30 Signs Of A Bad Neighborhood To Spot On Time And Leave Unharmed, As Shared By Street Smart People

It's better to just buy the worst property in the best area

Maryjane

• Published in Interesting
• November 26, 2022

Your safety and the safety of those you care about come first. The plain truth is that not everyone will be good to you as you go through life, whether you always think the best of others or are too distrustful of everyone you encounter.

Some people might desire to harm you, steal your things, and generally make your life miserable for either monetary gain or recreational purposes. Naturally, one of your top concerns while searching for a home or traveling to a new area is safety.

Most likely, if you're going to take out a sizable loan to finally buy a family home, you want neighbors that are respectful of your boundaries and are kind and polite. You don't want to worry about your spouse or children being attacked every time they leave for work or school.

Internet users discussed their personal experiences in a helpful r/AskReddit post asked by redditor u/Couch_Licker showing the warning signs that you've just moved into a dangerous area. They highlighted the obvious and covert warning indicators that you might not be very safe in a given neighborhood, such as bars on all the windows, an unusual absence of joggers and so many more.

We've gathered a bunch of their replies so keep scrolling and check them all out.

The OP asks:

1. No pizza delivery

I found out I lived in a "bad" neighborhood once when I was told pizza places didn't deliver to our house.

supahfligh

2. Stray Cats

In Turkey you check the stray cats out. If cats are friendly towards you, approaches you for pets etc. you are in a good district. Means people in the area are seemingly nice towards animals which aren’t even their pets.

Whereas if they are afraid of you, you understand that the people around are not to be f****d with. They are not nice towards harmless animals, why would they be nice to strangers?

cayyokbokic

3. "When the police see me and offer me an escort out of the area. Yep. For real."

malesack

4. "Confederate flags flying at many homes and businesses"

ricebasedvodka

5. "Bars on the windows everywhere. Even the church."

cat_daddylambo

6. "Dogs left out all day and night in fenced yards barking their heads off."

nakedpanthersfan

7. "The counter at every business has bullet proof glass"

lookinforbobo

8. The Perkins Homes

I live in a bad neighborhood in Baltimore, so I'm used to a lot of the things people have already put in the comments.

I live directly next to an abandoned housing project called The Perkins Homes. Many of the old convenience stores that were once open to serve the project residents shuttered when all of the people were moved out of their homes.

Though the stores and many of the people are gone, a lot of the graffiti remains. The most striking are the children's paintings of guns with big Xs through them to signify that the store was a neutral zone. There are two such paintings on the sidewalks on my block.

Also, finding shell casings when you're taking the dogs on a walk is a good indicator. Or the bullet you find on your back doorstep the day you move in. Ahhh Baltimore - truly America's charm city.

Herodotus_is_History

9. "You never see someone jogging"

ludicrusmacaroni

10. Sidewalks

Needles on the sidewalk, as well as a bunch of litter in general. It’s a sign that people are so exhausted by living and trying to survive in an oppressive environment that caring about their surroundings mostly falls by wayside.

Ermaquillz

11. Vibration

Someone with a car stereo system loud enough to vibrate the dishes in your kitchen cabinets every 10 minutes. Just a little reminder, in case you forgot, that you live in a sh*thole

VegetableImaginary24

12. "An adult man riding a child's BMX bike down the center of the road"

uninc4life2010

13. "Really worn old beat-up cars right next to brand new extremely expensive cars."

WhatIsLoveMeDo

14. Next to...

The "bail bonds' billboard next to the "having a problem with your heroin addiction " billboard.

Public-Dig-6690

15. "Hearing gunshots"

camster29

16. "Random grocery cart just chillin on the sidewalk. Bonus for missing wheels."

povertymayne

17. "Depends where u are because i think it might be a regional thing, but shoes hung up on power lines"

_zenora_

18. "When you mention to locals where you live and they just have a brief look of pity."

Arcinbiblo12

19. "Your neighbors get raided by the police."

A couple months ago, I was just chilling with my kids, waiting for my husband to be off work. Around 7 or 8pm, I hear what sounds like a semi truck pulling into the neighborhood.

We live near a fire station, so I don’t think much about it at first. Within seconds, I see a BUNCH of lights flashing through my curtains, my kids are at the OPEN windows, my camera notifications are going off like crazy, and I hear a policeman over a bullhorn saying “this is the police, come out with your hands up.” Repeatedly.

I look out and police cars are parked all over the street and a huge armored swat truck is parked across my driveway. I gathered my kids and took them to the back of the house for fear there would be shooting and stray bullets.

Luckily, we think it was a drug bust (there has been LOTS of suspicious activity there) and the people surrendered somewhat peacefully it seemed, but it was still the scariest night of my life.

They were all back like a week later and seem to still be selling drugs.

TexasBeeb

20. "Cash Advance Business close by"

Myke190

21. Club sign

The fluorescent strip club sign has at least 2 letters unlit - 1 is ok but 2 or more you know s**t goes down around the area

ChickenFrancese

22. "Armed security guard at the strip mall Foot Locker"

lookinforbobo

23. Giving directions

I was doing geotech work on site for a potential cell tower years ago & had to give directions to a coworker (years before google maps were a thing).

I told him it was across the street from the burglar bar manufacturer and the attack dog training school. -pause- "really???" "Yep."

Constant-Bet-6600

24. "Kids sitting on steps who bolt inside when a cop car rolls by"

JustinChristoph

25. "Dead gardens and giant weeds everywhere"

macaronsforeveryone

26. "Empty Swisher Sweets packages strewn around the neighborhood"

mccandish

27. "Church’s chicken"

bballin1204

28. "Certain fast food restaurants always seem to be an indicator. White Castles and Checkers are two I’ve seen often."

jerseyjokes

29. The street you’re on is called “Martin Luther King Blvd”

reverendblinddog

30. A low-income area

Here in England at least, I would say that having a higher than average number of independent and non-mainstream fast food eateries (like kebab shops) are a pretty clear red flag. If an obviously low-income area can sustain that many independent fast food businesses, it’s a sign that the area gets a lot of drunks.

RedWestern

These signs are really helpful as it can aid you in detecting a bad neighborhood, especially if you're considering moving into that area. Which of these pieces of information did you find useful?

Let us know in the comments, along with your own observations. And don't forget to share this post as well.

Maryjane