Can you provide a list of which parts of which towns are shady, so I can avoid them?
At that time the sensationalist media was reporting on 'no-go zones' - parts of town that even the police were too afraid to go to.
One night I was sitting on the subway when a guy came and sat down opposite a girl, and started telling her he was gonna go check out one of these 'no-go zones'. His destination was östermalm.
From wikipedia.
"Elegant Östermalm is known for its smart bars and restaurants on Stureplan square, and its cultural venues, such as the Swedish History Museum, displaying Viking weapons. Designer boutiques dot the area near Östermalms Saluhall, a food market known for traditional specialties like gravlax and smoked shrimp. Centered on the imposing National Library of Sweden, tranquil Humlegården park hosts plays in summer."
"Tenderloin in San Francisco is known for its cultural diversity - home to micro-neighborhoods representing the Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Pakistani, Central Asian, and Yemeni communities. There is a bustling cultural scene with numerous live jazz bars, theaters where bands like The Rolling Stones and Beatles have headlined, and museums highlighting the historical numerous LGBT+ community".
That said, Östermalm didn't feel bad when I visited. I think op is confusing Östermalm and Östberga.
I remember thinking "Really? Where the Bentley dealership is?" Good luck finding graffiti there, let alone circumstances rough enough to scare the cops away.
I made an actual effort to go to Tensta when I was there (it's hard to find good Levantine food in the US) and it definetly felt dislocated. Very much like a purposely created ghetto. Like Visitation Valley and Bayview in San Francisco.
I would stay there, I travel on budget, I am used to it from Cairo, and I am not female...
https://images.aftonbladet-cdn.se/v2/images/7804ea1d-2a5b-4b...