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I'm planning on moving to the Youngstown-Warren area in the next 5 years. I currently live in a suburb of Cleveland, OH and I'm searching for information about this area. I've lived in declining rust belt cities before (Cleveland, Beaver Falls, PA, etc.) so I know what to expect for the most part. I work online so the lower cost of housing in this area interests me. I've been looking at houses in this area for the past 3 years and it looks like I can find a nice home for $30k-$50k. I'd also prefer a half acre lot (but this isn't a necessity). I apologize for the length of this post .
I'm not looking for homes within Youngstown city limits but there are a few cities in the area that interest me. Most of the homes I've been looking at are located in Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, cities in Columbiana County, and Campbell.
Any information from people who live in these cities would be appreciated...
I have a few general questions along with questions about some of these cities.
- I'm assuming that neighborhoods that border Youngstown (in neighboring cities) aren't the most desirable parts of those towns (especially Campbell & Struthers). Is this true?
- I've heard bad things about the SW side of Warren, Ohio. Is it a bad place to live? I looked at a few homes on Palmyra St. SW and they seem to be affordable and have decent sized lots. I also liked the more "rural" feel of the southern part of SW Warren. Is the bad part of Warren the entire SW side or is it just the SW part of town directly south of the city center? I've seen a lot of secluded homes in SW Warren and I'm wondering if that makes them more susceptible to break-ins, crime, etc.?
- I'm sure the roads are terrible out there, am I right?
- Are there any parts of these cities where a young man (30s) would feel unsafe walking around in after dark? (Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, and Campbell.)
- I already know about all the school districts in this area so I don't need additional information about that.
- How big of a problem is drug abuse in the Mahoning Valley?
- Is the Western Reserve Greenway safe to walk on alone?
- Are any of these areas (Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, and Campbell) trashy? If they are do people tend to cause problems or do they just keep to themselves?
- I've been watching Youngstown's news broadcasts and from what I've seen there seems to be a major problem with car accidents / fatal crashes in this area. Is it because Y-Town has less news to cover or are drivers/driving conditions really that bad out there? Also, how safe are the roads in rural Trumbull County in the winter? Are they properly plowed and salted or are they risky to drive on?
- Which parts of the Youngstown area are rapidly declining (income levels, crime, housing quality)? I'm mostly interested in issues within these cities (Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, and Campbell).
- Would it be worth moving to Warren, OH (or other areas of Trumbull County) that have down payment assistance programs for long-term residents? Do the downsides of these areas outweigh any of these financial benefits?
- Is Leavittsburg safe or do some of the issues from Warren spill over into that area?
- How bad is traffic in this area?
- I'm searching for a starter home (that could be turned into a rental later on) and that is the only reason I'm looking into some of the less desirable areas of Warren & Campbell. Would it be necessary to put bars on my windows in any of these areas? Is gun violence a problem in these areas? I've lived in areas where you'd hear gunfire at night and find drug paraphernalia on the streets. I've heard it's bad but how bad is it REALLY?
- Could anyone provide information about the Youngstown Business Incubator?
- Do people treat "outsiders" well or will I be isolated since I'm not originally from this area?
- Any information about living in Masury, Ohio would be appreciated. I've noticed the homes in this area seem to be older (and in poorer condition) than the other parts of the Mahoning Valley I've been looking at.
- Have property taxes been increasing in the Mahoning Valley over the past decade?
- One of the biggest draws to the Mahoning Valley is the surplus of houses that can be fixed up and lived in. If I plan on staying long-term will the improvements I made to my home increase the value of the home? (Mainly in the more depressed cities I've listed).
- Now that GM is leaving Lordstown do you believe that will hurt home values in any substantial way?
- I don't really like to shop or "eat out" so if an area lacks those amenities I see it as a positive thing. Are there plenty of "boring" and "laid back" towns in the Mahoning Valley?
- On a scale of (1-10), how do the worst parts of Warren, Campbell, and Niles compare to Youngstown as a whole? I'm trying to get an idea of what Crime is really like down there. Are there bad areas in Warren that are worse than some of the nicer neighborhoods in Youngstown?
