Would you live next to a strip club? (Boston, Washington: apartment complex, lease)

[Illusions]

I PRESUME that the strip clubs attract, among others, unsavory elements and drug addicts, thus not only making the area less frequented by those who want to keep it relatively classy with their spouses, SOs, dates, friends etc; but also increasing the crime rates. Would you then find a home in a building next to a famous strip club (or two) if you wanted to be in a relatively vibrant and safe area? Or in other words, can strip clubs, safety and healthy nightlife coexist?

Context: A new building is offering decent prices (although still whopping compared to many other areas) in downtown. It is a very short walk to the workplace, making it incredibly attractive, but not enough to forgo the nightlife scene and safety element.

[Cliff Clavin]

Are you refering to the Kensington on Washington St? If so, I would have no problem living in that building, or neighborhood for that matter. The drug addicts were priced out 30 years ago.

[Illusions]

Yeah, that would be the one.

[Fern Rock]

There's a real good one* in Philly that is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon - Sat. That's how it stays open and the area stays good.

* clean inside and out, pretty girls, non-shady employees, food, good beer selection. Basically a bar with dancing girls.

[495neighbor]

Put up luxury high rises, power wash the old buildings and clean the trash from the street and our own little Times Square Jr. is still a shadowy place. I include leather district, Chinatown, Bay Village, Downtown Crossing and the gritty little edge of the South End down Herald Street. At least the den of vice Zanzibar went out of business.

[millerm277]

There's a difference between the average strip club and the fancy high-end places in terms of who's going there. I wouldn't want to live near the average strip club because it draws in a ****ty crowd.

The fancy high-end place? Sure, the people who can afford that place probably aren't bringing crime and other trouble. (maybe committing White-collar crime by day, but doesn't matter for this purpose). And unlike the average place, I'd expect they put effort into maintaining "respectability" with security, cleanliness in public-facing areas, etc.

[NS-GR]

This is a very active and vibrant area. There are few strip clubs indeed, but also there are homeless shelters, bars, hotels, theaters, dorms…thousands of people... I mean it is Boston Downtown!
I personally would have absolutely no problem to live in this neighborhood.
The apartments in the high-rises in the Downtown area are sold for millions, so you can figure that many people would want to move there if they could afford it. There is another new luxury apartment complex a couple of blocks away (the Millenium) and Ritz has residencies as well. All these luxury buildings have 24/7 concierge and in my opinion are very safe.
Having said that, this does not necessarily mean that everybody would feel comfortable living downtown. You might want to spend few days or late nights around this area to see whether you are comfortable. A friend of mine wanted to buy an apartment in one of the buildings in the neighborhood and she was planning to spend few days in a hotel nearby, just to see whether she likes the area. Again, it is a great area, but it may not be ideal for everyone and you have to go somewhere that you feel comfortable.

[Illusions]

Great advice and ideas. Thanks everyone for those. I'm more comfortable now looking in that area. Maybe I will get a hotel there for 2-3 days prior to signing a lease, just to be sure.

[Cliff Clavin]

I notice today the Kensington has a dual level roof deck with pool and outdoor fireplace. I'd move in in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

[MikePRU]

My father-in-law used to live in that part of Boston. It never struck me as unsafe.