Why is Pontiac Street/Hanna Street area considered the armpit of Fort Wayne? (Brooklyn: crime)

[janedoe1972]

I don't understand it. I have been in/seen/lived close to neighborhoods that are much worse than this. I wouldn't consider it the ghetto of Fort Wayne, either. Blue-collar and diverse, yes, but not ghetto or bad. Yes, more crime happens there, but it's usually people that know one another and have a vendetta or domestic situations. North Tulsa, on the other hand, is real scary because feelings still run high (not from me personally, but from lots of other people) about the Race Riot of 1921 there. My boyfriend is very jumpy about driving in that area and he has lived in FW all his life. But I'm not jumpy because I have seen worse...and (as a white woman) I can walk down the sidewalk to pick up my son from school and I don't feel afraid. So I think the people who get all worked up about that area of town have never lived in bigger cities with *truly* rough areas. Thanks for letting me have my say. *peace out* PS - It pisses me off how people refer to areas with a heavy African-American/black population as "rough" areas, i.e., such as my boyfriend does. Irony that he's from the North/Midwest (Fort Wayne) and I'm from the South (Oklahoma), and HE is the one that is the bigot, not me.

[cdr18]

It is considered the armpit area because it's the worst part of Fort Wayne. Yes, when comparable to other cities, it pales in comparison. But it definitely takes the cake as far as the worst area of Fort Wayne.

As for the heavy African American presence, I can agree that these areas are often labeled as the most dangerous. Partly, because they are and have heavy gang presence. However, I'm not naive to know that this is very stereotypical thinking and that racial segregation in America is more systemic than white people would like to think.

[VexedAndSolitary]

LOL I feel ya OP, I was reared in Bklyn NY then lived 23 years in SoFl and folks in FW have never seen an actual BAD section of town, where graffiti, security bars on windows of stores, bulletproof glass in stores, and crackheads and dealers are seen block after block after block.

I volunteered in the section of FW of which you speak shortly after moving here last year and when I was told I was in the bad section I was flabbergasted. Folks had yard decorations, (would be immediately stolen or destroyed in a true "bad" section"), neaty mowed lawns with no garbage strewn about, NO bars on windows, NO graffiti.
It looked like a modest working class 'hood to me.

I actually love that this city is so safe that the "bad" section looks totally fine to me. I have logged many a volunteer hour in the worst sections of Miami; these folks here are naive in an endearing way as to true ghetto 'hoods.

I live just north of downtown and ADORE my location and the city in general.

[FortWayneNative]

It’s the armpit of Fort Wayne. Not Tulsa or Brooklyn. I have lived in all sides of Fort Wayne. That was by far the sketchiest of them all. Still loved it and it’s not south Chicago. But it’s our armpit. It’s not bad but it’s still the worst we have here. The most neglected by our government. But no it’s still a decent part of this city because this city has a fair amount of decent people.

[Veniceman]

I'm an old white guy who lived in Fort Wayne for 33 years but have lived all over the USA. The Southeast side of Fort Wayne is primarily African American and also is a very nice area to live in. There are many nice homes on the southeast side of Fort Wayne. Every sector of Fort Wayne has a few problem areas so I dont think it's fair to point out that parts of the southeast side have issues. The southeast side has McMillan Park and also has many fine restaurants and businesses. I used to work in this section of Fort Wayne and I experienced no problems whatsoever.