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If You See These 50 Things In A Neighborhood, Folks Online Suggest You Run Immediately
It's been said that if you see women jogging in a neighborhood after dark, there's a high chance that it is a safe place. It's not a hard-and-fast rule, but rather a rough indicator of the level of safety in a particular area.
Perhaps a better way to look at it is "what are the signs that a neighborhood is potentially dangerous?"
Someone wondered this exact thing recently and decided to ask people online. The response was somewhat overwhelming, with thousands adding their personal ideas of "red flags" to the replies. While a few should be taken with a pinch of salt, others are things that you might want to pay attention to next time you're out and about.
Bored Panda has whittled down the list to a few answers that you can scroll through before you step out the door. We've also done some of our own research to find out what points to a neighborhood being less than savory. You'll find that info between the images. Don't forget to upvote the ones you agree with, and feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section down below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Jokes aside, your proximity to healthy food can be a strong indicator.
Low-income areas are often classified as food deserts; places where fast food chains are abundant but grocery stores and fresh produce are scarce. If there are ten liquor stores and no place to buy an apple, that’s a red flag.
Dr Jimmy 03 4 months ago
Old newspaper guy here...I wish I'd copyrighted the term, "food desert." Visited a bunch of them back then. The term, and the concept, stand.
You should never take your personal safety for granted. This doesn't mean be paranoid 24/7, but rather have an awareness of what's happening around you and take certain steps to avoid becoming a victim of crime.
Whether we like it or not, some areas are safer than others. And there are some ways to tell which ones you're more likely to find yourself in trouble in.
The most obvious one is to look at the local crime stats. Authorities release these and detail the types of crime and number of incidents in a particular place. If you notice high levels of frequent reports of theft, vandalism, or violent crimes, consider yourself warned. These are major red flags.
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#2
Chris Rock: if it’s the middle of the day and you see women in gym clothes… you in a nice neighborhood. If it’s the middle of the day and dudes are hangin around in gym clothes… get the hell out of there.
#3
Lived for 13 years in one of the worst parts of Paris. So my experience is…
Human feces. If human s**t where they aren’t supposed to, run.
Another glaring sign is evidence of gangs or gang violence. You might spot graffiti with gang symbols on walls, or notice groups of gang members hanging around. If the place makes it into the news often because of frequent gang-related incidents, you'll want to have your high alert turned full blast if you're planning on visiting or living there.
Coming from a city with high levels of gang violence, my personal tip is to contact a resident of the area, or even the police, before planning your journey. Find out where the current hotspots are, what route is safest to get in and out. As an added level of protection, you can ask someone familiar with the place to meet you and escort you in and around.
#4
What is closer to your home; a 'cash for gold' spot, or a grocery store?
#5
Confederate flags in the yard. When my wife and I bought our house, we required a minimum one mile buffer zone to the nearest confederate flag. Which was tough, because we were looking in semi-rural Florida.
keyboardtek 4 months ago
We retired to a small town in the foothills of North Carolina and my main concern was white militia groups and MAGA/Trump support. Been here three years and even though the town is 2/3 Republican voters, have seen only a couple of pro Trump signs and no sign of any militias. No confederate flags. Even had a nice No Kings protest!
#6
I was house hunting. The neighbor had their grill chained down on their back porch. I noped out of there.
Other things - bars on windows, unkept yards, cars that obviously can’t move, everyone has a loud dog in the yard.
Another warning sign might be a high level of police activity in a particular area. We're not talking visible policing, or routine patrols. What we mean is sirens wailing, lights flashing. And the cops responding to incidents. Often.
In less safe neighborhoods, you could also notice a lot of neglected homes or buildings. While this doesn't always indicate high levels of crime, it can... Broken windows, peeling paint, overgrown yards, or structural damage often point to a lack of community investment.
#7
If there are more than six potted plants by multiple front doors, you’re in an HOA with competitive neighbors. Get the hell out before they recruit you to their church bake sale!
