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MCoulier wrote:

Hi,

I might move to d.4 but was wondering if any locals or foreigners living in the area have some advice if this is a good area to live? I know it has a 'bad' reputation but I hear it's not such an accurate observation anymore these days with the new developments on-going and more foreigners moving there (close to the bridge for now). Robberies and alike also seem to be happening almost everywhere in the city (increasingly sadly) - if you read the newspapers.

Any advice welcome!
Thanks in advance!

M

Living in D4 is great! Safest place you can be, as anywhere else in this great city.

Don't believe the headlines. According to the police, there has only been around 320 robberies for the entire city this year, if I remember correctly. A walk in the park, if you ask me.

What else you expect me to say?

The only buildings safe enough to live in are the high-rises along Hoang Dieu but the traffic is baad.

There are a couple of wedding palaces there, too, that do their best to keep you awake at night.

Anything on Tan Vinh (runs parallel to Khanh Hoi) is baad, too. (Check in the rush hours hoe a narrow 2-way road turns into an illegal one-way road with taxis jamming both!

Crime is high in many parts of Quan 4, both property and personal.

Then there is the flooding! At high tide, much of Quan 4 is at risk of flooding (river water and sewage). All it takes is a small shower and then the streets flood. These include Khanh Hoa, Tan Vinh and Nguyen Tat Thanh.

Khanh Hoa and Nguyen Tat Thanh are the main (only) roads between Quan 7 and Quan 1 - very, very busy.

If you rent an apartment, make sure they have standby generators, Quan 4 seems to suffer more power cuts than other parts of the city.

There are 6 good things about Quan 4 - the exits from the area.

Anatta wrote:

... According to the police, there has only been around 320 robberies for the entire city this year, if I remember correctly.

There were 600 street robberies in 2012 November ALONE (across the city!

Jaitch.

I am going by the great wisdom of the city's highly trustworthy police. Who am I to doubt their statistics?

Can't find the source of the 320 robberies statement, but my colleague just confirms reading the same article and number.

As per your 600 numbers: here is their response.

Links in Vietnamese

All prosecutable crimes in Vietnam in 2012 were put to be 37.221. Notably, corruption cases: 324 thus making it one of the cleanest government on earth.




For HCMC, the corresponding number in 2012 was 5000

Dear MCoulier,
I have just moved to D.4 for 3 months and so far I feel this place is fine to stay. Before moving here, I was also afraid of robbers and some crimes as u r now , but after living for a time, I think my decision was right. My place is on the right after acrossing the Ong Lanh Bridge,near Hoang Dieu street, I just cost around 5-10 mins to come to D.1 and not much time to D.5 or D.7. Crimes is anywhere in the city so just be careful urself is most important.
Hope u have ur right decision!
Nice day!

Hallie.Le wrote:

... My place is on the right after crossing the Ong Lanh Bridge,near Hoang Dieu street, ...

This a fairly safe strip running parallel to the sewage canal (smells at low tide on hot days)

As for crime, bets are off after 23.00H. The traffic on Hoang Dieu is very heavy here at rush hours because of the Ong Lanh Bridge.

Jaitch wrote:

Hallie.Le wrote:

... My place is on the right after crossing the Ong Lanh Bridge,near Hoang Dieu street, ...

This a fairly safe strip running parallel to the sewage canal (smells at low tide on hot days)

As for crime, bets are off after 23.00H. The traffic on Hoang Dieu is very heavy here at rush hours because of the Ong Lanh Bridge.

I have warned people here several times about Ben Van Don street, the side street parallel to the canal. It is not safe by any measures. Bag snatchers trawl that street at night. A friend got snatched a handbag and fell off the bike just a few months ago around 7PM on that street. Stay on Hoang Dieu. In addition, they are rebuilding that road now making it even more dangerous just to ride there since the road is full of potholes and confusing traffic.

In general, staying out after dark is not safe.

Anatta wrote:

I have warned people here several times about Ben Van Don street, the side street parallel to the canal. ... Stay on Hoang Dieu. In addition, they are rebuilding that road now making it even more dangerous just to ride there since the road is full of potholes and confusing traffic.

The 'strip' I was referring to is the 'strip' of high-rises running parallel to the sewage canal fronting Hoang Dieu.

Ben Van Don construction is almost complete - just a top coat is required. No potholes.

Now OpenTour buses have decried to set up home near the Calmette bridge.

As for staying in doors at night suggests you are surrendering to the crooks and pimps. There are numerous undercover and Internal Security police haunting the area day and night (look for the bulge of the Motorola two-way radio on their belts.

If you live in the Quan 4 area you get to recognise them, but they can't be everywhere at once.

Bottom line is, I think, most everyone recommends AGAINST QUAN 4.

Jaitch wrote:

As for staying in doors at night suggests you are surrendering to the crooks and pimps.

Living up to the popular Vietnamese saying "There is no shame avoiding an elephant", I would freely admit that I have no qualm going out my way avoiding those low lives so I don't become, as they say it in the US, "a crime statistic", despite my nearly thirty years of karate practicing (still doing my weekly intensive competitive sparring) and card-carrying black belt .

Anatta wrote:

... despite my nearly thirty years of karate practicing (still doing my weekly intensive competitive sparring) and card-carrying black belt .

I always get the impression that martial art's effectiveness depends on both parties choosing to "fight fair".

Modern chemicals, knives and guns seem to be very effective equalizers. And there are guns here, as well as some dramatic knives./swords.

According to an acquaintance (how can you call a member of a numbered department a 'friend') a local tough was caught fighting with a sword type weapon. It's amazing that the Cong An catch anything.