very worst parts of each Tri-City (Kennewick, Richland: crime, to buy, movies)

[j_k_k]

Having heard about how this or that part of town (east Kennewick, east Pasco) is so awful/crime-ridden/gang-infested, and never finding anything awful myself, I'm seeking opinions.

Please tell me the very worst, most criminal, most woebegone intersection in each town: Richland, Kennewick, Pasco, West Richland. I want to go there, by day and night, and check them out. It will be an interesting project, and I can do it of a Saturday evening. Tell me the place where the cops will pull me over just for being there, where I might get jacked, where wearing the wrong color (or being the wrong color) is suicide. I want to see these for myself.

So far the worst I have yet seen is Columbia Drive at night in Kennewick near the cable bridge, where it's fairly common for a KPD squad car to tail random drivers for a while (I'm sure they run the plates and then just follow you for a while to dish a little intimidation). However, I live just uphill from east Kennewick and I feel like I've been all over it.

Help me find our Beirut. Right now I am not all convinced we have one, or anything one could mistake for it at ten miles. Some time back, someone on here characterized east Kennewick as Beirut, which struck me as very silly, so now I'm going In Search Of. And don't worry for my safety (those local boosters who dislike my contrarian views on the general mediocrity and static mentality of the area may actually take pleasure in hoping someone busts a cap in me, so here's your chance). I speak English and Spanish, am not afraid, and will be fine.

[Count David]

Good luck in your search.

There is a gas station on the west side of 395 in Kennewick that made me feel like I was back in Southern California, but anyone with a reasonable amount of wit would get out of there alive without their skin tingling.

Even in Pasco, I never saw an area that warranted fear. Good luck finding anything in Richland or West Richland.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

Good luck in your search.

There is a gas station on the west side of 395 in Kennewick that made me feel like I was back in Southern California, but anyone with a reasonable amount of wit would get out of there alive without their skin tingling.

Where? The Sunmart on 395 and 27th, maybe, or the Tesoro across the street?

As you may imagine, I'm not expecting a whole lot of disaster areas.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by j_k_k

Where? The Sunmart on 395 and 27th, maybe, or the Tesoro across the street?

As you may imagine, I'm not expecting a whole lot of disaster areas.

The Tesoro is actually ringing a bell. That place was disgusting in multiple ways.

[SamIamNot]

Hope you find what you are looking for. I would not characterize anywhere around here as bad, but if we learned anything from movies is that areas with access to old industrial buildings and railroad tracks is where all the hoodlums hang out... ;-)

Try:
East A St. Just W of Oregon Ave.
Maybe Ainsworth and similar streets in the Pasco Port Just E of Oregon Ave.

Or, Based on history, try hanging out at Chiawana Park....

But most of all, be careful. I really enjoy reading your posts.

[j_k_k]

Thanks, Sam. I'll put those on my Pasco Danger Grand Tour.

Now I just need to find the ones in Kennewick. Anyone? Where is Kennewick's Compton? I am guessing off hand that the worst part of Richland is basically the parking lot of the Uptown, which is not saying much at all, and that the worst part of West Richland has to do not with crime but with supposed crimefighters--i.e. the infamous rep of the WRPD for predatory ticketing.

[M3 Mitch]

Yeah, the tough part of Richland is quite relative, it's a pretty tame town.

Actually I think Richland PD is getting worse and West less bad about "revenue generation" law enforcement.

I have heard that the eastern regions of Kennewick can be tough, I have gone over to the junkyards, pawnshops, etc there and actually I personally like that part of town better than the richer parts - since I have old cars I shop the junkyards for parts, the pawn shops have good deals on used but not used up "stuff" of all sorts. I'd rather spend my time and dollar with gritty, properly hairy-chested guys over there than with coiffed and manicured metrosexual types round the mall.

I'm sure if a guy wandered around there in the wee hours of the morning, drunk as a skunk and with big old gold chains around his neck, he'd wake up without the gold and with a lump on his head for his indiscretions - you might get away with this in Richland or West.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

Yeah, the tough part of Richland is quite relative, it's a pretty tame town.

Actually I think Richland PD is getting worse and West less bad about "revenue generation" law enforcement.

I have heard that the eastern regions of Kennewick can be tough, I have gone over to the junkyards, pawnshops, etc there and actually I personally like that part of town better than the richer parts - since I have old cars I shop the junkyards for parts, the pawn shops have good deals on used but not used up "stuff" of all sorts. I'd rather spend my time and dollar with gritty, properly hairy-chested guys over there than with coiffed and manicured metrosexual types round the mall.

I'm sure if a guy wandered around there in the wee hours of the morning, drunk as a skunk and with big old gold chains around his neck, he'd wake up without the gold and with a lump on his head for his indiscretions - you might get away with this in Richland or West.

You're an Art Carpenter's junkie. I knew it! ^5.

I'm just curious to see what is the very toughest part of each city. I want to go there and hang out, get the vibe. I want to walk the mean streets of Richland. That comment from someone months back calling east Kennewick 'Beirut' definitely stuck with me, I guess.

[M3 Mitch]

Well, if you want to feel the vibe of the toughest part of Richland, you will need to visit the Uptown say on a very quiet Sunday morning, sit on the sidewalk in the Lotus position, and really listen closely - or you will miss it.

Yeah, I like Art's place and all those shops around there.

I like Dan's Garage, where the have good used parts for my old Impala and truck, and don't look at me like I am from the moon because I am still running 60's and 70's iron.

[j_k_k]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

Well, if you want to feel the vibe of the toughest part of Richland, you will need to visit the Uptown say on a very quiet Sunday morning, sit on the sidewalk in the Lotus position, and really listen closely - or you will miss it.

Yeah, I like Art's place and all those shops around there.

I like Dan's Garage, where the have good used parts for my old Impala and truck, and don't look at me like I am from the moon because I am still running 60's and 70's iron.

Heh. I'll get right on that Uptown idea. I hear that some of the locals get hopped up on spudnuts and use stronger language than "Oh my heck!"

No one who is still driving his 1990 Toyota truck, 21 years and 114K miles later, and refuses to buy A/C for it because it seems a self-indulgent waste, is going to get all astronomy on anyone even if he is still driving a Battlestar Galactica or two. You're totally safe.

Been to the surplus place out east of the road to Finley yet? I've seen signs but never actually gone out there.