Sherman Hill a scary neighborhood? (Des Moines, Victor: crime, townhomes, neighborhoods)

[ladylexi]

Hi, I am moving to Des Moines from a smaller town in Iowa because I just got a job at Methodist Hospital and I wanted to be close to work. I love old buildings and like to live in an area with charm and character, so I thought Sherman Hill would be a good place. I am a single mid 20s female. After telling some other people and co workers that I planned to move to Sherman Hill, most of them told me it was actually a very bad area and to never be outside at night and that there are a lot of break-ins. I have only been around the area during the day, and it has always seemed fine. Although I have noticed a few questionable people hanging about, nothing seems too threatening to me. is Sherman Hill a safe place for me? I would like some other opinions, hopefully from people who have lived or do live in the area to tell me what it's really like. Thanks!

[DMRyan]

Restored Victorian houses and newly built townhomes in the neighborhood sell for $300,000-$400,000. It isn't that unsafe and undesireable of an area to call home. It is an urban neighborhood though, and Des Moines' largest public housing complex is on the edge of the neighborhood. You may wish to use a little more care than in some neighborhoods, but it's far from dangerous or violent. There hasn't been a murder in this neighborhood for years now, and the public housing complex is very well policed. Property crime is probably a little higher than in other nearby neighborhoods, but you'll be fine if you lock the doors and keep valuables out of plain sight in your car.

Sherman Hill is a beautiful neighborhood. Here's a link to a few photo galleries of the neighborhood if you want to get a good feel for what it looks like.

absolutedsm.com - Des Moines Galleries

[capitalcityguy]

You maybe running into some close-minded, small town thinkers at work.

I'd encourage you to try and find some individuals who live in the neighborhood and talk to them. Here's their website. Sherman Hill Neighborhood

[CrazyHorsePete]

I used to have friends living in Sherman Hills. I've been there at all hours of the day and night, nothing suspicious.

[SharpHawkeye]

I can't imagine people paying the prices they do to live in Sherman Hill if the neighborhood were anything but safe. That just seems like common sense!

[El Rhino]

I kind of stayed there for a few months years ago. The neighborhood is easily safe enough to be habitable. It does get a lot of through-traffic from the slummy areas and the downtown homeless contingent though. It also has a lot of renters, usually younger people. You shouldn't get too many problems I wouldn't think. That neighborhood is usually pretty quiet, I just wouldn't stray too far out of it at night.