<p>that USC's surroundings are ghetto?</p>
<p>Because USC’s surroundings are ghetto.</p>
<p>At one of the meet USC-type sessions, another parent disparaged the neighborhood. I was so pleased when a rep, instead of agreeing (or attempting to minimize the effect of a bad neighborhood on a beautiful school), stepped in to talk about all the ways the University works with the neighborhood and feels that the benefits are mutual. The reps were awesome for nixing the them-vs-us ghetto talk.</p>
<p>I’m also cheered by this well-produced video USC recently posted of all the cool restaurants within walking distance of campus:
[Top</a> 10 Walkable Restaurants Near USC - YouTube](<a href=“Top 10 Walkable Restaurants Near USC - YouTube”>Top 10 Walkable Restaurants Near USC - YouTube)</p>
<p>Lastly, I’m keeping tabs on the great ideas floating around for University Village. Although my son is in architecture instead of policy and planning, I’m encouraging him to get involved in the planning meetings going on now.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, every time I visit I remark how much I love USC’s location and its proximity to downtown.</p>
<p>Some people who do not take the time to understand and learn about the neighborhood call it a ghetto. Regardless of the actual definition of a ghetto, people that use that term do so in a derogatory way. USC’s neighborhood is a diverse, working class urban neighborhood. Look up the crime stats, visit the neighborhood, talk to people that live there (I lived there for 6 years) - you will get a very different view of the neighborhood than those who don’t take the time to learn about it.</p>
<p>Input from someone who drives in LA a lot:</p>
<p>-The area surrounding USC is not an issue at all. Once you hit Hoover and Olympic, everything is fine.
-On the other hand, there are some areas I’d rather avoid, but these are far enough away from USC that they really shouldn’t get in anyone’s way. I’d rather not name specific areas, but I’ve come up with a list of about 4 streets I just won’t take. They are all VERY far from USC and incredibly avoidable. </p>
<p>My advice? Stick to major streets.</p>
<p>USC is essentially in South Central. The immediate area around campus is fine, but the ultimate surrounding area is as ghetto as it gets. Taking one wrong exit or turn will definitely put you on the wrong side of town. Just remember Figueroa is your friend.</p>
<p>What is “ghetto” to someone from suburbia is very different from what is “ghetto” to someone from a large city. I grew up in Brooklyn. I do not consider USC’s immediate area “ghetto”. Go too far west and I might agree with you, but I can’t see why you would venture there…</p>
<p>Sure, USC’s area might not be as nice as westwood, but it isn’t nearly as dangerous as people make it out to be. Be aware of your surroundings and nothing will happen to you.</p>
<p>the only people who would call USC’s area “ghetto” are people who have never lived outside of the suburbs.</p>
<p>As a native Angelino, I can say that it is definitely not ghetto. There are plenty of other places in Los Angeles County that can be really classified as ghetto. The thing that I could share with you is that Figueroa Blvd. (the street USC is on) is one of the red light districts for LAC. So at night there is frequent activity going on, and it attracts a negative crowd, but this is all south of USC. Like a poster said above me if you stay in the northern streets like Hoover and Olympic you’ll be ok.</p>
<p>I don’t know if I’d call anything “ghetto.” That’s a pretty strong word. But I also disagree with dream and Arctic92. One, I definitely don’t feel safer in Westwood at night than I do by SC! </p>
<p>But also, I don’t think it’s an issue of the neighborhoods where you’ve lived, having grown up in a very urban part of the city. There are 2 areas that are NEAR (but not at, and not so close that they’re unavoidable) SC that have made me very uncomfortable. It’s really 2 intersections, one of which my mother always said was a bad idea, and the other of which I took once when there was a detour on Olympic. </p>
<p>Personally, I think USC is very safe, and I think the surrounding area is safe. But there are places in LA to avoid, and they aren’t all light-years away from the school. They aren’t “ghetto,” per se, but I think you’d be smart to avoid them. And they’re completely avoidable, too.</p>
<p>usc is not ghetto. there are ghetto areas many miles away and im not sure why you would be there in the first place</p>
<p>Fine, let’s say that USC isn’t ‘in’ the ghetto. But the area like a mile south/west of it is.</p>
<p>I’m an LA native. USC is still classified as ghetto by a lot of my LA native friends. (who aren’t from the ‘suburbs’ but from various different parts of the city.)</p>
<p>The ‘ghetto’ is a set of surrounding areas that usually includes South LA, (and hence, USC,) East LA, and Koreatown. The westside, and certain parts of Hollywood (e.g. WeHo, hollywood hills, etc.) are considered non-ghetto.</p>