Have you ever stumbled into the wrong neighbourhood?

Gyalist

On my second day in Dublin in 1986 I arranged to meet some friends from college in The Brazen Head. Walked up and down the quays and couldn't find it so decided to head back to the city centre. I took a left turn off the quays and ended up in what I now know was Oliver Bond estate. I didn't know this at the time but Dublin was in the midst of it's heroin epidemic and there were lots on junkies gathered in little groups everywhere.

I don't know who was more surprised - me at wandering off into an area I didn't know or the junkies at the sight of a 6'7" black guy walking through the estate at about 10:00 on a dark, winter night. I just said hello and walked confidently through them and made my way to Thomas St. and back into the city centre.

I didn't feel in any way particulary threatened and it was only the next day when I told my friends in college the reason why I didn't make it to the pub that I became aware that I had gone into one of the most notorious parts of Dublin.

Ruu_Old

East St.Louis. Nuke the place and be done with it.

ArtyM

Gyalist wrote: »

I don't know who was more surprised - me at wandering off into an area I didn't know or the junkies at the sight of a 6'7" black guy walking through the estate at about 10:00 on a dark, winter night. I just said hello and walked confidently through them and made my way to Thomas St. and back into the city centre.

They probably thought they were having a bad trip and that you were just a hallucination

Vanbis

Not exactly stumbled but i went to Compton in Los Angeles on the train with a couple of friends but we left after 10min

The Agogo

Seriously? ST.Pauli?

I know they follow their football hard, and even have their own brand of cigarettes (click here)..but jesus I never thought it was "dodgy"!

Mike 1972

theavenger wrote: »

Got off a train one stop to early in east Berlin, think it was the ostabannhof station or something similar, wow v dodge

Ostbahnhof is quite a nice part of town. Ive stayed in the Ostel (GDR theme hostel in a converted Soviet-era apartment block) there. Slightly weird but interesting.

The Shankill in a D-reg car probably isint as dodgy as you imagine given that most people there dont give a flying fuk where youre from and those who do probably cant read anyway !

Gyalist

ArtyM wrote: »

They probably thought they were having a bad trip and that you were just a hallucination

Probably, but I'd been in the Queensbridge Projects in New York, visited relatives who lived in Brixton and friends who lived on "The Farm" in Tottenham at the time of the riots so it wasn't a particularly big deal to me until I was told afterwards where I'd been. In fact, the night that the riots broke out at the Farm we were at the other side of the estate training at the Haringey cricket school. Came out to loads of police rushing into the estate so we didn't hang around to see what was going on. It was only the next morning when the news broke that I realised the seriousness of what took place.

ArtyM

The Agogo wrote: »

Seriously? ST.Pauli?

I know they follow their football hard, and even have their own brand of cigarettes (click here)..but jesus I never thought it was "dodgy"!

I think, as some other posters have suggested, that it was actually the reeperbahn area of St Pauli I ended up in. Plus, from what I can see on the net it has cleaned up quite a bit since the early 80s.

Drake66

When I visited chicago I made kind of an embarrassing mistake. I wanted to have a look at the United Centre and the Michael Jordan statue. So I looked up the address and keyed it into google. Google told me the nearest train stop was a place called Ashland on the Green Line. So I got a green line train towards Ashland.

I became kind of suspicious when the train started going through some very very run down areas of the city. So I got off at Ashland, the last stop, and went looking for the United Centre. However I quickly realised this wasn't a nice area at all and scurried back to the train station!

I looked at the train map and realised my silly mistake. I was in Ashland/63rd Street station, in Englewood; an area, I was told, which is not a suitable place for a dopey pasty Irish tourist to be wandering around in. The train stop I wanted was Ashland and Lake; which is on the complete other end of the line. I never told my mates about that stupid little journey.

melekalikimaka

Liverpool - not a single redeeming feature, night time is even worse, I wouldnt send an enemy there for a night out. Work there alot, just stopped going out there now.

Along the liffey by the laughter lounge, been attempted robbed 4 times there now.

Bray - A utter kip, but fond childhood memories

theavenger

rossie1977 wrote: »

budapest are not dodgy at all

I'm sorry but I found certain parts of Budapest quite dodge, it's a massive city, and there were certain parts that were quite dangerous, now don't get me wrong it's a beautiful city. Booked a lovely looking guesthouse via hostelworld seemed quite nice, got there with the missus and it turns out to be some blokes flat in a seriously rough area, he wasnt to happy when I told him we were not staying

Mint Sauce

Not so much the wrong neighbourhodd, but will always remember playing a football match in a Unionist area of Derry. Match passed of peacefully, and had an audience of a British Army Helicoptor for most of the 90 minutes circling over head.

