bridgeport is overall pretty rough, as are parts of Waterbury and New Haven.

Quote from: CapeCodder on August 03, 2017, 01:41:01 PM
The word in quotes is subjective...

I lived in St. Louis for 16 years and never had a problem. Hell, people up in the north end of the city knew me by my first name. I do not understand why STL city is rated most dangerous in the USA. North St. Louis County, on the other hand is more dangerous than the city itself. Yes, the latest rash of violence within the city limits doesn't look good, but it's not like that throughout the city.

As for most dangerous I've been to? Joliet, IL. I stayed at a no name motel there and as I stated in a post in the road trip forum, the place was infested with brown recluse spiders. About halfway through the night, some man came up to the door and he started pounding it and screaming that I "better have the fucking money" Luckily for me, I was in my truck, sleeping as I didn't want a brown recluse bite to ruin my day. He went at it for a good forty-five minutes. The lot was unlit so he couldn't see me. Gunshots rang through the night. People watching was pretty good as there were all sorts of "Ladies of the Night" I guess entering and exiting the rooms. That night was wild and I shall never forget it.

I've been a victim or intended victim of tourist crime in Reno, Las Vegas, Rio, and on the back side of Oahu.

On the back side of Oahu I remember telling my Ex "Don't worry, Hon. Where we are there are only Hawaiian natives who ask God before they take a fish out of the ocean and Japanese tourists who have more money than we do." WRONG! Someone had keys from the rental company and took money out of the wallet that I had stashed in the trunk.

In Rio, little kids, especially at the beach, will steal anything that isn't nailed down with nails.

I won't go into the many attempts that have been made in Reno and Las Vegas.

In Oakland, I barely feel safe running form BART to somewhere nearby..

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 18, 2017, 12:57:13 AM
North Philly and West Philly (west of 40th St)

Baltimore west of the Inner Harbor and the near north side

NYC has rough parts, but there's other parts I've felt safe.  Midtown and the Upper East Side are safe, as is Greenwich Village, Williamsburg, and Park Slope.  Parts of Upper Manhattan, Queens (along the 7), and the South Bronx are kind of rough.

As far as Hartford, the North End and Frog Hollow are kind of rough.  I had a couple of great aunts who lived in the southwestern portion of the city and it was pretty safe.  Bridgeport is overall pretty rough, as are parts of Waterbury and New Haven.

O nose, I'm in a 'rough' part of NYC

STV100-2

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 18, 2017, 12:40:49 AM

Quote from: JJBers on August 18, 2017, 12:25:45 AM
If this is just the worst city I've been in...than the winner is Hartford...
For experiences, NYC, where I saw a homeless take pizza out of the trash.

In NYC, I saw a homeless man throw his cigarette on the ground when he was done with it, and then another homeless man picked it up and started smoking it.

That happens here in Hyannis all the time.

In the U.S., probably Baltimore (a city I know well, though I have never resided there).

Outside the U.S., probably Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, just across the border from San Diego.

Quote from: Otto Yamamoto on August 04, 2017, 06:13:26 PM
As told in song and legend, it's annoying the stereotype lingers.

This is true. Likewise, with places like Jamaica and Hollis. Most of my family have never been pleased with the fact that I frequently go to Jamaica to catch trains, subways, or even just walk around the community, but they know I go there and walk away without a scratch. When I went to Hollis to get some pics of the LIRR station there, I got a cell phone call from my mother, and I lied and told her I was in Jamaica. I didn't want my relatives to freak out over the phone before I could get a shot of the station.

Another time I snapped some pics of Farmingdale LIRR station, and I had a bitch of a time trying to catch a bus. Either way, I ended up catching one at the Rosa Parks terminal in Hempstead, and when I told my aunt and uncle I was in Hempstead, my aunt almost blew her top.

Maybe someday if the opportunity comes up, I'll tell them I'm in Camden, New Jersey just to see how they'd react.

Oddly enough, I've been to many of the cities in the U.S. listed except for the Northeast ones, and I've only been in one situation where I felt unsafe and it was in a suburb of my hometown(OKC). The place was Del City and I won't go into detail, but I didn't realize how bad some cities are around in Oklahoma until I visited that place.

Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 20, 2017, 11:19:04 PM
In the U.S., probably Baltimore (a city I know well, though I have never resided there).

Outside the U.S., probably Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, just across the border from San Diego.

Likewise Nuevo Laredo, Mexico across the border from Laredo, TX is extremely dangerous. Myself & 6 trucking buddies went across the border during the day, we were warned by the US Border Patrol to be "very,very careful after dark". We went into a cantina for a drink & we were treated very well. After a few drinks it seemed the senoritas were trying to separate us from our group of friends probably to roll us our designated driver said so we stumbled back across the border without getting "any". The next morning we all were severely hungover thinking they had slipped us a mickey

Little Rock , murder capital of Arkansas ;)

I currently live on Cape Cod, more specifically the Village of Hyannis. Hyannis has gotten really bad in the last decade or so. I find it amusing to myself that the tourists are oblivious to the fact that this is ground zero for heroin. Gunshots ring out at night in some neighborhoods. The homeless are ever increasing, mostly because rents here are so fucking sky high and you can't get ahead. The winter time is when it gets really bad. Hell, the Dept. of Transitional Assistance office here has armored guards. This isn't the Hyannis I remember from when I was younger. Back then, Hyannis was a quiet village. Now it's like a city and all the city problems are finding their way here.

