What we call a “bad” neighborhood can mean different things to different people. However, it seems like most agree that a neighborhood is undesirable to live in if it’s riddled with crime, lacks public sanitation, and generally makes people feel unsafe.
Whether you’ve had to move for work or have become shocked that your old-school “good” neighborhood has descended into something frightening to live in, you might sometimes find yourself in a bad neighborhood.
While it can be easy just to say “Move out” to someone in this situation, the reality is often more complicated. What if this neighborhood is where you’ve put down roots and started a family?
And how do you even know you live in a place that leaves a lot to be desired. If you’re unsure that you now live in a bad neighborhood, keep in mind the following signs.
Urban Decay
It makes sense that when you see nice-looking homes and yards, you’re in an affluent area or at least a respectable one. However, when urban decay becomes more prominent, you can be sure your neighborhood is a bad one.
Urban decay is marked by abandoned buildings, old homes with overgrown yards, and collapsed structures. None of this stuff looks pretty.
If you see plenty of these types of things, and no one’s doing anything about it, it’s likely a bad place to live, and you shouldn’t expect to see much improvement in the near future.
Security Measures
Chances are good that, if you suspect your neighborhood is bad, other residents do, too.
One way you can get a more concrete idea of this is if you see your neighbors securing everything they own. They might put fences around their yards, lock up their garages and sheds with multiple security measures, and have front-yard signs advertising their home security systems.
Now, it’s just plain smart to take all these measures in a crime-ridden area, but when you see these things, you know you’re not in for a good time. If someone is just locking and fencing everything they have, you can bet they’ve had problems with criminals before.
Joblessness
It’s a sad fact around the world that industries change and move on and often leave former employees stranded without work. Joblessness leads to poverty, and poverty so often leads to crime.
Crime makes sense for these people because it’s the last resort. If you can’t make money, you have to steal what you can.
If you see adults hanging around the outside a lot, at times when one would normally be expected to be at work, you’re probably in a depressed area and a bad neighborhood.
What can you do about your situation? Well, you certainly can’t fix any of the issues we’ve described above. If you live in a bad neighborhood and want to stay, consider upgrading your home security with an alarm, fencing, and locks.
If you’re looking to leave, leave as soon as you can. There is probably no future for you in this particular place.
