Springfield Wars.

[Deuce]

even the newbies are somewhat aware of what Springfield used to be

I'm a newbie and I know what it was, but images can be changed. Within my lifetime, Dupont Circle in D.C was not a great neighborhood to put it charitably. Now it's considered in the same caliber as Georgetown. It takes time, but it can happen. When longtime residents of Jax begin to go hmmm, progress has been made.

[Mugatu]

Downtown Baltimore Had the combat zone. just to name a few.

Not really important to the discussion at hand, but I'm a native Baltimoron and can't let it go.  The redlight district in Bawlmer has traditionally been known as "The Block".