Compton - Comparing now vs. 8 years ago

[Chelito23]

If you're looking for the hood Compton, doesn't really fit the bill anymore compared to what it was or what the image many had of it in the 90s. There are rougher places in the city of LA to the north of Compton now that are more iconic ghetto for lack of a better word. But not to be undersold...Compton still makes the news weekly for shootings....officer involved...at homes, at Food 4 Less, etc. Not nightly...but it seems to make the news at least one a week on locally if that says anything. Otherwise, just driving through it will probably be anti-climatic with a dated suburban appearance...it blends in well with Lynwood, South Gate and other nearby Gateway Cities with standard strip malls and single family homes as far as the eye can see. Very Hispanic and minimal African American presence compared to even 10 years ago.

[sgvkev]

Originally Posted by ka8

I drive by Compton almost everyday. It appears that there is a decent area in Compton towards westside. Compton will get better as time goes by because in my opinion bad times for LA county in general have passed(80's through 90's). I see this trend all over LA area. I remember as a kid in the 90's even koreatown, echo park, silverlake, DTLA etc were all 'bad' but now things are turning around. Hard to believe boyle heights is getting 'gentrified' but it is inevitable. As cost of living goes up in LA area poor and ghetto are priced out and it'll only get worse for them to stay. Worst of the ghetto will stay ghetto but overall things will improve. The fact that thread topics such as this proves this trend. Compton, like all gateway cities is centrally located so that'll help alot in the future.

West Compton is the black part of the city, and even then that area is still working class and has gangs.

Things are safer now than in the 80s and 90s because of stuff like the three strikes rule and revitalization, which gives the youth more options than joining the gangs.

Like I've mentioned before, unchecked development will make things way too expensive, and a metro area having little to no lower income areas is not healthy and cannot be sustained. A society consisting solely of the haves and have nots will only lead to bad things, as the middle class is declining rapidly, and it shows when looking at neighborhoods in Google Maps, as areas like Compton and its neighboring cities still look like the ghetto despite things such as a rise in median per capita income (inflation is occurring as well, which not only signifies that the dollar is weak, but it also signifies that the economy will likely crash again in the next couple years). The neighborhood across the street from me (SGV) has a median per capita income of around $26,000, and I walked through it and there were "ghetto" aspects in the area like dirt lawns, unkept houses, older cars in the driveways, fences around a few of the houses, etc., plus it's around 70% Hispanic, though I knew it was a safe area because of knowing where the gangs' turfs are all over the state (as well as Las Vegas/North Las Vegas), and being an area right next to everything didn't hurt. Hardly any graffiti or bars on the windows were key.

Having the rich in the cities and the poor in the rural areas is economic segregation, which is just as bad as the racial segregation that existed years ago.

[l1995]

Originally Posted by sgvkev

West Compton is the black part of the city, and even then that area is still working class and has gangs.

Things are safer now than in the 80s and 90s because of stuff like the three strikes rule and revitalization, which gives the youth more options than joining the gangs.

Like I've mentioned before, unchecked development will make things way too expensive, and a metro area having little to no lower income areas is not healthy and cannot be sustained. A society consisting solely of the haves and have nots will only lead to bad things, as the middle class is declining rapidly, and it shows when looking at neighborhoods in Google Maps, as areas like Compton and its neighboring cities still look like the ghetto despite things such as a rise in median per capita income (inflation is occurring as well, which not only signifies that the dollar is weak, but it also signifies that the economy will likely crash again in the next couple years). The neighborhood across the street from me (SGV) has a median per capita income of around $26,000, and I walked through it and there were "ghetto" aspects in the area like dirt lawns, unkept houses, older cars in the driveways, fences around a few of the houses, etc., plus it's around 70% Hispanic, though I knew it was a safe area because of knowing where the gangs' turfs are all over the state (as well as Las Vegas/North Las Vegas), and being an area right next to everything didn't hurt. Hardly any graffiti or bars on the windows were key.

Having the rich in the cities and the poor in the rural areas is economic segregation, which is just as bad as the racial segregation that existed years ago.

What the hell do old cars have to do with being ghetto? There's nothing wrong with driving an older car, at all.

And what's with you mentioning the Hispanics? I know Hispanics are often lower income but to include their presence on your "ghetto checklist" is condescending.

[orionstars]

It's getting better, but I wouldn't live there. It still needs more improvements. It is still gang infested, just because you don't see tagging, and the stereotypical gangsters chilling, doesn't mean they are not there.

I was dating a girl from there and I ended up in some part of Compton, west of Long Beach blvd and I walked into a convenience store. The black man at the cash register did not want to sell me a bottled water. I had to walk out, and I felt nervous because one of his friends I assume was standing next to the paying counter just making a "wtf you doing here" facial expression at me.

I have avoided that area like the plague. For reference I'm Hispanic.