Scariest places in the USA
#16
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 516
Re: Scariest places in the USA
Lived just South of Detroit for a few years - none of the locals would go downtown! The worst areas we ever saw were when trying to get from the Ambassador Bridge to I75, or when following Woodward North out of the city.
There is some amazing architecture as the other thread shows - one of the eeriest is the theater that's now a multi story car park where you can still see the remains of the curtains and mirrors.
Found Brockton, MA way scarier! plus the area around the San Francisco Tourist Info where some really agressive beggars accosted you as you got off the escalator - a great welcome for visitors!
Scariest place in NA though was Vancouver - trying to get across town one Summer Sat afternoon we took a wrong turn and saw some poor old guy getting attacked about 10 yards from a policeman!!
There is some amazing architecture as the other thread shows - one of the eeriest is the theater that's now a multi story car park where you can still see the remains of the curtains and mirrors.
Found Brockton, MA way scarier! plus the area around the San Francisco Tourist Info where some really agressive beggars accosted you as you got off the escalator - a great welcome for visitors!
Scariest place in NA though was Vancouver - trying to get across town one Summer Sat afternoon we took a wrong turn and saw some poor old guy getting attacked about 10 yards from a policeman!!
#19
Re: Scariest places in the USA
How are people deciding if a place is scary?
A lot of places listed seem to be poor working class areas, not so many reasons given about why the places were scary. is it just an assumption that poverty will lead to crime?
My problem in America is my almost total lack of ability to read the cultural clues, so many areas look like nice bourgeoisie areas to me, I only get told I was in the dodgy area later.
A lot of places listed seem to be poor working class areas, not so many reasons given about why the places were scary. is it just an assumption that poverty will lead to crime?
My problem in America is my almost total lack of ability to read the cultural clues, so many areas look like nice bourgeoisie areas to me, I only get told I was in the dodgy area later.
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Upper East Side, New York City
Posts: 88
Re: Scariest places in the USA
Camden is indeed a scary place - and it's about to cut its police force in half which seems like a really good idea!
http://www.salon.com/news/crime/inde...police_layoffs
http://www.salon.com/news/crime/inde...police_layoffs
#21
Re: Scariest places in the USA
Biggest drugs bust I've seen though was in the poshest of posh towns, but then Brazilian drug king pin isn't going to be living in a shitter of a town like his lackies is he
#22
Re: Scariest places in the USA
Three months after arriving in New York the British firm of Quantity Surveyors I was working with moved me from our offices in mid-town Manhattan onto the New Yankee Stadium project in the Bronx which was a bit of a culture shock. The area around the stadium is not the worst part of the Bronx but you definitely stuck to the main route between the subway and the site and you didn’t hang around once it started to get dark. You would read about the murders and arson attacks in the paper. Most of the locals were OK – you just got this overwhelming sense of despair with most adults out of work and just hanging around aimlessly and all the kids skiving off school and you just couldn’t see it ever changing.
#23
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 18
Re: Scariest places in the USA
Some more came to mind...
Venice Beach, California...great during the day but the guys running the hostel I stayed in told me not to go out at night
Miami, Florida - witnessed a full scale police bust on the street (guns drawn) while waiting at a downtown bus stop...I think it was a drugs bust
Hollywood, California - same as Miami above
Tampa, Florida - a wacko pulled a knife on someone in a downtown shopping mall in broad daylight while I was there with my wife, my sister and my mom...later we walked into a very shady bar....turned around and left very quickly....Tampa is not my favorite Florida destination
Venice Beach, California...great during the day but the guys running the hostel I stayed in told me not to go out at night
Miami, Florida - witnessed a full scale police bust on the street (guns drawn) while waiting at a downtown bus stop...I think it was a drugs bust
Hollywood, California - same as Miami above
Tampa, Florida - a wacko pulled a knife on someone in a downtown shopping mall in broad daylight while I was there with my wife, my sister and my mom...later we walked into a very shady bar....turned around and left very quickly....Tampa is not my favorite Florida destination
Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
And you're scared of Tampa???
