5 months ago I moved out of my parents house in california to live by myself in an apartment. I searched and searched for a cheap place that I could afford with my nearly minimum wage job and was becomming stressed thinking I'd have to rent a small room in a scary area (which would ultimately mean suicide probably). But then I found the area called the "high desert" in California where apartments can be about 400 bucks, and I moved into one. People I talk to up here don't have very positive things to say about this area at all (shootings, knifings etc). Apparently it had cleaned up recently because I haven't noticed anything very bad myself (although I rarely leave indoors to find out).

Thanks for the Canada suggestion. I have little knowledge of what the rest of the world is like to live in, because I'm so withdrawn from reality into my own pseudoreality composed largely of videogames, music, movies (electronic entertainment) and unworldly. I suspected that more rural places would have much nicer neighborhoods, but this high desert is fairly rural, and definately made me think twice about that theory. The crime might just be because of it being a couple hours drive from L.A. though. I hate L.A. The entire way of life there is as far away from our evolved hunter/gather roots as currently possible. It's a different planet where nature is covered with concrete, cars and ill people. I am thinking of driving up and checking out Montana. Two main reasons are because it is rural and because I recently found out it's about the 2nd cheapest state to live in, after Alabama. Does anyone know if there's lots of ill culture/crime in Montana (not including "murders" by grizzly bears)? After my expectations were denied in this high desert I have no idea what to expect. Any suggestions of cheap safe places? I'd just get a job at a local market or something. There's not much I even want to buy with money anyways, other than electronic entertainment to waste my life away.

norfzorf wrote:
] 5 months ago I moved out of my parents house in california to
] live by myself in an apartment.

A good place on such a salary is easier if you got roommates... I'm sure Montana is a pretty safe place. You remind me of the main character in Snow Crash.

] A good place on such a salary is easier if you got
] roommates... I'm sure Montana is a pretty safe place. You
] remind me of the main character in Snow Crash.

I'll eventually have to read that.

norfzorf wrote:
] 5 months ago I moved out of my parents house in california to
] live by myself in an apartment. I searched and searched for a
] cheap place that I could afford with my nearly minimum wage
] job and was becomming stressed thinking I'd have to rent a
] small room in a scary area (which would ultimately mean
] suicide probably). But then I found the area called the "high
] desert" in California where apartments can be about 400 bucks,
] and I moved into one. People I talk to up here don't have very
] positive things to say about this area at all (shootings,
] knifings etc). Apparently it had cleaned up recently because I
] haven't noticed anything very bad myself (although I rarely
] leave indoors to find out).
]
] Thanks for the Canada suggestion. I have little knowledge of
] what the rest of the world is like to live in, because I'm so
] withdrawn from reality into my own pseudoreality composed
] largely of videogames, music, movies (electronic
] entertainment) and unworldly. I suspected that more rural
] places would have much nicer neighborhoods, but this high
] desert is fairly rural, and definately made me think twice
] about that theory. The crime might just be because of it being
] a couple hours drive from L.A. though. I hate L.A. The entire
] way of life there is as far away from our evolved
] hunter/gather roots as currently possible. It's a different
] planet where nature is covered with concrete, cars and ill
] people. I am thinking of driving up and checking out Montana.
] Two main reasons are because it is rural and because I
] recently found out it's about the 2nd cheapest state to live
] in, after Alabama. Does anyone know if there's lots of ill
] culture/crime in Montana (not including "murders" by grizzly
] bears)? After my expectations were denied in this high desert
] I have no idea what to expect. Any suggestions of cheap safe
] places? I'd just get a job at a local market or something.
] There's not much I even want to buy with money anyways, other
] than electronic entertainment to waste my life away.

You could most definately use a Holiday in Cambodia.

Jello wrote:
] ] Even so, Atlanta is "the most dangerous city in America,"
] ] and the positive momentum is "fragile," according to the
] ] summary. Atlanta's violent crime is 463 percent higher
] ] than the average city's, and its homicide rate is 520
] ] percent higher than the national average, Linder &
] ] Associates found.
]
] The vast majority of this is in South Atlanta. Atlanta has
] some very scary neighborhoods, like the low rent apartments
] surrounding Atlanta's projects. Razor wire and fear. That
] being said, in downtown, and mid-town... I've never feared for
] my safety in 5 years. Being 6'3" 250 pounds doesn't hurt...
] but Atlanta seems less dangerous than this is making it out to
] be. There are really two Atlanta's. The crime is divided
] across the racial and economic divide that seperates North and
] South Atlanta. The area they cut out of maps of Atlanta for
] the Olympics. Outside of the more dangerous neighborhoods,
] Atlanta isn't THAT bad.

