Visiting Watts (Los Angeles, Anaheim, Inglewood: hotel, home, transfer)

[LASam]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

Wow, that is sad. I had no idea all that gang rivalry and "colors" was still going on. You don't hear about it much here on the East Coast.

When I was living out there, I took my visiting son to Universal. Drove up the 110 and unfortunately had an urgent need for a post-coffee pit stop along the way. I saw an exit for "Redondo Beach Blvd.", which sounded kinda nice and beachy, so I got off. Well, was I in the hood! Apparently I was in or close to Compton. I was definitely the only white person in the area, and everyone was looking at me kind of strangely. My son was a big rap fan and was all excited about maybe being in "the LBC". He wanted to tour around, but all I wanted to do was find the quickest McDonald's, which thank goodness was a few blocks away. I got the key to the bathroom and quickly did my business and left. I stupidly didn't even buy a soda to support the business....my son was appalled.

I was later told my co-workers "YOU NEVER GET OFF ONE OF THE 10's!!!" Who knew!

LOL, the 110 and Redondo is a terrible area to get off the freeway! If you went to the east you were in Compton... Gardena is off to the west.

[SouthCentral]

The McDonalds I think youre talkin about is at Redondo & South Normandie Ave. in Gardena. To be honest, I dont actually find that area to be too bad. There arent any gangs that I know of in this particular area and every time ive been there things seemed very tame. On the other hand, I can understand why you were scared. Being in an unfamiliar area(especially in South LA where are very few white people) probably didnt make you feel very safe.

[Wordsunspoken]

Just take your family back to AZ and sign a petition to start using Watts as a test site for nuclear bombs.

[SandyCo]

It looks like the pool reopened today, with two police officers on duty.

Troubled Watts pool to reopen today with police added to security force - Los Angeles Times

[katenik]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

It looks like the pool reopened today, with two police officers on duty.

Troubled Watts pool to reopen today with police added to security force - Los Angeles Times

and what a shame it is that our under-manned, over-burdened police department has to expend resources babysitting a swimming pool. only in LA!

[Avalon08]

The McDonalds I think youre talkin about is at Redondo & South Normandie Ave. in Gardena. To be honest, I dont actually find that area to be too bad. There arent any gangs that I know of in this particular area and every time ive been there things seemed very tame. On the other hand, I can understand why you were scared. Being in an unfamiliar area(especially in South LA where are very few white people) probably didnt make you feel very safe.

Well, now you guys have me curious about where I was. I'm pretty sure I went east on Redondo Beach Blvd. -- I was on the 110 going north, and think I just got off and made a right. I had no idea where I was, but it didn't look like a great area. And I think I had to go a few blocks before I got to the McD's....so you know how you're driving and you don't know whether you're getting deeper into a s*itty area, or whether you should turn around, or what. And you have to know my mindset -- this was like 1999, and the "LBC" stuff and Compton's reputation had me thinking I was gonna get shot in a drive-by. And I specifically remember the guy at McDonald's looking at me like I was nuts for being there.

On the McDonald's site, I can't one around that location, but I do think I was in Compton rather than Gardena because I'm sure I didn't make a left coming off the freeway.

Anyway, I think it's sad when I hear that crap about the pool and the gangs. That gang activity is under-the-radar in the news in this area anyway....I had no idea the whole "colors" theme still existed.

What the heck was the purpose of the armed guards if they couldn't control the crowd with their....arms?

[katenik]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

Well, now you guys have me curious about where I was. I'm pretty sure I went east on Redondo Beach Blvd. -- I was on the 110 going north, and think I just got off and made a right. I had no idea where I was, but it didn't look like a great area. And I think I had to go a few blocks before I got to the McD's....so you know how you're driving and you don't know whether you're getting deeper into a s*itty area, or whether you should turn around, or what. And you have to know my mindset -- this was like 1999, and the "LBC" stuff and Compton's reputation had me thinking I was gonna get shot in a drive-by. And I specifically remember the guy at McDonald's looking at me like I was nuts for being there.

On the McDonald's site, I can't one around that location, but I do think I was in Compton rather than Gardena because I'm sure I didn't make a left coming off the freeway.

Anyway, I think it's sad when I hear that crap about the pool and the gangs. That gang activity is under-the-radar in the news in this area anyway....I had no idea the whole "colors" theme still existed.

What the heck was the purpose of the armed guards if they couldn't control the crowd with their....arms?

do you remember turning left OFF redondo beach blvd. after you turned right? there's a mcdonald's on figueroa, just north of redondo beach blvd, east of the 110. it's either in gardena, or the unincorporated community of rancho dominguez, which lies between compton and gardena. (i think most people call the area west compton, but it is not actually a part of that city, and the people i know who live there use the prettier name. can't say that i blame them.)

[knexx]

I don't believe it's as bad as some of you make it out to be. I drive up and down Wilmington from the 105 all the time, at all hours of the day/night. For the most part if you don't look like a gang member you wont be treated as one, by gangs or law enforcement. I just recently moved back near the Compton Av/Manchester area. I was born and raised here till I was 9, then the parents wanted me and my sibling to attend better schools so we moved to Downey. About 4 years after I graduated high school we came back, and its been over 2 years and have never been bothered once. I go jogging in the morning, past obvious gang members, and nothing happens. Although maybe its because I lift weights and look like I lift weights. But I have the small can of pepper spray just in case. Although the area has changed quite a bit since I lived here, and old childhood friends have been through the system or are dead, it's still home.

[Dennis Brown]

Out here in NYC the NYPD would of swarmed the whole area and locked it down and would be ready to put 50 on one of those thugs dome (R.I.P. Sean Bell) that's the difference. L.A.P.D. is under staffed and not respected on a street level by the gangs and as long as the thugs think they're in control then the streets will stay out of control. Before Guiliani when we peaked at 2200 homicides it was exactly that, a lack of respect for the law. Unfortunately it took the hood turning into a police state, sad situation. Anyhow for dude visiting make sure none of your relatives are active in the gang situation before you pass through and play it close to the crib especially at night. Used to visit fam off of Avalon and it was cool, just gotta know the hood rules and whatever you do don't 'ice grill' (mean mug) nobody.

[SouthCentral]

I don't believe it's as bad as some of you make it out to be. I drive up and down Wilmington from the 105 all the time, at all hours of the day/night.

Alot of people on this forum do over-exagerate over many areas, I do agree. The Nickerson Gardens area is bad though. Maybe when driving down Wilmington it might not seem too bad, but you have to go into the back streets to see what its really like. Its alot worse than most other parts of South Central.
As for Dennis Brown, there was a raid a couple years ago and it didnt really slow down the Bounty Hunters, mainly because theyre too deep(I heard close to 1000 members).
41 Arrested in Police Sweep Through Nickerson Gardens