# Have you ever been to the ghetto? (Poll) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 21, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451 "2012-03-21T22:22:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451/81 "2012-03-24T17:06:37Z")
I ride my bike through the ghetto type areas of my city. During the day. I currently live within a mile or two of some rough areas. Been very lost driving in scary areas of Detroit, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451/82 "2012-03-24T17:40:54Z")
> [@Martin\_Hyde](#): > > I live in Glen Allen, VA so I know a little bit about the ghetto. Just through the woods (not in sight or hearing distance, but you know it’s there) there is a multi-family residential complex and all that that entails (I think some of the people there drive cars 4-5 years old); on the way to work I drive by the elementary school which is kind of in a bad neighborhood, lots of sub-2500 sq. ft houses on lots \< 1 acre in size…I guess you would have to consider that the ghetto. Oh geez. Most cars in my neighborhood are 7+ years old and all houses are 1200 sq. ft or smaller (post WWII building boom) and it’s firmly middle class suburbia. ---
**Author:** ![Jasper\_Kent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@Jasper\_Kent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasper_Kent)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451/83 "2012-03-24T17:50:41Z")
Kipling Road was a typical East End Street, people were in and out of each other’s houses with each other’s property all day long. They were a cheery lot. Cheery and violent. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451/84 "2012-03-24T17:52:23Z")
Yeah, I did some Habitat for Humanity work in Cabrini Green. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451/85 "2012-03-24T18:13:36Z")
> [@tesseract](#): > > This, my friend, is a [ghetto.](http://www.city-data.com/forum/city-vs-city/288897-if-you-had-choose-citys-ghetto-6.htm) (Scroll down to the first picture.) well, I’m sorry my post didn’t measure up to your exacting definition. My point was that a neighborhood where half the houses on the block have burned down and been demolished (and empty lots left) is not a very good place to be. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2012, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451/86 "2012-03-24T18:39:12Z")
My folks’ former church, where they met, married, and had their children baptized, is now pretty much in the midst of a ghetto. Prostitutes, drug deals, shootings, etc. They changed churches because it was too dangerous to go there apart from Sunday morning (at least in their eyes). Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451/87 "2012-03-25T05:53:52Z")
It seems to me that a “ghetto” is a place where: -real estate/housing is in a state of decay -the area is inhabited by poor people -there is evident crime and illegal activity -the population is largely minority By this definition, I have been in many “ghettoes”. As per my definition, they are places where people are afraid (of becoming victims of crime)-hence the bars, roll down shutters, deserted streets (when darkness comes). They are also places used by people to conduct business in illegal activities (e.g. prostitution, drug dealing, stolen propert trafficking, etc.). As long as such activity is needed, such places (ghettoes) will exist. Now, I have a question: if the high cost of energy drives people (from the wealthy suburbs) back to the cities, then ghetto areas will see property vales rise-will the ghettoes move to the formerly propserous suburbs? That would be interesting. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-been-to-the-ghetto-poll/616451.md?page=4)