How Safe is San Pedro?

[GeezLouise1]

We're sailing from San Pedro later this week. Our travel agent suggested that San Pedro isn't the safest of port towns. Can we walk safely to nearby restaurants from our hotel in the evening? (Crowne P.) Thank you for any comments,

[susieg]

We're sailing from San Pedro later this week. Our travel agent suggested that San Pedro isn't the safest of port towns. Can we walk safely to nearby restaurants from our hotel in the evening? (Crowne P.) Thank you for any comments,

 

There are various restaurants within easy walking distance including Green Onion and Acapulco (both Mexican restaurants). I've always felt safe walking to those locations. Just walk in the direction of the water and you'll see them. The hotel could also give you directions.

[FLACRUISER99]

There are various restaurants within easy walking distance including Green Onion and Acapulco (both Mexican restaurants). I've always felt safe walking to those locations. Just walk in the direction of the water and you'll see them. The hotel could also give you directions.

I agree, we always felt safe maybe the TA has never been to San Pedro!

[LARGIN]

Your TA is misinformed

[GeezLouise1]

We'll feel more secure now. Our TA has been to San Pedro, but not for a few years. We're not naive travellers by any means ( regular precautions apply), but it is good to know it isn't particularly scary;). Happy Holidays,

[Careg]

There are parts of San Pedro where someone not living there would feel unsafe, but not around Crowne Plaza and the waterfront. Have a great cruise.

btw- the Green Onion was good in November, 1 block form Crowne Plaza also went to the 22nd st landing, very cool place good food! The hotel van can take you and pick you up.

[PatriciaF]

San Pedro has really cleaned up its port side area in the last few years--but there are some areas, like many other places, where tourists shouldn't wander into, especially at night.

 

The area around the Crowne Plaza should be fine.

[MTJSR]

When you stay at the Crowne Plaza, so does hundreds of other fellow cruisers. At night all I saw was other cruisers walking around getting dinner and checking things out around the waterfront area. Have a great trip and enjoy the view from your hotel room as the ships come in, in the morning.

[Rockymountainsparky]

San Pedro is not as bad as the TA makes it to be.

[Cruisers from WA]

There are some places in San Pedro that hubby and I felt very uncomfortable....very seedy places :eek: (we had a rental car)

[Richard in Panama]

There really is nothing in San Pedro. Princess sometimes has a shuttle over to Long Beach where there is a downtown Mall with amongst other things Wal Mart and Noordstrom Rack. There is a very nice acquarium there, and lots of little shops and stuff, as well as the QUEEN MARY. If there is no shuttle, it's not a real long cab ride.

 

Regards, Richard

[Cruisin' Chick]

I wouldn't be concerned about staying at the Crowne Plaza or Doubletree in San Pedro. Just take the normal precautions you would even in your hometown.

 

I believe those hotels do have free shuttles to close by places if you need to stock up at Vons, Rite Aid, etc. for your cruise.

 

But rest assured that there will be plenty of fellow cruisers walking to the local restaurants. This week may not be the best to be anywhere in LA as it's raining, heavily at times, and isn't forecasted to end until Thursday.

[Hulagirl]

We were just in San Pedro for two nights on Thursday and Friday before getting on the Sapphire Princess yesterday. Also stayed at the Crown Plaza and felt perfectly safe walking to restaurants. I would really recommend the 7th Street Chop House or the San Pedro Brewing Company to go to. We have tried both the mexican restaurants and found them to not be very good. The Crown does have a van that I've heard will take you to restaurants that are within a couple of miles away, though we haven't used them before. ?We have stayed here 4 times in the last couple of years and have found it to be a good location before our cruises.

 

We didn't feel the least bit uncomfortable walking up the street to the wine shop or to the restaurants.

 

Have a good trip.

[yukongold]

Your TA is misinformed

 

I wouldn't be too hard on the TA. According to clr.search.com, San Pedro can be relatively unsafe, depending, I guess, on what part of San Pedro you are in.

 

In comparing crime rates for cities in the US, they report the following:

 

If the National Index for Robberies (for example) is 100, the index for California is 129, and the index for San Pedro is 541 - more than 5 times the national rate.

 

For Assaults, the the National index is 100, California is 115, and San Pedro is 363

 

Comparisons for other types of crime -auto theft, ect. can be found on their web sight.

 

I think the TA was right in issuing a cautionary warning to the traveller. The TA may have added, however, that the areas adjacent to the major hotels would be relatively safer.

[spider3455]

I felt completely safe in San Pedro when I stayed at the Crown Plaza. I took a nice walk on the waterfront in the early AM, and there was lots of people out running, walking their dogs, etc. All very friendly. I wouldn't worry about it.

