Please tell me about Charlestown (Boston, Medford: low income, crime, neighborhoods)

[change ahead]

We are a family of 4 (2 adults 2 kids) looking into moving to Charlestown. We are not considering public schools so that is not one of our criteria. We also work in Boston and hence Charlestown is convenient. We are considering a place that is on Pearl street between Bunker Hill St. & Medford st.

How safe is it? We can not afford living in the monument / Navy Yard areas and so will probably consider somewhere on the other side of Charlestown (away from Boston center).

Regards,
Safaa

[Urban Peasant]

A generation ago, Charlestown was a predominantly working class neighborhood and most of it a sure bet for raising families. Sure enough there were toughs here and there but like North End and South Boston of the day, it was a place where most everyone knew each other. I too had a fair share of classmates from Charlestown in high school. Nowadays it is very gentrified with parts of it filled with childless young professionals from elsewhere and other parts (primarily the public housing projects) with low income residents. I'[m not too sure of Pearl Street other than it being hilly and near Charlestown High School. It does not border the housing projects where there is a fair share of crime but on the other hand, they aren't that far away either. Still, if you are insistent on truly urban living, you'll have to put up with that I suppose. Charlestown to me is not as family oriented as it used to be but then that's probably because the cost of living there has gone up so far. I could say the same about other urban neighborhoods in Boston.