Areas to Avoid / Crime, Dallas

Cedar Springs Road is full of Restaurants, Bars, Boutiques, and is nice for a few blocks of Cedar Springs where these are-BUT-DO NOT wander the side streets west of there. There are lots of robberies. Also, make sure to park your car in a lot that is patrolled, DO NOT park on the side streets, or you will more than likely have your car broken into. Also, Avoid the northern part of Cedar Springs Rd. Once you go past Douglas, you will be asking for problems. There are tons of apartment buildings, and there are lots, LOTS of break-ins to cars. If you walk that area, you will more than likely be harassed or worse.

The drug problem in that area is horrendous, Crack is big around there, and there is another drug called Ice that people will kill you to get money to buy. I unfortunately moved to this area, and have had 2 vehicles broken into, plus have had my bicycle stolen from a 2nd floor balcony. My apartment has a few drug dealers, and there is drug dealing and prostitution going on all night long. The traffic is non-stop, and there are lots of gunshots fired around here. The cops are slow to respond, if they bother to come at all. I am ready to move away from here it is so bad.

?Be warned: Public Intoxication in Dallas!

The night before the Oklahoma vs Texas game (Friday Night) some friends and I were out at lower greenville in Dallas. We got there at like 10:30pm and by 11:00 pm the cops had charged us with P.I. (Public Intoxication). Why you ask? Well strangely enough my friend moved an orange cone (a so called police barracade). They (the DPD) began to pepper spray him and slam his face into the ground. I went over and asked for their badge numbers and I got arrested and fined for being a Pedestrian in the street. Then they charged me with P.I. I had 2 beers hardly enough to even blow a .04 which is half of the legal limit .08! The problem is when you are not driving there is not a breathalizer or even any sobriety tests that are administered. The whole thing is based on police discretion. So it is the cops word vs your word and guess who the judge will believe. Well I am going to fight it, hire a lawyer, contact the Newspapers, City Hall, Intenral Affairs, and any civil rights lawyer who wants to fight the unjust giant called called the Dallas Police Department.

UPDATE: The false case against me was dropped! The DPD is known to trump up false charges and if you get roughed up by these civil servants fight them in court!!!

This cowardly person created a new profile to leave a comment. Apparently they were affraid to use their real profile. Its a well known fact the DPD are corrupt and they abuse what tiny power they have. So this persons comment as shown below is foolishly ignorant. No doubt a guilty police officer with a guilty conscience for the false charges they trump up!!!

ftworthfox Thu Nov 17, 2005 15:42 CST
you might want to "higher" an English teacher rather than a lawyer of contacting "intenral" affairs. Sounds like just another snot nosed kid who couldn't hold his beer or his mouth and ran into a little Texas no BS police work.

Deep Ellum, which is the neighborhood immediately east of US-75/I-45 in Downtown Dallas, is a very dangerous part of town. Every weekend I've considered going down there I've watched one too many people get arrested, cop lights always seem to be flashing. Also, it seems someone is either stabbed or shot in that area every weekend. If you decide to go there, but *very* aware of your surroundings.

DONT TRAVEL TO SOUTH DALLAS, OR YOU MIGHT GET SHOT UP BY CRIPS AND BLOODS.BELIVE ME.. SOUTH DALLAS IS ALL GANGSTERS AND DRUG DEALERS SO WATCH FOR THEM TOO. THEY WILL PUT 5 CAPS IN YOUR ASS. AND WONT WONT GIVE A DAMM ABOUT IT. DONT EVEN DRIVE DOWN HERE OR YOUR CAR MIGHT BE CAR jacked too and it happens all the time down there.

Feel free to explore at night around deep ellum and greenville avenue during operating hours (until 2am). With this said, keep aware, if it is after hours, drive through Whataburger and go home, after hours clubs are not a must see. Be careful especially going to and from your vehicle. Parking lots are normally monitored but not after two am.