-We have gangs now when there weren't any.
-Four overdoses in one night last week.
-I think I read somewhere that we have the second highest amount of DCF cases in the state.

These are the absolute worst places to live in California, they're not inner-cities or largely Black and/or Latino communities, they are "redneck" towns way out in the country(side).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL6NS_9J4dw

Here's more: "white trash" (hey, there's a difference) grounds. I can name Yucca valley and 29 Palms CA in the Mojave Desert, but let's politely refer them as "blue collar folk".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKz2Dndo1SA

Quote from: cpzilliacus on August 20, 2017, 11:19:04 PM
In the U.S., probably Baltimore (a city I know well, though I have never resided there).

Outside the U.S., probably Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, just across the border from San Diego.

The US Embassy of Mexico has issued a travel warning for the Baja California and Yucatan peninsulas due to drug cartel violence. I don't plan to visit Mexicali on the border soon, so I'm not really worried. Not surprisingly, the Imperial valley or county is the worst place to live in CA - largely agricultural, over 100 miles from any CA major city (San Diego) and very hot in the summer (desert climate).   

Quote from: roadguy2 on August 18, 2017, 12:40:49 AM

Quote from: JJBers on August 18, 2017, 12:25:45 AM
If this is just the worst city I've been in...than the winner is Hartford...
For experiences, NYC, where I saw a homeless take pizza out of the trash.

In NYC, I saw a homeless man throw his cigarette on the ground when he was done with it, and then another homeless man picked it up and started smoking it.

I've seen homeless people camping out at the Bank of America on the southeast corner of Morrison Avenue and Westchester Avenue in Soundview in the Bronx. I've also seen them camping out at the old bathrooms across 125th Street from the Metro-North station there. In Eastchester some Afro-American wino approached me and thought I was a DJ he knew about from Chicago, and when I told him I wasn't, he walked away and called the DJ a dirty Jew. I've encountered panhandlers, semi-legal vendors, and other freaky types on the subway, the parks and other places, and I don't feel traumatized by the experience in the slightest.

I was watching an old "Law & Order" the other night that started out with a NYC squeegee man doing his thing.

Is that still a problem in NYC?

Quote from: hbelkins on September 03, 2017, 02:25:53 PM
I was watching an old "Law & Order" the other night that started out with a NYC squeegee man doing his thing.

Is that still a problem in NYC?

That must've been very old. That's not been a problem for many years.

STV100-2

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/las-vegas-shooting-stephen-paddock-mandalay-bay-live-updates/

Well there's a mass shooting in Paradise, NV where 58 people are declared dead. Expect the crime stats for Nevada to come into play though.

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/02/a-look-at-the-nevada-gun-laws-that-may-have-helped-las-vegas-shooter/


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/las-vegas-cops-search-mandalay-bay-casino-shooter-article-1.3535657




Update Nevada's Gun Laws are now coming out since the Nevada Mass Shooting came into play.

Quote from: bing101 on October 02, 2017, 01:02:11 PM
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/02/a-look-at-the-nevada-gun-laws-that-may-have-helped-las-vegas-shooter/


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/las-vegas-cops-search-mandalay-bay-casino-shooter-article-1.3535657




Update Nevada's Gun Laws are now coming out since the Nevada Mass Shooting came into play.

Yup, because it takes mass shootings like this to actually pass laws........

Quote from: Avalanchez71 on August 03, 2017, 11:40:38 PM
I would say Bucharest Romania.  There are packs of wild dogs that run the streets.  The hotel staff would not let me walk out at night.  I thought they were just trying to get a kickback with trying to arrange a car for me but man they were right that I would not want to walk around at night.

I think it's gotten a lot better - I was there last year and had no issues walking around at night- it was actually a pretty lively city, though this was in the old town.
--

I'd echo the Tucson/South Tucson sentiment having lived in Tucson. Not sure if it was the having my car stolen, bike stolen, or the people below me getting broken into part that did it for me. I lived at Fort Lowell and Country Club and that area was bad. Eventually moved up to Oro Valley (worked at a resort up there anyway, despite being a student at U. Arizona), and that was much better.

Quote from: hbelkins on September 03, 2017, 02:25:53 PM
I was watching an old "Law & Order" the other night that started out with a NYC squeegee man doing his thing.

Is that still a problem in NYC?

Maybe not in New York, but I saw one working at Conway and Light Streets in Baltimore a few weeks ago.

Here is an update


http://abc7.com/news/off-duty-officers-at-las-vegas-music-festival-went-into-line-of-fire-officers-rep/2480110/


http://abc7.com/southern-california-victims-in-las-vegas-mass-shooting/2478440/


Off Duty Police officers from Southern California have been recorded as victims due to the mass shooting in Vegas.


Also Cirque Du Soleil and Blue Man Group have Cancelled shows in Vegas until further notice.


http://www.ktnv.com/news/cirque-du-soleil-cancels-shows-after-mass-shooting


http://www.ktnv.com/news/national/will-mass-shooting-lead-to-upgrades-in-las-vegas-hotel-security-1


Now Hotel Security on the Las Vegas Strip aka Paradise Strip is under debate at this time.