- Is the Mill Creek Park area safe to visit?
- I like parks and nature more than spending time in cities. Are there plenty of areas that would interest someone like me in the Mahoning Valley?
- What areas have a lot of young professionals in the Mahoning Valley? (age 25-40).
- Are there a lot of meth houses / meth lab busts in this area?
- Any additional information about the following cities (Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, cities in Columbiana County, and Campbell) would be appreciated as well.
I can't really answer most of your questions, since I'm not really that interested in the areas surrounding Youngstown, and I prefer a more urban environment. (I also don't have a lot of time, before I have to get to work)
Of the cities you listed, I would consider: Warren, Struthers, Niles, and Campbell, to be "Youngstown Lite" for better or worse. So, it seems odd to me that you're overlooking Youngstown, itself.
I have family who often visit from other parts of NE Ohio, and they give me the impression that the Youngstown area roads are as bad as theirs.
The Lordstown closing is going to affect the housing prices in the communities around Lordstown the most, IMO.
Property values are, generally, stagnant in the area. So, while you could make money buying a deeply discounted fixer-upper, and selling a completely rehabbed home, I wouldn't expect property values to rise much.
The nicer neighborhoods in Youngstown are as nice or nicer than many of the neighborhoods in the cities you listed.
Mill Creek Park is safe to visit, and is one of the jewels of the Mahoning Valley.
Wow - that is a lot of info to answer. Here's my summary. It may not answer all your questions, but if you have any follow-ups I'll try to keep an eye on this thread.
Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, cities in Columbiana County, and Campbell.
-->Youngstown is a large-ish area. Plenty of "suburb" type developments (Austintown, for instance) are also "Youngstown" by mailing address, as they are, strictly speaking, a "township" and not a proper city.
Lots of Youngstown is miserable, while plenty is downright fancy. Some of it - nope, as a perfectly grown man, I would not walk there. Day/night/any time at all. Other parts are perfectly safe, and I would not have any anxiety about buying a home, for instance, on the North West side.
Mill Creek park is indeed a jewel here - but it is fenced in on three sides by Not The Best neighborhoods. It's huge though - really, really, nice - lots to do. Perfectly safe - in the daytime.
Car accidents? Hm - well, 680 (a North-South expressway through Y-town) is a curvy 50mph road. There are, actually, plenty of accidents there, but all of them related to stupid people and excess speed. No worse than other locales, I think.
Newton Falls and Leavittsburg are really not in the same conversation. They are both rural-ish communities with small town-centers. If you want to live in the low-rent district there, you definitely can, but you can probably find a decent, clean, safe rental or inexpensive home just "outside of town" without much hassle.
Masury is the other side of the county - not near Youngstown, really, or Warren, but more of a suburb of Sharon, PA. It's a tiny - tiny - town - but no better/worse than the others you've listed.
Niles - Eh, been going downhill the last couple of decades, but - of all the places you've mentioned - I think you can get the biggest bang for your buck there, meaning, you can get a decent lower-priced home in a relatively safe neighborhood. Not much of Niles is what I would call "bad neighborhood" but there are certainly some areas to avoid. But being sandwiched between Warren and Youngstown over the years has left it priced a bit lower, while not yet suffering from decay.
Warren - like Youngstown - covers a lot of ground. "Howland" is technically Warren, and it's quite nice - but not cheap. Some of the South Side of Warren-proper, you're better off avoiding. The North Side and North East Side are fine.
Hubbard, Struthers and Campbell are approximately the same city - all of them Youngstown appendages, and people on the other side of town would still consider those towns neighborhoods of Youngstown. You may find a bargain in certain areas of these small communities, but all of them border the ghetto somewhere or other.
Columbiana County - out of my area really - but it's largely agricultural, removed from The City, probably nice things there, but you'll drive for anything (food, shopping, etc.)
