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Old 02-02-2009, 10:53 PM
 
1 posts, read 4,569 times
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Hi,
I am thinking about getting a house on highgate avenue between comstock ave and bailey. The landlord says its a decent street, and the two neighbors on either side are long time residents. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me their opinion of the safety of this street? I know its not the safest there is, but compared to some of the surrounding area?

Thank you
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Old 02-03-2009, 05:45 PM
 
Location: Buffalo area
51 posts, read 115,458 times
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I'm not very familiar with the street itself, but I would not feel safe anywhere near Bailey Ave from Main St south.

The URL is of Highgate St and the surrounding area. You would be much better served on the other side of Main St in the University Heights area or the Hertel area.
The cost of homes will be more in those areas though.

Map of 121 Highgate Ave Buffalo, NY by MapQuest
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Old 02-04-2009, 11:36 PM
 
504 posts, read 1,485,021 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fisherpriced View Post
Hi,
I am thinking about getting a house on highgate avenue between comstock ave and bailey. The landlord says its a decent street, and the two neighbors on either side are long time residents. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me their opinion of the safety of this street? I know its not the safest there is, but compared to some of the surrounding area?

Thank you
Regarding University Heights, you are looking at just about the worst area. It's not as barren as areas of the city to the south (Kensington), but there is definitely gang activity, car theft, robberies, home invasions, hold-ups, etc. The Heights is getting to be a little too gritty for a lot of UB students, I think, especially east of Main St. UB is unwilling or unable to keep the area safe.

That said, Bailey Ave is not a horrible place to hang out, during the daytime. 99 Fast Food, right by Highgate, is a really great cheap restaurant. There are also some good soul food places further south on Bailey. If I lived in U Heights, I would probably spend most of my time on Main St, in Amy's Place (Main and Merrimac), Talking Leaves Bookstore (Main and Northrup) and that Jamaican restaurant further south (Main and Minnesota?). Bailey is always full of people but many of its businesses are closing, and buildings are being demolished all the time. Closest supermarket to you is Tops, at Main and Kenmore, but you're not far from Wegmans in Amherst on N Bailey ave.

The bars are almost purely there to serve the undergraduate population of UB (both north and south campus residents party down here) so if you are not interested in this scene, you'd have to go a mile or so west to Hertel Ave. On weekends, Main St (between let's say Heath and Northrup) is taken over by underage drinkers, and Northrup and Winspear Sts have many unsanctioned fraternity houses. I would think that the address you're talking about would be out of range of this noise, but I'm not sure.

I can't tell if you're looking to rent or buy. Buying would be a mistake, I think. This area is not great and has been steadily declining for decades. Renting might not be so bad, if you're looking to save a little money. And if you're looking on Highgate near Bailey you probably are. Lowball the landlord on the rent, and try to get a month to month lease (although these are rare in Buffalo) so you can get out whenever you want.

Probably more info than you were expecting! Hope it helps. Bottom line is, it's a livable area, but not especially nice. I have friends who live off of Bailey Ave to both the east and west and they don't seem to mind it.
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Old 02-05-2009, 03:59 PM
 
Location: Boston, MA
3,961 posts, read 5,699,881 times
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I didn't think that Highgate Avenue's neighborhood was also University Heights. I thought that term applied only to the small neighborhood across Main Street (i.e. Merrimac, West Winspear, etc). I thought the neighborhood where Highgate Avenue is located is called Kensington Heights or sometimes the University "District" (but not heights).
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Old 02-05-2009, 04:03 PM
 
91,964 posts, read 122,044,192 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Urban Peasant View Post
I didn't think that Highgate Avenue's neighborhood was also University Heights. I thought that term applied only to the small neighborhood across Main Street (i.e. Merrimac, West Winspear, etc). I thought the neighborhood where Highgate Avenue is located is called Kensington Heights or sometimes the University "District" (but not heights).
You're right according to the neighborhoods map:Norteast Corner - Buffalo Neighborhoods Map - University at Buffalo Libraries
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Old 02-05-2009, 09:17 PM
 
504 posts, read 1,485,021 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Urban Peasant View Post
I didn't think that Highgate Avenue's neighborhood was also University Heights. I thought that term applied only to the small neighborhood across Main Street (i.e. Merrimac, West Winspear, etc). I thought the neighborhood where Highgate Avenue is located is called Kensington Heights or sometimes the University "District" (but not heights).
I think you are right but colloquially, it's all "The Heights." It's only in the newspaper that I've heard it referred to as "University District."

Edit: Actually I thought this over and I'm sticking with what I originally said. Highgate is in the Heights. "University District" is a common council area that stretches as far south as Delavan Ave and as far west as Starin Ave, so it's not very descriptive of this particular area. Just my two cents.

Last edited by mycrows; 02-05-2009 at 09:57 PM..
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Old 02-10-2009, 04:50 PM
JH6
 
1,435 posts, read 3,199,881 times
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The area that the original poster is looking at is not a good one.

It depends who you are though, it is one of those hard racial lines so to speak.

You go from Amherst, which has been named safest city in America, to the fringes of the East Side of Buffalo, a very poor, urban area, with crime galore.

The location that you mentioned is right on the fringe. I would not walk around after dark in that area, nor would I want to live there. Drive about half a mile south on Bailey and you are in the ghetto.

If you are going to UB south, I would look for an apartment on the other side of main street in buffalo (if you want to walk or whatever), or look in the town of tonawanda which is north of Kenmore Avenue.

Town of Tonawanda is an excellent area, and fairly cheap.
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Old 02-10-2009, 11:55 PM
 
Location: Buffalo NY
414 posts, read 1,499,262 times
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get in a car and take a drive. knock on a door and ask a neighbor. hang out in the neighborhood for a couple of hours.
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Old 02-18-2009, 11:46 PM
 
4,135 posts, read 10,767,250 times
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You need to be truly realistic on this: go at 7 am ( hardly anyone up), go in midday ( people up, you can tell who is home), go about 3:30-4pm ( you can see kids and teens in their neighborhood)...... if you go after dark, well, let's put it this way.... it might not be so safe looking.
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