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Thanks for the replies. I'm glad to see some contributions to the thread. As for this topic, while there apparently don't seem to be any areas/neighborhoods in or around Phoenix that are as rundown and desperate-looking as the ghettos in places like Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Camden, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., etc., do any of you think that the crime and violence in the poorer/crime-ridden areas in Phoenix are comparable to the crime and violence in these other cities that have been mentioned?
Obviously, Phoenix - and, seemingly, no other city in America - can compare to the frightening violence and daily shootings going on in Chicago these days; but I'm curious if there are any bad areas in the Phoenix Metro area that are close to as dangerous as the other cities I've mentioned? Or is Phoenix really relatively safe, considering how large and populated it is?
And since it's seemingly been alluded to, I'm curious, to those of you who are from or are familiar with some of the worst cities/areas in the U.S. when it comes to crime and violence, are there areas where you feel that you would literally be putting your life in danger by simply walking down the street in some neighborhoods? Where you could sense the danger and just know that you were in a scary, unsafe place? If so, what cities are like that? And what city do you think is the most-dangerous/violent/crime-ridden city in America?
I used to start threads on another site about what people thought were the most-dangerous/violent/crime-ridden cities in America, and I actually tried it on here, but I think I had copy/pasted some stories from previous threads that included some content that was considered inappropriate here, so it was not allowed (and I apologize for that, if that was the case). So, while I don't want to risk starting another thread and posting stories that would be considered inappropriate, I would like to ask what some of you think are the worst/most-dangerous/violent/crime-ridden cities in America? And which city/cities do you think Phoenix would be comparable to with regards to crime/violence/danger?
If I were to make a short list of the most-dangerous/violent/crime-ridden cities in America, it'd be something like this:
- Detroit, Flint, Pontiac, Saginaw
- Chicago, Rockford, East St. Louis
- Camden, Trenton, Newark, Jersey City, East Orange
- Baltimore
- Washington D.C.
- Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chester
- New Orleans
- Memphis
- Gary, Indianapolis, East Chicago
- Milwaukee
- Los Angeles, Oakland, Fresno, Stockton, Richmond, San Jose
- Houston, Dallas
- Birmingham
- Miami, Opa-locka, Orlando, Jacksonville
- Cleveland, Cincinnati, Youngstown
- Louisville
- Tulsa, Oklahoma City
I was planning on just trying to include like 10 cities, but I got carried away. Sorry about that. I'm curious, though, does Phoenix compare with any of these cities I just listed, in terms of crime, danger, violence? And does anyone have any personal experiences they can share about why they think a certain city is bad/dangerous/violent/scary?
Thanks for taking the time to reply, y'all! I was glad to see that the thread had gotten some responses. I tend to agree that even the worst parts of Phoenix likely aren't nearly as bad as the awful parts of cities like Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, etc., but I do recall a recent period earlier this year where there seemed to be a lot of horrible violence happening in the Phoenix area (in Jan.-Feb., I think, and it included multiple shootings/murders over 2-3-day periods on more than one occasion) and that made me re-think how dangerous parts of Phoenix really are.
As someone alluded to, with Phoenix having as many people living in the area now, it does seem to have a relatively low amount of violence, which is a great thing. However, it certainly seems to have its fair share of serious crimes and scary violence in the bad areas; enough that it gives people legitimate reason to worry and be concerned about it. I realize that Phoenix likely does not have any areas that are as notoriously dangerous and violent as the gang-infested neighborhoods in Los Angeles and Chicago or the incredibly poor and desperate areas of Detroit, Milwaukee, Camden, Baltimore, Philly, etc., so I'd have to agree that it's not comparable to those places, even in the worst parts of town.
