Hilltop - why is it so bad? (Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park: low income, crime rate)

[backstreetsbackALLRIGHT]

Why is it that this tiny city is so high in crime? Is it just because there aren't a lot of people who live there, that makes it LOOK like the crime ratio is so bad?

I've driven through it a few times, just going down 47 - it's nothing special, and I've never move there, but it's certainly not Compton, California or anything.

What is the story behind this city anyway? It's like this little square smack in the middle of Columbia Heights. Anyone have any info?

[Slig]

two words: trailer parks.

[pirate_lafitte]

Somehow, when I envision Minneapolis, I don't envision trailer parks. Then again, I haven't been to mpls in over a decade. As for the crime, it use to be much worse. Back in 1995, there was a reason minneapolis was nicknamed "murderapolis". Mpls had a record 97 murders. Today there are markedly fewer murders and the crime rate is much lower than it was in the 90's. Places like Brooklyn Park and Columbia Hts often do look bad because they are smaller.

[Slig]

Hilltop isn't in Minneapolis. It is a small section cut out of Columbia Heights off of Central Avenue.

Also, Minneapolis has changed ALOT since 1995. There has been alot of redevelopment in numerous inner city neighborhoods. Back then Franklin Ave and E Lake St were places to get a hooker and an eightball. Now people go to Lake st for delicious authentic Mexican food or to catch a ride on the light rail, go to the YWCA, the Global Market or Midtown Farmer's Market.

[pirate_lafitte]

Originally Posted by Slig

Hilltop isn't in Minneapolis. It is a small section cut out of Columbia Heights off of Central Avenue.

Also, Minneapolis has changed ALOT since 1995. There has been alot of redevelopment in numerous inner city neighborhoods. Back then Franklin Ave and E Lake St were places to get a hooker and an eightball. Now people go to Lake st for delicious authentic Mexican food or to catch a ride on the light rail, go to the YWCA, the Global Market or Midtown Farmer's Market.

I know it has changed alot since 1995. That is why I mentioned that MPLS has gotten better since then. And I know it has gotten better.

[knke0402]

Hilltop was a community inside of Colombia Heights until sometime in the 1950s. It was basically a Trailer Home Community apart of the City of Colombia Heights. Colombia Heights became frustrated that they had to provide city services such as water/sewer, police and fire protection, when very little taxes were revenued from the Hilltop Trailer Park. So, I believe the owner of the park decided to ask for indepence and become incorporated as the City of Hilltop. The deciding decision is that it would be its own entity-its own city that would then contract out to the City of Minneapolis or COlombia Heights for Police and Fire protection.

Well, the entire city is pretty much mobile homes. Very little revenue comes from commercial taxes, if any. Thats the story. A small, dense, mostly mobile home park community. Low income residents, low income can be correlated with low education which can be correlated with high crime. Its facts people, don't call me politically incorect.

[Camden Northsider]

I'm thinking the city of Columbia Heights likely incentivized and highly encouraged the incorporation of Hilltop as its own independent city - an immediate lower crime rate and higher median incomes for a declining suburb wanting to rebrand itself perhaps? Although I don't know how much of a concern these things were to people at that time (or if it was a declining suburb then) - the zealotry to be found nowadays around these "quality of life" indicators seems pretty pervasive (and you see similar instances like this around the country).

[knke0402]

Originally Posted by Camden Northsider

I'm thinking the city of Columbia Heights likely incentivized and highly encouraged the incorporation of Hilltop as its own independent city - an immediate lower crime rate and higher median incomes for a declining suburb wanting to rebrand itself perhaps? Although I don't know how much of a concern these things were to people at that time (or if it was a declining suburb then) - the zealotry to be found nowadays around these "quality of life" indicators seems pretty pervasive (and you see similar instances like this around the country).

Thats exactly right.

[Slig]

I would like to a resident of Hilltop come on here and defend their town.

[kuan]

I go to Hilltop often. Dong Yang, best little Korean Restaurant in town, is in Hilltop.