Unearth The Voyage
Traveling to a new city is exciting, but knowing which areas to avoid after dark can keep you safe and stress-free. Many urban neighborhoods face real challenges with crime, drug activity, and violence that locals know well. This guide highlights fourteen places across the U.S. where visitors should exercise extra caution once the sun goes down.
1. Los Angeles, CA — Skid Row (Downtown)
Concentrated homelessness defines this fifty-block area in downtown Los Angeles, creating an environment that can feel overwhelming and unpredictable. Police activity remains constant as officers respond to frequent disturbances and violent incidents.
Visitors wandering here after sunset often encounter aggressive panhandling and erratic behavior. The Wholesale District borders this zone, but the contrast is stark.
Locals strongly recommend avoiding this neighborhood entirely once daylight fades, steering tourists toward safer downtown corridors instead.
2. San Francisco, CA — Tenderloin
Open-air drug markets have operated here for decades, creating a chaotic street scene that shocks many first-time visitors. Despite ongoing SFPD operations and city intervention programs, serious crimes including homicides continue to plague the area.
The Tenderloin sits just blocks from Union Square, yet the atmosphere shifts dramatically. Tourists often stumble into this neighborhood accidentally while exploring downtown.
Residents warn that nighttime brings heightened unpredictability, making even short walks risky for those unfamiliar with the terrain.
3. Philadelphia, PA — Kensington
This working-class neighborhood gained national attention for its visible open-air drug market, drawing users from across the region. City officials report recent enforcement gains, but the reality on the ground remains challenging and often dangerous.
Abandoned buildings and struggling businesses line many blocks, creating dark corridors after sunset. Police presence has increased, yet overdoses and violent incidents persist.
Travelers should avoid cutting through Kensington at night, even when using GPS shortcuts between popular destinations.
4. Chicago, IL — West Garfield Park
Violent crime statistics consistently place West Garfield Park among Chicago’s most dangerous neighborhoods in city rankings. Gang activity and gun violence create an environment where residents themselves avoid certain blocks after dark.
The neighborhood once thrived but has faced decades of disinvestment and population loss. Empty lots and boarded-up buildings now dominate many streets.
FOX 32 and other local outlets regularly report shootings here, and police warn tourists to stay in well-traveled areas far from this west side community.
5. Baltimore, MD — Sandtown-Winchester
Recurrent shootings make headlines almost weekly in this West Baltimore neighborhood, where community safety concerns dominate local news coverage. Data trackers show alarming rates of violent crime that persist despite intervention efforts.
The area gained national attention during civil unrest but has struggled with violence for decades. Abandoned row houses create shadowy spaces that become especially dangerous after nightfall.
Visitors exploring Baltimore’s Inner Harbor should understand that Sandtown-Winchester lies just miles away, requiring careful route planning to avoid accidental detours.
6. New Orleans, LA — Central City
Gun violence erupts regularly in Central City, a subdistrict where local news outlets track shootings that occur with disturbing frequency. Police urge extreme caution for anyone unfamiliar with the area, particularly after dark.
The neighborhood sits close to popular tourist zones like the Garden District, making accidental wandering a real risk. Historic shotgun houses line the streets, but poverty and crime overshadow the architecture.
Visitors should stick to well-lit, heavily trafficked routes and avoid cutting through Central City when traveling between attractions at night.
7. Portland, OR — Old Town / Chinatown
Once a vibrant cultural hub, Old Town Chinatown now struggles with documented open-air drug activity and recent shootings that persist despite ongoing police operations. The iconic Chinatown gate stands amid a neighborhood transformed by disorder.
KATU reports regular incidents that have driven away businesses and residents alike. Tourists drawn by the historic name often find a troubling reality instead.
Even with increased police presence, nighttime brings unpredictable encounters, and locals recommend exploring Portland’s safer eastside neighborhoods after sunset instead.
8. Seattle, WA — Pioneer Square
Shootings tied to nightlife have spiked in this historic district, where beautiful Victorian architecture contrasts sharply with public safety concerns. City briefings and local news outlets document ongoing operations aimed at controlling violence.
The neighborhood attracts both tourists and partygoers, creating a volatile mix after dark. FOX 13 and KOMO regularly report incidents that shatter the area’s historic charm.
Visitors should exercise heightened awareness if exploring Pioneer Square at night, staying in groups and sticking to well-populated blocks near established venues.
9. Orlando, FL — Parramore (Holden-Parramore)
Drug and gun seizures by Orlando police highlight the persistent criminal activity that defines this historic neighborhood just west of downtown. Crime maps show concentrated incidents that locals know to avoid.
Parramore sits uncomfortably close to popular tourist destinations, making wrong turns a genuine concern. The area has deep community roots but faces ongoing struggles with violence.
FOX 35 Orlando regularly covers enforcement operations here, and visitors should plan routes carefully to avoid passing through Parramore after dark, especially when leaving theme parks or downtown venues.
10. Detroit, MI — Brightmoor
FBI-based neighborhood dashboards frequently rank Brightmoor among Detroit’s higher-crime areas, where abandoned properties and sparse streetlights create an unsettling nighttime environment. This northwest Detroit neighborhood has lost much of its population over decades.
Empty houses and overgrown lots dominate entire blocks, providing cover for criminal activity. AreaVibes and similar platforms flag serious safety concerns here.
Tourists exploring Detroit’s revitalized downtown should understand that Brightmoor lies far from those improvements, requiring deliberate avoidance when planning evening travel routes across the city.
11. Albuquerque, NM — International District (along Route 66)
Multi-agency enforcement operations work constantly to suppress violent and drug-related crime along this Route 66 corridor, but the district remains challenging. KOAT reports ongoing incidents that keep the area in headlines.
Budget motels and aging commercial strips line the district, attracting both tourists seeking cheap lodging and criminal elements. The contrast between Route 66’s nostalgic image and current reality is jarring.
Visitors should choose accommodations elsewhere and avoid driving through the International District after dark, when incidents spike and police presence thins across the sprawling area.
12. Atlanta, GA — English Avenue & Vine City (“The Bluff”)
Known locally as The Bluff, these adjacent west Atlanta neighborhoods remain longstanding crime hotspots where public safety concerns dominate. Axios and other outlets regularly cover both violence and environmental issues like EPA lead-contamination cleanup.
The area sits just west of downtown and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, creating risk for tourists who take wrong turns. Abandoned properties and active drug markets characterize many blocks.
Locals universally warn visitors away from English Avenue and Vine City after dark, emphasizing that even short drives through the area invite trouble.
13. Memphis, TN — Orange Mound
Multiple high-profile shootings and law enforcement operations keep Orange Mound in the news, with AP reporting regular updates on violent incidents. This historic African American neighborhood in southeast Memphis faces persistent crime challenges.
City officials publish ongoing crime data that shows troubling patterns in Orange Mound. The community has deep cultural significance but struggles with safety.
Tourists visiting Graceland or Beale Street should map their routes carefully, as Orange Mound lies between major attractions, making accidental passage through the neighborhood a real possibility after dark.
14. Las Vegas, NV — “Naked City” (by the STRAT)
Long associated with crime and disorder, this neighborhood sits uncomfortably close to the STRAT hotel at the north end of the Strip. LVMPD publishes open crime statistics that confirm ongoing problems, even as redevelopment plans circulate.
The contrast between glittering casinos and Naked City’s gritty streets is stark and disorienting. Tourists walking between properties can accidentally wander into danger.
Locals recommend using rideshares or taxis rather than walking near the STRAT after dark, keeping clear of Naked City’s blocks where criminal activity remains concentrated despite proximity to major resorts.