Quote from: ET21 on October 02, 2017, 02:23:40 PM

Quote from: bing101 on October 02, 2017, 01:02:11 PM
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/10/02/a-look-at-the-nevada-gun-laws-that-may-have-helped-las-vegas-shooter/


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/las-vegas-cops-search-mandalay-bay-casino-shooter-article-1.3535657




Update Nevada's Gun Laws are now coming out since the Nevada Mass Shooting came into play.

Yup, because it takes mass shootings like this to actually pass laws........

Since when?  We have had one shooting after another and nothing has changed.

http://www.ktnv.com/news/las-vegas-shooting/las-vegas-police-officer-and-coach-remembered-after-mass-shooting


Sadly you know that a city is dangerous when even an off-duty police officer from Las Vegas is also listed as the victim of the deadliest mass shooting in Nevada history.

Quote from: bing101 on October 03, 2017, 07:09:04 AM
http://www.ktnv.com/news/las-vegas-shooting/las-vegas-police-officer-and-coach-remembered-after-mass-shooting


Sadly you know that a city is dangerous when even an off-duty police officer from Las Vegas is also listed as the victim of the deadliest mass shooting in Nevada history.

So a single, isolated mass shooting suddenly makes a place less safe than a place where the shootings and killings go on day in and day out, like Chicago?

Quote from: Brandon on October 03, 2017, 07:13:23 AM

Quote from: bing101 on October 03, 2017, 07:09:04 AM
http://www.ktnv.com/news/las-vegas-shooting/las-vegas-police-officer-and-coach-remembered-after-mass-shooting


Sadly you know that a city is dangerous when even an off-duty police officer from Las Vegas is also listed as the victim of the deadliest mass shooting in Nevada history.

So a single, isolated mass shooting suddenly makes a place less safe than a place where the shootings and killings go on day in and day out, like Chicago?

You're right on this though. Wow I do remember though that Chicago had a yearly crime rate that's equal to 5-6 Las Vegas Mass shootings in one year though.

For me, I'd say Ciudad Juárez.  Granted, I was there back before Mexico started its war on the cartels, but it was still known as a rough city.  To be specific, it was December 2001, and my dad and I were on our way back from the Copper Canyon.  As we were checking into our hotel, I realized I had left a shoulder bag on the taxi seat  So, as my dad settled into our room, the desk clerk called another cab to take me back to the bus station.  Half certain I'd get swindled or robbed, I asked the taxi drivers around if any of them had heard about my lost bag.  A few of them perked up and said yes, my driver had mentioned it, they had seen it, and I should check with security.  So I went inside and found a security guard.  He then led me up an outdoor stairwell to their offices.  As we were headed upstairs, I thought to myself.... I'm an American in Juárez after dark, and I'm being led by an armed man up a deserted staircase, hmmmmm.......  All was well, though.  My bag was locked in a cabinet, and I had to come back the next morning to collect it, because the man with the key had gone home for the evening.  Everybody I dealt with in this "dangerous city" was friendly and eager to help.

On Chicago's west side, I once had some wannabe hoodlums throw rocks at me while I was walking down the sidewalk, apparently just for being white.  It wasn't exactly the best part of town, though.  I also once found myself under the L tracks at California and Lake after dark one evening, with a drunk guy trying to make a drug deal.  It was my landlord (I was renting a room for cash at the time), we had gone into the city together because I knew the public transit system and he didn't, he had gotten drunk at a hotel bar, we got kicked out, he was flashing money around on the L heading back, asked a big black guy if he had drugs for sale, and the next thing I knew the two of them were standing on the platform at California.  I felt responsible for getting him home, so I got off too.  We headed down to the street, they talked price, my landlord gave him $100, the guy flagged down a friend who was driving by, and then he disappeared.  $100 lighter and no drugs in hand, my landlord and I got back on the train and went home.  I never really thought of Chicago as particularly dangerous, but it definitely has its neighborhoods.

Quote from: bing101 on October 03, 2017, 08:01:07 AM

Quote from: Brandon on October 03, 2017, 07:13:23 AM

Quote from: bing101 on October 03, 2017, 07:09:04 AM
http://www.ktnv.com/news/las-vegas-shooting/las-vegas-police-officer-and-coach-remembered-after-mass-shooting


Sadly you know that a city is dangerous when even an off-duty police officer from Las Vegas is also listed as the victim of the deadliest mass shooting in Nevada history.

So a single, isolated mass shooting suddenly makes a place less safe than a place where the shootings and killings go on day in and day out, like Chicago?

You're right on this though. Wow I do remember though that Chicago had a yearly crime rate that's equal to 5-6 Las Vegas Mass shootings in one year though.

From two main hotspots of the south and west sides of Chicago, accounting for the majority of the #'s....

Brooklyn ghetto in the dead of night. I was 11 at the time, and had to haul a load of luggage on the sidewalks. There were a noticeable number of dead animals. I saw several cats just sitting there not breathing or anything, one was rotting, and there was one dead dog. I suppose I'm lucky not to have been mugged. The stores that were open (only about two of them) were behind bulletproof glass and metal bars.

