Can West Birmingham Get Some Love? (Hoover, Fairview: relocate, apartment, work)

[Criss1956]

Originally Posted by pvjd

Is it that Ensley is truly unsafe, or are posters just afraid of large groups of black people? I have worked with clients in the area, went to school with people who live in the area, and drive in and/or around the area from time to time to get where I'm going. Yes, there is crime. But I can't help but wonder, especially with some of the racially charged posts and comments (I won't be specific as to avoid making myself a target), whether or not part of it is due to negative stereotypes. Personally,I feel a bit nervous and out of place when I am in an area that is extremely rural and has that "good old boy" feeling to it. However, I love country people and I love the south so go figure.

Based on negative stereotypes?
Nope, the reason I don't live there anymore or go there is because of my personal experiences and because it is like a war zone.
Birmingham and Bessemer has gone from what once was a nice, safe community to a crime infested slum.

[pvjd]

Fair enough. I respect an opinion more if it is from personal experience and not just a bunch of rhetoric.

[necey46]

Originally Posted by AndyG

Great place to live if you want to get shot in the face for no reason. Ensley is a zoo, put a fence around it and forget it exists. Do you not watch TV? Most of the murders, rapes, drive bys, robberies take place in that part of Birmingham. Make sure you take a sub-machine gun over there with you.

I did not grow up in Ensley I married and moved to Ensley. Not putting down the eastern part of town, but i thought it was so cool that there was always something to do (reflecting on the fact that there is so much foot traffic at night in the eastern part of town). I enjoy Ensley. If it wasn't for the the news I would not know about half the things that are implied happening in Ensley. What I did notice about the news if you listen closely when crime and murder happen anywhere else, they only give the street and avenue. If it happens Near or in Ensley it is simply Ensley. If something good happens you won't hear about it or it happened in the "name of the community" Not Ensley. I find this to be profiling a group of people since Ensley is largely black.There is even a comment about there being a large amount of places to buy chicken. And as to another persons quote about a black friend telling them to stay away (a black person can not speak for all black men because they are black, that still makes the listener racist in his hearing.) and another speaking about a white teacher moving there(which makes it okay). This should tell any black person with pride about their heritage of being black, that they & the media is not speaking of a place anymore they are speaking of a people. And btw, a person is more likely to run to Ensley thinking they can hide from a crime they committed. If Ensley was so bad you have to wonder why they are so easily found. You can not find like in like easily. Please, Please, please especially the news stop profiling. Seems to me Ensley seems to be the new N word.

[pvjd]

Originally Posted by necey46

I did not grow up in Ensley I married and moved to Ensley. Not putting down the eastern part of town, but i thought it was so cool that there was always something to do (reflecting on the fact that there is so much foot traffic at night in the eastern part of town). I enjoy Ensley. If it wasn't for the the news I would not know about half the things that are implied happening in Ensley. What I did notice about the news if you listen closely when crime and murder happen anywhere else, they only give the street and avenue. If it happens Near or in Ensley it is simply Ensley. If something good happens you won't hear about it or it happened in the "name of the community" Not Ensley. I find this to be profiling a group of people since Ensley is largely black.There is even a comment about there being a large amount of places to buy chicken. And as to another persons quote about a black friend telling them to stay away (a black person can not speak for all black men because they are black, that still makes the listener racist in his hearing.) and another speaking about a white teacher moving there(which makes it okay). This should tell any black person with pride about their heritage of being black, that they & the media is not speaking of a place anymore they are speaking of a people. And btw, a person is more likely to run to Ensley thinking they can hide from a crime they committed. If Ensley was so bad you have to wonder why they are so easily found. You can not find like in like easily. Please, Please, please especially the news stop profiling. Seems to me Ensley seems to be the new N word.

Thank you for summing up what I have had the restraint to not do.

[AndyG]

Originally Posted by pvjd

Is it that Ensley is truly unsafe, or are posters just afraid of large groups of black people? I have worked with clients in the area, went to school with people who live in the area, and drive in and/or around the area from time to time to get where I'm going. Yes, there is crime. But I can't help but wonder, especially with some of the racially charged posts and comments (I won't be specific as to avoid making myself a target), whether or not part of it is due to negative stereotypes. Personally,I feel a bit nervous and out of place when I am in an area that is extremely rural and has that "good old boy" feeling to it. However, I love country people and I love the south so go figure.

Yes, it is. As I posted earlier, pick up the newspaper or turn on the television news, then come back and ask that same question. I don't care who lives over there, as in what their race is, but crime statistics do not lie. They are matter of public record so just go down to Birmingham PD or Jeffco Sheriffs office and ask to see crime stats for the entire county, go back as far as you feel like and watch the crime trends. That big red bullseye you see over Ensley is there for a reason. It isn't that I'm wanting Ensley to be a crime infested area of urban decay and violence, it just is.

[Skellies]

I moved to Bham from NY 4 months ago. While in NY I saw online that alot of stuff was happening in Norwood. After I got here I saw 50 people at the neighborhod meeting and no less then 9 people who had moved into the neighborhood in the last 2 years.

I saw old houses with character, and the perceived crime dodn't really seem there. The area is changing. No, its not wonderland, but its not "Escape From NY" either.

