What "White Ghettos" exist in your area? (crime, houses)

[eschaton]

I realize white ghetto is a bit of an oxymoron, because a ghetto is literally an ethnic enclave, not a run down inner city area.

Still, since I moved to Pittsburgh, I have discovered here there are a number of neighborhoods which to my (Northeast-corridor raised) eyes would be ghettos based on their physical appearence, but actually have a pretty overwhelming white majority.

Here's some photo tours a local blogger did:

Spring Garden
East Deutschtown
Esplen

These are all blighted neighborhoods, with 50% or more of the houses demolished or abandoned. They're also basically safe neighborhoods, with minor drug/property crime issues, but no gang activity.

I'm not aware of anywhere on the East Coast like this. Such neighborhoods either gentrify or become minority heavy slums. I'd presume there's a few in the Midwest, but I don't know where they would be.

[just_sayin']

Pittsburgh is the "whitest" major metro area in the country; stands to reason it would have "white ghetto" enclaves.

[annie_himself]

lol whut

[SyraBrian]

I canvass and flyer in the Syracuse area. Syracuse has a section that borders both the near west side and Tipp hill (Magnolia and Nelson streets) that is overwhelmingly white and decidely run down.

[2e1m5a]

Urban Dictionary: Kenzo

[ram2]

Most of Toledo, Ohio.

[nei]

Some in Massachusetts, though not as extreme as your Pittsburgh examples and there's little decay. Fall River and New Bedford are both poor and have some largely white neighborhoods. Worcester might, though no real decay there.

The closest to "white ghetto" might be Niagara Falls. Perhaps sections of Buffalo as well?

[creeksitter]

As Jesus said: "the poor shall be with us always". It is kind of rascist to presume most poor people will be minorities.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by 2e1m5a

Urban Dictionary: Kenzo

I don't mean areas which have "ghetto-acting" whites. I mean areas which have huge amounts of vacant lots and falling-down buildings in disrepair. Kensington is rough, and still has a working-class white population in places, but it's intact, and not even that bad looking.

Pittsburgh actually has some working-class, majority-white neighborhoods which are more dangerous (Carrick, or Arlington, for example). They don't have urban decay however - they look fairly intact and have multiracial gangs fighting with each other.

Originally Posted by nei

Some in Massachusetts, though not as extreme as your Pittsburgh examples and there's little decay. Fall River and New Bedford are both poor and have some largely white neighborhoods. Worcester might, though no real decay there.

Fall River and New Bedford are more dying mill towns than anything though. There's lots of those in various places. Few gentrify, and depending upon the area, blacks or Latinos might not migrate there at all.

Originally Posted by nei

The closest to "white ghetto" might be Niagara Falls. Perhaps sections of Buffalo as well?

I was under the impression Niagara Falls had a black side of town, although I guess the whole city is depressed. Buffalo definitely has a black side, and a developing Latino area, but I don't know enough about individual neighborhoods to say anything about the white parts of the city

[nei]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Fall River and New Bedford are more dying mill towns than anything though. There's lots of those in various places. Few gentrify, and depending upon the area, blacks or Latinos might not migrate there at all.

How is that different from what you were looking for? Or did you want obvious abandonment?

I was under the impression Niagara Falls had a black side of town, although I guess the whole city is depressed. Buffalo definitely has a black side, and a developing Latino area, but I don't know enough about individual neighborhoods to say anything about the white parts of the city

Niagara Falls is 69% white and considering its very large population decline, it's likely there are "ghetto" white neighborhoods.