are the watts towers safe to visit? (Los Angeles, Compton: crimes, how much) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

nobody067 · 02-21-2013, 10:00 PM

this is not a question for me,but for my new next door neighbors. they are a Jewish couple in their mid 30's who recently moved to LA from NYC. they like art and want to see the LACMA and the watts towers but they are very hesitant to go there because of the neighborhood. they don't have a car yet and will rely on the Blue Line as transportation. i'm not trying to sound ignorant,but they totally do not look the part for watts..both have natural light hair and blue eyes and they are sort of shy. i don't have a car either but i have been to Compton and Westmont and West Athens without anyone giving me a second look. i am white too but i have black hair and brown eyes and i tan easy. so,can anyone who has been there or who has lived in LA long enough tell me honestly if they can see the towers without being worried about the location? they want to go during the day and i don't know how far the towers are from the station. if someone can help me with some useful information,i will relay it to them and hopefully they can see the Watts Towers and take pictures without even thinking about anything bad happening.

rob3gd · 02-21-2013, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nobody067

this is not a question for me,but for my new next door neighbors. they are a Jewish couple in their mid 30's who recently moved to LA from NYC. they like art and want to see the LACMA and the watts towers but they are very hesitant to go there because of the neighborhood. they don't have a car yet and will rely on the Blue Line as transportation. i'm not trying to sound ignorant,but they totally do not look the part for watts..both have natural light hair and blue eyes and they are sort of shy. i don't have a car either but i have been to Compton and Westmont and West Athens without anyone giving me a second look. i am white too but i have black hair and brown eyes and i tan easy. so,can anyone who has been there or who has lived in LA long enough tell me honestly if they can see the towers without being worried about the location? they want to go during the day and i don't know how far the towers are from the station. if someone can help me with some useful information,i will relay it to them and hopefully they can see the Watts Towers and take pictures without even thinking about anything bad happening.

Take it from someone who lived near the neighborhood and attended high school near there. Do not go there on the blue line. It is very dangerous, especially for people who seem different. your a robbery waiting to happen. Ive been there and done that. Trust me, if you don't have a car, then the answer is no. Going to see the tower isn't a problem, its that you have to walk the streets to get there if your taking the blue line.

Temujin · 02-22-2013, 01:35 AM

The only time I've ever been robbed in the City of Los Angeles was in Watts. Coincidentally, I was also going to the Watts Towers. I got lost though. I got off the bus at the "supposed" stop, but couldn't catch view of the towers. That should have been my queue to leave, but I stayed and walked through neighborhoods. Passed through some of the sketchiest places I've ever seen. As expected, I got robbed after about an hour of looking around.

The area around Watts is pretty bad. Like many places of Los Angeles, it used to be much worse, but its still kind of dangerous despite all of its advancements. Hoodlums sometimes hang out at the train stops themselves. Go by car.

Tlaneloli · 02-22-2013, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob3gd

Take it from someone who lived near the neighborhood and attended high school near there. Do not go there on the blue line. It is very dangerous, especially for people who seem different. your a robbery waiting to happen. Ive been there and done that. Trust me, if you don't have a car, then the answer is no. Going to see the tower isn't a problem, its that you have to walk the streets to get there if your taking the blue line.

I've gone on the blue line with white people, they got dogged and that's it, in a somewhat similar incident I saw this white boy and dad that were very obviously going to the X Games and they didn't look like they belonged on a bus much less one that went from Downtown through South Central to Carson, I didn't see anything happen to them

It depends on time of day and what sort of attitude you have, if you're gonna be on there and give the impression that you don't belong on a bus or look all afraid then people are more inclined to mess with you, not all the time but often enough, I'd say to be safe they can try to get a cab to take them there, I've never taken a cab so I don't know about cost, but I'm sure it's safer than the bus.

rob3gd · 02-22-2013, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tlaneloli

I've gone on the blue line with white people, they got dogged and that's it, in a somewhat similar incident I saw this white boy and dad that were very obviously going to the X Games and they didn't look like they belonged on a bus much less one that went from Downtown through South Central to Carson, I didn't see anything happen to them

It depends on time of day and what sort of attitude you have, if you're gonna be on there and give the impression that you don't belong on a bus or look all afraid then people are more inclined to mess with you, not all the time but often enough, I'd say to be safe they can try to get a cab to take them there, I've never taken a cab so I don't know about cost, but I'm sure it's safer than the bus.

I have never seen anyone attacked on any bus because of their race. I've seen whites on buses that go through south LA plenty of times. Its just stepping off that bus in South LA that can get you in trouble.

munchitup · 02-22-2013, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob3gd

Take it from someone who lived near the neighborhood and attended high school near there. Do not go there on the blue line. It is very dangerous, especially for people who seem different. your a robbery waiting to happen. Ive been there and done that. Trust me, if you don't have a car, then the answer is no. Going to see the tower isn't a problem, its that you have to walk the streets to get there if your taking the blue line.

The Watts towers are 1400 feet from the train stop. If you go in the middle of the day you are going to be fine. Metro advertises to "Go Metro" to the Watts Towers... Somehow I think if white people were getting accosted whenever they go there (or even every once and a while) they would not be advertising it.

The train stop is at 103rd St and Graham. The towers are marked with the "A": Google Maps

I'm a white guy, maybe a little more intimidating-looking than most but I ride PT all the time through the city (admittedly never to Watts though) and have never even been verbally-harassed by other riders or people in the neighborhoods. Sometimes guys will holler at my girl (typically after they have put some distance between us) but that is about the extent of it.

jm1982 · 02-22-2013, 10:50 AM

Reverse Racism?

I only took the Blue Line ones but it wasn't too great an experience on the way...way back was better.

Just some rude obnoxious wanna be or possibly real gang people..

genjy · 02-22-2013, 10:50 AM

I did a Google Map Streetview on Watts.

I was magically transported back to the early '90s.

taydigga · 02-22-2013, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nobody067

this is not a question for me,but for my new next door neighbors. they are a Jewish couple in their mid 30's who recently moved to LA from NYC. they like art and want to see the LACMA and the watts towers but they are very hesitant to go there because of the neighborhood. they don't have a car yet and will rely on the Blue Line as transportation. i'm not trying to sound ignorant,but they totally do not look the part for watts..both have natural light hair and blue eyes and they are sort of shy. i don't have a car either but i have been to Compton and Westmont and West Athens without anyone giving me a second look. i am white too but i have black hair and brown eyes and i tan easy. so,can anyone who has been there or who has lived in LA long enough tell me honestly if they can see the towers without being worried about the location? they want to go during the day and i don't know how far the towers are from the station. if someone can help me with some useful information,i will relay it to them and hopefully they can see the Watts Towers and take pictures without even thinking about anything bad happening.

They will be fine, plenty of other tourist do the same. Despite how much the media scares you people, hood areas rarely have crimes committed against people of the anglo-saxon race. Self-hate is the issue in the hood. I'm more likely to get got in the hood than some blue-eyed person. Sure they might mess with you but cops are on that type of stuff. I can get killed and my case is closed 3 months later with no suspect. You people kill me with you lack of knowledge about places in your own country.

Tlaneloli · 02-22-2013, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rob3gd

I have never seen anyone attacked on any bus because of their race. I've seen whites on buses that go through south LA plenty of times. Its just stepping off that bus in South LA that can get you in trouble.

I'm not saying that they will, white people hardly ever actually get jumped or killed because that can land you and the entire community in water, but they will get messed with, harassed, maybe mugged, when you stick out you're a mark, if you got a scared look on your face or don't have the attitude, you will get harassed and I just feel like if it's that much of an issue for them and if they're scared they can just call a cab