Living near 38th Street (Indianapolis, Muncie: cheap apartment, crime, safe area)

[Naptowner]

Originally Posted by BU191433

That is a good point, but I thought there were a few houses on Michigan right at 38th street, maybe slightly north and south in fact I'm sure of it

The general area isn't bad, but if you look at a map, there's not much on Michigan or 38 right around that intersection. The northeast corner is Crown Hill cemetery for a half-mile or so north and about a mile east; the northwest corner is the art museum grounds, which go for a half-mile or more both north and west, the southeast corner is more cemetery for a mile or so in each direction, and the southwest corner is the Woodstock country club. North on Michigan road just past the cemetery is the theological seminary, and if you go east on 42nd you run into a nice area, then Butler. Further north up Michigan is Crystal DeHaan's house, which is nice. South on Michigan, you start to get into some cruddy areas pretty quickly.

[rgmillikan]

Is living near 38th Street really that bad? I've lived in Indy for 18 months and moved to this place in the past few months from downtown.

Please tell me I'm not just overreacting. I grew up in a small town with next to zero crime but I'm not naive. I lived in Muncie for college and spent a few months in Chicago. I knew there would be crime, just didn't expect to see drug deals going down on the street behind my building. I've seen fights, I've seen drugs, I've been followed while walking to my car. I'm considering buying a gun and that scares me in itself. I've taken self defense and carry mace. I still don't feel safe.

--

If you have watched "8 Mile" 38th St is basically the equivalent of 8 mile rd for Indianapolis. Some poeple move to 38th because they see the low cost of living but there is a pretty good reason why that is. It is bad even if you go as far east as 38th and German Church which is almost practically in Hancock Co. I wouldn't live within a mile(north or south) of 38th St. if you can get out of your situation. the only part of 38th that isn't too bad is when it turns into "Dandy Trail" on the far west side near Eagle Creek; that area isn't too bad-i think its called Clermont?

Southport is a nice area, I have several coworkers who live there. Greenwood isn't bad too-very good schools, but a bit further out. you can get a modest house in Southport for about $97,000 and not hear gun shots at night. i'd live there if my fiancee didn't work south of Castleton Sq. mall with the killer gas prices.

[mad_about_u]

I would say go for it. My son owns on the west side between 38th and 56th and just loves it. But for me, I prefer the southport area or greenwood. I love shopping at the greenwood mall and so many other stores in the area like Beauty Supplies and all the pet stores. My neighborhood does have a little crime but it's reasonably priced for renting and my building has so many nice people.

I too grew up in a small town and moved here 5 years ago. If I lived where you do, I would also feel the need to own at least a stun gun. It's not a bad idea anyhow to have some form of protection these days.

Originally Posted by makeme

Once my lease is up - in December no less - I'm considering moving to Southport, Greenwood, Fishers, etc. I love the city feel but hate having to go out at night (I work night shift at a local hospital).

Am I overreacting? Or is it like this everywhere?

[makeme]

Thanks for everyone's responses. I'm moving as soon as the lease is up. In the past month, since it has gotten warmer, I hear gunfire almost nightly. No, it's not fireworks. Cops and SWAT don't show up for fireworks.

Monday I'm taking some shooting lessons. I was almost car jacked - stopped in traffic at 11p, several men walk up and try to enter my car. I gunned the engine and fled. They were just a few buildings down from mine so I drove around 465 so they wouldn't know where I lived.

[jeff3166]

fyi...

Indianapolis McDonald's worker shot carrying out trash | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

[makeme]

Originally Posted by jeff3166

fyi...

Indianapolis McDonald's worker shot carrying out trash | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

Crap. I go to that McDonald's all the time, at all hours.

Not anymore. I'm taking a gun lesson on Monday and will definitely be choosing to exercise my Second Amendment right.

I know that murders can happen anywhere, anytime, but this area seems to have a high concentration of crime.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by makeme

Crap. I go to that McDonald's all the time, at all hours.

Not anymore. I'm taking a gun lesson on Monday and will definitely be choosing to exercise my Second Amendment right.

I know that murders can happen anywhere, anytime, but this area seems to have a high concentration of crime.

How much longer do you have to live there??? Please be safe.

[jeff3166]

My grandparents used to live on Forest Manor Ave, just east of the area formerly known as The Meadows and inbetween E. 38th and E 42nd Streets. From the time I was born in 1966 until the time they finally moved out of there in the mid-90s, the area has always been bad.

If there were ever to be a 'world record' for the shortest amount of time that it took for a nice area to decline into despair, I'd put money on it that that area would be the record holder. My grandparents moved into the area in 1956, when the area was considered the far northside. It was the 'new' part of town, everything was nice and new and it was the part of town that many wanted to live in. By the early 70s, the area was old, decrepit, rundown, and where nobody wanted to be, let alone live in. They had a nice house there, with many nice neighbors, but the surrounding areas, especially along E. 38th Street, were just plain bad. Nothing good ever happened on E. 38th Street, and the bad that happened on that street spilled over into the surrounding neighborhoods... violent crime, home burglaries, etc.

I take a drive down E. 38th Street and Forest Manor Avenue, for nostalgia's sake, each time I'm back in Indy. It pretty much all still looks the same as I remembered it to always look. It's almost as if the same people I see walking around aimlessly on E. 38th Street and in the surrounding neighborhoods could be the same ones I saw walking around aimlessly on those streets all those years ago. Unfortunately, in reading the Star online, it seems nothing's changed either as far as the way of life in that area...there's never anything but bad news when it comes to E. 38th Street. Sad.

[makeme]

Originally Posted by domergurl

How much longer do you have to live there??? Please be safe.

My lease is up in December. I talked to my mom, who HATES guns and even though I support myself she said she would buy me the gun herself because it would make her feel better. Hey, if she wants to, by all means she can pay for it. Most are at least a couple hundred bucks.

[X-Greensboro Resident]

Originally Posted by makeme

My lease is up in December. I talked to my mom, who HATES guns and even though I support myself she said she would buy me the gun herself because it would make her feel better. Hey, if she wants to, by all means she can pay for it. Most are at least a couple hundred bucks.

Please move soon if you can. Have you talked to your landlord about getting out of your lease? I drive by your building twice a day, on the way to and from work over the last 5 years (- a few months), and I can not tell you how much sketchy stuff I've seen. I've seen prostitutes at 5:30 AM, drug deals, fights, all kinds of stuff, that area is horrible.

Once, I stopped by that Shell gas station two blocks west of Meridian on 38th and some jack asked me for a cigarette and just would not believe me that I don't smoke! It went on long enough that I really felt like we were gonna fight!! It seemed inevitable.... luckily another car pulled up to the pump next to me and the guy took off.

I actually saw some sketchy stuff there on the way home today!! Please try to move sooner than later....