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My two nieces and I are planning a trip to Los Angeles. We know that every big city has its share of dangerous areas, that is why we need your help, as we are three woman traveling together. We want to avoid going into these areas, or its surroundings.
Please, list them by neighborhood names. South/Central or South Los Angeles will be meaningless to us. We thank you,
Alright, I feel like giving you neighborhood names would be sorta meaningless because unlike in NYC, neighborhoods are poorly defined here. If you live in Harbor Gateway, depending on your neighborhood it could look like an eastern extension of Torrance which is a nice city in its own right (West of Normandie Avenue) or a southern extension of South LA.
I'll give you a run-down by the freeways. Take a map of the LA County freeway system and take note:
Avoid pretty much everywhere north and east of the 405, bounded by the 605 on the east and the 10 in the north and the 5 in the northeast. That's a HUGE swath of Los Angeles County, but it includes areas like South LA, Compton, North Long Beach, Huntington Park, Lynwood, Inglewood, South Gate. If it's not a bad area, there is generally nothing to see anyways. This is where a huge chunk of LA County's poverty and crime are located. There's SOME exceptions, like Ladera Heights, but remember that isn't the rule.
Add to the 'avoid list' the area between the 5 (on the west and south), the 10 on the north, and the 710 on the east. That's East Los Angeles, and again, I personally don't think its that dangerous but it might be best to avoid it anyways.
Avoid everything between the 5 and the 210 in the San Fernando Valley. Again, if its not a high crime area (like Pacoima or Sun Valley, there really isn't anything to see. Then again, most of the 'desirable' areas are south of Ventura anyways)
If you're coming as a tourist seeing the touristy areas, you are most likely to not experience crime anyways. However, LA for the most part is a safe city, and the metropolitan area as a whole has some of the safest areas in the country (think Glendale and Burbank, less than 10 miles from DTLA). You'll be fine for the most part, just use some street smarts and some common sense.
here is the list of places to avoid and DO GET A RENTAL CAR you will need it!
Pomona, Hawthorne, and Long Beach, West Covina, and Gardena.
Add to that list the following areas: the Valley (east of the 405 fwy), Pacoima, East LA, Huntington Park, Maywood, Lynwood, South Gate, Hawaiian Gardens, Lawndale, Lennox, Lomita, Harbor Gateway, Venice and Compton and North Long Beach
And please don't listen to the people that tell you that you don't need a rental car...LA is not NYC and is not public transit/walking friendly. You will find yourself walking very, very long distances in between interesting things to see and do. And if time is critical you will spend way too much time trying to get somewhere by bus and train.
I find it hard to believe a New Yorker is that afraid of Los Angeles. The last time I was at the Watts Towers (2002) there were both European and Japanese tourist there. I know, I talked with them. And they weren't afraid of being there. There is a lot to see in L.A. that just happens to fall in neighborhoods that some people think are "bad". The L.A. Coliseum, USC, the Watts Towers, the Rancho Dominguez house, Dodger's Stadium, and the Forum are all L.A. landmarks in the so-called 'hood. Visitors avoid these areas, but then go on to talk about how Los Angeles is so fake and overrun with Botox users and metrosexuals. No, Los Angeles is a real city with very real people. It's just many people (including some Angelinos) are afraid of it.
Of course, if you want to hang out at the Beverly Center or the Topanga Mall you can. Rodeo Drive is there for you, also. But that is the equivalent of traveling all the way to Tokyo, just to get off the plane and ask someone to point you to the nearest McDonald's.
The OP says she wants to see non-tourist LA. Take it from someone who lived in LA successfully without driving: you do NOT need to have a car. It is necessary for some people and for some tourists, but it's an equally valid decision to not rent one. I wouldn't tell someone that they absolutely don't need to take the subway or bus; why would someone say that tourists absolutely have to drive? Not all of the city is public transit/walking friendly, but more of it is than some people on here would suggest. Given that the OP says she specifically wants to avoid the tourist traps, public transit is certainly a viable option, depending on where they want to go.
Some of these "dangerous" places to avoid are a little weird. West Covina? Seriously? ALL of Long Beach? all of Venice? I can't imagine why any tourist would bother going to West Covina, for example, but the chances of getting mugged on the way to the mall are pretty slim.
