It's not so much that the neighborhoods were a lot better then, it is more that there was safety in numbers. Back in the 60's, I would not walk some of those streets if it was not a game day.
In Rochester, it is like the old Silver Stadium days. We would park a few blocks away for free and walk with other families to see a baseball game around sunset. We did not hang out there much after dark if there was no game. Those were the days of the Knot Hole season tickets for kids. On certain nights the kids were free with the pass, and general admission was a couple dollars for adults.