Is 'Ghetto' the most over-used word to describe Sacramento? (Los Angeles: high crime, house)

[pba]

I mean really....it's turned into a common name to call any neighborhood that is even 1% less than what someone would personally describe as 'ideal'.

It dates back to the Nazi era when the Jews were isolated into the 'Ghettos' and subsequently masacred. Obviously parts of Sacramento aren't THAT bad.

South Central Los Angeles comes to mind as a modern-day ghetto type of a place but with over 100,000 gang members it's no wonder. Again, Sacramento isn't THAT bad.

Some people in this forum have said that all of Sacramento is 'ghetto' with only a few bright spots but what exactly does that mean? It might help if people could be more descriptive in their writing so they can show exactly what they mean and how they feel. Just because one person had one bad experience (or more than likely they heard from a friend about a bad experience they had) doesn't mean that the entire area is a problem....there are such things as being at the wrong place at wrong time.

Now by no means am I saying Sacramento doesn't have high crime areas that I definitely try to avoid but it's just the term 'ghetto' that I'm having a problem with.

[Beth26]

Great point! I have nothing more to add.

[CityGirl72]

You are so right

Each person sees different things. I remember living in Midtown and I had people from my work worried about me because I lived (they's make a face) "Downtown"!! And I felt totally secure there.

[rickca]

Ghetto is a slang term that is used commonly among young people and it does have a specific meaning in this context: basically a person who lives an illicit lifestyle, is into the hip hop scene, wears baggy clothes, talks using a lot of slang, usually does or deals drugs, uneducated, etc, this is what they are referring to.

[Beth26]

Originally Posted by rickca

Ghetto is a slang term that is used commonly among young people and it does have a specific meaning in this context: basically a person who lives an illicit lifestyle, is into the hip hop scene, wears baggy clothes, talks using a lot of slang, usually does or deals drugs, uneducated, etc, this is what they are referring to.

I think the definition is understood...its overuse is the issue.

[fillip]

Originally Posted by Beth26

I think the definition is understood...its overuse is the issue.

I disagree. Ok...maybe Sac town is just hood. Not ghetto. But yeah really. Sacra is ghetto.

It's all interpretations, I guess. We all would agree what a red traffic light is (I hope...), but not what ghetto is. ?

I mentioned a definition and others did too. Sac fits it really good from what I see and have seen.

To say Sacramento is NOT ghetto would be totally wrong. I can't see how others would think different.

If Sac isn't ghetto than what is it? Cosmopolitan? Utopic? A fashion capital? A farm community?

[Ludachris]

Ghetto is an image you have in your head. If an area looks run-down, old, poorly maintained, has booming car stereos at half the intersections, and has people walking down the street whose appearance makes them look as if they could be gang affiliated, then people usually automatically think ghetto. It doesn't even have to have all of these elements, just one or two. Some people simply refer to any place that doesn't look upper middle class as ghetto.

The house we lived in 4 years ago in San Jose was in a semi-ghetto area - not all the neighbors took much pride in the appearance of their home. We had the occasional booming system drive by at any given time of day, and you'd see young men at the grocery store that you probably wouldn't want your children hanging around with just based on the way they carried themselves. We were planning to start a family and wanted our kid(s) to grow up in a nicer area, so we moved away.

What's your image of ghetto?

[CityGirl72]

Fillip - WHERE in Sacramento is Ghetto? YOu can not mean the WHOLE Sac Valley! Is Folsom Ghetto? Is El Dorado Hills Ghetto? Granite Bay? Auburn? Grass Valley? Lincoln?

Or are you spending most of your time around Florin Road? Meadowview?

Those of us that live in the Sac Valley and feel it's not Ghetto, say away from the proven Ghetto areas.

Sacramento can be a lovely place to live.

[fillip]

Originally Posted by CityGirl72

Fillip - WHERE in Sacramento is Ghetto? YOu can not mean the WHOLE Sac Valley! Is Folsom Ghetto? Is El Dorado Hills Ghetto? Granite Bay? Auburn? Grass Valley? Lincoln?

Or are you spending most of your time around Florin Road? Meadowview?

Those of us that live in the Sac Valley and feel it's not Ghetto, say away from the proven Ghetto areas.

Sacramento can be a lovely place to live.

Yes Sacramento can be..."lovely".... No I'm NOT spending most of my time around Florin Rd. Meadowview. (let's not forget Del paso heights, Oak park...)


Look at my post here:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/sacra...y-place-6.html



When I say Sacramento I MEAN Sacramento. Not the Sac valley. Not El Dorado County. Not Placer county. Not Davis. Etc.

THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO. And the communties thereof in SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
THAT'S Sacramento. Not anywhere else.

I know some people don't like wikipedia but look here at the red highlighted part of the included map.

This is the area I'm talking about. Again. THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO.
Sacramento, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Also look at the communties on the right. The areas in SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
Communities and Cities, Sacramento County, California, USA

and while yer at it..look at my post here:
http://www.city-data.com/forum/sacra...y-place-6.html

[NooYowkur81]

Ghetto is over-used period. Here in the New York city/Long Island area unfortunately it has become rather popular by a lot sheltered suburban people, mostly White (just calling it how I see it) to call any neighborhood with "minorities," a ghetto, even in cases where the neighborhood doesn't qualify at all.