Where is gang activity in San Marcos? (Escondido, Compton: new house, neighborhoods)

[evieamie]

I was just reading old threads about San Marcos discussing gang areas. I'm not from SD however we just bought a home in San Marcos in the Calico Bluffs/Larkspur Heights subdivision (around Melrose/Boulderidge/San Elijo Rd area), and because I'm not really familiar with the area I'm freaking out about potential gang activity. The posts said that west of Santa Fe Rd bordering Carlsbad is really bad, well we are west of Santa Fe bordering Carlsbad. The neighborhood seems really nice and not scary at all but who knows. Am I completely off track with the location, I hope so. Please help so I can sleep at night!

[FunkyMonk]

That neighborhood looks like it has at least a few scumbags and meth freaks, but where in SD is that not happening?

As far as gangs go. That's not really a gang neighborhood from what i've seen and I wouldn;t be worried at all. Most "gangsters" out there are probobly just kids who are brainwashed by hip-hop music. So they walk around wearing a sideways hat and trying to act tough. But once again, where in SD do you not find that? There aren't too many places in this city where you can get away from that vibe these days.

Thank god i'm moving away.......

[tsuyoi_racing]

Originally Posted by evieamie

I was just reading old threads about San Marcos discussing gang areas. I'm not from SD however we just bought a home in San Marcos in the Calico Bluffs/Larkspur Heights subdivision (around Melrose/Boulderidge/San Elijo Rd area), and because I'm not really familiar with the area I'm freaking out about potential gang activity. The posts said that west of Santa Fe Rd bordering Carlsbad is really bad, well we are west of Santa Fe bordering Carlsbad. The neighborhood seems really nice and not scary at all but who knows. Am I completely off track with the location, I hope so. Please help so I can sleep at night!

I spent a week in San Elijo Rd/ Melrose/ Boulderidge/ Rancho SantaFe/ Elfin Forest. I can tell you its no Compton over there. Lots of new houses with mid/high income homes. Everything is new, everything is clean. If you're headed towards San Marcos on hwy15, then that's a different story.

[kimmer]

Your area is very, very nice, new area. No gang issues at all.

Gang area is miles north of where you are. If you look at a map, the area to avoid would be north of Palomar Airport Rd/San Marcos Blvd & Rancho Santa Fe Rd, and up to the 78, but west of Rancho Santa Fe Rd. It's a really small area that I would avoid on a Friday or Saturday night. I don't have problems driving through it during the day, it's not seedy. Houses are a bit older, but seem to be mostly maintained.
I do avoid William Bradley Park, though. Don't get a good feeling going there with my kid.

I used to drive my kid to preschool at a church located on the perimeter of the gang area and would have to drive through it to get there (Autumn drive, Grand Ave. area (west of Rancho Santa Fe, La Mirada, Linda Vista). I did this for a year and a half and never was afraid and never had any issues. The scariest thing I saw was a stray dog
with no collar/no tags.

[kimmer]

Originally Posted by FunkyMonk

That neighborhood looks like it has at least a few scumbags and meth freaks, but where in SD is that not happening?

As far as gangs go. That's not really a gang neighborhood from what i've seen and I wouldn;t be worried at all. Most "gangsters" out there are probobly just kids who are brainwashed by hip-hop music. So they walk around wearing a sideways hat and trying to act tough. But once again, where in SD do you not find that? There aren't too many places in this city where you can get away from that vibe these days.

Thank god i'm moving away.......

I don't think you've got the right 'hood...

[X-RAIDED1913]

funkymonk ur an IDIOT
there are 3 gangs in San Marcos, and they are not just kids, the age range is 16 - 25
they are not influenced by hip-hop at all, these are Hispanic gangs not black gangs, about a month ago there was a stabbing and last week a shooting, well i'm just letting you people know that these "gangs" are not playing around, its not Compton but its not Disneyland aether so just be care full, the gangs do have a gang injunction, the gang injunction is mainly south Rancho Santa Fe rd., bradley park, autum dr., richmar ave. and sorounding parts of Mission Hills High,and Woodland Park middle schools.

SAN ELIJO is the safest place in san marcos so, you dont have to worry about a thing.

FFF

[Prairieman]

Here is a link to a map showing the most recent (Nov. 2007) gang injunction areas in San Marcos. The areas described by X-RAIDED1913 are demarcated on the map.

http://www.sdcda.org/protecting/gi_map_sanmarcos.pdf (broken link)

[Juan G. Gonzalez]

Dude, believe me, the worst thing that'll happen to you in the San Elijo area, is that you may have a run in with an angry squirrel, or an out of control raccoon. You can spend the night on the streets in that area and you'll be perfectly fine. Now take a walk, at night, down Rancho Santa Fe and it's side streets such as La Colusa, La Rosa(or La Rosa's back dirt alley) Las Flores, or Ninth Street, and you're most likely to call someone to pick you up cause you swear you're being followed. I grew up in this area and can definitely take care of myself, but even I still get creeped out walking down these streets at night. Oh it's calmed down in the last couple yrs, But eventually it'll pick up again, then it'll calm down, then one again, it'll pick up. That's the way it's been for yrs. Right now a large portion of them are behind bar's, that's why it's not so active. VSM, which is San Marcos only street gang (SxLos no longer exists) is considered one of North County's smallest street gangs. But it's also considered one of the most active gangs in the area. How do I know so much about this..? Cause I was once part of the problem since I grew up running the streets with these guys.I spent 6-7 times the yrs in prison than I did on the streets as an active gang member in my teens. Which was 3 yrs. So you do the math. And that's no exaggeration, that's literally. I've been charged with everything from armed robbery and car theft, to even murder and attempted murder, and that's no lie. It definitely has not been easy out here when it comes to trying to live that straight life. So my deepest respects to those of you who have made a good free life for yourselfs by finishing school , maybe even college, and working hard all your lives. You did something I couldn't. I'm struggling to make it, but at least I ain't gone back to my old way of life. So if you're worried about them pesky street gangs, don't lose sleep over it, cause I ain't.

[Tall]

Actually that area is very nice. everything West of I-15 is nice.

[bigdaddy5]

I'd assume gang activity is mostly east of the I-15, near Escondido proper and within the older neighborhoods. But it's not as prevalent as what you see up in LA.

Go to your local Northgate Latino supermarket in Escondido, you'll meet some of the nicest, warm, hard working people around.

Folks need to stop watching so many movies and Fox News.