I've done some renovation work around there, you speak the truth, there is real thuggery around there.  Lots of section 8 around there mixed in with nice urban houses, condos.

When I lived in Chicago, the last neighborhood I lived in was Uptown.  There was a homeless high rise there with some significant volumes of true drug addicts and head cases.  I always kept my wallet somewhere hard to get at and buried, like in the center of my backpack and use both backpack arm harnesses, I'd haul rump through my own neighborhood to get to the L and back.  Argyle L stop ... The Greenmill (legit Capone bar) is there.

If someone wanted to talk to me I'd never stop ... shades on, headset on, wouldn't stop except at the places to eat (the ugliest neighborhoods always have great food).

All cities have crimes of oppty like this ... a wallet is never worth getting killed over.  Don't carry a lot of cash if you live in a cruddy neighborhood, if you get held up you only lose small amounts.