As for Tempe having some bad parts, the reason I mentioned it is from having read a post on some other site where a guy lived and worked close to ASU and described his experience from earlier in the day. From what I recall, he first described how he got on either the bus or the light rail (I don't recall which) and there was a loud argument that turned in to an actual fist fight between two guys (one guy looking like a skinhead racist, and the other like a Mexican cholo, who had his kids with him) and that no one even tried to break it up. He then gets off to walk a short ways to work, only to be hit up by homeless guys asking for money. Then, on the way home after work, he gets off at his stop, to see multiple cop cars parked and officers warning people and informing them they part of the street/area was not accessible, and this was because there had been a robbery at either the gas station or payday loan place. He also alluded to how this was not that surprising to him, as that part of town had become pretty bad and has issues on a regular basis.
Besides that, there was the guy who drove his car with his family in it in to Tempe Town Lake and killed all of them; the woman who decided that she wanted to murder someone and got in to car crash and then shot and killed a female ASU student; and there have been multiple ASU students who died due to some sort of accident/irresponsible behavior. So, unfortunately, there seems to be plenty of crime and violence going on in Tempe these days.
Since you are evidently familiar with Tempe, what are your thoughts on the city? Does it have any legitimately bad/dangerous parts? Are there any areas that you would be worried/uncomfortable/feel unsafe in? Do you think that Tempe has any areas that are comparable to Mesa's bad areas? Or to the rough parts of Phoenix? I'm genuinely curious, so if you feel like replying and sharing your thoughts on it, I'd be glad to read your response.
As one who is REALLY familiar with Tempe and has lived here for decades, let me respond to this. You are basing a lot on ONE story you read on some forum from one person you don't know. Passengers on the light rail come from everywhere. Gas stations or payday loan places get held up all over town. Less so in Tempe than other places. Yes, there are property crimes, just like everywhere else. Homeless folks hitting people up for money are everywhere in the Valley, too. Check out the panhandler thread.
The man who drove his family into the lake DID NOT LIVE IN TEMPE. And, if he did, what does that have to do with the city, other than that the lake is here? The woman who killed the girl in the road rage issue didn't live here either, IIRC-- she could have done that anywhere, just happened to be here. Road rage can happen anywhere, and is not more common in Tempe than in other parts of the Valley.
ASU students have gotten drunk and fallen off balconies (or into the lake), committed suicide, been involved in auto accidents. It's the biggest university in the country --- things like that happen on and near other large campuses. "Irresponsible behavior" is common among the entire college student population.
Tempe has no real "dangerous parts". There are older, somewhat sketchier areas, but not all the old neighborhoods are in that category. They don't compare to the bad parts of Phoenix, for sure, and probably not Mesa, either. I've never felt unsafe anywhere here, but I am not out walking around in the dark in those somewhat sketchier areas, either.
To say there is "plenty of crime and violence" in Tempe is just a gross exaggeration. My crime log that I subscribed to out of curiosity puts 99 percent of the crime within 5 miles of me in west Mesa, not Tempe. I'm beginning to wonder what you are "genuinely curious" about.
If you want the worst of the worst 43rd Ave / McDowell is one of the worst areas in the entire valley. You can Sprinkle in 16th ST / Roeser, 7th St / Broadway, 19th Ave / Southern. OP please educate me on the "bad" areas of Tempe it should be interesting.
I've spent time in all of these areas and don't feel particularly unsafe in any of them.
I wouldn't walk alone in these areas at night, but during the day or with a group of people, there's really nothing to worry about.
There are high crime areas of the Valley, OP. As you surmised, they are not on the level of an East St. Louis, Gary, Camden, Memphis, Chester, or Baltimore. I would say we are on the same level as a San Diego and San Jose when it comes to crime. We definitely have rougher areas, but it's nothing where you're best to stay away at all times. Maryvale is hardly beyond the point of no return when it comes to being run down. To me, Maryvale and South Phoenix are actually the most interesting parts of the city of Phoenix because they aren't so manicured and cookie cutter like the rest of the city. If you actually get off the major arterials in Maryvale (59th, 67th, Thomas, Indian School, for instance) and drive through the neighborhood, you will see homes in all sorts of conditions. There are the homes where people clearly have taken pride and kept up their properties (landscaping, nice furniture on the patio, and fresh paint) to homes with plywood covering the windows and doors, chipping paint, trash everywhere, bars on the windows, and cars that are parked in the front yard. The neighborhood seems intact and definitely has a feel that you won't get anywhere else in the city. So many other areas of the city just fee so sterile and dead. Maryvale seems to have a very strong community feel to it, even if it isn't the "nicest" area.
