Hardcore ghettos are disappearing in SoCal due to the "Hispanicization" of poorer zip codes. The neighborhoods in which they live tend to be full of commercial activity and relatively safe. At least I wander around them without much worry from time to time. I think there is a lot of hope actually.
Yeah, this is a pretty interesting trend. A culture in which it's normal to hang out on the sidewalk talking rather than automatically going indoors has quite an effect on the feel of things.
that actually sounds a lot like the area I lived in NOVA last year.