Before you ask, I had no choice. My family that was with me needed accommodations for the night (I had flown in to JFK just a few hours prior and needed to head back to CLT at 6 AM the next morning), and my aunt's apartment in Brooklyn was the only option. Bus service only went so far that late, and a taxi wasn't an option for very long.

As far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as an unsafe city. People will treat you right as long you don't bother them. I've been to hoods from Camden to Englewood to Watts and Compton. Seriously, no one's ever bothered me.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 14, 2017, 12:38:35 AM
As far as I am concerned, there is no such thing as an unsafe city. People will treat you right as long you don't bother them. I've been to hoods from Camden to Englewood to Watts and Compton. Seriously, no one's ever bothered me.

Even Damascus?

Like I have experience with war zones? Obviously I mean American cities.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 14, 2017, 05:53:23 PM
Like I have experience with war zones? Obviously I mean American cities.

You should have specified America.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 14, 2017, 06:44:09 PM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 14, 2017, 05:53:23 PM
Like I have experience with war zones? Obviously I mean American cities.

You should have specified America.

It was implied with his post. He listed well known dangerous American neighborhoods and cities.

Quote from: index on October 14, 2017, 10:26:56 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 14, 2017, 06:44:09 PM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 14, 2017, 05:53:23 PM
Like I have experience with war zones? Obviously I mean American cities.

You should have specified America.

It was implied with his post. He listed well known dangerous American neighborhoods and cities.

He should have specified america.

Or you should be properly educated and look those place up yourself.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 15, 2017, 12:02:52 AM
Or you should be properly educated and look those place up yourself.

I know those places.

Then you shouldn't have had to figure it out.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 15, 2017, 12:22:24 AM
Then you shouldn't have had to figure it out.

I knew the cities dude.  You just were not specific enough.

I think St. Louis, Chicago, and Washington, DC for the US, and Regina and Winnipeg for Canada are the most dangerous cities I've been to. Probably because I stayed in good neighbourhoods, I felt safe in all of them.

Roosevelt Blvd (US 1/13) in north Philadelphia and Niagara Falls Blvd (US 62) in Niagara Falls, NY were two of the saddest streets I've driven on.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 15, 2017, 12:31:24 AM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 15, 2017, 12:22:24 AM
Then you shouldn't have had to figure it out.

I knew the cities dude.  You just were not specific enough.

Oh really? Are you aware that there are several Englewoods around the country? Since you claim to know  all the places that Adam was referring to, can you tell me which Englewood in what State was he referring to?

Inglewood or Englewood? Isn't there an Inglewood in Florida? That bothers me. Just like I don't like to hear the name Hollywood, Florida. Ugh....

Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on October 15, 2017, 12:41:37 AM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 15, 2017, 12:31:24 AM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 15, 2017, 12:22:24 AM
Then you shouldn't have had to figure it out.

I knew the cities dude.  You just were not specific enough.

Oh really? Are you aware that there are several Englewoods around the country? Since you claim to know  all the places that Adam was referring to, can you tell me which Englewood in what State was he referring to?

New Jersey

L.
O.
L.

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 14, 2017, 05:53:23 PM
Like I have experience with war zones? Obviously I mean American cities.

You didn't specify.

Quote from: index on October 14, 2017, 10:26:56 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 14, 2017, 06:44:09 PM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 14, 2017, 05:53:23 PM
Like I have experience with war zones? Obviously I mean American cities.

You should have specified America.

It was implied with his post. He listed well known dangerous American neighborhoods and cities.

I don't see it being implied in the OP.  And I didn't find it obvious that you meant American cities.  Furthermore, I talked about a foreign city and nobody jumped on me for it being off-topic, so it would be reasonable to assume from that that the thread can include foreign cities.  Yeesh...

---

At any rate, I just remembered another one.  Back before the bus station in Saint Louis (Missouri, not Senegal) was moved down to Amtrak, it used to be at 13th and Cass, which is not the neighborhood to be in at night.  I was transferring buses there at 4 or 5 AM one night on my way to meet my wife for the first time (we met online, and this was the first time we would meet in person).  I had some time to kill, so I went to find some breakfast, with suitcase and a vase of flowers in hand.  A homeless man made his way over to me to ask what I was doing on the street in this neighborhood at such a time.  He then pointed down the block to a group of ne'er-do-wells, advised me that he would show me where the nearest White Castle was and protect me if they or anyone else approached to cause trouble, in exchange for my buying him breakfast.  I obliged, and we got some breakfast together.  Word quickly got around on the street, and I was approached shortly thereafter by a relative of the man's, asking if I would help him by buying a few groceries, which I did.  Then someone else asked if I would help by going with them to the thrift store but, by that time, I needed to be boarding my bus.

I had quickly gone from being an easy target to being everyone's favorite man around.

I've been on (separate) mission trips to inner city Oakland, CA and the tenderloin district in San Fransisco. I never felt in any danger, though we were always in groups of at least 2-4 people (sometimes with locals). Also have been to San Jose, Costa Rica but I don't think I would consider that dangerous (at least where I was), I found it a pretty nice city.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 15, 2017, 01:18:57 PM

Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on October 15, 2017, 12:41:37 AM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 15, 2017, 12:31:24 AM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 15, 2017, 12:22:24 AM
Then you shouldn't have had to figure it out.

