Is there a "Ghetto" in Portland? (Oakland: 2014, neighborhoods)

[almostjay]

Originally Posted by valsteele

YES. I'm a 6 foot 1, 240 pound man and there's definitely vast areas of North and far East Portland that I would fear for my life in walking out late at night. Like pretty much anything east of 82nd Ave, and most areas north of Lloyd Center feel unsafe to me when it's dark. I'm sure to a 90 pound woman far more so.

Lloyd Center itself? Yeah, maybe, if you're just not a city person at all. MOST areas north of it though? Come on now, go to Google Maps and drop a street-view guy basically anywhere to the immediate north of that area. Those are some of the nicest neighborhoods in Portland, and also just about any "inner-city" in America. Irvington, Alameda Ridge, the already gentrified and getting yuppier everyday N Williams and Mississippi? Unsafe? Holy crap.

[bler144]

Originally Posted by eric351982

Some of the neighborhoods up by the horse track are pretty bizarre. I call it the "forgotten Portland." You think "Am I am in Portland or in Paddleflap, Tennessee?"

Another weird place is on Lombard North of St. John's. A very dark and ominous, strange place. Not trying to be funny, either. I get a really weird vibe when I've been up there a few times. Another area of Portland that I'll bet 95% or residents have never been to.

I'd agree those would be two areas I wouldn't want to walk at night, though in St. Johns you're really looking at Fessenden as the bad area - Lombard and the residential streets just immediately north are pretty safe.

Plus I'd say those areas are pretty different. Around the horse track as a nighttime pedestrian your big risk would be cars (few sidewalks, narrow shoulders in many places, traffic moving pretty fast). Second biggest risk might be...coyotes? To the extent there is crime up there it's mostly larceny and vehicle break-ins at the track, not stabbings or even muggings. Most of the people who do live up there are working class.

In terms of personal crime, sure, around the intersection of Fessenden and Columbia Way wouldn't be my first choice for night-time wanderings.

[yasmin11]

there most definitely are "ghettos" in oregon. there is a ghetto wherever you go and oregon has a few. there's crime all over north east especially on 162nd, its a grimy lil area over there. there's rough spots over in hillsboro and around 187 ave as well. i've seen shootings, people jump off buildings downtown, burglaries, break ins, gang activity, assault, you name it. you just gotta know where to go and where to stay away from.

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by yasmin11

i've seen shootings, people jump off buildings downtown, burglaries, break ins, gang activity, assault, you name it. you just gotta know where to go and where to stay away from.

Wow, I haven't seen half the mayhem you have, and I grew up in a very violent and depressed ghetto of Brooklyn, NY! I think you need to start taking some of your own advice. Just saying...

[karlsch]

Originally Posted by yasmin11

there most definitely are "ghettos" in oregon. there is a ghetto wherever you go and oregon has a few. there's crime all over north east especially on 162nd, its a grimy lil area over there. there's rough spots over in hillsboro and around 187 ave as well. i've seen shootings, people jump off buildings downtown, burglaries, break ins, gang activity, assault, you name it. you just gotta know where to go and where to stay away from.

Sounds like a Batman movie.

[Haley James]

Originally Posted by karlsch

Sounds like a Batman movie.

There is a lot of crime in Rockwood. 162nd is particularly bad.

[thinkingofpancakes]

North Portland and Gresham. Definitely ghettos by our standards.

[OregonBear]

It seems the more I went down 82nd Ave the more ghetto it got.

[redguard57]

The worst part to me is that area on the Portland/Gresham borderline. Both Portland and Gresham seem to improve the further away you get from that.

North Portland seems fine to me & in another 10-15 years will probably be completely gentrified & unaffordable. People told that was the "bad" neighborhood and some even said "black" part if town (and therefore scary). I found myself wandering North Portland wondering where the black people were.

[AntionFoster800]

Portland is a great city but it does has its ups and down. So I just bought me a house in southeast. And commute through the bad areas. Slot of gang violence