Damned_Cat 4 months ago
If people have a lot of plants out in front of their homes, it means that your neighborhood doesn't have a bunch of weirdos that steal plants. Always a plus!
#8
The more abandoned shopping carts the worse the neighborhood. Also bars on church windows.
#9
Payday loan stores. They specifically target low-income neighborhoods. It’s an extremely predatory practice.
The same applies to abandoned structures. "If you see a lot of buildings and homes in [the] area that have been empty for many months to a year, it might be a sign that [the] neighborhood is dangerous," warns home security company SafeWise.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has previously said that “research links foreclosed, vacant, and abandoned properties with reduced property values, increased crime, [and] increased risk to public health and welfare.”
#10
A friend of mine told me "If you see bars on the windows, leave before it gets dark. If you see bars on the second floor windows, leave immediately,".
Atom Bohr 4 months ago
In some regions it's really normal though. Lots of buildings around where I live have bars on all the windows on every floor. I've lived here 6 years and in the summer I have my windows and balcony doors open 24/7 for months, as a woman living alone. It's safe here, but it gets really hot, so ventilation is essential
#11
Cars parked on the street with a flat tire or tires that haven't moved for months. .
#12
The only stores are family dollar and dollar tree bc the bigger stores left the area due to theft.
A lack of streetlights can also be a red flag. "Adequate lighting is crucial for preventing crime and ensuring residents feel secure in their environment. Dim or non-functional streetlights make the area feel unsafe, especially at night," explains another home security site, AOSU.
#13
The local mcdonalds has 1 inch thick bulletproof glass
and when the local police cars are f****d up (dent, accidents, etc).
Kit Black 4 months ago
I honestly think the scariest~ I am in the wrong neighborhood ~ that I have ever experienced was taking a wrong turn in NYC (pre-cell phones) trying to find my way back, and drove past a police car with no wheels, up on blocks - with the engine still running and the lights still flashing...
#14
Trump signs on the yard.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 4 months ago
That’s a sign of a VERY bad neighbourhood. Don’t pull into their driveway if you need to get turned around; they’re liable to shòot you.
#15
Street lights, side walks, bins etc are all broken/rundown. The council has already repaired them so often they’ve now given up.
Edited to add: rich neighbourhoods won’t hide their cameras, they want people to know they’re being recorded. Poor neighbourhoods hide their cameras lest they get stolen or destroyed.
But sometimes the signs aren't always obvious. Often, the biggest warning sign that you're in danger lies within. If you feel something is off, you're anxious and your gut is just telling you to leave, then it's best to pay attention.
Always trust your own intuition. You'll be surprised at how much you actually already know without even realizing it.
#16
Call about pizza delivery. If they don't deliver to your complex after 10, you're not getting a good deal on an apartment. You live in a danger zone.
Saltypepper 4 months ago (edited)
When I worked at pizza hut there was an apartment area with about 5/6 complexes in one area we did not deliver too even during day it was so dangerous
#18
Bars on windows, toys left in yards, cars on blocks, toddlers wandering around alone outside, pitbulls everywhere, p**n shops, check cashers, chain link fences especially in front yards.
Mobey Drunk 4 months ago
Pitbulls are actually very sweet, if their treated well. I have one and he's very nice.
#19
I'm good at this game because I've spent my whole adult life balancing affordable housing against my desire to not experience larceny.
If the gas station sells more tall single cans of beer than varieties of 6 pack.
If any person walks past with an open beverage in a paper bag.
If the big dogs aren't on leashes or have giant collars, and the little dogs aren't well groomed.
If all the steps are crooked.
If anybody has inside furniture on the outside of their house.
A metal barrel.
A truck pulling a trailer of random metal detritus.
A lack of landscaping.
Tumble weave blowing around
Shoes on the telephone wires.
Graffiti on the gas pumps.