Only other place that stood out was sitting on in a car in downtown Deitrot, being told to keep the windows wound up and the door locked.

beano345

ballymun is hands down the most intimidating place ive ever been/seen,worked there for a year met some great people but jaysus it was rough.

2 stroke

Happened me once, ended up in the ****.

leahyl

When i was in New York a few years back myself and a friend got the wrong subway train and ended up in Harlem at 11 at night! Our hostel was actually bordering Harlem to the west but we got on the wrong train and so ended up too far west....so there we were slap bang in the middle of the ghetto - 2 pasty White early twenties Irish girls desperately looking for a cab to flag down. Gangs were huddled around cars with hip hop music blaring out of them and then some guy followed us down the street asking for a light - we ignored him and i wouldn't like to tell you what he called us! A cab eventually appeared and we couldn't get in it fast enough!

I wouldn't recommend it....

sky88

everyday i live in one

Stayed with my ex in Druids Heath in Birmingham, people have since told me not all of Druids Heath is what I saw, but seriously, I thought I was in Chatsworth. My ex had no illusions about the place either, telling me to walk behind him until we got into the shop, then to walk in front of him, followed by "And I'm not joking, just do what I tell you". We both got robbed about every second time we took the bus into the city centre or out again. And his dad got into a fight every night at the door of the house, which my ex would respond to by yelling down the stairs "Don't piss 'em off dad, I don't want my window bricked!"

Didn't exactly wander in there, but you can be sure I never went back again.

Daniel S

ArtyM wrote: »

There were junkies everywhere (got offered everything), guys fighting, Hookers, sexshops, people being arrested.
A couple of very dodgy guys approached me and kinda surrounded me as they were talking ****e - they started edging me toward an alley/laneway.
The wait for the subway felt like hours - there was a guy on the opposite platform sitting on a bench with a bottle of Vodka and what looked like a fresh stab wound in his abdomen - his sirt was literally turning red.
I was the only white guy.

Wrong neighbourhood? Hookers? Fightin'? Sex shops?

Sound great! Is it on google street view?


*Should have done something better with my 600th post....*

ArtyM

Just remembered another incident from my travels..
Was doing a course many years ago and it involved 3 days in London a Month. A few of us on the course became friends and had decided to share hotel rooms to save money, it was also great craic to share with them.
Anyway, on one of the trips my plane was delayed resulting in me arriving in Stanstead just in time to catch the last shuttle train into the city but too late to catch the last tube from Liverpool st to my final stop - near the strand area.
Ended up having to walk the streets of the city at 1/1.30 in the morning carrying my bright green rucksack and looking like a muggers wet dream.
Hailed 4 different taxis but all refused to take me as all I had was Northern Ireland sterling - B***ards.
Finally got to the Hotel and my friends had all gone to sleep and the doors were closed with no way in. they had promised to wait up for me.
So there I was, centre of London 2am, no viable currency, no public transport, and getting desperate.
I walked up and down a few nearby streets and I noticed a bus parked up so I approached the driver and asked him how I could get to Heathrow - seemed like a safe place to spend the night. I explained my predicament to him. The guy actually told me to hop in and he drove me all the way to the airport - just me in my own double decker London bus, it was mad.

At the Airport I headed to MacDonalds and while I had my coffee and cursed my friends a down-and-out-looking guy asked my for a smoke. Given that another human being had just been so kind to me I gave this guy 40 smokes from my duty free stash and bought him some food. Turned out he was an artist who was just down on his luck, and a very interesting guy to talk to.
Spent the next few hours sitting in MacDs while this guy sketched carricatures of me while other tourists watched and gave him tips. He actually made a nice few quid.
A strange night indeed.

fulhamfanincork

leahyl wrote: »

Gangs were huddled around cars with hip hop music blaring out of them and then some guy followed us down the street asking for a light - we ignored him and i wouldn't like to tell you what he called us!

Out of curiosity, what did he call you?

The c word?

ilovelamp2000

blackdog2 wrote: »

Was there back in February visiting the mot, seemed like a nice enough place. Noticed that about the Wetherspoons as well, people injecting outside a city centre pub, felt just like Westmoreland St. However she has just informed me that she is moving to Kensington, which according to google is a different kettle of fish...

As for the worst place I have been, has to be a toss up between Peckham and Sheriff St.

ha .. I went to meet a mate living in Kensington (Liverpool) once , never again.

Old terraced housing everywhere, young lads wandering around with horrible looking dangerous dogs everywhere. Apartment on fire at the end of the street.

Went over to the Wetherspoons over the road and saw a guy throw a pint glass through the big tv behind the bar. We decided to leave shortly after that because things were getting a bit heated inside, went outside to see the fella who threw the pint glass on the ground a few yards away from the pub covered in his own blood.

