Summary

During Sudhir Venkatesh’s first week as a grad student at the University of Chicago in 1989, the students were advised of the safe areas around the school and in Hyde Park. He lived on the edge of the park in student housing. He often took long walks to get to know the city. As a student of sociology there was much to take in on his walks including the ethnic divisions. He was drawn to the Rogers Park area where there was a congregation of Indians and Pakistanis. He was most interested in the poor black areas.

Sudhir spent time in the black areas but never felt threatened or noticed any crime. The people in the area were curious about him. Life on these streets did not match the remote, clinical discussions about them led...