Was just downtown for the WWE event on the day after Xmas. We parked on the street about a block from the Arena and walked across Hopkins Plaza. Had my head on a swivel thru there simply because of the smell. But we weren't completely alone, there were a few others walking to the event, in front of us and on Baltimore St and on Lombard(?)... It was fine, tho. We had dinner at Cross Street Market, if it's still called that. Fine there too. Granted it was the day after Xmas and there really weren't many people out at all.
The wife and I will go places like Fells and Harbor East with warmer weather and feel safe, but I think I'd hesitate letting my daughter do what I used to do with going to NWA rasslin' every month. That was the early and mid 80's when I was in my early teens with a friend who could drive. Our parents just said, "Be careful and have fun." We, of course, had fun, but we ventured places out of curiosity, in retrospect, might not have been the best places to go. lol Just be careful, not fearful, per se.