I totally agree, I have been to Atlanta, a lot in my life, I have family and friends there. You just have to know when and where to go and not to go. Like don't ride the Marta at 3 am if you don't want to get rolled! d0h

Jello wrote:
] in downtown, and mid-town... I've never feared for
] my safety in 5 years.

!! Really? I've known people who've been mugged in the past 6 months as far north as Dunwoody. I lived downtown for 5 years. I wasn't "afraid" but there was certainly a lot of crime. Beggars are a constant annoyance. Peachtree street crawls with prostitutes and pimps after dark. Any car that had anything valuable in it overnight had a smashed window in the morning. Mine got smashed one night for no reason at all other then that it was the last car in a parking lot one evening. On a regular basis chop shops would start up in the neighborhood and all cars of a certain make and model would disappear over the course of a month or so. People were constantly on the street selling crack and brandishing firearms. Then the muggings....

After my window got smashed I started walking to work. Did it for about a month (December). Went out of town for Christmas. When I got back I picked up a paper and found out that 5 people had been mugged by a perp with an **UZI** in the area I had been walking through at about the same time of day. I sat at the Krystal on Northside in the drive through one night and watch a couple guys hop out of a van at the gas station across the street and beat the living hell out of some dude who was filling up. Still went to that gas station though. I'm not afraid of these people, and the folks who run that station are good folks. But I certainly don't think of it as "safe."

I'm not a good mark. I'm a 20 something male, rarely "well dressed," and I'm big. Only one person has ever tried to mug me, and the guy was stupid, and he failed. But if I was 5'5, female, and attractive, I don't know if I could handle it downtown.

And what is the city doing about it? Well apparently they've cracked down on Graffiti. Great. Wonderful. Now the suburban kids aren't coming down to draw murals on the walls with krylon. Who gives a fuck. Downtown seems to be a lot more populated by actual residents then it did when I lived there before, but the streets seem just as sketchy as they ever were.

The fact that we brought in someone from New Orleans is interesting. I hope the guy gets results. New Orleans used to be the murder capital of the United States. Now Washington has that honor. But I was in NO for a week and I saw someone boost a car right in front of me in broad daylight not two blocks from the french quarter. It ain't NYC or SF by a long shot.

Part of the problem is police. Part of the problem is jobs. Part of the problem is culture. Government can address two of those problems, but everything is going to take time. There is a reason that people in other countries think American cities are dangerous. Its because they are dangerous. Toronto isn't Disneyland either, but it sure as hell isn't Atlanta.

Decius wrote:
] Jello wrote:
] ] in downtown, and mid-town... I've never feared for
] ] my safety in 5 years.
]
] !! Really? I've known people who've been mugged in the past 6
] months as far north as Dunwoody. I lived downtown for 5 years.
] I wasn't "afraid" but there was certainly a lot of crime.
] Beggars are a constant annoyance. Peachtree street crawls with
] prostitutes and pimps after dark. Any car that had anything
] valuable in it overnight had a smashed window in the morning.
] Mine got smashed one night for no reason at all other then
] that it was the last car in a parking lot one evening. On a
] regular basis chop shops would start up in the neighborhood
] and all cars of a certain make and model would disappear over
] the course of a month or so. People were constantly on the
] street selling crack and brandishing firearms. Then the
] muggings....
]
] After my window got smashed I started walking to work. Did it
] for about a month (December). Went out of town for Christmas.
] When I got back I picked up a paper and found out that 5
] people had been mugged by a perp with an **UZI** in the area I
] had been walking through at about the same time of day. I sat
] at the Krystal on Northside in the drive through one night and
] watch a couple guys hop out of a van at the gas station across
] the street and beat the living hell out of some dude who was
] filling up. Still went to that gas station though. I'm not
] afraid of these people, and the folks who run that station are
] good folks. But I certainly don't think of it as "safe."
]
] I'm not a good mark. I'm a 20 something male, rarely "well
] dressed," and I'm big. Only one person has ever tried to mug
] me, and the guy was stupid, and he failed. But if I was 5'5,
] female, and attractive, I don't know if I could handle it
] downtown.
]
] And what is the city doing about it? Well apparently they've
] cracked down on Graffiti. Great. Wonderful. Now the suburban
] kids aren't coming down to draw murals on the walls with
] krylon. Who gives a fuck. Downtown seems to be a lot more
] populated by actual residents then it did when I lived there
] before, but the streets seem just as sketchy as they ever
] were.
]
] The fact that we brought in someone from New Orleans is
] interesting. I hope the guy gets results. New Orleans used to
] be the murder capital of the United States. Now Washington has
] that honor. But I was in NO for a week and I saw someone boost
] a car right in front of me in broad daylight not two blocks
] from the french quarter. It ain't NYC or SF by a long shot.
]
] Part of the problem is police. Part of the problem is jobs.
] Part of the problem is culture. Government can address two of
]... [ Read More (1.0k in body) ]