[QUOTE=Surfer500;2176797]If your implying that El Centro is safe for a first time non Spanish speaking gringo to hang out in, that in my opinion is bad advice. El Centro is dangerous even for Colombians and much more so for an obvious foreigner.[/QUOTE]I frequent El Centro, mainly for the strip clubs but generally walk through the streetwalker area and occasionally catch one there too. My Spanish is crap. If like me, you are good in and are used to cities, it's really no big deal. I've spent a lot of time in developing countries and have mongered around the world. I don't see much risk at all in the daytime for the clued in and very little at night. If I leave a strip club before the train stops, I walk to St Antonio and jump on the Metro. Later than that, I call an Uber. Been doing this for 5 months and the only issue I ever had was that 3 hookers tried, unsuccessfully, to pick my pockets. In fact is was the first place I got laid on New Years when I arrived because that day there were no better choices and I had a goal.
Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've been doing this for 20 years, much of the time in places where it's not legal. I don't see what the big deal is if you do research and know how not look like a victim or a tourist.