South Phoenix is similar. A lot of the newer development is more of that cookie cutter style crap that you see in the nicer areas, but there are still plenty of areas that have a more organic feel. Is there a higher violent crime rate in South Phoenix than many other areas? Yes. But, again, you can still drive through without feeling like you're going to have some of street scenes from the LA riots play out around you.
There are smaller areas scattered around that are less than ideal. The McDowell-Thomas corridor west of the 51 to about 40th Street, the area immediately south of downtown, Greenway Square, some areas of Chandler and Mesa, some areas of Avondale and El Mirage, etc. You will be fine going through those areas. Would I recommend living there, absolutely not. But there are very good chances that you are not going to get hit by a stray bullet just driving around or even getting out of your car.
I've spent time in all of these "bad" areas. As long as someone's not looking for trouble, they're not likely to find it.
Thanks for the replies. I'm glad to see some contributions to the thread. As for this topic, while there apparently don't seem to be any areas/neighborhoods in or around Phoenix that are as rundown and desperate-looking as the ghettos in places like Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, Camden, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., etc., do any of you think that the crime and violence in the poorer/crime-ridden areas in Phoenix are comparable to the crime and violence in these other cities that have been mentioned?
No. They don't. There are some areas that are rough and I wouldn't recommend someone going there, but compared to some other cities in the USA, Phoenix and its surrounding cities are very safe. Obviously, weird stuff can happen and you should always be smart, but there are not really super-true no-go areas if you know what I mean.
It's all relative, I grew up in the South Bronx, so when I see what many people here see as "bad" areas, I think to myself, "this actually isn't all that bad compared to where I grew up". With that said, if I were to stay in AZ full time, would I buy a house in those areas? heck no, because I've seen what other parts of the valley have to offer.
I lived in the NYC area, and the South Bronx in the daytime was one of the WORST areas I've ever been in (back in the 1990s). I would take my chances with virtually any ghetto in the Phoenix area compared to the rougher parts of NYC.
You are basing a lot on ONE story you read on some forum from one person you don't know.
First off, if you don't expect me to give much merit to the story I read by the other guy who is a stranger who posted something on an Internet forum, why should I give your post so much credibility? Is there some reason that your claims are much more credible, accurate, believable?
Also, "bashing a lot"? I just mentioned Tempe once, I believe, as a city that may have some bad areas. And that was after someone else had mentioned Tempe in another thread. And when you asked me why I may have felt this way, I gave you a few simple examples. I don't believe I sad that Tempe was the most-dangerous city in Arizona; and I didn't claim that it was notoriously violent, or anything of the sort, from what I recall. I simply mentioned that it may have some rough areas and then referenced a few recent crimes that took place in Tempe. And why does it matter if a person who commits a crime is from a different city than where the crime happened? Does that somehow make their crime or its effects less serious or significant? If they crimes are taking place in Tempe, isn't that all that really matters?
What if 90% of the violent crime in Detroit and Chicago were committed by people from a different city or even out-of-state, does that somehow make Detroit and Chicago safer?
Quote:
Originally Posted by observer53
I'm beginning to wonder what you are "genuinely curious" about.
OK, what exactly do you suspect may be my reasoning for starting this thread and asking about this? Give me at least one idea you have for a potential ulterior motive? Please.
Obviously, going out of my way and taking the time to specifically state in the OP why I was starting this thread meant little-to-nothing to you, so I'm not looking to waste much of my time and writing efforts to try to convince you otherwise. If you're skeptical about my motives, please just ignore this thread. And I will try to not mention Tempe as a city with crime again.