I knew the cities dude.  You just were not specific enough.

Oh really? Are you aware that there are several Englewoods around the country? Since you claim to know  all the places that Adam was referring to, can you tell me which Englewood in what State was he referring to?

New Jersey

He probably was referring to the Englewood neighborhood in Chicago's south side (Ashland/63rd).  Englewood NJ is actually a relatively nice suburb.

That being said, I think it is obvious from implication that the thread is referring to dangerous due to normal crime, not warzones.

Quote from: mrsman on October 19, 2017, 02:31:25 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 15, 2017, 01:18:57 PM

Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on October 15, 2017, 12:41:37 AM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 15, 2017, 12:31:24 AM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 15, 2017, 12:22:24 AM
Then you shouldn't have had to figure it out.

I knew the cities dude.  You just were not specific enough.

Oh really? Are you aware that there are several Englewoods around the country? Since you claim to know  all the places that Adam was referring to, can you tell me which Englewood in what State was he referring to?

New Jersey

He probably was referring to the Englewood neighborhood in Chicago's south side (Ashland/63rd).  Englewood NJ is actually a relatively nice suburb.

That being said, I think it is obvious from implication that the thread is referring to dangerous due to normal crime, not warzones.

Then how about Carcas?

Little Rock is Crime City right now! I don't think even any other city has been as bad as Little Rock. The city is very small for the amount of crime there is! It's crazy! There have been at least three shootings in the past month, if not more!

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 19, 2017, 06:24:27 PM
Then how about Carcas?

How about Mffgbtirm?

Quote from: TheArkansasRoadgeek on October 19, 2017, 06:32:32 PM
Little Rock is Crime City right now! I don't think even any other city has been as bad as Little Rock. The city is very small for the amount of crime there is! It's crazy! There have been at least three shootings in the past month, if not more!

The number of shootings in Lexington has been absolutely unreal this year. A friend with connections to the police department there tells me that gangs are infiltrating.

I'm not sure. I've been to Detroit, St. Louis, New Orleans, Baltimore, Cleveland, Gary, Flint, Little Rock, Memphis.

All my dangerous experiences have happened in Detroit.

The worst thing to happen to me was one night I was driving on I-96 in Detroit and blew my tire. I remember I was near the Evergreen or Greenfield exit one of the two, but I had to walk up to Schoolcraft to get to a gas station to get any help. I also had to walk across the local lanes of I-96 to get to the side of the expressway. Another time I was driving near Henry Ford Hospital and actually missed the end of a street and slammed into the curb. All that happened was I had to get two new front tires. I remember another time in Detroit where I ended up with a guy and we were riding around. He wanted a ride to a place near Grand River and Greenfield, he got out and as soon as I didn't see him anymore I just took off on him. I didn't even know the guy. Those are about the worst experiences I have had in Detroit.

It's just that I've been in Detroit more than these other cities I mentioned except Flint. I haven't had any bad experiences in Flint that I can remember.

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 18, 2017, 12:57:13 AM
North Philly and West Philly (west of 40th St)

I've been to both during my Philly Trolley photo crusade, and though many neighborhoods along SEPTA Routes 34, 36, and even 10 look kind of run down, I still felt safer there than in Baltimore.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 19, 2017, 06:24:27 PM

Quote from: mrsman on October 19, 2017, 02:31:25 PM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 15, 2017, 01:18:57 PM

Quote from: 21stCenturyRoad on October 15, 2017, 12:41:37 AM

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on October 15, 2017, 12:31:24 AM

Quote from: Roadgeek Adam on October 15, 2017, 12:22:24 AM
Then you shouldn't have had to figure it out.

I knew the cities dude.  You just were not specific enough.

Oh really? Are you aware that there are several Englewoods around the country? Since you claim to know  all the places that Adam was referring to, can you tell me which Englewood in what State was he referring to?

New Jersey

He probably was referring to the Englewood neighborhood in Chicago's south side (Ashland/63rd).  Englewood NJ is actually a relatively nice suburb.

That being said, I think it is obvious from implication that the thread is referring to dangerous due to normal crime, not warzones.

Then how about Carcas?

Carcass? Yeah, the flies are pretty thug.  Unless you mean Caracas, Venezuela. Funny, someone I live with used to live there. He got out when Maduro became leader.

Quote from: D-Dey65 on October 21, 2017, 11:21:55 PM

Quote from: jp the roadgeek on August 18, 2017, 12:57:13 AM
North Philly and West Philly (west of 40th St)

I've been to both during my Philly Trolley photo crusade, and though many neighborhoods along SEPTA Routes 34, 36, and even 10 look kind of run down, I still felt safer there than in Baltimore.

West Philly is fine until west of 50th, and really its the school kids you have to lookout for.  Also, North Philly only has a few bad sections, as the drug trade accounts for most of the crime.  Now Southwest Philly is another story.  If you're in a neighborhood around that refinery after dark, hopefully you have a good sized dog with you. 
I'm from the greater area, so I wouldn't consider any city areas overly dangerous as I am familiar with the city layout.
My vote goes to Trenton.  It has some nice areas, and some really bad areas..