Towel/bed sheet/cardboard curtains
If the homeless people don't get told to "move along" every 12-24hrs.
People in wheelchairs who aren't clearly traveling from a condo or house to a local store or coffee shop.
No coffee shops.
Businesses that list everything they sell on the outside of the building.
Bars that don't have names.
If it's a weekend and you can't hear any lawn mowers.
Gas cans that aren't in a shed.
#20
You see a grown man riding a child’s bicycle, leave.
Rachel Reynolds 4 months ago
in the lower middle class neighborhood we used to live in there was a guy who lost his license but would drive his kid's Power Wheels Jeep to the liqueur store. I wish I was joking.
#21
I'm in the UK and live in one of the least desirable parts of my city. I'd say litter everywhere, fly-tipped items with a 'council aware' sticker on them (bonus points if the item, with sticker, has been there for months), more mobility scooter users than walkers (I exaggerate, but it feels that way), the charity box in the local convenience shop is chained down (but some genius still tries to steal it), teens in face mask, beanie, hoodie and puffer jacket even during the current heatwave, dogs left outside barking all day, dog s**t everywhere, broken glass everywhere ('people pissing on the stairs, you know they just don't care' - sorry, I couldn't resist), when your dog picks up a mouthful of human feces on his walk (I'm counting 4 times it's happened to us so far), neighbours I have never seen out of nightie, dressing gown and slippers, and of course the ubiquitous working age men gathering from around 8am to 5pm to drink on the corner of the street.
Despite all of that, after living here 11 years I'd say it's still fairly safe (touch wood), just a depressing, deprived s**t hole.
#22
For me, I was driving in Oakland CA. Looking for a store i wanted go to. I didn't know the city very well and this was pre navigation. We'll I made a few wrong turns and ended up in a neighborhood and came up to a stop sign in front of an elementary school where there was five 20 something guys just standing on the corner all with 40oz's. This was like 11:00am. One of them even said "look at this guy, he must be lost." Yes, yes I am.
#23
A prevalence of unmowed lawns, a lack of grills or patio furniture, people of working age loitering around during the business day, lots of Pitbulls, no kids playing outside or biking around outside of school hours, lots of litter, and more.
Basically if the residents don’t care to make their community look nice or can’t because their stuff will get stolen, that’s a red flag.
Kit Black 4 months ago
Why are you looking in everybody's backyard at their patio to see whether or not they have patio furniture?? That's creepy. You are definitely in the wrong neighborhood if you go creeping around in somebody's backyard to look at their patio, because you, my friend are going to leave in the back of an ambulance.
#24
If it’s my neighborhood, it’s the people shooting up out in the open. While mostly harmless, it does lead to a lot more erratic behaviour.
#25
An abundance of storefront churches.
keyboardtek 4 months ago
I used to repair church organs and those storefront churches always freaked me out. I always worried they would not pay me.
#26
In the UK;
The high street is bookies, takeaways, phone case shops and Turkish barbers.
And in residential areas; a reedy guy with two big dogs required by law to be muzzled (that aren't) that he has absolutely zero control over. Also piles of discarded furniture in the unkempt front garden.
#27
When you feeeeel some eyes SOMEWHERE are always watching you but you don't see any people.
If you've been around bad areas growing up you should have a radar for this vibe. If you don't you've probably been mugged before or had your head held down in a bathtub with the water running.
#28
A lot of liquor stores and pawn shops. Store fronts with bared windows. Trash everywhere.
Jerzy Janeczko 4 months ago (edited)
After 33 examples that repeat the same basic points over and over I think even the naive among us got it !
#29
Stray dogs.
Missy Moo Moo 4 months ago
Ha - come to Australia, all stray dogs are collected by the council
#30
Drove down a street in broad daylight and saw a man walking a big dog while carrying a baseball bat. We were looking at rentals, so we were going kind of slow. The man stopped walking to stare at us going by. Nope, not renting there.
