eastland mall (Charlotte, Concord, Albemarle: crimes, houses, schools)

[RandyS]

Lock your doors, park under street lamps so in fall and winter when you get out of work the lights are on and shining on your car.

[Krisia]

You guys just don't know the art of living in a bad neighborhood. I can walk to Eastland Mall from my house. I love my house, but it is in a bad neighborhood. I don't know why I bought it... I could just as easily bought a smaller house in a better neighborhood, but I don't regret it. My yard and pool rock!

So a little background... I am a married, white, 29 year old woman who is often home alone due to my husband's army deployments. I have never once been scared. I have had a couple of funny conversations with passers by, but only when frequenting businesses on Central. Usually they want to know if my daddy is white - because of my light blue eyes. If anyone ever acts a little off to you, the key is to act crazier. One "scary looking" guy engaged me in a conversation about how dangerous the neighborhood is, and why I was in it. I told him that I just got dismissed from the Army because of mental issues, then giggled that they let me keep my gun!!! I swear I can make any criminal run scared.

[gkleoni1]

Originally Posted by Krisia

You guys just don't know the art of living in a bad neighborhood. I can walk to Eastland Mall from my house. I love my house, but it is in a bad neighborhood. I don't know why I bought it... I could just as easily bought a smaller house in a better neighborhood, but I don't regret it. My yard and pool rock!

So a little background... I am a married, white, 29 year old woman who is often home alone due to my husband's army deployments. I have never once been scared. I have had a couple of funny conversations with passers by, but only when frequenting businesses on Central. Usually they want to know if my daddy is white - because of my light blue eyes. If anyone ever acts a little off to you, the key is to act crazier. One "scary looking" guy engaged me in a conversation about how dangerous the neighborhood is, and why I was in it. I told him that I just got dismissed from the Army because of mental issues, then giggled that they let me keep my gun!!! I swear I can make any criminal run scared.

I'd rather live in the small house with no pool than have to think of how to scare off pitantially dangerous people. Eventuallly you might find one who does not scare off. I do hope I am wring though.

[Native_Son]

Originally Posted by gkleoni1

I'd rather live in the small house with no pool than have to think of how to scare off pitantially dangerous people. Eventuallly you might find one who does not scare off. I do hope I am wring though.

And we thank you for that. It keeps our taxes low.

I decided a long time ago that I was in more danger commuting to work everyday than living on the east side. I've been an east-side denizen for 7 years now and had nary an issue. The scariest thing at my house are Jehovah's Witnesses

East side positives in my neighborhood:
uptown commute roundtrip: 13 minutes
Average home value: ~170K
Average tree size: big enough to shade me AND my neighbor
Neighbors: mostly southerners or long-time residents of the south
Transportation: the bus is great when the gas is expensive and everywhere is biking distance
Community: Commonwealth market and Thomas Street Tavern and Central Ave and 7th Street goodness. I'll take two, please.
Crime: concentrated on thoroughfares, in multi-family residential areas and a few very poor neighborhooods. Enough to generate the self-perpetuating stereotype though (which takes me back to taxes! And thanks again!).
School district: Myers Park High School


Y'all enjoy your commute though!

[himain]

Sorry, but I'd rather spend my money and be safer!!

[Native_Son]

Originally Posted by himain

Sorry, but I'd rather spend my money and be safer!!

don't apologize to me, it's your money

[baybook]

Actually, when we moved to Charlotte, we tried to find a home in a neighborhood similar to what you described here. Unfortunately, after making 3-4 offers just a "day" too late, we selected another area of the city.

Originally Posted by Native_Son

And we thank you for that. It keeps our taxes low.

I decided a long time ago that I was in more danger commuting to work everyday than living on the east side. I've been an east-side denizen for 7 years now and had nary an issue. The scariest thing at my house are Jehovah's Witnesses

East side positives in my neighborhood:
uptown commute roundtrip: 13 minutes
Average home value: ~170K
Average tree size: big enough to shade me AND my neighbor
Neighbors: mostly southerners or long-time residents of the south
Transportation: the bus is great when the gas is expensive and everywhere is biking distance
Community: Commonwealth market and Thomas Street Tavern and Central Ave and 7th Street goodness. I'll take two, please.
Crime: concentrated on thoroughfares, in multi-family residential areas and a few very poor neighborhooods. Enough to generate the self-perpetuating stereotype though (which takes me back to taxes! And thanks again!).
School district: Myers Park High School


Y'all enjoy your commute though!

[Krisia]

Originally Posted by gkleoni1

I'd rather live in the small house with no pool than have to think of how to scare off pitantially dangerous people. Eventuallly you might find one who does not scare off. I do hope I am wring though.

Wimp.

I'm totally kidding. The truth is that you are never safe. The scariest confrontation that I have ever had occurred in the old Barnes and Noble parking lot in the heart of Southpark - far worse than I have ever experienced on Central.