Someone said Englewood, NJ? That person said it's "bad", the other (a reply) said it's "good". What makes a community "bad"...in contrast to "good"? Low-income/ working poor majorities... or I guess, can be seen as racist. I read Trenton (NJ's state capital - 80,000 people) is one of the nation's largest Italian-American communities (if not the city, the surrounding), same with New Haven, CT.  New Jersey, New York (esp. the city) and Connecticut (urban areas) are portrayed as blue-collar/working-class (non affluent) "ethnic" communities in the media, like movies about the mafia and Italian or Sicilian themes. Large South Asian communities are in northern NJ and southern CT, portrayed in contradictory images or stereotypes: are they richer...or poorer than white Americans? Trenton is nowadays majority Black (50-55%), Latino (15-20%) and Asian, esp. Nepalis.

Northern San Bernardino (40th st. and Kendall Dr. not far from CSU campus) - partially unincorporated and Eastern Riverside (around the UC campus) - also unincorporated areas, are actually not the "ghetto". It might be falsely labelled as such because of large African-American, Hispanic/Latino or East/South Asian populations, even the presence of Apache Indians, Iranians and Samoans, these are ethnically diverse areas but middle or upper-middle class, and there are college students living on fixed income situations.

And Locally, there are parts of Desert Hot Springs where it's not completely impoverished and dangerous - I've known people who lived on Angel Vista street and Bubbling Wells Road, and 8th Street and Cholla Drive areas - both unincorporated sections. However, Desert View Ave. and El Cajon Drives, both west of Palm Drive is horrible, terrible and to avoid at all costs. Near 8th and Cholla Dr. is the Mission Creek Indian Band reservation, as well the section has many Koreans, Filipinos and Sikhs, as well Desert Hot Springs is 60% Latino, 10-15% Black and you noticed many Whites in the outskirts have "Southern/ Texan/ okie" drawls - descendants of people who came to CA in the dust bowl in the 1930s/WW2 era.

Quote from: CapeCodder on August 03, 2017, 01:41:01 PM
The word in quotes is subjective...

I lived in St. Louis for 16 years and never had a problem. Hell, people up in the north end of the city knew me by my first name. I do not understand why STL city is rated most dangerous in the USA. North St. Louis County, on the other hand is more dangerous than the city itself. Yes, the latest rash of violence within the city limits doesn't look good, but it's not like that throughout the city.

As for most dangerous I've been to? Joliet, IL. I stayed at a no name motel there and as I stated in a post in the road trip forum, the place was infested with brown recluse spiders. About halfway through the night, some man came up to the door and he started pounding it and screaming that I "better have the fucking money" Luckily for me, I was in my truck, sleeping as I didn't want a brown recluse bite to ruin my day. He went at it for a good forty-five minutes. The lot was unlit so he couldn't see me. Gunshots rang through the night. People watching was pretty good as there were all sorts of "Ladies of the Night" I guess entering and exiting the rooms. That night was wild and I shall never forget it.

My wife is originally from St. Charles with family in O' Fallon, St. peters and Lake St. Louis, she's of Mexican and some Filipino and Italian descent, due to family roots in Northern Cal. she also grew up in San Mateo 30 miles south of San Francisco. She lived in areas where the locals are multicultural, working-class and nowadays threatened by higher housing costs and gentrification. She told me "the Hill" in St. Louis, as well Cherokee Street in the south side, the suburb of Ferguson and east of the river-East St. Louis, IL have negative reputations. Well, they happen to have Black, Mexican, Italian and Bosnian residents, there are also Filipinos and Samoans, and not surprisingly, Cherokee Indians as well Missouri's Osage tribe and the city's history of French, German, Polish and Irish cultures. The crime rate in St. Louis is among the highest, poverty rate also among the highest... and economic performance among the lowest and average credit scores also among the lowest in the country. The most troubled part of the St. Louis area has to be Ferguson, known for racial tension and civil unrest in 2014 and 2015. Actually, if Ferguson is so troubled, why is there a Wal-mart and a Dollar Tree? Oh wait, it is "kinda" troubled.

Quote from: D-Dey65 on August 22, 2017, 11:54:10 PM
When I went to Hollis to get some pics of the LIRR station there, I got a cell phone call from my mother, and I lied and told her I was in Jamaica. I didn't want my relatives to freak out over the phone before I could get a shot of the station.

A bit of an update; I recently confessed to her about the lie, and as it turned out she was unaware of Hollis' reputation.

Quote from: D-Dey65 on December 11, 2017, 09:30:54 PM

Quote from: D-Dey65 on August 22, 2017, 11:54:10 PM
When I went to Hollis to get some pics of the LIRR station there, I got a cell phone call from my mother, and I lied and told her I was in Jamaica. I didn't want my relatives to freak out over the phone before I could get a shot of the station.

A bit of an update; I recently confessed to her about the lie, and as it turned out she was unaware of Hollis' reputation.

Jamaica as a nation has a fairly high violent crime rate...

I've been to a few areas perceived as dangerous (Detroit, parts of Grand Rapids, Muskegon Heights, Ypsilanti east of the Huron River, west Tampa) and I've never really had any bad experiences. The closest had to be the time my family and I stopped at a somewhat shady gas station in Chattanooga, TN that was right next to a pay-by-the-hour motel (and also very close to I-24).

