# Are the Eastern sections of cities more likely to be high crime areas? If so, why? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 16, 2012, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-eastern-sections-of-cities-more-likely-to-be-high-crime-areas-if-so-why/618925 "2012-04-16T05:12:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-eastern-sections-of-cities-more-likely-to-be-high-crime-areas-if-so-why/618925/21 "2012-04-16T16:26:33Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Didn’t Cecil address this? The closest I can find is > [http://chicago.straightdope.com/sdc20090409.php](http://chicago.straightdope.com/sdc20090409.php) > > But I seem to recall a more general answer. I think Anthracite even put out a call to Dopers to provide anecdotes. > > ETA: the question at the time was whether it was the south side of town that was generally bad. > **[Is the south side always the baddest part of town?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342498/is-the-south-side-always-the-baddest-part-of-town)** ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-eastern-sections-of-cities-more-likely-to-be-high-crime-areas-if-so-why/618925/22 "2012-04-16T17:58:44Z")
East St. Louis is not part of St. Louis. It’s not even part of the same state. Louisville, KY is another city where the east side of town is considered ritzier. Here in Cincinnati, several neighborhoods that surround downtown are considered the crappiest. The “worst” are Over-The-Rhine and Avondale just north of downtown, and Price Hill, to the west. Frankly, they are much safer than the neighborhood just south of downtown. You will die if you try and walk there. It’s the Ohio River. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-eastern-sections-of-cities-more-likely-to-be-high-crime-areas-if-so-why/618925/23 "2012-04-16T19:11:44Z")
> [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](#): > > Not in Memphis. I came here to say this as well. East Memphis= rich people (for Memphis). ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2012, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-eastern-sections-of-cities-more-likely-to-be-high-crime-areas-if-so-why/618925/24 "2012-04-16T19:46:38Z")
East San Jose is the worst part of town. Same for East Palo Alto (which is actually its own city and not part of Palo Alto). ---
**Author:** ![xnylder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbce88/32.png) [@xnylder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xnylder)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-eastern-sections-of-cities-more-likely-to-be-high-crime-areas-if-so-why/618925/25 "2012-04-17T03:15:15Z")
The eastern and northern parts of Montreal are generally the poorer areas. These sectors used to be industrial, but when the factories closed employment dried up. The prevailing winds are to the east, as is the Saint Lawrence River’s current, which might be why factories were put there in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-eastern-sections-of-cities-more-likely-to-be-high-crime-areas-if-so-why/618925/26 "2012-04-17T03:25:13Z")
> [@markdash](#): > > For cities on the West Coast I suppose it would make some sense that the western parts of town (with views of the ocean) would tend to be more affluent, and thus eastern parts would be poorer (and thus more crime-ridden). The seaside of a town would also be home to the docks and associated neighborhoods, though, which are not generally your toniest areas. For what it’s worth, south Dallas is considered the bad part of town around here…if you can figure out which part of the metroplex actually counts as “south Dallas”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-eastern-sections-of-cities-more-likely-to-be-high-crime-areas-if-so-why/618925.md?page=1)