East side of Youngstown, how safe?

[South Range Family]

It seems that people like to exaggerate about how dangerous it really is around here. Youngstown itself is a very small area compared to the entire Mahoning Valley. I think part of the problem is that whenever somebody that is not from the area asks where we are from, we all answer Youngstown. That is because we pick the nearest city that they might recognize. Nobody has ever heard of Boardman, Austintown, Canfield, or any of the many townships where most of us live. Most of us also have no reason to go within Youngstown City limits.

Downtown is a few blocks of office buildings, and Government owned buildings. Most of the offices are lawyers. That's a pretty safe area. There are also areas of abandoned industrial buildings along the river. I don't believe there are any people there either. The only real dangerous areas are a handful of black residential neighborhoods. Most of the houses are empty or have renters. They are nothing like the safe black neighborhoods where people own their homes, and go to work every day. So driving through a black neighborhood doesn't automatically mean danger.

Once you get out of city limits, you have 5 miles of housing developments in any direction. Those are known as Austintown, Boardman, Poland, and Canfield. I guess you could throw Campbell, and Struthers in there too, but to me they are just Youngstown with different Mayors.

Once you get past those areas, you have the promised land. Those townships are mostly rural farms where everybody owns a good chunk of land. Everybody gets along because they are too far from their neighbors to care what they are doing, and crime is pretty much non existent. You might hear automatic gunfire out here, but that's only because we are in our backyards having fun. We're not killing anybody.

Those are the three areas that we call Youngstown. Take your pick.

[South Range Family]

Good job Cortlandgirl. I was looking for "automatic gunfire". That looks like some idiot kid just happened to pop off a few rounds on the street. He probably didn't know where he was shooting, or who owned the house. I'm surprised that happened in Liberty, that's not a bad area. That's why I chalk it up to an idiot kid that was playing with a gun. We do have those here, but I don't think it's anymore than our fair share compared to the rest of the Country. Chances are a rural kid would have known the proper way to play with a gun, and not shot up the neighbors house.

[000000]

Originally Posted by South Range Family

It seems that people like to exaggerate about how dangerous it really is around here.

...and some people on this board like to exaggerate about how much opportunity for employment, opportunity for culture, and chances for improvement there are available in stated area.

[Orwelleaut]

You are right on the money, South Range, with your description of our neck of the woods, save for one thing: Liberty is not all that safe. Liberty has quite a share of low income inner city types, and the accompanying crime. Just check out the bulletproof glass in front of the clerk space in some of the gas stations on Belmont. Liberty is the one 'burb that I would steer clear of even considering living in.

As far as the rural areas, you are right on the money. Life is quiet in the countryside around here.

[CortlandGirl79]

Not all of Liberty is bad. I would say that anything north of I-80 is just as safe as Cortland/Howland and other suburbs and small towns. Belmont has some issues because of the bad element down the road in Y-town.

[monteromch]

you know its funny cause everyone blames alot of the problems and issues on youngstown and black people, to my knowledge i have lived all my life on the east side and ten years in my home i have never had anything bad happen the other 20 yrs at my parents on the east side and neither there any problems. campbell, cortland, boardman, niles, austintown,etc.......they all have the same issues you just don't hear about them cause their mayor isn't our mayor therefore what is wanted in the newspaper or on the news will get there, the schools are all infested with drugs and guns and knives same as youngstown, the people our kids are to look up to are either downing them or trying to Moderator cut: language them over, the city in which all of you discussing this get real you are exactly like the many eastsiders or youngstown and youngstowners in general we work we pay our taxes we try to raise our kids the best we can so the next idiot that says something stupid about where you live just remember it's not where you live its how you live,,,,, god bless and grow up

[KalieMidnight]

ok.
I feel the need to say a few things here.
I was born and raised in Youngstown Ohio.
I grew up in the safest area of the west side. Normandy Dr, Oran, Coral Sea, all right off Bears Den on the lower end of the west side.
My block was clean nice and safe for the most part. My father still lives there and has no problems.
HOWEVER.
I have been mugged, I have been shot at and I have learned that there are places you do not go. I have been mugged while waiting in my car to pick someone up for school outside of her house on the south side.
The schools when I lived there were pretty terrible.
I had to even move to Boardman and finish my senor year of high school there because they "could not ensure my safety" after I accidentally Moderator cut: curse word off the wrong gang member at Chaney.
So do not tell me that Youngstown is "ok"
and "not that bad."
I moved far away after graduation and to this day I only return for weddings and births.

I am not trying to offend anyone, I just want you all to know the Youngstown that I know.
Gangs are violent and drug abuse is commonplace.
I am proud to be from the Yo.
I am happy I moved away.

[jsdfcu2]

I live in the lincoln knolls and i think its a nice place to be and grow up its 1 person i really known that died around the lincoln knolls my ***** demar flores because some older cats from the south was hating i guess but i know alot of people out here we get along well its a few fight like every neighbor hood but over all i like it and i feel safe everyday kids come play foot bal basket ball wat ever rarely shoting or killings and when i have kids in i still live here i know that they'll be in a good neighborhood but i'll have to make sure their hanging out with the right crew from anysides of town