Historicaly larger towns and cities have always had thier rough bits due to large working class populations. Not blaming the working class of course, its a simple product of cramming too many people together that need to be there for the low paid work.
Take it to today and not everyone is willing or able to live in the tiny village in the west country, its that simple, and if they did, then wave bye bye to the leafy lanes.
There are plus and minus on both sides
http://news.sky.com/story/1119661/englis...al-penalty
City areas and larger towns that had 'rough and ready' bits to them are total pits now imo. The problem is we are so overcrowded population wise I can't see how anyone can say they are safe.