How to tell when you're in your city's worst neighborhoods. (better, crime)

[Observation]

Originally Posted by Chocolate City 202

Back when I lived in the projects the corners store used to let people get their own stuff. But because the store owners kept getting beat up and robbed every night (literally) they shielded off the entire inside of the store with bulletproof glass so now you gotta ask for everything you trying to buy. Plus people used to steal all the time because it was sweet.

Also you know you're in the hood when the corner store sells single newports.

Damn, really? I thought every corner store did that, no joke.

[Chocolate City 202]

Originally Posted by Observation

Damn, really? I thought every corner store did that, no joke.

Naw ever since I moved to a better part of town no one around here sells singles.

[C-Lo]

Originally Posted by Chocolate City 202

There isn't any physical indicators about DC area hoods that'll let you know you are in a bad area.
A lot of the time it depends on the stores you see.
If theres a lot of discount stores, liquor stores/corner stores, carryouts, beauty supply stores then most likely you are in a rough neighborhood.

Cars can be indicator too.
If you see a lot of crown vic, grand marquis, lincoln town cars, buicks, caprices and other "hood" cars you are most likely in a bad area.

Hell 90% of the time if the area you are in is heavily black then you are in a bad area. I'm black myself and I'm from the hood so its no racism in what im saying. if every carry out and liquor store you go to has bullet proof class you in the hood.

This a hood in PG county MD:
palmer park, md - Google Maps

it may not look all ghetto and trashy but its low to middle class. high crime, bodies do drop, and lots drugs.

as a matter of fact i take that pack Palmer Park does look ghetto as far as DC area standards go.
Like I can tell when im in a black neighborhood or a white neighborhood just by looking the houses/apartments that surround me.

Second this. Born and raised in SE (by RFK), DC by far has the worst neighborhoods. Going back to visit with friends still living in the neighborhood, drugs, gangs, theft, gangs (BGF, BM) still exist like when I was a kid in the 90's. Liquor Stores, dudes just chillin on the porch mean muggin you, hobos, apartments w/o AC (which I hated growing up) The same for NE, SW, and a small part of NW. PG, Largo, Parts of New Carrolton all have the same problems. They call D.C. the "District of Crime" and the Murder Capital for a reason.

[nashvols]

It's pretty easy to tell when you're in the worst neighborhoods. Projects are pretty easy to spot, lots of chain link fences and older concrete, lots of rundown houses, abandoned houses, litter, and generally unkempt lots. Graffiti and gang signs on walls and buildings, small, simple stores with bars on the windows. Fewer "walkers," more people just "hangin out."

As some have said, though, there are rough areas that may not look all that bad from first glance. Here, there are a number of higher crime areas with a number of nice, seemingly middle class homes...even some with landscaping (or at least well kept lawns). Like Observation said about Charlotte, you have to look at the types of businesses in the area to get a good idea. Lots of loan sharks/check cashing places, used car lots with a very questionable selection of running vehicles, (generally speaking) a lot of ethnic businesses owned by immigrants, and very few actual banks.

[Deezus]

YouTube - Dave Chappelle - Ghetto

[SKxoxo]

It depends in my city. I live in McAllen, Texas. I live in a pretty rough neighborhood.
Physically, it doesn't look as bad as La Paloma Barrio and La Navarro.
But it does look really bad.


In my area/neighborhood:
-people from the nice neighborhoods come and drop off their pets they don't want over here so we have ALOT of strays everywhere.
-you see people with bars on windows, etc
-you can't leave your garage door open too long or your car unlocked/on unless you are out there to be watching it
-people driving around looking for an open garage door or unlocked car to steal
-people hanging around/walking around outside all the time/at night
-graffiti on buildings, fences, and signs
-houses with smashed, broken, etc windows
-houses/shacks at like the entrance of the neighborhood that no one lives in because they have graffiti all over and are very rundown that are like stash houses for the gangs
-rundown buildings, mini malls, discount stores etc
-a lot of car lots and places where they fix cars and things like that, that look rundown and the people operating them are also doing criminal/illegal activity in them and some of those cars are actually stolen
-sometimes cops going around searching for people
-hearing people running from the cops/hiding
-getting your stuff stolen all the time
-getting your car broken into
-hearing gunshots and people fighting all the time
-can't even go walk on the row of houses on the other side of your row because you'll get shot and then call the police but they don't do anything/care (happened to my dad and little brother)
-seeing people on the street/sidewalk with their head busted open right in front of/near your house
-trash everywhere, bad landscaping etc
-being paranoid that the bags and piles of trash everywhere have a body in them
-not calling the police when stuff happens or you know about things that are going on because you are scared something will happen because you "told"
-being paranoid every time a car you don't know goes by because someone might shoot, rob, rape, or kidnap you
-drug dealers and people drinking/doing drugs in their garage with the garage door open
-convenience stores with thugs all the time/worrying when you go inside someone will rob and shoot it up
-going to the freaking McDonalds and you're paranoid something is gonna go down
-on the street driving and you see cars acting suspicious and you have to get away quick because you know somethings about to happen
-at stop signs being paranoid something is gonna happen to you
-not looking at people for too long and minding your own business
-neighborhood going away parties because some of your neighbors are going to jail
-neighborhood parties because some of your neighbors just got out of jail
-little mini malls with discount stores and tattoo parlors where a lot of thugs hang out at
-Dollar Trees/Dollar Generals and laundry places that are rundown
-****ty fast food restaurants while the nice areas of town get the expensive nice ones
-dollar movie theater
-when almost all your schools have been on the "most dangerous" list.

Basically, any place that isn't in the gated communities and areas where the really rich people live are bad. And those areas are only near the Renaissance Hospital.
The average person here can't afford that, and we are the poorest county in the country. It's sad.

[SKxoxo]

Also,
-when there are brawls, stabbings, and things like that at your school and you get your stuff stolen. you also have drug busts all the time and the lockers getting searched every couple of days and police having to be around
-oh and I meant, when almost all the schools in your county are on the "most dangerous" list.
-when one of your favorite restaurants has police patrolling it

[WestTexas238]

Wow, SKxoxo, I've never been to McAllen, but it sounds awful. Maybe you should move to Lubbock or Amarillo. It's cheap to live here, and the worst neighborhood is probably a lot better than what you're describing.

A bad neighborhood in Lubbock has run-down houses with paint peeling off (and nobody cares); lots of trash in the yard (and nobody cares); chain link fences in every yard; and lots of large, aggressive dogs-which have been trained to be mean. I see a neighborhood with an angry Rottweiler in every yard behind a chain link fence, I know where people go to buy their crack. There should also be several bail bond places, pawn shops, and check cashing stores nearby. People have needs, y'know.

In the northeast where I'm from, a bad neighborhood is the same thing as a trailer park. That is where you will find the registered sex offenders, drug dealers, "unemployed and don't care" crowd, and "TV stars" from the Jerry Springer show. LOL about that last one.

[Looking2BeFree]

Originally Posted by Chocolate City 202

Also you know you're in the hood when the corner store sells single newports.

^ This.

Where ever you can buy loosies, you're probably not in a good area.
It's mostly the stores that "give it away".. 99 cents plus next to Kennedys Fried Chicken, next to La Corner Store, next to African Hair Braiding with trash and blunt/dutch wraps all up in the gutter of the streets.
I just described a ghetto area I know of in Staten Island.

[Lil Tunechi]

Oh yes,
dutch/blunt/backwood wrappers and cases up and down the sidewalk.
condom wrappers and used condoms in the alleys