It's a personal choice that no one can make for you. A "rough" area doesn't really tell us all that much, I've been in "rough" areas with lots of gang activity and I've been in "rough" areas where gangs are all but unheard of.
Personally, I carry this:
S&W Model 66-2 .357 Magnum
My reasons for carrying this particular gun are as follows: I do not live, nor do I frequent, an area where gang activity or multiple attacker situations are common or particularly likely. I have, however, determined that because I'm a fairly large man, the most likely attacker that I would have to face would be very large, mentally unstable, or under the influence of some sort of mind-altering substance. For this reason, I find the added penetration of a 158grn .357 Magnum JHP to be an asset. I, like yourself, also find a revolver's more rounded contours to be much easier to conceal than a squarish semi-automatic.
As far as shooting goes, I am more comfortable and more accurate with the smooth, rolling DA trigger of a revolver. I find that, when shooting at speed, I have better control over a good DA trigger than I do over a SA trigger (they always seem to break before I'm ready). I also have never found a semi-automatic DA trigger as smooth as that of a good S&W revolver. While the recoil of a .357 Magnum does slow my follow-up shots somewhat, I can still place all six rounds in the upper torso of a B27 Silhouette target with respectable speed from 15 yards, and decent speed from 30 yards. This brings me to a word about follow-up shots.
Many criticize powerful cartridges for slower follow-up shots, but what I think is forgotten is that there must be a balance between speed and power. Most people can probably shoot accurately with a full-sized .22 rimfire like a Ruger Mk. III or S&W M17 much more quickly than with a major-caliber handgun due to the almost non-existent recoil of a .22 Long Rifle. However, most people choose to carry something more powerful even though they are slower with it. Everyone must find the right balance of power and speed that best meets his or her individual shooting ability. For me, the upper limit is a .357 Magnum out of an all-steel S&W K-Frame or equivalent sized revolver or a .44 Magnum out of an all-steel S&W N-Frame or equivalent sized revolver.
So, if I were you, I'd be carrying the 686 for the above-mentioned reasons. I, however, am not you and your circumstances might be quite different from mine thusly making the G23 a better choice. As I said earlier, it's a personal decision that no one can make for you.