Finally - if you haven't considered it - check out Lowellville. You can find a decent home there for quite a reasonable price, and there are zero neighborhoods to avoid - it's all safe. Well, as safe as it gets, anyway. It's isolated from the other communities by weird hilly geography, and the "outside" hasn't really reached there yet.
In General, though, you don't state your age in the post - not that it matters - but in my experience, nearly every community in any location has good neighborhoods and bad neighborhoods (i'll leave it to you to define good and bad). All of the places you're asking about have absolutely beautiful homes n some areas, and are - statistically speaking - horrible places to live, in other areas. Do not choose your home by the low price - without driving down here to look around. Yes, the cost of living is low here, but - well, ya get what ya pay for, and that includes the neighbors.
PS - check out Lordstown too. As you can imagine, lots of homes for sale there, and it's all pretty much quiet farmland.
I've heard bad things about the SW side of Warren, Ohio. Is it a bad place to live? I looked at a few homes on Palmyra St. SW and they seem to be affordable and have decent sized lots. I also liked the more "rural" feel of the southern part of SW Warren. Is the bad part of Warren the entire SW side or is it just the SW part of town directly south of the city center? I've seen a lot of secluded homes in SW Warren and I'm wondering if that makes them more susceptible to break-ins, crime, etc.?
The SW part - as you head south on Palmyra - is not Warren city but Warren Township / Lordstown. The farther you go, the safer it is. The house prices will reflect that. At its origin - downtown Warren - just, NOPE.
- I'm sure the roads are terrible out there, am I right? -
Eh, the same as the rest of Ohio. Some better than others.
- Are there any parts of these cities where a young man (30s) would feel unsafe walking around in after dark? (Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, and Campbell.)
Absolutely - but most cities have that.
- How big of a problem is drug abuse in the Mahoning Valley?
that's a tough one - if you're asking if drugs are available, yes. do we save lives with NarCan everyday - yeah. You can find the statistics for Mahoning and Trumbull counties online. I don't really have a good comparison point, but certainly, drugs are in the news here quite a bit.
- Is the Western Reserve Greenway safe to walk on alone?
Pretty much starts and ends north of warren - so - yep.
- Are any of these areas (Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, and Campbell) trashy? If they are do people tend to cause problems or do they just keep to themselves?
All of these areas have trashy elements and nice elements. The house prices will reflect that. They can and will cause problems if you are unlucky.
Also, how safe are the roads in rural Trumbull County in the winter? Are they properly plowed and salted or are they risky to drive on?
Same as rest of Ohio, as near as I can tell...
- Which parts of the Youngstown area are rapidly declining (income levels, crime, housing quality)? I'm mostly interested in issues within these cities (Warren, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg, Hubbard, Masury, Struthers, Niles, and Campbell).
Nothing here is changing rapidly, but, my opinion, it is nearly all declining at a slow steady pace.
- Is Leavittsburg safe or do some of the issues from Warren spill over into that area?
Lots of Leavittsburg is quite nice, perfectly safe, nearly rural - just a few miles from Warren, and the whole world is different.
- How bad is traffic in this area?
I was stuck behind a school bus once. Seriously, though, compared to a "real" city like Cleveland, traffic is non-existent here.
- I'm searching for a starter home (that could be turned into a rental later on) and that is the only reason I'm looking into some of the less desirable areas of Warren & Campbell. Would it be necessary to put bars on my windows in any of these areas?
Yes.
Is gun violence a problem in these areas? I've lived in areas where you'd hear gunfire at night and find drug paraphernalia on the streets. I've heard it's bad but how bad is it REALLY?
It's bad. Statistically, it's bad - realistically, it's bad. However bad a place can be, it's that bad in some areas. Don't buy there.
Do people treat "outsiders" well or will I be isolated since I'm not originally from this area?
You'll be fine.
- Any information about living in Masury, Ohio would be appreciated. I've noticed the homes in this area seem to be older (and in poorer condition) than the other parts of the Mahoning Valley I've been looking at.
