Is Portsmouth Safe?
I've been reading around in the forums and have read a lot about Portsmouth being unsafe from local residents / chavs.
How true is this? How long have you lived in Portsmouth for?
What are the areas to avoid? (I've already worked out that Somerstown is a place to aviod!)
How true is this? How long have you lived in Portsmouth for?
What are the areas to avoid? (I've already worked out that Somerstown is a place to aviod!)
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That's a pretty ignorant thing to say.
I've lived here nearly 6 years and the only violence and thuggery I've witnessed has been due to drunks and football "fans", and I'm sure that's true of any major city with a football stadium.
I've walked home by myself from nights out and not had any problems whatsoever.
Certain areas of Portsmouth are unpleasant, but again, that's true of any city. In fact, everyone bitches about Somerstown, but I walk through it on my way into the city and the worst I've encountered is BMX riders dicking about.
When I first moved here I expected it to be horrible (especially as I previously lived in a forest village) but it's actually a very nice place to live once you get to grips finding your way around.
I've lived here nearly 6 years and the only violence and thuggery I've witnessed has been due to drunks and football "fans", and I'm sure that's true of any major city with a football stadium.
I've walked home by myself from nights out and not had any problems whatsoever.
Certain areas of Portsmouth are unpleasant, but again, that's true of any city. In fact, everyone bitches about Somerstown, but I walk through it on my way into the city and the worst I've encountered is BMX riders dicking about.
When I first moved here I expected it to be horrible (especially as I previously lived in a forest village) but it's actually a very nice place to live once you get to grips finding your way around.
I've lived in Portsmouth all my life. I'm 17. I don't live on Portsea island, but I still have a PO Postcode.
It's safe i'd say. There are fights at clubs. There are the roaming chavs going "GOT A FAG MATE?" "no I don't smoke" "YE YOU DO YOU <insert random collection of swear words>". True of any big city.
My friend from another forum went to Portsmouth Uni and was fine. The places a person goes are typically fine, southsea common, beach, guildhall walk, liquid, shops, high street all that jazz. It's when you go into all the little crap parks, council estates etc that it's get rough, but is that not unlike any city?
The places I become more alert/avoid are Leigh park & Paulsgrove if you venture further than the island. They're rough areas populated by chavs living on benefits.
Fratton can be a bit dodgy at night, found that out one night going to the train station after a party. Looked a guy in the eyes and he started getting lary and following us to the trainstation, where his little croney bottled one of my mates.
It's not that bad for a student though. The friend I described earlier, he said he loved it and can't wait to come back
It's safe i'd say. There are fights at clubs. There are the roaming chavs going "GOT A FAG MATE?" "no I don't smoke" "YE YOU DO YOU <insert random collection of swear words>". True of any big city.
My friend from another forum went to Portsmouth Uni and was fine. The places a person goes are typically fine, southsea common, beach, guildhall walk, liquid, shops, high street all that jazz. It's when you go into all the little crap parks, council estates etc that it's get rough, but is that not unlike any city?
The places I become more alert/avoid are Leigh park & Paulsgrove if you venture further than the island. They're rough areas populated by chavs living on benefits.
Fratton can be a bit dodgy at night, found that out one night going to the train station after a party. Looked a guy in the eyes and he started getting lary and following us to the trainstation, where his little croney bottled one of my mates.
It's not that bad for a student though. The friend I described earlier, he said he loved it and can't wait to come back
QED
Im guessing this person hasnt spent much time in Portsmouth. The whole 'PO' post code stretches as far as Hayling, Gosport, Waterlooville and Fareham (voted one of the most desirable places to live in some Channel four property programme).
Yes some areas of Portsmouth city centre seem unpleasant late night, however Ive lived in Portsmouth for the majority of 20 years and can safe its safe. Every city is going to have its problem, and Portsmouth is no exception to the rest. But thats the point, its no exception and does not have exceptionally dangerous areas.
As long as your sensible and dont do anything stupid then it is highly unlikely your experience something terrible. I know a lot of my Uni mates who come from other areas of Portsmouth love it, and so stay the whole summer. they love it and rarely moan about its safety. Speaking to friends at other unis, it seems more students at Portsmouth stay in Portsmouth over the summer than other unis do, however I have no survey evidence, its just an observation.
Overall I think Portsmouth gets a bad press sometimes. Portsmouth, along with Southamptopn, are probably the only two working class cities in the south and I swear this scares other Southerners not used to working class city life style. In conclusion, yes there is chavs and problems in the city, but no more than any other. Im sure you will be fine
brs1
Thanks for the replies.
I guess it just seems worse because people talk about their bad experiences on here, but obviously you never get people reporting safeness and piping up saying "Hey I didn't get mugged last night!"
I guess it just seems worse because people talk about their bad experiences on here, but obviously you never get people reporting safeness and piping up saying "Hey I didn't get mugged last night!"
That's actually true, never thought of it like that!
People always talk about negative things, not the positives... why didn't I ever think of it like that? o_o
brs1
Thanks for the replies.
I guess it just seems worse because people talk about their bad experiences on here, but obviously you never get people reporting safeness and piping up saying "Hey I didn't get mugged last night!"