First and last trip to Kenny. None of the lads I know in Liverpool would ever walk through the place.

cesc77

Atlantic City,NJ.I had planned a couple of days away with me and the oh.

We hadnt been to a casino before so I thought I would make an occassion out of it.I rented a nice 4x4 which cost me $1000 for the week(declined insurance...)

I was going on a friends directions and as we got close I called him to confirm where we were due to exit the freeway.The line broke up and I missed the exit....I came off at the next one and drove into a ghetto.I have never been as terrified in my life,not for me,but for my oh.

There were the stereotypical lads/men on the streets on steps of houses who turned and eyed me as I passed.I was pissing my pants.

I was carring a few thousand to spend in the casino,with both of us being white in a very scary area in a vehicle which I had not taken the insurance protection.(ie:If I damage it I have to buy it.At the time it was a $35,000 truck......least of my worries at this point)

I told my oh,that if anyone tries to stop us Im going through them.

Frightening the distance between the opulance of the casinos and the poor areas nearby.Got to safety eventually but genuinely a very scary experience.


Oh,and Brussels is a bloody scary place too.Stopped off there on the way to Amsterdam and it seemed like a warzone

opinion guy

maglite wrote: »

Yes,
Well to start with leitrim, but I have recently turned down applying to a company due to where they have active clients. Iraq, A'stan, Syria, some African countries etc. They would have required to be ferried to and from a secure armed complex in a bullet proof Jeep to client site.

I'm going to say those, and the more dangerous areas of those countries, areas of South America would be worse than Detroit.

Leitrim!?!?!!?!?!

We're talking about dodgy here not desolate. No way Leitrim has a patch on Detroit.

Where in Detroit were you ? Some parts are nice others are unreal. Where I was I didn't leave the house after dark unless it was by car.

Panama City was the only place I've been that was as bad/worse as Detroit.

Kingpin187

Yea lol

Los Angeles 2004, me and my ex were taking the subway, got off at Santa Monica Blvd... naively thinking "oh sweet it must be near the beach". Got out and started walking down the road wondering why there were no tourists, only shifty looking characters eyeing my pasty whiteness and wide eyed self.. walked about 10 minutes and were really feeling uneasy, we stopped to kinda get our bearings and think what to do..

A nice little postie came up and was like "you guys lost huh?".. she laughed when we said we are trying to get to the beach, but kindly showed us to the correct bus stop and what bus to get. (the bus journey is a whole other thread! lol).. turned out we had walked 2 blocks right into the middle of Little Armenia


Last year in Tunisia too, took a wrong turn and ended up on the "locals" part of the large beach, instantly hounded, couldnt walk away fast enough in the sand.. quite intimidating

Dangerous Man

Course - we've all done that. I was driving along and wanted to go downtown but took a left instead of keeping straight. Ended up in Ganton. Black people everywhere shooting at each other.

questionmark?

Our man in Havana wrote: »

Bristol. The entire place is a dangerous hole. They must find the worst people and send them all there.

What? Care to explain that post. Bristol is a beautiful vibrant city. I love spending so much of my time here. It has one or two rough places like any city.

filthymcnasty

Driving to New Orleans in 2002 took a wrong turn into the biggest cess pit of an area i have ever been in ..went to a petrol station to reverse out of there junkies start surrounding car like shaun of the dead,one chucked a bottle or something at car, got the fcuk out of there- whores and winos sitting on couches on side of the street. Later saw people getting mugged on Canal st.
twas mental- other than the central area/french qrtr the city is one ****ing dangerous ****-hole and Katrina wouldn't have helped things much.
+1 for Detroit
+100 Brownsville, Brooklyn NY

MrChavcore

I'm from Cape Town which obviously has its fair share of dodgy neigbourhoods and innercity crevaises.. But I suppose being from there allows you to be street smart and understand what/who you are meant to be looking out for. Never really felt threatened anywhere in Dublin to be honest even in the "dodgier" areas and estates. When I lived in London I lived in Leyton and Crystal Palace both of which were kips but again I never felt threatened there.

The one place I did feel threatened was in Amsterdam. Was doing the usual walk and gawk in the Red Light District and kept walking further and further in before suddenly we hit this stretch where there was nobody to be seen except for dealers, gangsters, junkies and pimps. I remember turning to my American friend and saying to him that I'd never even felt that threatened at any stage of my life growing up in Cape Town.. but I guess it was just the complete foreigness of the situation.

Our man in Havana

questionmark? wrote: »

What? Care to explain that post. Bristol is a beautiful vibrant city. I love spending so much of my time here. It has one or two rough places like any city.

Getting car jacked at gunpoint in Bristol was not fun I can tell you.
If I had access to nukes, it would be the first place I would remove from the face of the earth.

vampire of kilmainham

iv been in many weird and scarey places around the world