The "bad Mexicans" that you are so scared of are really nice people. You can tell me that I'm wrong, but I think my perspective is stronger since I live amongst Latinos, Middle Easterners and a high Asian population - I grew up in a lily white CT town. 99% of my passing engagements have shown me that they are far more courteous and hard working than the people that I meet uptown or in Southpark. They appreciate the fact that I give them a smile and treat them as equals. They try their best to communicate with me in English; completely excited that I give them time to try.

Also, people in the "better" neighborhoods will certainly call the police if they think something funny is going on at your house. On my street, the neighbors will come over and make sure that you are okay. I have accidentally tripped my alarm twice. At least two neighbors showed up at the door both times. I regularly check crime reports on my street - nothing significant. So you can keep your cookie cutter in the suburbs with the flat vinyl siding in the back; I have culture and kindness surrounding my beautifully cheap brick home. Also, I think that if you check Eastland crime stats against the other local malls you will be quite surprised (not saying that I go there - I don't). People like to imagine the reality of the neighborhood with no actual experience other than a drive through. Please reply if you have been robbed on Central. I'll give you rep points if you tell me you've been shot and killed at Eastland.

[Krisia]

Originally Posted by Native_Son

And we thank you for that. It keeps our taxes low.

I decided a long time ago that I was in more danger commuting to work everyday than living on the east side. I've been an east-side denizen for 7 years now and had nary an issue. The scariest thing at my house are Jehovah's Witnesses

East side positives in my neighborhood:
uptown commute roundtrip: 13 minutes
Average home value: ~170K
Average tree size: big enough to shade me AND my neighbor
Neighbors: mostly southerners or long-time residents of the south
Transportation: the bus is great when the gas is expensive and everywhere is biking distance
Community: Commonwealth market and Thomas Street Tavern and Central Ave and 7th Street goodness. I'll take two, please.
Crime: concentrated on thoroughfares, in multi-family residential areas and a few very poor neighborhooods. Enough to generate the self-perpetuating stereotype though (which takes me back to taxes! And thanks again!).
School district: Myers Park High School


Y'all enjoy your commute though!

I think that you live in a more gentrified area of East Charlotte than I do, but yes, you are right! There are plenty of neighborhoods in East Charlotte filled with the white people that everyone loves! I am definitely not taking a shot at your neighborhood, as I completely love the East Charlotte neighborhoods close to downtown. The rich white people occupying these neighborhoods tend to be far more accepting and diverse than the general upper class of Charlotte - and they even accept the rich non-whites! They are good people.

My point is only that the term "East Charlotte" has far more range than most think. East Charlotte does not mean "right next to Eastland Mall." There are beautiful well built homes in neighborhoods that are not just stable, but growing in value despite the downturn. Any savvy investor would note this.

[gkleoni1]

Originally Posted by Krisia

Wimp.

I'm totally kidding. The truth is that you are never safe. The scariest confrontation that I have ever had occurred in the old Barnes and Noble parking lot in the heart of Southpark - far worse than I have ever experienced on Central.

The "bad Mexicans" that you are so scared of are really nice people. You can tell me that I'm wrong, but I think my perspective is stronger since I live amongst Latinos, Middle Easterners and a high Asian population - I grew up in a lily white CT town. 99% of my passing engagements have shown me that they are far more courteous and hard working than the people that I meet uptown or in Southpark. They appreciate the fact that I give them a smile and treat them as equals. They try their best to communicate with me in English; completely excited that I give them time to try.

Also, people in the "better" neighborhoods will certainly call the police if they think something funny is going on at your house. On my street, the neighbors will come over and make sure that you are okay. I have accidentally tripped my alarm twice. At least two neighbors showed up at the door both times. I regularly check crime reports on my street - nothing significant. So you can keep your cookie cutter in the suburbs with the flat vinyl siding in the back; I have culture and kindness surrounding my beautifully cheap brick home. Also, I think that if you check Eastland crime stats against the other local malls you will be quite surprised (not saying that I go there - I don't). People like to imagine the reality of the neighborhood with no actual experience other than a drive through. Please reply if you have been robbed on Central. I'll give you rep points if you tell me you've been shot and killed at Eastland.

No not shot and killed but most certainly shot at. As in literally shot at and saved by my boyfriend throwing me down on the ground. Followed by the crime lab van coming by the measure various bullet holes and where they landed. This was at the apartments off of Albemarle Rd across from the Red Lobster. BTW I am Latina and so no I do not think of Mexicans as "bad" and when I speak to them it is in fluent Spanish. As far as your scariest experience being at Southpark, I was just responding to your original post. And I say again, I do not want to have to plan a way to keep away potentially dangerous people by acting crazy. And as far as only knowing the Eastland area by driving past it; I lived there for over 20 years. I learned to drive in the Eastland Mall parking lot. We finally sold our family home, in 2005, after someone was shot and killed in the driveway of the corner house during a driveby shooting. You made a whole lot of assumptions based on absolutely nothing and seemed to have gotten them ALL wrong.