I guess it just seems worse because people talk about their bad experiences on here, but obviously you never get people reporting safeness and piping up saying "Hey I didn't get mugged last night!"
Yeah, that's exactly it, but that's how life works!
They report on plane crashes on the news, but they never report on every one that made it to its destination safely and how much of a wonderful holiday everyone had
I, too have lived in Portsmouth all my life (eighteen years) - and as you've probably worked out, I'm not dead yet.
I would say that the majority of Portsmouth is safe. I take shortcuts through Somerstown, wander Fratton as I please, and as long as you're sensible, and street-wise there is no problem with that. Obviously you have the occasional incidents - but this is the same anywhere. No matter where you go there will always be a drunken brawl or similar, somewhere in the city.
I would say everywhere is safe during the day time - as long as you don't purposefully go out looking to rile people up - and at night most of the places you'd go are so well policed (policing has really improved here) that it's hard to feel "endangered" anyway. Even when I venture out of police-watch at night, I still feel safe.
I really don't know what else I can say to appease you; people have already said the defining conclusion. No-one will be able to completely cure the niggling doubts you have; those will only be sorted once you get here.
And in my opinion the city's good points completely outweigh this one supposed negative
P.S I love Fratton on match-day! Bit of community spirit You get what you expect at any other stadium. And all the police flock there (not even kidding. I was once involved in an incident, and the police couldn't get there for an hour because they were all involved at Fratton Park 
), so anything that does start is quelled pretty quickly.
I would say that the majority of Portsmouth is safe. I take shortcuts through Somerstown, wander Fratton as I please, and as long as you're sensible, and street-wise there is no problem with that. Obviously you have the occasional incidents - but this is the same anywhere. No matter where you go there will always be a drunken brawl or similar, somewhere in the city.
I would say everywhere is safe during the day time - as long as you don't purposefully go out looking to rile people up - and at night most of the places you'd go are so well policed (policing has really improved here) that it's hard to feel "endangered" anyway. Even when I venture out of police-watch at night, I still feel safe.
I really don't know what else I can say to appease you; people have already said the defining conclusion. No-one will be able to completely cure the niggling doubts you have; those will only be sorted once you get here.
And in my opinion the city's good points completely outweigh this one supposed negative
P.S I love Fratton on match-day! Bit of community spirit
You get what you expect at any other stadium. And all the police flock there (not even kidding. I was once involved in an incident, and the police couldn't get there for an hour because they were all involved at Fratton Park ), so anything that does start is quelled pretty quickly.Cherry Black
Yeah, that's exactly it, but that's how life works!
They report on plane crashes on the news, but they never report on every one that made it to its destination safely and how much of a wonderful holiday everyone had
They report on plane crashes on the news, but they never report on every one that made it to its destination safely and how much of a wonderful holiday everyone had
Truer words were never spoken
And hey, brs1, I didn't get mugged last night!
Portsmouth is as bad as you make it..
if you steer out of trouble, theres no reason for anything to happen...then again, its the same as any other...
Ive walked around Portsmouth at 3am and nothings happened...cus' I dont have beef with people..and I dont step on the wrong people's toes...
if you steer out of trouble, theres no reason for anything to happen...then again, its the same as any other...
Ive walked around Portsmouth at 3am and nothings happened...cus' I dont have beef with people..and I dont step on the wrong people's toes...
Some areas are a bit rough but it's mostly fine. It's quite funny how some areas change drastically after a certain point. If you walk down Copnor road, as soon as you go past Copnor Bridge then things start to look run down and scraggy untill you get to the town center where it's quite nice, Gunwharf is very nice too
Oh..and Southsea is better than Fratton..
Lived in Fratton for a year, never had any trouble there. Walking around there at night on my own it still feels pretty safe. Reccently moved to Somerstown, though, am more cautious now as the area seems less friendly, overheard some people argueing about drugs on the street and some kids were yelling unprovoked abuse at my friend when we walked past once. Theres cars parked with music so loud you can hear it from 2 streets away sometimes, but at least my rents alot cheaper than in halls. And it's close to albert road which is a really cool area.
Original post by Tammiee
Lived in Fratton for a year, never had any trouble there. Walking around there at night on my own it still feels pretty safe. Reccently moved to Somerstown, though, am more cautious now as the area seems less friendly, overheard some people argueing about drugs on the street and some kids were yelling unprovoked abuse at my friend when we walked past once. Theres cars parked with music so loud you can hear it from 2 streets away sometimes, but at least my rents alot cheaper than in halls. And it's close to albert road which is a really cool area.
I had the opportunity to move to Sommerstown..would never take it, that place is fulla EDL scum
Portsmouth is safe as long as you apply a bit of common sense..
People say its chavy but from what I have seen it is not even slightly chavy. However my friend thinks I am crazy because I said Croydon is not rough either.
I've lived in portsmouth years after living in various cities and find it a lovley place. A nice long beach and because its Englands only island city everything is within walking or cycling distance. Sure there's run down places due to gov cuts but that dosent mean run down people. Whatever walk in life you cime from you will find portsmouth very accommodating.
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