Masury is a low-income small perpetually depressed community. May be some nice aspects somewhere, but I've never considered living there.
- Have property taxes been increasing in the Mahoning Valley over the past decade?
Hm - mine haven't.
Now that GM is leaving Lordstown do you believe that will hurt home values in any substantial way?
At the moment, yes - we have a glut of houses on the market, so prices are down, now's the time if you're buying. Wait til fall when the last hangers-on give up hope on GM coming back (before school starts).
- I don't really like to shop or "eat out" so if an area lacks those amenities I see it as a positive thing. Are there plenty of "boring" and "laid back" towns in the Mahoning Valley?
I...don't know how to answer that. If you sit home, they're all boring. Niles, Struthers, Campbell, Newton Falls, Leavittsburg - they are all a bit of a drive from anything "exciting."
- On a scale of (1-10), how do the worst parts of Warren, Campbell, and Niles compare to Youngstown as a whole? I'm trying to get an idea of what Crime is really like down there. Are there bad areas in Warren that are worse than some of the nicer neighborhoods in Youngstown?
YES there are bad areas in Warren worse than nice areas of Youngstown. The worst parts of Warren are equally bad with the worst parts of Youngstown, but cover less area. Warren and Youngstown both have good and bad parts. The bad are as bad as it gets - the good - well, we have several billionaires (with a B) that live in both cities.
- I like parks and nature more than spending time in cities. Are there plenty of areas that would interest someone like me in the Mahoning Valley?
Mill Creek Park is nice, but just a 20 minute drive from Lake Milton, Berlin Lake, and other places - lots of parks and quiet - just outside of town.
- What areas have a lot of young professionals in the Mahoning Valley? (age 25-40).
Downtown Youngstown - outdoor cafes / live music, that kind of thing, perfectly safe. More or less.
- Are there a lot of meth houses / meth lab busts in this area?
Look, it really can't be sugarcoated - the Youngstown-Warren area has a reputation for a reason. I've lived here a lonnnnng time, and seen plenty of it firsthand. I do not know if "other cities" have it like we do, but there are plenty of drug busts, just check the police blotter. Last year, we had a WOMAN rob a bank...and after she was caught - she was identified as the SAME WOMAN who filmed a bestiality movie (with a dog) the year before. So if any other cities have dog-screwing, bankrobbing women, I stand corrected, but I feel safe in saying we are near the bottom in every category - including housing costs!
I can't really answer most of your questions, since I'm not really that interested in the areas surrounding Youngstown, and I prefer a more urban environment. (I also don't have a lot of time, before I have to get to work)
Of the cities you listed, I would consider: Warren, Struthers, Niles, and Campbell, to be "Youngstown Lite" for better or worse. So, it seems odd to me that you're overlooking Youngstown, itself.
I have family who often visit from other parts of NE Ohio, and they give me the impression that the Youngstown area roads are as bad as theirs.
The Lordstown closing is going to affect the housing prices in the communities around Lordstown the most, IMO.
Property values are, generally, stagnant in the area. So, while you could make money buying a deeply discounted fixer-upper, and selling a completely rehabbed home, I wouldn't expect property values to rise much.
The nicer neighborhoods in Youngstown are as nice or nicer than many of the neighborhoods in the cities you listed.
Mill Creek Park is safe to visit, and is one of the jewels of the Mahoning Valley.
@JR_C
First off, thank you for your help.
I am considering Austintown & Boardman (if those are the neighborhoods you're referring to). I've just heard that Youngstown = bad and I don't know enough about the neighborhoods inside of Youngstown.
In the Cleveland area, all of the "ghetto" areas are within the city limits so it's kind of surprising to hear that some of the suburban areas around Youngstown have issues too. Thanks for that information (you could be saving me a lot of trouble).
It's good to hear that property values are stable in spite of being stagnant.
Here's a list of Youngstown neighborhoods I found on Wikipedia:
These look like they could be the nicest neighborhoods (Arlington Heights, Cornersburg, Downtown, 5th Ave. by Gypsy Ln., Kirkmere, North Heights, Oak Hill, Schenley, and YSU).
