Crenshaw neighborhood South Los Angeles (Santa Barbara: buy, school, college)

[vivabigpapi]

Originally Posted by jagIV

I love reading the 'gang' neighborhood threads here. Very informative! Thanks to katenik and CESpeed especially. I only have one thing to add, when I've driven around S. Central - it certainly looks a whole lot better than the ghetto hoods of the SouthEast and East coast. When I hear my CA Native friends out here refer to an area as 'ghetto' I'm always surprised to see how perfectly fine it looks. I mean, the homes have doors on them and the windows aren't boarded up. There are places in Birmingham, Atlanta, Chicago and Detroit that give me the chills to remember. Much scarier than anything I've seen in LA. I think part of that has to do with the fact that the crime is organized, as opposed to improvised.

Based on what I've seen, the slums in New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston are a lot like the ones you described in Birmingham, Atlanta, Chicago, and Detroit.

[las]

Originally Posted by streetscenes

Worst neighborhoods along Crenshaw are at Crenshaw and Hyde Park and Crenshaw just south of Century Boulevard. First is the Hyde Park area, I think this is the home turf of the Rollin 60s gang. The next is an area of apartments actually off of 104th street known as Darby Downs, it's actually kind of crummy all the way down to Imperial. City of Inglewood has been trying hard to redevelop this area. I think they were going to tear down some of the apartments and turn some of the 1br and 2br units into larger units to reduce the density.

the erea just south of century is crenshaw mafias turf.

[Mardala]

I don't really agree with you on this.
I work on Jefferson a few blocks west of Crenshaw and we are regularly covering up gang tags on our two buildings. Look at the commercial buildings on Jefferson and Exposition. There are signs of gang activity. 18th street for one. There is a prostitution issue along Jefferson east and west of Crenshaw (from Arlington to LaBrea) around that area. Although its pretty confined to a few spots that I have noticed.
I personally haven't had any issues but there are a few blocks around my area where I wouldn't want to walk at night. Check the LAPD crime stats there have been some recent assaults around Jefferson and Exposition.
Not saying that these are specifically gang related, but my inclination is they are.

Originally Posted by SouthCentral

Ya youre right, between Rodeo and Jefferson there is no gang activity. Also on the east side of crenshaw(between Crenshaw and Arlington, MLK and Rodeo), which adjacent to Black P Stones turf, there is no gang that i know of.
EDIT: Windsor Hills/View Park also have no gangs.

[ospace]

How about the Jefferson Park area between Crenshaw & Western and Adams & Jefferson?
...Considering a place over there.

[Mike121]

Originally Posted by ospace

How about the Jefferson Park area between Crenshaw & Western and Adams & Jefferson?
...Considering a place over there.

I think that area is acceptable. I live there and have no problems at all. The residential neighborhoods are rather nice. It has all the necessary conveniences: grocery stores, near enough to a mall and Target, central to LA, sort of near trendy areas but way cheaper.

So, I think you should consider Jefferson Park as a good place to live, but, try to not choose place right next to Jefferson or Adams, and instead go for a place in the interior of the neighborhood

I tell you the truth. The warehouse district is a little grubby: there are couple of motels on Adams that have been a problem, and there is some drugs activity on Jefferson Blvd. This is because of the recycling centers on Jefferson. The police and the neighborhood council have been focused on cleaning that up, but, the recycling centers, the motels, the homeless people and drugs are all interrelated. The drug sellers sell mostly to the homeless who are fat with cash from collecting cans on trash day.

Hopefully when the Expo Line is running, this will help with the problems on Jefferson.

Even so, I walk down those avenues every day, and I never have any problem.

[ospace]

Hey Mike - thanks for the input. I PM'd you for more...

[King0fthehill]

I love Jefferson Park !

So many charming 1910's craftsman bungalows and 1920's spanish revival cottages, lovely tree lined streets, convenient access to other parts of the city (and soon rail access), and a true cohesive neighborhood spirit and ethic (activism, local biz's, etc).

I just wish the nabe could shake gangs (and they are still there -- locals have told me some shocking, recent stories) and other unwanted elements!

[ospace]

KingOfthehill - what are some of these shocking stories and unwanted elements? I'm not too prone to paranoia but i like to keep informed. Feel free to send me a direct message if you prefer

[King0fthehill]

I can go on for days.

I'll tell you a few that an aide (Terry) at school told me.

-There was once a helicopter pursuing a man who robbed a liquor store. The man fled on foot into the residential area near Victoria/Adams (or was it Jefferson?), then hid under Terry's house, as it was elevated and offered a basement underground (but with external access). The man got away, as hiding in the basement successfully eluded the helicopters.

-A young family moved in from the PJ's in Watts. The mild mannered family had a son who was quiet, recluse and kept to himself. The boy had a secret addiction to drugs, and the quench his "thirst", he would go across the street and buy drugs from the corner boys. One day, the son couldn't get enough drugs, and, having spent all of his cash on drugs that day, the boy bartered his leather coat for drugs. The boy went home and mom comes home and notices the coat is missing...the boy tells the mom what happened (him trading the coat for drugs), and the mom goes across the street to retrieve the coat, and successfully returns the coat. The son, having "snitched" must now face the consequences for his actions -- drug dealers shot at his house every weekend for 6 weeks, forcing the family to move.

-One time, Terry came out of her house to help her son (visiting from college) bring in his bags. Upon going outside of the house, she notices the whole neighborhood outside watching a man violently beat his girlfriend, shoving her head in and out of a broken car window. The girl, lying bloody and unconcious, paramedics come to her aid. When the paramedics asked the witnesses who commited the crime (everybody still standing there, btw)...nobody says a thing, not even the victim (when she was later revived, that is). "no snitching"

-Countless tales of gang shootouts in broad daylight, bold and brazen prostitution, theft, break-in's, arson, etc etc, a street where blacks "cannot step foot on, for fear of being shot on site", witnesses to crimes murdered and intimidated, etc

BTW, that's just a small sampling

[ChiMack]

its crazy how i hear some of you guys speak of the black p stones which is a chicago based gang while in chicago we dont have any la based gangs