Am I moving into an unsafe neighborhood? (Greensboro, King: relocation, broker)

[distortedrumble]

Sketchy would be the word i would use there too. I used to live at the corner of Haywood and Gregory and that was a horror story. while i lived there, there was prostitution, drug dealers and cops making rounds every 10 minutes and the worst was when this guy was pulled over by the cops and he shot one of them in the neck and fled. He was later caught in West Virginia and hung himself in his cell but still.. After that, urban south greensboro has been off my list of places to live.

[d_Random]

Yeah, a lot of people here talk up Glenwood. Every story I have heard, from people I know, is that it not a place I would want to live.

Originally Posted by distortedrumble

Sketchy would be the word i would use there too. I used to live at the corner of Haywood and Gregory and that was a horror story. while i lived there, there was prostitution, drug dealers and cops making rounds every 10 minutes and the worst was when this guy was pulled over by the cops and he shot one of them in the neck and fled. He was later caught in West Virginia and hung himself in his cell but still.. After that, urban south greensboro has been off my list of places to live.

[distortedrumble]

its definitely one of those places that needs a bunch of rich folks to come in there, revamp the housing and jack up the price so much that lower income folks can't afford it. that would clean it up a bit. it is funny to see some people who have pet chickens walking around their yard though. i feel a twinge of shame in saying that too.

[Caodhan]

Your last comment was pretty horrible. I guess you think poor people cause all the problems in the world. Floyd Street is not in Glenwood, it is in Spring Valley, also. Glenwood is a very diverse and open neighborhood that is on the cusp of change. Don't feel scared of living there. Rather than just talking about it, help those who are trying to make it better.

Also, most residents there want for it to change. All of these terrible poor people that you want to drive out.

This is coming from someone that has family that still lives in this neighborhood, grew up near the neighborhood (In Rolling Roads, just beside Four Seasons) and still lives in Greensboro.

Yes, do find somewhere better than Floyd Street. Look in Lindley Park, Aycock, College Hill and even around Pomona. All safe, urban neighborhoods with a good mix of people. Not just rich white folks.

[Caodhan]

Glenwood Neighborhood

Things are looking bright for Glenwood. And also, it doesn't just include gentrification like many other redevelopment plans. Gentrification just creates more racial problems and shifts issues to other areas and spawns sprawl.

[distortedrumble]

Originally Posted by Caodhan

Your last comment was pretty horrible. I guess you think poor people cause all the problems in the world.....
Also, most residents there want for it to change. All of these terrible poor people that you want to drive out.'''

........ All safe, urban neighborhoods with a good mix of people. Not just rich white folks.

eh forgot to mention sarcasm.

[Shea]

Wow I am surprised someone has not pulled out the race card yet, though I know you guys are thinking it. I am a bi-racial professional woman and I would not live anywhere on the East side of Greensboro. I think of Greensboro as a pie and wouldn't live on the right half of the pie. Granted there are wonderful ppl of all races stuck in the worst areas of town. What I do blame it on is the real estate pricing which generally keeps "them" in place and away from "their" homes. I know you know what I am talking about. Rents in these areas are cheaper and very high in other areas because they know that "blacks, Latinos and immigrants usually can not afford the high rents to live in safe areas. The City further facilitates this by very sub standard rents for programs like Section 8 that can allow a family to live pretty much anywhere they want but by limiting their voucher to keep them in the "Ghetto" areas. Thank Goddess there are some property owners out there with huge hearts who own homes in the posh areas and will lower the rents and accept Section 8 to give some ppl a fighting chance who want a better life and existence for their children.
I live on the West side in a very posh area and yet we still have issues here, and no believe it or not, its not the "Blacks"! (Gasp in horror and shock, go figure!) No matter where you go nowadays no one of any race is safe from crime that does come in all shades of the rainbow. Even the subtle type of crime that is right under your nose, the Preacher who molest your children, the teachers and other trusted personnel who attempt to solicit sex from your young children online, the nice quiet neighbor who you wake up one early morning and find him standing over your bed. We all can be a victim anytime, anywhere. Come on ppl, educate yourselves and if need be arm yourselves with self defence, a big damn dog or proper training to carry a concealed weapon, which I do. I must say as a woman who has been victimized in the past it does tip the scales in my favor just a tad and make me feel a bit safer with my children when my Life Partner(by the way he is Caucasian) isn't around. I hope this helps.

[LillieB]

Shea, thank you for a wonderfully candid and honest post. I have never heard of the "pie" analogy, and want to know more about it, specifically what neighborhoods fall in what aspect of the pie, etc... I will ask my realtor about it.

Which brings up this question..... I have asked my realtors if they can advice me about the safety element of a neighborhood if I see a house I am interested in. They told me that they cannot BY LAW advise me as to anything other than public record statistics of crime, demographics, etc. I even went so far as to ask, if I were an unmarried sister or other relative that they loved, would they recommend or not recommend a neighborhood to me. Still, they would not budge and will not give me any honest opinions about the ethnic mix of a neighborhood.

Being a single woman, I need to know that I will be safe and living in a reasonably diverse neighborhood. And if no one will tell me, how am I otherwise to know?

I have been visiting Greensboro on house-hunting tours with my realtor. What they showed me mostly were very lovely houses in new or under-construction developments in the $100-$130,000 price range. Really lovely homes. There no families about... no children playing in the yard, etc., and I could not get a feel for the demographics of the neighborhood. And my realtor "by law" steadfastly refuses to help me. So what am I to do?

Any suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated, as I am as clueless as the original poster who started this very informative thread... Thank you to you

- L

[jjp4]

Originally Posted by LillieB

Shea, thank you for a wonderfully candid and honest post. I have never heard of the "pie" analogy, and want to know more about it, specifically what neighborhoods fall in what aspect of the pie, etc... I will ask my realtor about it.

Which brings up this question..... I have asked my realtors if they can advice me about the safety element of a neighborhood if I see a house I am interested in. They told me that they cannot BY LAW advise me as to anything other than public record statistics of crime, demographics, etc. I even went so far as to ask, if I were an unmarried sister or other relative that they loved, would they recommend or not recommend a neighborhood to me. Still, they would not budge and will not give me any honest opinions about the ethnic mix of a neighborhood.

Being a single woman, I need to know that I will be safe and living in a reasonably diverse neighborhood. And if no one will tell me, how am I otherwise to know?

I have been visiting Greensboro on house-hunting tours with my realtor. What they showed me mostly were very lovely houses in new or under-construction developments in the $100-$130,000 price range. Really lovely homes. There no families about... no children playing in the yard, etc., and I could not get a feel for the demographics of the neighborhood. And my realtor "by law" steadfastly refuses to help me. So what am I to do?

Any suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated, as I am as clueless as the original poster who started this very informative thread... Thank you to you

- L

As an FYI, not sure what part of town you are talking about, but there is usually a reason why brand new homes are selling in the 100K - 130K range. If you want to know about crime in the neighborhood, you can always talk to the police department.

[NewDad]

Originally Posted by LillieB

I have been visiting Greensboro on house-hunting tours with my realtor. What they showed me mostly were very lovely houses in new or under-construction developments in the $100-$130,000 price range. Really lovely homes. There no families about... no children playing in the yard, etc., and I could not get a feel for the demographics of the neighborhood. And my realtor "by law" steadfastly refuses to help me. So what am I to do?



- L

be very weary of those starter neighboorhoods. you never know what type of people might move in there and bring the value down by not taking care of the exterior of the house or not keeping the yard up to par and people who like to park their cars in their yards.

I have a friend who bought into one of those neighborhoods, stayed there for two years and got the hell out once he saw who was moving in.