Thanks so much to all of you. You guys have given me so much perspective in your beautiful state that we consider it to be our number one state to visit, ...........and we have travelled most of them. We have been to Los Angeles three or four times, but we always wind up in the touristy places, and never got a flavor of the "'real L.A., " and that is what we want to do this time. We have travelled extensively throught California, and the US.
Perhaps, my asking this question have had to do with several incidents that we have come across mainly in the Inglewood section, when we went to get our Alamo Rental Car, the Jewelry District, where in both parts we were accosted by undesirables, and in the town of Fallbrook, in North San Diego County, where we encountered some discrimination having to do with our slightly-accented speech. Also, travelling from the Lake Havasu area into the California border, we were singled out by a car with four men in it, which we allowed to put time distance between us, to avoid becoming victims. We never wear jewelry, or look ostentiously with designer clothing, flash money, or bring attention to ourselves, yet........
In Fallbrook, which we love, we made a right-turn into a dead-end street, at a time where Crystal Meth laboratories were rampant in that area, and, standing in front of the next to the last house, was a man with a rifle or shotgun, and the face of a killer. .......... I was driving, and I turned that car around, in a New York Minute...........we shall never forget that man's face. ................ He meant business!!!!!!
Coming from NYC, with its disctintive and highly-segregated ghetto areas, that are easily identifiable, we tend to belief that all other states fall into the same pattern, or category which obviously Los Angeles, does not, due to the vast amount of mountains, canyons, etc. And we want to make sure, we do not make the wrong turn into one of those protected -gang areas, and get shot at. The last time we visited Los Angeles, we stayed at a rented house in LaFlint Ridge, and had a wonderful time there, as well as in Pasadena.
How are these areas in terms of crime? Rampart, Cypress Park, Devonshire, Foot Hill, Harbor Garden, and Hollenbeck? Thank you all, for your support.
here is the list of places to avoid and DO GET A RENTAL CAR you will need it!
Pomona, Hawthorne, and Long Beach, West Covina, and Gardena.
West Covina? No. Not really a touristy area, but not a place to avoid, either.
Pomona? Some areas, but even so there is the University and the FairPlex and some cool parks. Also Tacos Jalisco is good (near the police station).
Long Beach? Gimme a break. This is LA County's second largest city, with so much to see and do. West of 110 and north of PCH isn't so great, but that's more industrial anyway.
Gardena? The north side, yes. Rowley Park is the meeting place for ShotGun Crips. South side is better. Just stay on main streets north of Rosecrans.
There is an area with a Gardena zip code that is actually part of LA (known as LA Strip or Harbor Gateway--some Torrance Zip codes, too). 110 fwy goes right down the middle of it. Not that great in the residential areas but you will be on the freeway likely anyway. Only way you will be there is if you want to go to Alpine Village (old German area).
West Covina? No. Not really a touristy area, but not a place to avoid, either.
Pomona? Some areas, but even so there is the University and the FairPlex and some cool parks. Also Tacos Jalisco is good (near the police station).
Long Beach? Gimme a break. This is LA County's second largest city, with so much to see and do. West of 110 and north of PCH isn't so great, but that's more industrial anyway.
Gardena? The north side, yes. Rowley Park is the meeting place for ShotGun Crips. South side is better. Just stay on main streets north of Rosecrans.
There is an area with a Gardena zip code that is actually part of LA (known as LA Strip or Harbor Gateway--some Torrance Zip codes, too). 110 fwy goes right down the middle of it. Not that great in the residential areas but you will be on the freeway likely anyway. Only way you will be there is if you want to go to Alpine Village (old German area).
I have to agree with you but haven't been to the SGV for a year or so, will be in a few months. W Cov isn't the best but certainly isn't like the So Central part of L.A, same with Pamona, not a place to hang out at night, but parts of it are fine. I would not hesitate to visit most of Long Beach and to drive thru Gardena..Again, these wouldn't be good choices for nighttime activities but they are not areas to avoid like the plague either.
Thanks so much to all of you. You guys have given me so much perspective in your beautiful state that we consider it to be our number one state to visit, ...........and we have travelled most of them. We have been to Los Angeles three or four times, but we always wind up in the touristy places, and never got a flavor of the "'real L.A., " and that is what we want to do this time. We have travelled extensively throught California, and the US.
