Yesterday I was trying to stumble through a Spanish conversation and needed to use a word that means "neighborhood." I almost went with "barrio," but even though I know this word translates to "neighborhood," I heard that it is more synonymous to an area that we would consider "the ghetto," or "the hood."
I really don't want to offend anyone by referring to their neighborhood as a hellhole. My Spanish is already offensive enough just through its sheer crappiness (there's a good made up word for all of you native Spanish speakers).
Any advice on whether my assumption is accurate, and if so, what you would recommend for a replacement?