Is Columbus Ghetto (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo: jobs, new house, crime)

[happymee]

WOW Bigvill i lived in the same area from 88 to 95 yes i know Uzi alley i lived on chesterfield also Virginia lee w behind the marquee...it's just 2 different people with their own opinions...living there helped me see that i wanted more and i got it...like i said sorry to have offened anyone...

[happymee]

we seem so different but seem to have alot in common...sorry for your loss...

[Cle440]

BigVill thx for sharing and sorry for your losses. I have been to Columbus a lot of times but Ive only heard of Greenbrier maybe one time. Where is Greenbrier? and is it still as bad as it used to be? People constantly tell me that around Cleveland Ave. is the worst area of Columbus but Ive been there many times and though its one of the worst areas in the city there are places a lot worse in the city of Cleveland.

[pirate_lafitte]

Wow. Last time I checked Columbus, OH is thriving and doing well. Anyone who says Columbus is ghetto obviously wouldn't make it in any of Ohio's other cities. Go look at Cleveland. Yes Cloumbus has some sketchy parts, but it's nothing compared to Cleveland or Cincinnati.

[BigVill]

Originally Posted by Cle440

BigVill thx for sharing and sorry for your losses. I have been to Columbus a lot of times but Ive only heard of Greenbrier maybe one time. Where is Greenbrier? and is it still as bad as it used to be? People constantly tell me that around Cleveland Ave. is the worst area of Columbus but Ive been there many times and though its one of the worst areas in the city there are places a lot worse in the city of Cleveland.

Greenbrier no longer exists. About a year ago the Mayor and the police and community leaders had a big press conference where they took the first hammer to it, and then the bulldozers came in and razed it. It is just empty land with a fence around it right now. It was on James Road, about half a mile North of Broad Street. The bordering streets are Allegheny and Gould. It is within a mile of the Port Columbus. It was much milder over the last 10 years, but in the late 80's to mid 90's, that small area was probably the epicenter for the drug trade in Columbus. The Police wouldn't even come in there before their backup arrived. It was crazy, but still not what I would consider a ghetto. It was such a small geographic area and the average citizen could come and go with no problem because most of the murders were drug related and late at night. People of all races lived there, but the management seemed to purposely put the Blacks and Hispanics in the back and put the White people in the front near James Road where the rental office was. Someone actually sued them for housing discrimination because of this and the case was settled.

[Cle440]

Oh so it was like the projects or public housing. I heard that they knocked down a lot of projects in the city not too long ago. I forgot what the name was but it was probably Greenbrier and other public housing and bad apartment complexes. I remember they said it was around Allegheny Ave. on the eastside of Columbus.

They did the same thing in Cleveland to this place called Valley View I think. It was on the near westside close to West 7th Street in Tremont.

[BigVill]

Originally Posted by Cle440

Oh so it was like the projects or public housing. I heard that they knocked down a lot of projects in the city not too long ago. I forgot what the name was but it was probably Greenbrier and other public housing and bad apartment complexes. I remember they said it was around Allegheny Ave. on the eastside of Columbus.

They did the same thing in Cleveland to this place called Valley View I think. It was on the near westside close to West 7th Street in Tremont.

Yes, that was probably Greenbrier that you heard about. More recently, the name was changed to Woodland Meadows to try to get rid of the old image. The occupancy was probably in the 30-40% range over the last few years of its existence The new owner however was in over his head and there ended up being no running water or heat in a lot of the buildings. The city filed charges against him and helped the tenants that were left find other places. It wasn't really public housing. The public housing in Columbus is handled by the Columbus Metro Housing Authority, but Greenbrier was always privately owned. Rent did not go by your income like public housing, but some people did have section 8 assistance. There were actaually many regular full time working families there. The Columbus Dispatch had a large series of stories about it in the mid 90's where they stated that there were over 5,000 people in those apartments. It was like it's own mini city. There was a grocery store, pizza place, 2 bars , 2 carry outs, and a night club that set one night aside for teen night all in that small area.

[Cle440]

yeah thats the name I heard, Woodland Meadows. They said they razed it because it had a bad reputation from people in the neighborhood with crime and drugs.

Any idea on what they are going to do with the empty land now? if theyve decided to do anything with it.

[BigVill]

Originally Posted by Cle440

yeah thats the name I heard, Woodland Meadows. They said they razed it because it had a bad reputation from people in the neighborhood with crime and drugs.

Any idea on what they are going to do with the empty land now? if theyve decided to do anything with it.

They are still discussing the different options. It is really a good piece of land with it's proximity to the the Defense Supply Center, The Airport, Easton, and Bexley. Some people have proposed a housing sub-division, while others have proposed a shooping center. Home Depot has shown interest in the site, because Lowe's has a store around the corner and there is no Home Depot nearby. Right now it is just sitting there with a fence around it waiting for something to happen.

[oakwood23]

Originally Posted by Cle440

BigVill thx for sharing and sorry for your losses. I have been to Columbus a lot of times but Ive only heard of Greenbrier maybe one time. Where is Greenbrier? and is it still as bad as it used to be? People constantly tell me that around Cleveland Ave. is the worst area of Columbus but Ive been there many times and though its one of the worst areas in the city there are places a lot worse in the city of Cleveland.

Take it from somebody thats in the streets right now Cleveland Ave aint the worst hood in Columbus. I stay on Oakwood Ave and Whittier in Driving Park on the SouthSide. Driving Park or SouthSide in general has the most crime and Most Gangs in Columbus. Some of the projects in Columbus are Poindexter Village(Near Eastside), Lincoln Park Projects(Southside and Westside), was Greenbrier(Eastside). I got fam out in East Cleveland that live in between Cedar and Superior and it dont look or seem nomore different than Mount Vernon Ave or Main St in Columbus.
If you talking statistically Cleveland's numbers are above Columbus of course, but does Cleveland have as much suburbs and small towns attached onto there population like Columbus, NO! and fact is that hardly if any homicides come out of those suburbs like Reynoldsburg, Pickerington, Bexley, Grove City, Grandview, Clitonville, Gahanna, Whitehall,or Westerville and thats where Columbus gets alot of its size from.
Also whats different from Columbus and Cleveland is that in Columbus Gang affiliation is more problematic with the youths. Growing up in Driving Park going to South High School about 90% of everbody was an active within some Gang, mainly the ones that inhabit Livingston which is called L.A. Chain Gang or around Whittier Ave or LockBourne Ave. South High School's freshman drop out rate is about 60% the worst in Columbus.

Also heres a video that shows how the Southside of Columbus Get Down and then you tell me your thoughts on how Cleveland is any different from Columbus.

YouTube - Bloods Vs Crips Hood Fight Throw Your Hood Up