Really kind of scared! (El Paso, Detroit: crime, homes, employment)

[Michchix]

Originally Posted by Chuco

Are you still worried about your safety here? I'm curious as to why would you think that this city is dangerous. I'm not saying it in a bad way.. I'm just curious.

Gangs here are tame compared to other cities.. where they kill each other regularly.. We have very few gang homicides here.. and even when they attack each other.. they usually just mess with each other. I honestly can't remember the last time an innocent person was killed here by gang members.

I guess going from living in a place like metro Detroit where I was constantly on guard and watching my surroundings, to here in South Dakota, I got a bit spoiled. It is such a different way of life out here and I have grown to love it and appreciate the way I feel completely safe. The thought of living back in a bigger place I guess scares me in a way. I just didn't know if what I read on the internet and on these threads is really all that bad or if I was just being paranoid. I do feel a bit better seeing some of the stats and such, but I guess time will truly tell. I also believe in seeing for myself as well. I know everywhere has crime etc. so I know it's inevitable.

[Chuco]

Originally Posted by Michchix

I guess going from living in a place like metro Detroit where I was constantly on guard and watching my surroundings, to here in South Dakota, I got a bit spoiled. It is such a different way of life out here and I have grown to love it and appreciate the way I feel completely safe. The thought of living back in a bigger place I guess scares me in a way. I just didn't know if what I read on the internet and on these threads is really all that bad or if I was just being paranoid. I do feel a bit better seeing some of the stats and such, but I guess time will truly tell. I also believe in seeing for myself as well. I know everywhere has crime etc. so I know it's inevitable.

You might need to watch out more for a "culture shock" or other things from El Paso.. and yes, you should worry about crime down here..anyone moving down here should.. but it really isn't all that bad at all. As you said, there is crime everywhere.. but luckily our crime rate here isn't as bad as cities that are our size. I lived in LA for almost ten years, so I know what you mean about being on guard all the time.. but here its mostly a passive "laid back" town.. where the crime stats are better than in other places in America.

Good luck on your move, and I hope you like it down here.

[Michchix]

[quote=HookTheBrotherUp;6084057]

All that being said, I grew up in El Paso, it is my home, where my family is, and the thought of safety never enters my mind when I am there. If you go, just use common sense, stay away from troubled areas, you will be fine.

Where would those areas be? Like take for example, the Costco in town, I am so excited to have one again. Is that in a decent/ good part of town ? The malls you have, are they in good parts? Plus regarding the sex offender list, I have already researched that and I certainly will consult that when we buy a house. That brings up another question, why do people live in Las Cruces when they work in EP? Is it because of the property tax and the cost to register your car etc?

[malamute]

[quote=Michchix;6084295]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

All that being said, I grew up in El Paso, it is my home, where my family is, and the thought of safety never enters my mind when I am there. If you go, just use common sense, stay away from troubled areas, you will be fine.

Where would those areas be? Like take for example, the Costco in town, I am so excited to have one again. Is that in a decent/ good part of town ? The malls you have, are they in good parts? Plus regarding the sex offender list, I have already researched that and I certainly will consult that when we buy a house. That brings up another question, why do people live in Las Cruces when they work in EP? Is it because of the property tax and the cost to register your car etc?

I think they live in Las Cruces if they work in El Paso for other reasons because the commute adds too much time and cost. Santa Teresa is for property tax and car registration and insurance. Maybe they already owned a home and don't want to sell it -- or their spouse works in Las Cruces and one would need to commute either way they do it. Many people live in El Paso and commute to Las Cruces.

Every part of town is not really too dangerous. Costco is in a safe part of town. And on the other hand no part of town is too good when it comes to property crime. That's why you see iron bars in even the good parts of town. There are some neighborhoods that are on the rougher side but not likely ones you'd be moving into.

[malamute]

If you're trying to size up safety -- look for the typical signs. Avoid nearby housing projects. Look for extra iron bars and grates along with graffitti that no one paints over. Houses that are still lived in but no one is maintaining. You see pigeons nesting in the holes under the roof, unkept yards, too many vacant houses that appear to have been vandalized -- those are all bad signs.

[malamute]

And I hate to say it but now you don't go over to Juarez for any reason, not even good ones. Not even to look around. It's suddenly taken a turn for the worse.

[Michchix]

Originally Posted by malamute

And I hate to say it but now you don't go over to Juarez for any reason, not even good ones. Not even to look around. It's suddenly taken a turn for the worse.

Thats such a shame, I was hoping to check it out !

[HookTheBrotherUp]

It is all too true of Juarez. Believe it or not, this is what I used to look forward to doing when I would visit, crossing over to Juarez at the Santa Fe bridge, going to the mercado, being with my cousins, and various inlaws and drinking Coronas on the little tables on the sidewalk while the women shopped.

As kids my parents used to take us to a restaurant, not a culinary treat by any stretch, but plain good Mexican food. It used to be past what was the end of the city of Juarez back then, a restaurant called La Cuesta. They had booths outside where you could eat your food, a playground for kids, even a swimming pool. My parents would eat, drink beer, feed the whole family all for about $20.00!

After that, we would either go the Pronaf shopping center, or to the strip center near the Zaragosa bridge, buy bread, meats, and cases of Coca Cola of what is now considered nostalgic, those Coca Cola bottles.

Anyway, too bad it's not safe anymore. Just look at the thread started last week about the guy hanging from the bridge.

Juarez... Don't do it!

[malamute]

Originally Posted by Michchix

Thats such a shame, I was hoping to check it out !

Check it out in videos. It was a horrifying week this past week in Juarez. Incredibly horrifying.

[malamute]

Two videos -- outdated as to figures, murder rate is well over 1000 so far this year:


YouTube - Jared, Mexico Violence


YouTube - 40 Murders in 48 Hours in Juarez