#24
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 6,848
Re: Scariest places in the USA
One of the truly most dangerous, crime-ridden cities in the US - Camden, New Jersey, just across the river from Philadelphia - yesterday laid off almost half of the police force and firemen:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70H3XQ20110118
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/h...mid=&Itemid=11
Here's a list (with photos) of the most dangerous cities in the US....Camden is no.2 on this list but has also been no. 1 in other years ***and yet they've now just laid off nearly half of their police force***
http://www.walletpop.com/photos/dangerous-cities/
I've only been to Camden once; my daughter and her then boyfriend were visiting from the UK and went to see a Radiohead concert at a stadium near to the river - I offered to drive them there and back (what a fool, didn't realise it was quite a long drive - half of the roads were blocked off in Camden and my Satnav got confused and sending me round and round in circles). I spent the evening reading my book in a MacDonalds in Camden, not the coffeeshop I envisaged...it was a very uncomfortable feeling, the clientele were scary and I had to keep my eye on the car as I thought it was likely to have been stolen. I'd never have gone if I'd known about Camden's reputation and I now know that I didn't even see the really dangerous/run-down parts of the city.
Oddly enough, when I went to Memphis I thought it was a bit scary as well - and that was during the daytime...
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70H3XQ20110118
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/h...mid=&Itemid=11
Here's a list (with photos) of the most dangerous cities in the US....Camden is no.2 on this list but has also been no. 1 in other years ***and yet they've now just laid off nearly half of their police force***
http://www.walletpop.com/photos/dangerous-cities/
I've only been to Camden once; my daughter and her then boyfriend were visiting from the UK and went to see a Radiohead concert at a stadium near to the river - I offered to drive them there and back (what a fool, didn't realise it was quite a long drive - half of the roads were blocked off in Camden and my Satnav got confused and sending me round and round in circles). I spent the evening reading my book in a MacDonalds in Camden, not the coffeeshop I envisaged...it was a very uncomfortable feeling, the clientele were scary and I had to keep my eye on the car as I thought it was likely to have been stolen. I'd never have gone if I'd known about Camden's reputation and I now know that I didn't even see the really dangerous/run-down parts of the city.
Oddly enough, when I went to Memphis I thought it was a bit scary as well - and that was during the daytime...
#25
Re: Scariest places in the USA
If you have a British accent, South Boston (Southie) any time before 2000.
#26
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 516
Re: Scariest places in the USA
One of the truly most dangerous, crime-ridden cities in the US - Camden, New Jersey, just across the river from Philadelphia - yesterday laid off almost half of the police force and firemen:
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70H3XQ20110118
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/h...mid=&Itemid=11
Here's a list (with photos) of the most dangerous cities in the US....Camden is no.2 on this list but has also been no. 1 in other years ***and yet they've now just laid off nearly half of their police force***
http://www.walletpop.com/photos/dangerous-cities/
Oddly enough, when I went to Memphis I thought it was a bit scary as well - and that was during the daytime...
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE70H3XQ20110118
http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/h...mid=&Itemid=11
Here's a list (with photos) of the most dangerous cities in the US....Camden is no.2 on this list but has also been no. 1 in other years ***and yet they've now just laid off nearly half of their police force***
http://www.walletpop.com/photos/dangerous-cities/
Oddly enough, when I went to Memphis I thought it was a bit scary as well - and that was during the daytime...
Also found Memphis depressing rather than scary but that was around 2001 - Beale St was a real let down, as was the rather appalling BBQ joint. Only good bit was the ducks!
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 61
Re: Scariest places in the USA
Trenton NJ was a joy.
I went to the hospital there to have my second baby who decided to arrive at 2am on a Sunday morning. That was scary! At least it took my mind off the labour pains though
I went to the hospital there to have my second baby who decided to arrive at 2am on a Sunday morning. That was scary! At least it took my mind off the labour pains though
#28
Re: Scariest places in the USA
Vegas greyhound bus station at around midnight on super bowl sunday. Never again!
#29
#30
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Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2010
Location: Maryland (via Belfast, Manchester, Toronto and London)
Posts: 4,802
Re: Scariest places in the USA
I used to live in Hulme and Moss Side in Manchester as a student. Many times I wandered home late at night (often the worse for a few drinks) and I never had any problems.
Belfast is one of the safest cities I've ever been in. Even during "The Troubles" the rate of regular crime was pretty low. Probably because everyone was scared of vigilante justice from the paramilitary groups.
Toronto is very safe - never had a problem in 7 years there.
Never had much of a problem in 2 years in London either although I never had any reason to go to the worst parts.