Will Kirkwood/Edgewood ever be the next Candler Park/Lake Claire? (Atlanta: apartment complexes, crime)

[equinox63]

Will Kirkwood/Edgewood ever be the next Candler Park/Lake Claire? If so, when?

[red92s]

When Toomer and Whiteford elementary schools, and Coan Middle are comparable to Mary Lin and Inman, and the Crime Den at Edgewood Court Apartments ceases to exist.

"Ever" is a long time, and I suspect the area will continue to trend upwards, particularly if the school situation gains some stability and traction. You have to remember though, that it's not like Candler Park and Lake Claire are stagnant at the moment. Mary Lin is getting a large renovation right now, as is Springdale Park. There are older homes being knocked down and/or renovated on every block in those areas as well.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by red92s

When Toomer and Whiteford elementary schools, and Coan Middle are comparable to Mary Lin and Inman, and the Crime Den at Edgewood Court Apartments ceases to exist.

"Ever" is a long time, and I suspect the area will continue to trend upwards, particularly if the school situation gains some stability and traction. You have to remember though, that it's not like Candler Park and Lake Claire are stagnant at the moment. Mary Lin is getting a large renovation right now, as is Springdale Park. There are older homes being knocked down and/or renovated on every block in those areas as well.

If Bixby Courts can be redeveloped, then Edgewood Courts can too. Once the property gets valuable enough and Russell sells it or redevelops it. The apartments have to be nearing the end of their useful lifetime.

[jeoff]

At the current pace--maybe 20 years. But, for it to happen quickly (in less than 10 years), I think something would have to happen to shake up the school system zoning to result in a large influx of middle class or wealthy kids that would use the school system. Things such as:
1) redevelopment of Boulevard section8 housing
2) redevelopment of the Turner Field area
3) annexation of the Druid Hills area into Atlanta.
While these areas are not directly adjacent to the Edgewood-Kirkwood area, I don't think it matters. Once enough middle class/wealthy kids are added to Atlanta Public Schools on the east-side , the rezoning of kids currently in the Grady cluster will be forced, and that would allow for Edgewood-Kirkwood-to be more like Candler Park-LakeClaire.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by equinox63

Will Kirkwood/Edgewood ever be the next Candler Park/Lake Claire? If so, when?

Maybe we don't want to be like Candler Park/Lake Claire? We enjoy the diversity, but can do without the petty crime.

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Maybe we don't want to be like Candler Park/Lake Claire? We enjoy the diversity, but can do without the petty crime.

Well, for-better-or-worse, once the area is perceived to be "safe enough", the economic diversity will begin to disappear. Barring invention of Star Trek Transporters, Atlanta traffic is too sucky for safe close-in neighborhoods to keep many poor residents for very long (see Oakhurst as a reference).

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by jeoff

Well, for-better-or-worse, once the area is perceived to be "safe enough", the economic diversity will begin to disappear. Barring invention of Star Trek Transporters, Atlanta traffic is too sucky for safe close-in neighborhoods to keep many poor residents for very long (see Oakhurst as a reference).

What is safe enough? Candler Park and Lake Claire still have burglaries and thefts from auto's yet they are perceived as being safe. Criminals do not stop at DeKalb Ave.

[jeoff]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Maybe we don't want to be like Candler Park/Lake Claire? We enjoy the diversity, but can do without the petty crime.

Originally Posted by cqholt

What is safe enough? Candler Park and Lake Claire still have burglaries and thefts from auto's yet they are perceived as being safe. Criminals do not stop at DeKalb Ave.

"Perceived" to be safe enough... Folks often aren't rational about the way they perceive safety (or schools for that matter), but it definitely affects their actions. But, I know that you already know that.

[red92s]

Originally Posted by cqholt

What is safe enough? Candler Park and Lake Claire still have burglaries and thefts from auto's yet they are perceived as being safe. Criminals do not stop at DeKalb Ave.

Crimes of opportunity can and will happen pretty much anywhere. Lets take one step beyond entering auto incidents, and even smash and grabs. . Do they have murders on the bike trail? Residents getting shot for an iPhone while walking their dog? Apartment complexes where residents are brazen enough to shoot a cop point blank with a shotgun, because they know nobody living there will rat on them? Known drug houses? A nightclub in the middle of the neighborhood where off-duty APD "security" officers allow random gunfire, pissing in the streets, and drag racing?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by red92s

Crimes of opportunity can and will happen pretty much anywhere. Lets take one step beyond entering auto incidents, and even smash and grabs. . Do they have murders on the bike trail? Residents getting shot for an iPhone while walking their dog? Apartment complexes where residents are brazen enough to shoot a cop point blank with a shotgun, because they know nobody living there will rat on them? Known drug houses? A nightclub in the middle of the neighborhood where off-duty APD "security" officers allow random gunfire, pissing in the streets, and drag racing?

There was a murder in Virginia-Highland 2 years ago, a robbery gone wrong.
A person was shot in Candler Park walking back from L5P last year.
Crimes happen everywhere and criminals do not stop at neighborhood boundaries.
Edgewood Courts is a problem, but most of the residents are law abiding citizens that have to live in that crap everyday.
Morris Lounge is an issue since the younger generation took over and the only way to live together is to sit down and work things out. Morris isn't going anywhere.