Dallas is ranked among the top three most dangerous cities in America, however, if you know where your going and stay away from rougher areas you should be fine.

North Dallas is one of the safer, more upscale areas of Dallas. Highland Park has great shopping, eating, and sightseeing. Have no worries here.

Deep Ellum - I have never had a problem here, however, watch out and be aware. Try to avoid going past the more populated areas and you should be fine.

Downtown - If you don't go downtown, you miss out on a lot of art and culture Dallas has to offer. Treat Dallas like any other big city, don't draw attention to yourself, know where you are going, and you'll be fine.

South Dallas and Fair Park - Definately would not advise a tourist to go after dark. If you are familliar with the region, be careful, if not, don't go.

Don't listen to the blanket "stay out of east dallas/oak cliff/ south dallas" speal or you will miss most of what there is to see here and leave thinking that dallas is just starbucks in the pre-fab so-called "west village" and chain spaghetti restaurants in the "west end". The fact is that there are some areas that have bad reps among suburbanites who never go to Dallas, let alone live there, etc. that have interesting parts well worth checking out and that hold the character of the city, some areas that don't have bad reps that are at least as bad if not worse, and some pretty bad areas where you might not expect to find them. Note, there are organized tours of both East and South dallas, which are worthwhile if you are interested in the city.

1)Old East Dallas- Watch yourself in the Columbia to East Grand region, Fitzhugh around Live Oak and Ross, Live oak /Gaston south of Munger , the bottom end of greenville, and the area just north-east of downtown and south of Washington. That said some areas of East Dallas are nice and worth visiting. It is one of the more eclectic areas of Dallas and mostly the worst that you will contend with are potholes (there is a historical reason why the city won't spend anything on the streets there). You will go through this part of town if are visiting the Dallas Arboretum, Lakewood, or WhiteRock Lake or possibly lower greenville from central dallas, or any of the points of interest in East Dallas itself. East Dallas is a patchwork, so just be aware of what kind of neighborhood you are in. Some parts best not lingered in, especially at night.

2) The North side of Downtown is relatively tranquil. The south side of downtown is a bit edgier and crime is more present. Not a reason to avoid, as some things are there (farmers market, old city park, some interesting buildings, majestic theatre, etc), but be aware. Don't leave anything you like in your car. Don't avoid, but be aware.

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7) South Dallas: Once again an older part of town with parts that are worth a look (I'll leave the guiding to the guide tips), but know where you are going and don't wander around aimlessly, because parts of the area are true crack house country. Probably has the worst reputation in the city, deservedly or not (and probably a perception contributed to by racism, as it is predominantly african american).

8) Lower Greenville area - North of Old East Dallas, prime dallas dining and nightlife- but there is sporadic crime in the area so keep an eye out and park sensibly. Note also that there is a local residents association for the residential neighborhood surrounding lower greeville that dislikes nightlife traffic. Particularly be warned that there is a certain character who takes pictures of those who urinate on lawns en route back to their cars and posts them on his web site.

9) Deep Ellum/Exposition - supposedly dallas' hippest nightlife/loft/arts district, but mostly commercialized/yuppified/popularized now. Go, have fun, but watch yourself, as it is also far from crime free. Best to park in a lot and definitely not to the south. You don't have to go too far south to find yourself in one of the worst parts of South Dallas. Leave with the crowd.

10) Galleria-
Avoid at all costs. Exists solely to keep the suburban hordes from overrunning dallas. dallasites (from in town) wouldn't be caught dead there. In fact, there isn't much reason to find yourself north of northwest highway (many would say mockingbird), as everthing beyond that point is pretty much just vapid featureless sprawl. A quick drive past the mansions along Preston in north dallas might be justifiable for a first time visitor who has never seen a mansion before, I suppose, but there is certainly no reason to go north of Forest (much less 635).

Note also that the Dallas PD posts their weekly crime briefing maps on their web site. It is very easy to see from these where the crime hot spots are. Just pull up the central division crimes map.