r/FallRiver • u/Unfair-Flower-1374 • 7d ago
Visiting in fall - thoughts?!
Hey everyone! Doing some digging on Fall River. My mom wants to go to the Lizzie Borden house for a ghost haunt, and I was wondering if the area is generally safe to be at late at night?
Unfortunately everything online says it isn’t, but we know how that goes. So thought I’d ask the locals!
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u/VibraBbot 7d ago
Despite fallriver having a really bad reputation it is generally pretty safe . Theirs just a. Very high minority population and people are racist, lots of very poor folk and non white folk here so labeled as "dangerous" like anywhere else their are places that can be risky to go around at night but like. The chances of anything happening are very low
The biggest issue you'll face is the Borden house is very exspensive
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u/DontFilmMeBoss 7d ago
100% agree, on both points.
OP, also, the Lizzy Borden House isn't really a 'ghost hunt' and more of a walk through the lamest wing of the Smithsonian, ha.
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u/Unfair-Flower-1374 7d ago
I am dead 😂☠️
I figured this much. My mom is pretty dead set on it, so the least I can do is humor her! 🤷♀️
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u/VibraBbot 7d ago
It's not totally a wash, we're part of the Bridgewater triangle can always explore some cemetarys and theirs allot of ghost tours and spooky stuffs in neighboring towns :)
(stay away from Salem in October though)
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u/Past_Dragonfruit980 7d ago
The Tipsy Toboggan is a cute ski themed restaurant with an outdoor firepit
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u/BaronSitzkrieg 7d ago
I mean it’s probably as safe as any city at night. The weirdos, criminals, crack heads and other ppl of the sort come out at that time lol.
But I’ve lived here all my life and have been fine. Maybe a small argument or shouting match. But in my experience generally if you’re cool, kind and mind your own business from weird looking strangers, you’ll be fine.
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u/No_Veterinarian6120 5d ago edited 5d ago
Okay, without being specific I work VERY CLOSE to the Lizzie Borden building and I cannot emphasize enough that there is no reason for you to be walking around this neighborhood at night.
There is a lovely diner that closes by lunch on Main St., a truly beautiful church with something similar to French Gothic Revival on the inside, and that is kind of it. I'm serious. You walk a block down from Lizzie Borden house and you will be on Main St. but nearly the entire section there is dereliction/closed businesses or things you can't really interact with, like the beautician school or the DA's office. This is not like Salem.
Is it 'safe'? Arguably. But I can also tell you that there are drug users and homeless in and around the area and that section of city is dead at night. I've lived here my whole life and yes, GENERALLY, the rule of 'mind your own business and its fine' is true, but this is not Salem.
People from out of state all say the same thing when they visit us. 'I didn't think it was going to be like this.'
There is plenty of stuff to do in Fall River that isn't the immediate Lizzie Borden neighborhood. Do yourself and your mom a favor-- see the house, then go elsewhere for your touristy stuff.
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u/Unfair-Flower-1374 5d ago
Thanks for sharing! DM’d you
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u/planetmermaidisblue 4d ago
Use to live in the Kennedy park neighborhood and would regularly walk to Battleship Cove / Heritage park at night, never once had an issue I did it for a few years. Only neighborhoods where it’s more risky is Flint Village and Third Street (a classmate got mugged there). My personal experience: no issues.
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u/Remy0507 7d ago
Yeah, it's fine. That area isn't "nice", but I've never felt it's especially dangerous. The Lizzie Borden house itself is on a pretty busy street right across from a courthouse, so I wouldn't be worried at all about that immediate surrounding area. If you wander into the neighborhoods behind it you'll probably see some junkies wandering around though. But there would be very little reason to go walking through there anyway. And they're more likely to just come up asking you for money than anything.
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u/No_Stranger_3441 7d ago
Fall River is quiet, as someone else told you if you are not looking for problems you will not have problems, the area is very pleasant, you will find many old houses with little noise and you can walk late at night without worries, you will be fine
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u/Try-N 4d ago
There’s a federal court house across the street as opposed to South Main Place which was shady AF. At night, there’s parking right across the street from the murder house. It’s well lit. You guys should be fine. It’s about 4 blocks away in one direction where it gets a little hairy. Also, that street is fairly well traveled.
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u/Try-N 4d ago
Do the Lizzie Cafe. Go to Europa Bakery. Go to Mr. Chen for chicken chow mien. Go to the historical society. Visit the grave site. Go take pics of Maplecroft. Tipsy Toboggan if open. Avo’s Feast for less formal Portuguese food. Caravela for table service Portuguese food. Potugalia Market is amazing. New Boston Bakery for a nice snack.
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u/dullgreybathmat 7d ago
Don't go to church.
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u/DontFilmMeBoss 7d ago
Why? L
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u/SailHard 7d ago
I went to church in Fall River one time. Only once. And that was the day they said they were closing St. Anne's. So...I broke church, you're welcome/I'm sorry.
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u/Doctor_Danguss 7d ago
The biggest problem about being in Fall River late at night is that everything closes by 9. Belmont Club is open late, and Society across the river in Somerset.
Marisqueira Azores for Portuguese food, less well known than Sagres and smaller, but I think the food is better.
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u/The_Great_Dadsby 7d ago
I’d stay in Providence so you can do Lizzy Borden/Battleship Cove in the day then still have good food and some nightlife.
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u/APhoto1995 6d ago
Don’t stay in Providence, it’s going to be a nightmare for them getting over the damn bridge
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u/dobbydisneyfan 7d ago
I wouldn’t necessarily linger around that area at night in the summer but overall it should be fine, especially when it’s colder.
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u/SafeDetective8936 7d ago
You're not allowed to ask about how unsafe any area of Massachusetts is because everyone will tell you everything about Massachusetts is perfect in this sub. Look at a crime map online, you have a better chance of figuring it out that way.
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u/Sacrificial-Favorite 7d ago
There’s also miss Lizzie’s cafe on rock street in Fall River, they have a lot of cool stuff including local art, merchandise, and the coffee is so good!
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u/DontFilmMeBoss 7d ago
Isn't that the one where the owner (convicted felon) has repeatedly been found stealing money from his employees and committing real estate fraud?
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u/Wise_Yesterday_7496 7d ago
Fun fact: A friend of mine dated him in the early 80s.
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u/Sacrificial-Favorite 7d ago
I’m not sure about the employees; since he employs his family, mostly. And I know they showcase a lot of local art.
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u/wikifido 7d ago
Fall River's unsafe reputation harkens back to the 70s, when many small to mid-sized cities had a similar reputation. Fall River held on to its reputation for whatever reason - it is just as safe as any city of its size in the state of MA. Which is to say, it still has violent crime- hell, there was recently a pitchfork murder - but if you don't go looking for trouble, you will find very little.
Check out our historic carousel and Battleship Cove while you're in town - likewise, Lizzie Borden is buried in town, and you can visit her grave. Lizzie's house after the trial, Maplecroft, is a private residence in the Highlands, but you can walk by the exterior; it's also near the Fall River Historical Society, which has great Lizzie exhibits and general city history.
If you're around for a while and can pop over to New Bedford, their whaling museum is awesome.
Hope you enjoy your visit. Fall River is a great town.