I don't have any guesses on the worst neighborhoods but I've heard they are concentrated in the south and eastern (non-township areas) of Youngstown.
Do I have the locations of these neighborhoods correct?
Arlington Heights - Area to the NW of YSU by St. Elizabeth's Hospital?
Beachwood - ?
Brier Hill - Little Italy - Isolated from most of Y-town? - North of 422 and St. Elizabeth's hospital.
Brownlee Woods - Between 680 and Struthers
Cornersburg* - On the outskirts west of Lanterman's Mill and southeast of Austintown. Is this one of the nicer neighborhoods?
Cottage Grove - South Central Youngstown (assuming it's a bad area).
Downtown* - (already familiar with it) - One of the safer areas?
Down The Hill (SouthSide) - (assuming it's bad)
Fifth Avenue* - Area by 5th ave and Gypsy Ln (one of the nicer parts?)
Fosterville/Idora - Inner city area NE of Lanterman's Mill - Is it safe here? I've heard bad things about the Indianola Ave. area of Youngstown.
Hazelton - borders the Mahoning River south of Downtown and borders Campbell. (Bad neighborhood?)
Kirkmere* - area west of the golf course between Bears Den & S. Meridian Rd. - borders Austintown? - (a nicer neighborhood?)
Lansdowne* - NE of the city center by the jail(s) & McGuffey Rd. - Does it become safer as you travel east on McGuffey?
Lansingville - Looked @ on Google Streetview - looks OK - are my perceptions correct?
Lincoln Knolls - Rt. 422 + Jacobs Rd. (Small neighborhood)
Newport - by OH 7/ Midlothian & Indianola
North Heights* - Sounds like it's one of the nicer neighborhoods / perhaps gentrifying?
Oak Hill* - South of the city center east of Mill Creek Park and south of Mahoning Commons (nice area of town?)
Pleasant Grove - By Midlothian and Market St. (not the best part?)
Salt Springs - ?
Schenley* - By Mahoning Ave. west of Mill Creek Park - (a nicer part?)
Scienceville - East side of town - little info found
Smoky Hollow - a few blocks bordering YSU
University* - Is the area by YSU the nicest?
From what I've seen the neighborhoods are nicer close to YSU, the SW Corner of Youngstown, and the eastern part south of Hubbard.
Youngstown ZIPCodes: - Which ZIPs should be considered and which shouldn't (or are bad neighborhoods speckled throughout Youngstown)? - (44509, 44510, 44511(***), 44507, 44502, 44506, 44505(***), 44503, 44504) (***) seem to be the nicest areas from what I've seen.
Are police dispatched from the city center or do they have PD districts like most large cities? Basically, would the crimes in the "ghetto" affect response times to incidents in the nicer parts of Youngstown?
Thank you for taking the time to help me out.
Would the "nice" areas of Youngtown be easy to identify on Google Street View?
You said the NW side is nice -- what is your opinion of the SW side of town (west of Mill Creek Park by OH 62 & S. Meridian Rd.)? - Are these the "not so nice" areas around Mill Creek Park you were talking about? Or are the bad areas concentrated to the east of Mill Creek Park?
I've seen a few houses I liked in the more rural NE side of town (by McGuffey Heights and the prisons) is this a safe area?
Would you mind telling me about some of these areas you'd avoid at all times of the day? Street names and intersections help... I've heard bad things about Indianola Ave. in Youngstown but I don't know how credible that information is. Most of south-central and SE Youngstown looks bad (should I steer clear of those areas?).
It's good to hear that Mill Creek Park is safe (I would like to visit soon).
Re: Niles
Yeah, I've looked at a lot of homes in Niles and my biggest concern here is the small lot sizes. I've been to Niles once in the past and it reminds me a lot of where I live currently. It's good to hear that it's safe and that housing prices are reasonable for what you get.
Re: Warren
When you say "south side" would that be the areas between Market St. and Dover Ave SW? (random street I know...)