My dad once stayed at a pay-by-the-hour motel in the Flint area for some classes he had to take (he only went there because the rate was much cheaper than other hotels). He would never go back to that motel!

I think the most dangerous part of Detroit is the Northeast side within the 48205 zip code.

Serious: Chicago

Not Serious: My High School as there is a lot of idiots that do really questionable stuff there and in class.

Quote from: Hurricane Rex on December 17, 2017, 02:24:44 AM
Serious: Chicago

Not Serious: My High School as there is a lot of idiots that do really questionable stuff there and in class.

My high school is good but there are some mean people on it.

Quote from: Roadgeekteen on December 18, 2017, 08:42:24 PM

Quote from: Hurricane Rex on December 17, 2017, 02:24:44 AM
Serious: Chicago

Not Serious: My High School as there is a lot of idiots that do really questionable stuff there and in class.

My high school is good but there are some mean people on it.

Is it the Thomas M Menino High School, because he too loved confusing the use of 'in' and 'on'.

I think Chicago gets kind of a bad rap overall. Although I grew up in the NW suburbs, my high school was near the John Hancock bldg and Water Tower Place, in a really nice neighborhood. I never felt unsafe there, nor downtown in the Loop, nor near any of the North and Northwest neighborhoods of Chciago where most of my classmates lived.

I did have one classmate that lived near the intersection of 26th and Kedvale, which is not that far from the Cook County Jail which is at 26th and California. We got shot at leaving his house one evening, luckily for us the pricks that were shooting at us were lousy shots.

Fast forward to the last few years and the large number of murders and shootings in general in Chicago, if you were to subtract the totals from a box roughly 100 blocks deep and 30 blocks wide of the south side the violent crime rate would drop to next to nothing.

FWIW I feel less safe visiting little itty bitty Kinston or Greenville NC than I ever did in Chicago.

↑ Chicago is like any other large city:  There are places to stay away from, and there are places that are just fine.  I agree that it gets a bad rap.

The city of Rochester's northeast quadrant is notoriously dangerous. Dangerous enough that I've lived here 18 years and have never been to that part of the city. Honestly, I would be scared. Especially at night.

Anything south of Norton St. and west of Culver Rd. is generally considered an area to avoid.

Quote from: webny99 on December 23, 2017, 04:56:55 PM
The city of Rochester's northeast quadrant is notoriously dangerous. Dangerous enough that I've lived here 18 years and have never been to that part of the city. Honestly, I would be scared. Especially at night.

Anything south of Norton St. and west of Culver Rd. is generally considered an area to avoid.

Living too close to an area can also give one a skewed impression of an area.  This can work both ways.  I'm saying that area of Rochester isn't dangerous, I'm just saying I've heard that kind of thing said about neighborhoods that aren't very dangerous by people who've lived a short distance away for years.

Quote from: kphoger on December 23, 2017, 05:27:16 PM

Quote from: webny99 on December 23, 2017, 04:56:55 PM
The city of Rochester's northeast quadrant is notoriously dangerous. Dangerous enough that I've lived here 18 years and have never been to that part of the city. Honestly, I would be scared. Especially at night.

Anything south of Norton St. and west of Culver Rd. is generally considered an area to avoid.

Living too close to an area can also give one a skewed impression of an area.  This can work both ways.  I'm not saying that area of Rochester isn't dangerous, I'm just saying I've heard that kind of thing said about neighborhoods that aren't very dangerous by people who've lived a short distance away for years.

Think you missed a "not" there  :D

Of course, you should take my judgement with a grain of salt. However, I live around ~10 miles from this area, and it's pretty widely accepted as the most dangerous area of the city. How that compares in turn with the "dangerous areas" of other cities, I have no idea. I do know that Rochester has a higher violent crime rate, whereas neighboring Buffalo and Syracuse tend to have more petty crimes.

Quote from: slorydn1 on December 23, 2017, 03:53:17 AM
I think Chicago gets kind of a bad rap overall. Although I grew up in the NW suburbs, my high school was near the John Hancock bldg and Water Tower Place, in a really nice neighborhood. I never felt unsafe there, nor downtown in the Loop, nor near any of the North and Northwest neighborhoods of Chciago where most of my classmates lived.

I did have one classmate that lived near the intersection of 26th and Kedvale, which is not that far from the Cook County Jail which is at 26th and California. We got shot at leaving his house one evening, luckily for us the pricks that were shooting at us were lousy shots.

Fast forward to the last few years and the large number of murders and shootings in general in Chicago, if you were to subtract the totals from a box roughly 100 blocks deep and 30 blocks wide of the south side the violent crime rate would drop to next to nothing.

FWIW I feel less safe visiting little itty bitty Kinston or Greenville NC than I ever did in Chicago.

The Northside of Chicago does have some higher crime areas like Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park, basically anything along the Red Line north of Irving Park.

On the Southside it's basically anything south of 47th Street that's bad, some sections of Bronzeville aren't the greatest but that's about the only exception north of 47th. Westside is bad starting around the United Center going all the way to Austin.