[Minoushka]

The Crowne Plaza has a shuttle to a Mall .we ate there Came back to the hotel early and did not wander off at night .I agree Mex restaurant was hohum

Stay close to hotel at night you will be fine

 

Michele

[GeezLouise1]

We're sailing from San Pedro later this week. Our travel agent suggested that San Pedro isn't the safest of port towns. Can we walk safely to nearby restaurants from our hotel in the evening? (Crowne P.) Thank you for any comments,

 

 

Many thanks for your comments. I look forward to our visit to San Pedro. Happy Holidays!:D

[GeezLouise1]

There really is nothing in San Pedro. Princess sometimes has a shuttle over to Long Beach where there is a downtown Mall with amongst other things Wal Mart and Noordstrom Rack. There is a very nice acquarium there, and lots of little shops and stuff, as well as the QUEEN MARY. If there is no shuttle, it's not a real long cab ride.

 

Regards, Richard

 

Hi Richard,

 

Thanks for the insight. We met a few years ago on the Volendam Panama trip. Great to see you're still so involved with the ships! Cheers,

[jlp20]

Between your hotel and the water, there should be no problem. however if you were to go uphill or West more than three blocks you MIGHT have issues. But since there would no reason to go to this part of town on foot at night you have no problem. As I remember, the only places open at night in that direction are a couple of drug stores and local bars that I wouldn't go to during the day.

[NSWP]

In August 2007, we had 3 nights at Crowne Plaza, San Pedro precruise on Regal Princess to Sydney. We walked around San Pedro during the day and to a couple of local restaurants at night, we felt quite secure, no gangs on the streets anyway, just gangs of cruisers! Liked the Museum and Port of Call village, plus took the bus over to Long Beach re the Queen Mary and the Russian Submarine alongside.

 

If I were cruising out of LA Harbour again, I would come back to the Crown Plaza and San Pedro.

[gcjstri]

Hi There,

 

does anyone know about the neighborhood where the Vagabond inn is. My DH made reservations there for our upcoming cruise in April ???

 

thank you

cindi

[Bruin Steve]

Hi There,

 

does anyone know about the neighborhood where the Vagabond inn is. My DH made reservations there for our upcoming cruise in April ???

 

thank you

cindi

 

Cindi,

At the Vagabond, you are at Gaffey and 2nd...Gaffey is a heavily trafficked north/south thoroughfare...The neighborhood is nowhere as nice as around the Doubletree or Crowne Plaza...

 

Personally, I don't think San Pedro as a whole is as bad as some people make it to be...It used to be a little rougher, but over the past several years, it has "gentrified a bit"...but that's a slow process...and it affects the more desirable locations first...Gaffey and 2nd is NOT a "desirable" location...it is not near the water or near the downtown area...the motel is there due to traffic...it's where the freeway ends and dumps everyone out onto the surface roads...there definitely isn't that much to walk to around there...

 

The Crowne Plaza, OTOH, is in the heart of the commercial downtown, just a couple of blocks off the waterfront...The Doubletree is in the Marina near the LA Yacht Club...those are the "upscale" (for San Pedro) areas...the areas where some money has been put into revitalization...where the nicer restaurants are located...

 

Where the Vagabond is can appear a bit seedy...

 

There are reasons I only recommend the CP or the DT...and neighborhood/location is one of them...along with the quality of the hotels themselves...To me, it is worth paying a few dollars more to be in a desirable hotel in a desirable location...

 

JMHO...

[Wineaux]

Ah, yes. My favorite subject.

 

Is San Pedro safe?

 

Well, if you don't live here you really don't know and you can throw out as many statistics you want to prove it is less safe than the rest of Los Angeles but most of those stats are misleading since they either couple San Pedro into all of Los Angeles or into the Harbor Division which includes Wilmington and Harbor City. I could see if someone unfamiliar with the area sees these stats it could lead them to believe San Pedro is a high crime area. As an example I came across a website that shows crime in San Pedro broken down into specific areas (can't come across it right now) The downtown area stats also include the projects on 1st, 2nd and 3rd streets which skews the numbers tremendously. Comparing stats in San Pedro to those nationally and for all of California is ridiculous. You are in a city for crying out loud not the middle of Kansas. It would be better to compare city to city but I think most folks realize that.

 

The Downtown area is very safe. In fact it is one of the safest Downtown areas in Los Angeles. The city gave us back 35 officers they sent to South Central and there is a walking security force that patrols the downtown area. We have owned a business downtown for over three years and have had only one problem (intoxicated person) in all of that time. When we close at 9pm we have no worries walking around downtown.

 

We also live in San Pedro and had some equipment stolen from our condo (someone left the garage door open) but that is it. We walk our dog late at night and don't feel as if we need to wear a vest and carry a gun.

 

The areas within a block or two of the Crowne Plaza and Doubletree Hotel are perfectly fine to walk around.

 

Welcome to San Peeeeeeedro!!!

[gcjstri]

Hi Wineax,

 

are you saying that the area where the Travel Loge is o.k. or not o.k. ??

 

We would be leaving our car there for a week while we are on our cruise .

 

cindi

[Cruisin' Chick]

Hi Wineax,

 

are you saying that the area where the Travel Loge is o.k. or not o.k. ??

 

We would be leaving our car there for a week while we are on our cruise .

 

cindi

 

Steve Bruin is recommending the CP and the DT.

 

If given my druthers (whatever that means...but basically if I was coming in from out of town and not just coming from The Valley), I would rather stay downtown SP then in downtown LA. Now that's an unsafe area.