Nicola Mawson 4 months ago
I was looking to buy a house. So I asked a random teenager what the area was like because I was "looking to buy a house". He disappeared down the street to get some stuff to sell me. When my mind kicked in, I left
#32
Someone absolutely blasting music from a portable speaker. .
#33
Go to the corner store. Look for 1) Roses in glass tubes 2) an actual magazine rack with p**n mags 3) the clerk is behind glass.
#34
Dudes wearing hoodies in summer. I live in Atlanta. If I wore a hoodie in the summer, there’s a California Raisin inside.
LookASquirrel 4 months ago
Omg we are middle aged white people. My husband will start the day in joggers and a hoodie and never take it off. Because of his job he is either in a lot of heat or cold. I was like that in florida as a teen. sweatshirt and shorts when the temp is in the 80's.
#35
Grocery stores have a lot of things locked up. You get yelled at by people having mental health issues.
#36
If you see people wearing non seasonal clothing, working age men sitting around middle of the day, lots of litter, seeing payday loan shops, thrift stores.
#37
Burning oil drums, 1980s action movie street gangs howling at the moon, other make believe s**t that people nowadays like to pretend their cities are like.
#38
Bunch of dudes on every corner goin "aayyyo". What you need? What you need?
keyboardtek 4 months ago
Any vicinity that has large numbers of idle unemployed males is a potential violent zone. Too much testosterone and too little intelligence.
#39
The streetlights start looking really intense and bright. Made the wrong turn when driving through the city and ended up seeing the change from regular looking streetlights to ones that look like they will make the entire area bright as midday.
#40
Broken windows theory.
A prevalence of broken windows shows the community doesn't care to repair/replace them as it doesn't make sense to do so. Graffiti, cars abandoned in public, etc.
Leekier 4 months ago
I live in a really nice area, low crime, up to our eyeballs in cafés, two nice park in walking distance and an ex-stately home which is now a museum. All of the glass on a neighbours back porch has been replaced by plywood for years; the owner is an elderly widow whose husband died mid renovation.
#41
You know there are a lot of poor people and d**g users around if you see any signs on poles that say “CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS.”
For our European friends: yes, this is a real thing in the US.
#42
Iron bars on the doors and windows
If the clerk is behind bulletproof glass
If there’s a check cashing place
What’s locked up at Walmart.
LookASquirrel 4 months ago
We live in one of the safest suburbs in Ohio, Democrat mayors for decades. There used to be one next to a grocery store before the laws changed and they closed.
#44
Traveling for work and saw a first.
A post office r that was locked up like a bodega in the hood. Bulletproof glass and only accepting mail with one of those turnstile things.
Seen it in many a bodega but never a us post office location (not an ups store or anything like that).
#45
Nice area - grown ups on road racing bikes wearing spandex
Opposite - grown men in street clothes on BMXs .
#46
This is applicable in South Carolina, and probably most of the American Deep-South; the higher the ratio of mopeds to cars the worse the area (unless you’re in a college town).
Nils Skirnir 4 months ago
Town and rural areas in the South have the highest crime rates in the US. Especially murder rates
#47
There was a neighborhood I lived near, some twenty years ago on the East Coast of the USA. If you went there at night, you'd see cars acting d**g-dealer-y: e.g., lurking in alleyways with their headlights off but their engines running. I didn't go there at night.
#48
Playing dice on the sidewalk is a good indicator.
Edit: I’m speaking from experience, i grew up in the ghetto as a white kid and I was definitely the minority.
michael Chock 4 months ago
White being a minority does not mean unsafe. It does mean cops will profile the area and make more arrests, extending the lingering affects of jim crow.
#49
Cars parked in the yard. Right by the front door.
Rick Murray 4 months ago
Common here in France. It seems the concept of built in cupboards is unknown (even in new builds), so people install shelving in their garage and use it as a store room, thus the car sits out front.
