Baldwin Village, Los Angeles (2009, apartments, rent)

[Gooser]

Alright so I'm thinking about moving to LA sometime between late 2008 and mid 2009. I've been looking around at apartments and have really liked some of those situated in Baldwin Village. I already know Baldwin Village, otherwise known as "The Jungle" is home to the Black P Stone gang, and have considerable knowledge regarding street gangs in LA already. I should also add that I'm a young white man coming from the mid-west. Anyway, I was wondering if it is relatively safe living in that community for someone of my ethnic background and age(obviously I wont interact with the gang members or start any beef with anyone)?
Thanks in advance

[wclac]

Its not worth living there. I passed by there a few times and saw some people in wheelchairs, and I have seen car chases and helicopters.

Don't live there man. Its not worth it.

[BRinSM]

i'm sure you'd be fine if you were smart about how you conducted yourself, you'll just have to be comfortable with the fact that you'll be one of a very small number of white people in the area.

[katenik]

NO, that area is not safe for ANYONE. anyone who says otherwise probably thinks it isn't so bad there because it isn't deep in the 'hood. let me tell you: it IS that bad!

[SouthCentral]

I know some guys I hang around with who live in this hood so Im there from time to time. Let me tell you youre gonna feel out of place being white. Id say 99% of the population is black, also you have to be very colour conscious. If you wear blue, orange, yellow, black, even red, you might be mistaken for a gang member and these guys dont play around. The Stones are 700 members deep which means a large percentage of the hood population does gangbang. All in all, if youre street smart you should survive but if you make a slight mistake in judgement it could alter your life.

[CESpeed]

I'm Black and I won't live in the Jungle. There are other places in the same area that are safer and just as Black. If you must just to have the experience, expect loud cars all hours of the night, shootings (my godsister was killed with her two children -ages 2 and 3- in the car) and the ghetto bird (better known as LAPD helicopter) overhead nightly. The areas immediately surrounding the Jungle are nice neighborhoods. Good Luck.

[katenik]

Originally Posted by SouthCentral

I know some guys I hang around with who live in this hood so Im there from time to time. Let me tell you youre gonna feel out of place being white. Id say 99% of the population is black, also you have to be very colour conscious. If you wear blue, orange, yellow, black, even red, you might be mistaken for a gang member and these guys dont play around. The Stones are 700 members deep which means a large percentage of the hood population does gangbang. All in all, if youre street smart you should survive but if you make a slight mistake in judgement it could alter your life.

not to mention: who wants to be the only white guy living in an area where other white people only go to buy drugs? that, alone, could get you stopped by the police on a fairly regular basis.

i suggest you rent and watch the denzel washington movie, training day, before you develop any illusions about your ability to blend in in the jungle because you "know about gangs."

(there are quite a few hispanics in the jungle now, btw.)

[Gooser]

i have saw training day and dont get me wrong, i know the area is dangerous, but looking at the apartments, they are huge and are relatively cheap. I currently live in southside chicago, just north of englewood, so i do know what gangs are all about and this wouldnt be the first tough neighbourhood i lived in.
If the Jungle is that bad, what other areas would you recommend(which are within 1/2 hour of CSU Dominiguez Hills)?

[the one]

dont live in the jungle unless you have to. i too got friends in the area and usually only end up there when im with them. otherwise im in and out. but if your white... better not chance it. it aint as bad as people beleive, but it is bad.

in terms of where to live...it really depends on the life style you want.

carson and other cities in the south bay are close enough to dominguez but the night life is lackin. i would suggest long beach. but also do your research because lbc's got some grimey hoods. good luck.

[katenik]

how about carson or gardena? ditto long beach.