Steer me to your nearest "bad neighborhood"...

jjjjjjjijjjjjjj — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:02:43 -0800

What is the "bad part of town" for your nearest metropolitan area... and what's the name of the most notoriously "bad" neighborhood(s) in that part of town? If you're catching a whiff of "chatfilter", it is not because I didn't diligently try to avoid or discourage it when formulating the question. I've kicked it around in my head for a week now, and haven't found a silver bullet to kill the possibility that answers might be a bit chat-tainted. I do have a very specific question I'd like answered, and I am not trying to promote lax conversation. That the thread may be used by some in chatty ways shouldn't indict the specificity of my question. abusus non tollit usum.

I am a cartographer. I've been thinking about "bad neighborhoods" lately and rolling some ideas around in my head. I am thinking about making something that might approximate an "Atlas of the Bad Part(s) of Town(s)". I'd like to get some "jumping on" points to guide my research of various cities.

My perception of "bad part of town" has everything to do with "prevalence of crime"--yours may not, but if you are using some other rubric as your principal justification, please note this.

I am very gracious for any information you can provide, from specific to the very general. It need not be exact, and a notional response (if fairly well informed) would be absolutely fine.

By way of example... the information for my city is as follows: St. Louis, MO - Bad part of town: The North Side - Notoriously bad neighborhoods: Hyde Park, St. Louis Place, the Ville, Carr Avenue.

I am very appreciative for any information you can provide, and for any direction you can steer my research. The project I am envisioning will likely be U.S.-centric, but I am very interested, personally, in answers from all over the world. Thanks much.

Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with badneighborhoods

Steer me to your nearest "bad neighborhood"...