#50
Fences in the front yard tells me it's a really rough area.
Although walls with a gate in the front yard tells me that they're in a tax bracket I'll never know.
#51
Years ago, my wife and I checked in late at a Holiday Inn in Washington, DC. The parking lot had a high, chain link fence.
After checking in, we were walking through the lobby to go out and get a bite to eat. An employee at the hotel stopped us and told us to drive to where we wanted to go, not to walk. We were told it was not safe to walk outside after dark.
#52
Proximity to a police station.
Of the police station is in a strip mall, that is the worst sign.
#54
Graffiti sprayed on kids' toys sitting on lawns, phone poles, etc. Little kids standing around in groups smoking. A WAY too nice playground (they always build the best public parks in the worst areas for some reason). Used syringes in the street gutters.
Emma London 4 months ago
Way too nice playground = "We should do something about this!" without actually doing anything about this (like correcting crappy residental zoning planning, better schools, safe after school hobbies, work centers, communal centers, free daycares....)
#55
The closer a white lawn chair is to the street, the further you should be from that street.
LookASquirrel 4 months ago
OMG. I live in a very safe neighborhood in the suburbs. Our elderly but active neighbors down the road still have those chairs and sit in them regularly. This is just a bunch of racist trope I'm reading.
#57
Eerily empty streets, especially at night.
#58
Grown age men walking around with backpacks nowhere near a university.
Emma London 4 months ago
Tourists, backpakers, hipsters? Do men not need to carry things around anymore?
#59
No sidewalks .
Michael P. 4 months ago
There are also no sidewalks in wealthier neighbourhoods too, but not for the same reasons. One, it might lower property values and bring in "undesirable characters". Two, they live in one of the biggest cities in the country but portray themselves as small town folks who will fight tooth and nail if the city wanted to to install one.
#60
Inspirational murals. The more inspirational, the more in danger you are.
#61
Basketball courts.
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What do you think ?
Pyla 4 months ago
gosh, the white entitled girl puts up a classist piece of junk. Well done, Robyn.
UKGrandad 4 months ago
You're giving her two co-authors, Ieva and Jonas, a pass, then?
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BrunoVI 4 months ago
It's funny the way BP stumbles over itself trying to demonstrate how enlightened they are about race, and then they publish this incitement to associate poverty with criminality. I lived in a VERY self-congratulatorily progressive, cosmopolitan city and everyone spoke of dangerous parts of town. It always boiled down to "You'll get m******d! There are black people there!" The funny thing is that the crime hotspots were predominantly white shopping malls and other places where stupid white people brought large amounts of cash. Similarly, Anacostia in DC is not where people get m******d; it's the neighborhoods like Kalorama and Embassy Row where cash-waving people get drunk.
Ace 4 months ago
The racism of which you speak is in no way implied by the posts here. As for the association of extreme poverty with criminality, well yes, are you suggesting that it's not the case?
Load More Replies... Pyla 4 months ago
gosh, the white entitled girl puts up a classist piece of junk. Well done, Robyn.
UKGrandad 4 months ago
You're giving her two co-authors, Ieva and Jonas, a pass, then?
Load More Replies... BrunoVI 4 months ago
It's funny the way BP stumbles over itself trying to demonstrate how enlightened they are about race, and then they publish this incitement to associate poverty with criminality. I lived in a VERY self-congratulatorily progressive, cosmopolitan city and everyone spoke of dangerous parts of town. It always boiled down to "You'll get m******d! There are black people there!" The funny thing is that the crime hotspots were predominantly white shopping malls and other places where stupid white people brought large amounts of cash. Similarly, Anacostia in DC is not where people get m******d; it's the neighborhoods like Kalorama and Embassy Row where cash-waving people get drunk.
Ace 4 months ago
The racism of which you speak is in no way implied by the posts here. As for the association of extreme poverty with criminality, well yes, are you suggesting that it's not the case?
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