I came here from the midwest and spent a good amount of time in Milwaukee and Chicago. The worst areas of Phoenix are nothing like them - not even close. In the case of Milwaukee, there are a few nice pockets scattered about the city - mostly the areas along Lake Michigan and one or two enclaves a few miles west of downtown. The rest of it is a crime and poverty riddled hellhole. Most of the area immediately north and northwest of downtown is just plain dangerous. Chicago has the same thing. Some very nice and desirable neighborhoods scattered about, some blue collar neighborhoods as well, but wide swaths of the city that look like something out of a war zone. Phoenix has none of that, or at the very least it's just different. I haven't found anywhere here where I genuinely fear for my safety. There are some run down areas (parts of Maryvale) and some very industrial / gritty sections of town (South Phoenix near/along Broadway), but nowhere that looks like it was bombed out like you see in the worst area of rust belt cities. My assessment of the crime here is that there is about the same amount of property crime, but nowhere near as much violent crime as Milwaukee or Chicago.
First off, if you don't expect me to give much merit to the story I read by the other guy who is a stranger who posted something on an Internet forum, why should I give your post so much credibility? Is there some reason that your claims are much more credible, accurate, believable?
Also, "bashing a lot"? I just mentioned Tempe once, I believe, as a city that may have some bad areas. And that was after someone else had mentioned Tempe in another thread. And when you asked me why I may have felt this way, I gave you a few simple examples. I don't believe I sad that Tempe was the most-dangerous city in Arizona; and I didn't claim that it was notoriously violent, or anything of the sort, from what I recall. I simply mentioned that it may have some rough areas and then referenced a few recent crimes that took place in Tempe. And why does it matter if a person who commits a crime is from a different city than where the crime happened? Does that somehow make their crime or its effects less serious or significant? If they crimes are taking place in Tempe, isn't that all that really matters?
What if 90% of the violent crime in Detroit and Chicago were committed by people from a different city or even out-of-state, does that somehow make Detroit and Chicago safer?
OK, what exactly do you suspect may be my reasoning for starting this thread and asking about this? Give me at least one idea you have for a potential ulterior motive? Please.
Obviously, going out of my way and taking the time to specifically state in the OP why I was starting this thread meant little-to-nothing to you, so I'm not looking to waste much of my time and writing efforts to try to convince you otherwise. If you're skeptical about my motives, please just ignore this thread. And I will try to not mention Tempe as a city with crime again.
I didn't say Tempe didn't have crime. It does. I've lived here more than 40 years, so I'm not blind to what happens here. Property crime is an issue particularly in the area around ASU, but violent crime less so, and both less so in the rest of the city. What I was saying is that you were making very broad assumptions on very limited, and in some cases not valid, examples. The man driving his family into the lake was a tragedy. But except for the fact that he used the lake as a method and location, that had nothing to do with Tempe except location. Family suicides happen in every city-- the location is merely happenstance, and has nothing to do with the overall safety of the other residents of the city, or the overall quality of life in that city. Certainly the Town Lake area is not considered a "bad area". The road rage incident? Much the same analysis. The area where it happened is not unsafe, and that extreme incident could just have easily happened elsewhere in the Valley. The road rage incidence rate in Tempe is not significant, and I suspect is less than other areas of the Valley.
With respect to your original question, I don't think the "bad areas" of Phoenix or any of its suburbs are comparable to the bad areas in Chicago, Detroit, or the other cities you mentioned. As others have indicated, those looking for trouble in those areas will find it, but there are plenty of people living in areas like Maryvale, for instance that go about their business, and their lives, using common sense and without feeling unsafe or being victims of crime.
Last edited by observer53; 05-02-2016 at 03:15 AM..
I see all these comments like "parts of Baltimore make Maryvale look like Beverly Hills", etc. Nicer-looking homes (in comparison to bombed-out Detroit) doesnt mean squat. Crime is crime, any way you cut it. Ive driven through some hardcore hoods in Chicago, and was just fine. I do the same in Phoenix.
The one question you must ask yourself (to determine if an area is ghetto or not) is: would I walk through this place at night?
There are PLENTY of areas of Phoenix I would never walk around at night. Just because the surface doesnt look as bad as Detroit or Camden or Atlanta ghettos, doesnt mean its safe. No way, no how.
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