I'm a mortgage broker and I saw that it was also a good place where I could live and also have a good investment. I now have a contract on a 2200 s.f. house in Norwood with lots of character. It needs fixing up but it was cheap and I have great neighbors who moved in recently to the neighborhood.

Give it a try. I can tell you where to look in the area.

Skellies

[AZ_680]

Ensley can be rough, but it's not nearly as bad as Tarrant. I think Brighton and Hueytown (Forest Rd area) are the nicer parts of western Birmingham -- or even pieces of Fairfield.

I haven't lived there in a few years; I apologize if my opinions are outdated.

[las110952]

I can only speak for these two neighborhoods in particular, but can tell you that my experiences from 2000 to present have been virtually all positive. In both Bush Hills and College Hills, many houses have yet to be renovated, so prices still are low relative to a lot of other historic parts of Birmingham. The neighborhoods are friendly and people look out for one another. Birmingham-Southern College is right here, so you can get to wonderful fine arts events quickly. UAB, Miles College and City Center (CBD) are all easy driving distance, too, and so expand a person's quality entertainment options. The only negative about these areas, to my mind, is lack of adequate shopping nearby. We need a village - the Western section of B'ham used to have several village centers just like the east part of town (other side of I-65) still does. Recent real estate history around the country shows that neighborhoods thrive on walkability to great restaurants, nightspots, and stores. If I had my 2000 purchase to do over again, I still would buy here, but I would be willing to pay twice as much as I did if a sustainable village concept existed here.

[Criss1956]

Originally Posted by necey46

I did not grow up in Ensley I married and moved to Ensley. Not putting down the eastern part of town, but i thought it was so cool that there was always something to do (reflecting on the fact that there is so much foot traffic at night in the eastern part of town). I enjoy Ensley. If it wasn't for the the news I would not know about half the things that are implied happening in Ensley. What I did notice about the news if you listen closely when crime and murder happen anywhere else, they only give the street and avenue. If it happens Near or in Ensley it is simply Ensley. If something good happens you won't hear about it or it happened in the "name of the community" Not Ensley. I find this to be profiling a group of people since Ensley is largely black.There is even a comment about there being a large amount of places to buy chicken. And as to another persons quote about a black friend telling them to stay away (a black person can not speak for all black men because they are black, that still makes the listener racist in his hearing.) and another speaking about a white teacher moving there(which makes it okay). This should tell any black person with pride about their heritage of being black, that they & the media is not speaking of a place anymore they are speaking of a people. And btw, a person is more likely to run to Ensley thinking they can hide from a crime they committed. If Ensley was so bad you have to wonder why they are so easily found. You can not find like in like easily. Please, Please, please especially the news stop profiling. Seems to me Ensley seems to be the new N word.

That's a bunch of bull and you know it.
I bet you don't go walking around, strolling down the streets of Ensley. Because you know that you will be taking your life in your hands, if you do.
About the only businesses in Ensley now are store front churches, Churches Chicken, pawn shops and thrift stoes. I think there are a few strip clubs, now.

At one time, Ensley had everything - any kind of business that you could imagine. There are no stores left in Pratt, Ensley, Wylam, Fairfield now because the businesses were robbed out of business.
They (robbers) robbed Miller's jewelry store in Pratt City and tied poor old Mr. Miller up and played Russian Roulette with his head. Then after mentally torturing him, they beat the hell out of him. He never recovered mentally and lived the rest of his live in fear.
They did the same thing with Johnny the shoe repair man, too.
About all of the beautiful old homes are now condemned crack houses.
The eastern side of town is going down hill pretty fast, too. I'm not even going to discuss west end and Powderly.

You try to make this a racial issue, as if it were the white peoples fault. You talk about black this and black that and profiling, etc. Well, hells bells, the Mayor, Police Chief, Fire Chief, majority of the B'ham city council and the residents of the city are black.
The city is being ran by blacks, yet you blame everything on the whites and racism.

At one time, Brighton was all white. Look at it now. I guess their plight is also the fault of the white people. Bless your heart.

[meme1009]

I grew up in Ensley, graduated from Ensley High School in 1967...It makes me so sad now to drive down the interstate and see my old house...What was once a very nice, middle class, safe neighborhood is now the slums..During the 50's and 60's, it was a great place to live.....As a kid, we walked the streets to DT Ensley to shop and go to the movies....We walked to the fairgrounds every year to the state fair, walked from Ensley to Wylam and from Ensley to Belview Heights and Bush Hills to visit friends.....I have great memories of playing in Ensley Park, going to Girl Scout meetings held in the park, swimming at the pool....walking to Jones and Johnsons groceries.....we were only kids, maybe 8 or 9 years old, but we never thought about crime, gangs, drive by shootings......it was a SAFE place to live, but all changed in the early seventies....my Mom finally had to move in 1977 because of the crime.....Our next door neighbor, who was 80 yrs old was beaten and raped.....After that, Mom finally agreed it was time to go....She hung in there as long as she could.....I have not been back since my Mom moved....Sad, but the neighborhood streets that once felt so safe, are now nothing but crime, crack houses and a place I would not feel safe during the day, let alone after dark....