I noticed the western portion of SW Warren (by Martin Luther King Blvd.) looks somewhat rural - is this area still in the bad part of Warren? Where exactly does "Warren Twp." begin? ...south of the Risher Rd/ Palmyra St. SW intersection?
I am also familiar with Howland Center and I know it's harder to find cheap homes in the Howland school district.
Re: Hubbard, Struthers, and Campbell:
I've read that Struthers and Campbell are very similar (with most people preferring Struthers) but I thought Hubbard was a step above those two cities (lower crime, higher incomes, better schools). I was under the impression that the area east of OH-62/616 had income levels comparable to some of the lower end neighborhoods of Cortland & Howland Center.
Thanks for the information about Columbiana County and I have considered Lowellville as well. I didn't include Lowellville in this post because I was already 100% okay with living there. Lowellville isn't run by "the mob" is it?
Thanks for the information about these neighborhoods. I plan on checking these areas out on Google Street View, Zillow, and "in person" sometime in the future. I've had bad neighbors in the past so thanks for the heads up.
Re: Lordstown
I looked into it - nothing in my price range. (I find approx. 40 potential homes/month in the Mahoning Valley and I haven't found one that meets my criteria in Lordstown - so far).
Re: Drugs - Thanks I'll try to find statistics for the area online and compare it to where I've lived in the past.
It's good to hear that Leavittsburg is completely different than Warren. I prefer rural areas and the homes appear to be similarly priced. I also believe the schools (LaBrae?) are much better than they are in Warren. I'm assuming Champion Hts. is like Leavittsburg but a little nicer.
Re: Traffic - That's good to hear.
Quote:
I'm searching for a starter home (that could be turned into a rental later on) and that is the only reason I'm looking into some of the less desirable areas of Warren & Campbell. Would it be necessary to put bars on my windows in any of these areas?
Yes.
- Thanks, this really helps out a lot.
Re: Crime & Gun Violence: Thanks for that information. I found a "community crime map" on Warren's official website - it looks like they post every crime committed within the past year or so. This should help me avoid the bad areas.
Quote:
YES there are bad areas in Warren worse than nice areas of Youngstown. The worst parts of Warren are equally bad with the worst parts of Youngstown, but cover less area. Warren and Youngstown both have good and bad parts. The bad are as bad as it gets - the good - well, we have several billionaires (with a B) that live in both cities.
--- Thanks this is the kind of information I'm looking for.
Would you say "higher house values = better area" all the time? I usually factor in the % of renters in an area when I look at homes. Renters are more transient and can change a neighborhood's "feel" every couple of years.
Thanks for the information about Downtown and local parks as well. I'm quite aware of Youngstown's reputation but I realize my money will go twice as far out there. I just have to learn to avoid the bad apples.
I don't have time for an extensive reply this morning.
I will say that the highest crime area in the city seems to be on the south side, between Market St. and South Ave, north of Midlothian. But, there are other pockets with levels of crime I wouldn't be comfortable living with, even if they aren't as bad as the area I just outlined.
Based on what you described you're looking for, (larger lot, more natural, etc.) I think you'd be most interested in the areas west of Mill Creek Park, and South of Mahoning Ave. (I'm referring to within the actual city limits)
I'll come back with a more thorough response tonight or tomorrow night. While the weather is this nice, I want to spend as much time as I can outside, so probably tomorrow night.
Regarding the "ghetto" and the "city limits" - one thing that might not be clear from your maps or research, Youngstown isn't all that large (35 square miles).
The result is that the "suburbs" aren't defined as such - except maybe Canfield, Boardman, and Poland. All of those areas are...well, upper middle-class. Homes and neighborhoods are nice and generally pricey.
(Yes, there are exceptions, but, there's a lot of money in those communities, and the roads, shops, restaurants, vehicles and schools are all testaments to that fact.)
