By and large, Cleveland is a wonderful city full of wonderful people. That said, no place is perfect, and the Forest City has its share of problems. Visiting and exploring everything Cleveland has to offer can be an amazing, unforgettable experience, but just be sure to take precautions and avoid stumbling through the following most dangerous neighborhoods in Cleveland late at night.

1. St. Clair
St. Clair Township, St Clair Township, OH, USA
Flickr/SarahSphar
One of Cleveland's oldest and most storied neighborhoods, St. Clair is also home to an alarming property crime rate.

Take a walking tour through St. Clair:

2. Wade Park
Wade Park, 7600 Wade Park Ave, Cleveland, OH 44103, USA
Flickr/Erik Drost
While it's hard to deny that Wade Park is a beautiful place to visit by day (especially with the cherry blossoms in the spring!), its relative isolation makes it a dangerous place to spend time at night.
3. Flats
The Flats, Cleveland, OH 44113, USA
Flickr/Lisa Chamberlain
Once home to Cleveland's booming industrial centers, the Flats are now largely abandoned, inviting a characteristically high crime rate.
4. Hough
Hough, Cleveland, OH, USA
Flickr/Tim Evanson
Hough is a neighborhood with a troubled history - the infamous Hough riots in 1966 gave the area a bad image that it still struggles to shake.

Learn about the history of Hough:

5. Clark-Fulton
Clark - Fulton, Cleveland, OH, USA
Wikimedia
Clark-Fulton is an affordable neighborhood to live in Cleveland; however, it boasts not only a high property crime rate but also a disturbing trend towards more violent crimes, including a fairly recent unsolved murder.
6. Superior
St. Clair - Superior, Cleveland, OH, USA
Cards84664/Wikimedia Commons
The many businesses and restaurants in Superior make for an excellent day trip, but the area becomes somewhat more sinister after dark.

Get an in-depth look at Superior:

7. Little Italy
Little Italy, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
Flickr/David Wilson
One of Cleveland’s most enchanting neighborhoods is Little Italy, a historical stretch of beautiful shops, art galleries, and authentic Italian restaurants. Yet while Little Italy is one of Cleveland's most charming tourist attractions, its popularity also inspires a high rate of property crimes like petty theft and car robbery.
8. East Cleveland
East Cleveland, OH, USA
Flickr/jauretsi
Cleveland's first suburb is a hotbed of criminal activity at night. Reports suggest that everything from grand theft to gang activity is fairly prevalent in the area.
9. Scovill Avenue
Scovill Avenue, Scovill Ave, Cleveland, OH 44104, USA
Google Maps
Scovill Avenue has been named the second most dangerous neighborhood in America, and sadly, remains a dangerous area in Cleveland.

As off-putting as some of these spots might sound, don’t let that distract you from just how nice Cleveland can be. Do any of these most dangerous neighborhoods in Cleveland surprise you? Are there any places you’d add to the list of the worst neighborhoods in Cleveland? Share them in the comments!

Now, that we’ve shown you the bad areas of Cleveland, how about some good news: here are the safest places to live in Cleveland, and here are the most affordable places to live in Cleveland. Cleveland rocks, we say!

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More to Explore

Most dangerous places in Cleveland

Sarah M. | August 01, 2022

What are the safest areas in Cleveland?

The safest areas in Cleveland include:

  • Tremont
  • Chagrin Falls
  • Old Brooklyn

 

A little peace and quiet goes a long way, especially in a city as big and as vibrant as Cleveland. Just as important as relaxation, though, is peace of mind. Don't let the above list of the most dangerous places in Cleveland deter you from Forest City; Cleveland is full of beautiful and safe neighborhoods that are perfect for raising a family and calling home! These eight neighborhoods and suburbs around Cleveland offer the best of both worlds through their quiet, quaint atmospheres and safe, low-crime environments. Among those listed, we're partial to Tremont, a lovely neighborhood with historic brick homes; Chagrin Falls, a beautiful little piece of the Cleveland area with a city-like atmosphere that gives way to a small, friendly feeling that everyone in town knows and cares for everyone else; and Old Brooklyn, a place that, unlike the sprawling New York City district for which it's named, is a unique slice of suburbia in the heart of Cleveland. The openness of the neighborhood and the lush green of the trees and parks surrounding it make Old Brooklyn stand out as one of the best places to live in Cleveland, Ohio!

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