Perhaps, my asking this question have had to do with several incidents that we have come across mainly in the Inglewood section, when we went to get our Alamo Rental Car, the Jewelry District, where in both parts we were accosted by undesirables, and in the town of Fallbrook, in North San Diego County, where we encountered some discrimination having to do with our slightly-accented speech. Also, travelling from the Lake Havasu area into the California border, we were singled out by a car with four men in it, which we allowed to put time distance between us, to avoid becoming victims. We never wear jewelry, or look ostentiously with designer clothing, flash money, or bring attention to ourselves, yet........
In Fallbrook, which we love, we made a right-turn into a dead-end street, at a time where Crystal Meth laboratories were rampant in that area, and, standing in front of the next to the last house, was a man with a rifle or shotgun, and the face of a killer. .......... I was driving, and I turned that car around, in a New York Minute...........we shall never forget that man's face. ................ He meant business!!!!!!
Coming from NYC, with its disctintive and highly-segregated ghetto areas, that are easily identifiable, we tend to belief that all other states fall into the same pattern, or category which obviously Los Angeles, does not, due to the vast amount of mountains, canyons, etc. And we want to make sure, we do not make the wrong turn into one of those protected -gang areas, and get shot at. The last time we visited Los Angeles, we stayed at a rented house in LaFlint Ridge, and had a wonderful time there, as well as in Pasadena.
How are these areas in terms of crime? Rampart, Cypress Park, Devonshire, Foot Hill, Harbor Garden, and Hollenbeck? Thank you all, for your support.
Rampart and Cypress Park (LA neighborhoods) are generally not very safe. Cypress Park in particular is spooky (part of my dad's old stomping grounds) as in almost no one is on the street, so it seemed to me when I've gone through there (and the Avenues gang is big there). Rampart has THE Original Tommy's, so that is worth something.
Don't know what you mean by Devonshire, unless you mean the street running through the San Fernando Valley section, but that is a long street with varying neighborhoods.
Not at all sure what is meant by Foot Hill, Harbor Garden, and Hollenbeck, unless these are parks. If you mean Hollenbeck Park in East LA, I would say only during the day. It is a pretty looking place from the freeway, though, I might add.
By the way, where are you pulling some of these names of "areas" from?
Sounds like you don't know the difference between a neighborhood, a city, a venue, or a natural landmark
Rampart and Cypress Park (LA neighborhoods) are generally not very safe. Cypress Park in particular is spooky (part of my dad's old stomping grounds) as in almost no one is on the street, so it seemed to me when I've gone through there (and the Avenues gang is big there). Rampart has THE Original Tommy's, so that is worth something.
Don't know what you mean by Devonshire, unless you mean the street running through the San Fernando Valley section, but that is a long street with varying neighborhoods.
Not at all sure what is meant by Foot Hill, Harbor Garden, and Hollenbeck, unless these are parks. If you mean Hollenbeck Park in East LA, I would say only during the day. It is a pretty looking place from the freeway, though, I might add.
By the way, where are you pulling some of these names of "areas" from?
Sounds like you don't know the difference between a neighborhood, a city, a venue, or a natural landmark
Not in Los Angeles because it is so sprawled out, that is the reason for my asking, so I can become more knowledgeable about it.
You're right, LA is different than some cities in that it doesn't have formally defined clear boundaries between neighborhoods.
Do you have specific things you want to do in the neighborhoods you mentioned, or did you just want to check them out? I would echo the warning about Cypress Park and Rampart. If you have something specific (like a recommended restaurant, for example) that's one thing, but if you were bothered by the Jewelry District (which is pretty tame, although not without its "undesirables") then you probably won't be comfortable in those areas. I don't know about the others. Is Hollenbeck the police area that includes Boyle Heights? If so, Boyle Heights has some well-known restaurants that draw people from all over the area. I've walked around there during the day with no problems (although did see a guy with a visible gun), but yes, it does have a lot of crime. It's an interesting neighborhood with a fascinating history, though.
I think your concerns about being shot at while driving around are probably unjustified, though, since it doesn't sound like you look like you're gang members. You' might be thinking of the highly publicized story about the family that got shot at and a toddler killed (in the '90s; there was a very recent thread on this forum about that, actually) when they turned onto a street in Cypress Park. That's not typical, though, even in areas with big gang problems. Many people drive through rough areas daily without ever encountering problems. The gangs aren't out to shoot random drivers passing through.
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Lifeshadower/Mrsltd/Chichappens
