Why does Hollywood have such a bad rap?

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by AmberCo

I agree. We moved to Hollywood Hills because my husband had fond childhood memories of visiting relatives in Hollywood Hills during the 70's. At one time this use to be a nice, middle class neighborhood. Not any more! In the past year my car was stolen from my driveway and our house burglarized. Several homes in the neighborhood have been burglarized, including the one with the 10-year hiding in his closet, which made national news.
A jewelry store about 4 blocks from my house was robbed at gunpoint. My 80 something year old neighbor woke up and found someone in her home....lots of empty houses due to foreclosures...it's really quite sad.
Our neighbors are good, honest, hard working people, but for whatever reason, Hollywood Hills is in deep decay and has definitely seen better days.

That's crazy and would explain why Hollywood Hills HS is now a poor performing school. I attended South Broward HS which was always the ugly duckling in comparison and find it interesting how roles have reversed.
I think even McArthur HS is outperforming Hollywood Hills. It seems many of the older, more established Hollywood neighborhoods have held on while the newer areas have really headed south. I was in the area a few months ago and noticed my old neighborhood (east of Memorial Hospital/35th Street, north of Hollywood Blvd and south of Taft Street east over to I-95) has pretty much held form from when I grew up. That was nice to see.

[JohnnyDrako]

I've read all of the above with great interest. Next month, I'm considering my first trip to Florida (well, a previous jaunt in and out of Orlando doesn't count, right?) from my home in Arizona. I am considering setting up shop for 2 - 3 weeks at a hostel in Hollywood a couple blocks from the beach (Hollywood Beach Suites, Hostel + Hotel :: Home). This place would be my base to explore this area and points south.

I would love to read any and all thoughts you fine folks might have about this.

[BigSicily954]

Originally Posted by hurricaneMan1992

I've been through this stretch many times on the way to the Galleria and Beaches and never noticed any ghetto though it's obviously a lower income area. Is this the best you can do???

441 through Lauderhill and Tamarac is another low-income area, but it's also far from being a ghetto!

But yes, basically all of Hollywood is nice compared with those stretches.

You obviously didn't make a right or left off of Sunrise Blvd then. It is very ghetto.

[BigSicily954]

What's considered "ghetto" is all about perception. What I perceive as "ghetto" might not be what another person perceives as ghetto. With that said, I don't consider Hollywood very ghetto. It's got a few seedy areas like Carver Ranches (definitely ghetto) and some areas off US1 that are questionable, but I think that's Dania. Overall, I love Hollywood. I love the Downtown area. I love some of the old architecture. I just love the overall vibe of certain areas of Hollywood. It's old school.

You gotta realize, some people are sheltered or have lived in paradise their whole lives and as soon as they see one bum or a few minorities they start calling the neighborhood "ghetto".

[ThomasMatthews]

Hollywood, with their size, obviously has bad and nice parts, but it's not majority ghetto. People are being paranoid here.

[Nolefan34]

Originally Posted by ThomasMatthews

Hollywood, with their size, obviously has bad and nice parts, but it's not majority ghetto. People are being paranoid here.

Hollywood is the definition of sketch. It has some nice parts, but the good areas are outnumbered by the sketchy areas. There really aren't any "ghettos" in Hollywood like you see in Miami Gardens, but there are lots of very sketchy areas. Hollywood's main arteries are filled with bums. US1 has a lot of interesting architecture from the 50's, but unfortunately the area is overrun by hourly motels, check cashing stores, liquor stores, and other seedy businesses. The area looks depressed.

[vigo]

Nolefan is 100% correct. Hollywood used to be nice but not anymore. It's sad, really.

[drea84]

Hollywood is an improvement from most parts of Miami BUT its still not a very nice place. Stay away from the Turnpike and closer to the beach you either have nice or druggies who live in those cheap motel type of places close by the water. Hollywood is where most of the pain management crap started and so many ppl there got caught up in the roxi scene which is a very sad situation you should want to stay far away from.