Quote from: webny99 on December 23, 2017, 05:37:16 PM

Quote from: kphoger on December 23, 2017, 05:27:16 PM

Quote from: webny99 on December 23, 2017, 04:56:55 PM
The city of Rochester's northeast quadrant is notoriously dangerous. Dangerous enough that I've lived here 18 years and have never been to that part of the city. Honestly, I would be scared. Especially at night.

Anything south of Norton St. and west of Culver Rd. is generally considered an area to avoid.

Living too close to an area can also give one a skewed impression of an area.  This can work both ways.  I'm not saying that area of Rochester isn't dangerous, I'm just saying I've heard that kind of thing said about neighborhoods that aren't very dangerous by people who've lived a short distance away for years.

Think you missed a "not" there  :D

Of course, you should take my judgement with a grain of salt. However, I live around ~10 miles from this area, and it's pretty widely accepted as the most dangerous area of the city. How that compares in turn with the "dangerous areas" of other cities, I have no idea. I do know that Rochester has a higher violent crime rate, whereas neighboring Buffalo and Syracuse tend to have more petty crimes.

I remember hearing the term "fatal crescent" to describe that area when I was in high school, particularly around Avenue A and Clifford.

Quote from: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:06:34 PM

Quote from: slorydn1 on December 23, 2017, 03:53:17 AM
I think Chicago gets kind of a bad rap overall. Although I grew up in the NW suburbs, my high school was near the John Hancock bldg and Water Tower Place, in a really nice neighborhood. I never felt unsafe there, nor downtown in the Loop, nor near any of the North and Northwest neighborhoods of Chciago where most of my classmates lived.

I did have one classmate that lived near the intersection of 26th and Kedvale, which is not that far from the Cook County Jail which is at 26th and California. We got shot at leaving his house one evening, luckily for us the pricks that were shooting at us were lousy shots.

Fast forward to the last few years and the large number of murders and shootings in general in Chicago, if you were to subtract the totals from a box roughly 100 blocks deep and 30 blocks wide of the south side the violent crime rate would drop to next to nothing.

FWIW I feel less safe visiting little itty bitty Kinston or Greenville NC than I ever did in Chicago.

The Northside of Chicago does have some higher crime areas like Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park, basically anything along the Red Line north of Irving Park.

On the Southside it's basically anything south of 47th Street that's bad, some sections of Bronzeville aren't the greatest but that's about the only exception north of 47th. Westside is bad starting around the United Center going all the way to Austin.

I guess time does skew things some too. My freshman and sophomore years of high school I lived in a dorm that was on the campus of the old Angel Guardian orphanage (it was called St John Vianney Residence Hall then) at 2000 W Devon in Rogers Park (mid 1980's). I never felt unsafe in that neighborhood, waiting for the 155 Bus to take me to the Loyola University CTA stop to ride the train into school in the morning (I guess that's what y'all call the Red Line now-It was the Englewood (A) or Jackson (B) /Howard Line back in my day).

Quote from: slorydn1 on December 24, 2017, 02:25:21 AM

Quote from: Flint1979 on December 23, 2017, 06:06:34 PM

Quote from: slorydn1 on December 23, 2017, 03:53:17 AM
I think Chicago gets kind of a bad rap overall. Although I grew up in the NW suburbs, my high school was near the John Hancock bldg and Water Tower Place, in a really nice neighborhood. I never felt unsafe there, nor downtown in the Loop, nor near any of the North and Northwest neighborhoods of Chciago where most of my classmates lived.

I did have one classmate that lived near the intersection of 26th and Kedvale, which is not that far from the Cook County Jail which is at 26th and California. We got shot at leaving his house one evening, luckily for us the pricks that were shooting at us were lousy shots.

Fast forward to the last few years and the large number of murders and shootings in general in Chicago, if you were to subtract the totals from a box roughly 100 blocks deep and 30 blocks wide of the south side the violent crime rate would drop to next to nothing.

FWIW I feel less safe visiting little itty bitty Kinston or Greenville NC than I ever did in Chicago.

The Northside of Chicago does have some higher crime areas like Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park, basically anything along the Red Line north of Irving Park.

On the Southside it's basically anything south of 47th Street that's bad, some sections of Bronzeville aren't the greatest but that's about the only exception north of 47th. Westside is bad starting around the United Center going all the way to Austin.

I guess time does skew things some too. My freshman and sophomore years of high school I lived in a dorm that was on the campus of the old Angel Guardian orphanage (it was called St John Vianney Residence Hall then) at 2000 W Devon in Rogers Park (mid 1980's). I never felt unsafe in that neighborhood, waiting for the 155 Bus to take me to the Loyola University CTA stop to ride the train into school in the morning (I guess that's what y'all call the Red Line now-It was the Englewood (A) or Jackson (B) /Howard Line back in my day).

The Red Line is the Howard-Dan Ryan Line. The Green Line does the Englewood-Jackson Park Line now but it doesn't go to University or Dorchester anymore it terminates at Cottage Grove on that branch. The Dan Ryan branch of the Red Line was just reconstructed in 2013 and used the Englewood branch instead of the Dan Ryan branch when it was under construction and the Green Line went to Cottage Grove. Green Line is also the Lake Street Elevated.