EVERYTHING ELSE, except maybe Lowellville, due to a quirk of topography, is one large urban sprawl of Youngstown, from one side to the other. Austintown has some newer, nicer developments, but the Cornersburg area (which is
also Austintown) is not as nice. Not "bad," lots of good folks live there, but it's an area of frequent break-ins, car thefts, that type of thing. The "not safe to walk" areas are confined to portions of the South Side (say, north of Indianola, roughly) and the
East Side ...well, just about anywhere, do not move to "Scienceville."
By "East Side" I mean - draw two lines - both starting at YSU - take one diagonally north-east-ish, below hubbard, all the way to the PA line.
Take the other line East-ish - just thru the top of campbell and lowellville, all the way to the PA line.
You should end up with a slice of pie, and you should not live anywhere in that slice, except Lowellville. This pie includes many of the neighborhoods and zip codes you mentioned.
From YSU North, also in a narrower slice of Pie, just about all the way to I-80 is no place to live. There are some really - really - nice homes on Fifth Ave., and some nice places
around Gypsy too. But if it's far enough to be "safe" - it will not be 50K.
From YSU South, use Mill Creek park as your West Border of Pie, and 680 as the other side - all the way to Indianola. This cuts some into a few nicer areas of Struthers...but not much.
West of Mill Creek Park - starts out fine, and gets better the farther you go, and this would include Cornersburg, then out to Austintown (north-ish) or Canfield (south-ish).
The 224 Corridor from Canfield to Poland (on the South side mostly, and to the North Side as you head West) is also fine, but far from cheap.
In short (too late!) there is very little of Youngstown proper that I would buy a house in and live there at any price. Even Lowellville suffers from frequent drug busts and regular break-ins and petty theft, and lots are small - very small. The worst areas of Youngstown
have drive-by shootings and a slow police response. That's not a knock on the police - they have a tough job, and they're understaffed - so when you call, unless you're dead or nearly so, you're going to wait. Just a matter of supply and demand.
Have you looked in Girard or McDonald or Mineral Ridge? All tiny quiet communities and may have what you want.
These questions all have the feel of a PhD Thesis and city research project.
YSU is safe - but I assume you're not moving into a dorm, so that rules that out. YSU parking decks are not safe. YSU sidewalks after dark aren't great. West and North of YSU (is no place to walk - day or night - unless you have plenty of spare change). South of YSU is downtown, while East of YSU is a rusting valley of no sidewalks and lots of litter - you're not walking there due to lack of opportunity. But if there were a sidewalk - I would not walk down there.
PS - to whatever degree "the mob" still runs Youngstown - it's no more true in Lowellville than many other areas, locally, but it's true, it's an Italian Heritage community.
One more thing, just so I don't come across as anti-tolerant or something.
There are places left in this USA where you can sleep at night with your Windows open. You can forget to lock your car, or maybe even leave the keys in it from time to time. You can leave your pet tied outside...alone.
You can leave your >bike/skateboard/shoes/frisbee/golf clubs< outside at night - and it will likely still be there in the morning. And you can drive any direction, and NOT see bars on Windows.
These areas of Youngstown we're telling you to avoid - THAT is the "entry price" of residency. If you're comfortable with double-bolting and the occasional tire-theft, and you don't care much about graffiti, and you're
not intimidated by punks on the corner - then you would likely consider these areas perfectly fine. Possibly - probably not - but possibly - you or someone you get to know will be a victim of a violent crime, or worse.
On the other hand, if you're my wife - FORGET IT. Life's too short. I don't want any more loose pitbulls on my front porch. I don't want another mysterious dent in my car. I don't want to fret for my family when I am away. Life is too short. Even for Gypsy Lane.
The lots look spacious in SW Warren because many of the homes were condemned/burned and then torn down.
In many of the areas you mention the value will drop, not increase.
I agree with the poster that mentioned McDonald. That may be the best place for you.
The Valley doesn't really follow national trends. When real estate was booming the gains in the Valley weren't nearly as high.
On the bright side you can probably find a home that was really built well at a good price. I knew some of the builders of the past, long dead, and they did quality work.
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