skid row

• skidrow

Probably from skid road (“a road along which logs were skidded”), transferred to the streets of towns where loggers had recreation on their time off.

skid row (plural skid rows)

1. An especially dilapidated section of a city, characterized by run-down or abandoned buildings, alcoholism and homelessness, and vices such as drug dealing and prostitution.
2. A colloquial designation of a run-down district of Los Angeles.

• skid road