Is West Germantown Safe? (Philadelphia: crime, how much, houses)

[Whatdoesthefoxsay65]

I was looking into that area and was wondering what people thought of it. I know houses are typically expensive around there and there is a whole bunch of detached homes/parks/schools in that area. I was wondering how much crime goes on around there and if it was a safe place to walk around at night alone at (I got a babysitting job there). I'm not quite familiar with the neighborhood, will a 17 year old be safe walking to Germantown & Chelten at about midnight and waiting for a bus alone? I've been there before and it was quite the shady intersection, but I always go into East Germantown (really unsafe), not West.

[Larry Bowa]

Originally Posted by Whatdoesthefoxsay65

I was looking into that area and was wondering what people thought of it. I know houses are typically expensive around there and there is a whole bunch of detached homes/parks/schools in that area. I was wondering how much crime goes on around there and if it was a safe place to walk around at night alone at (I got a babysitting job there). I'm not quite familiar with the neighborhood, will a 17 year old be safe walking to Germantown & Chelten at about midnight and waiting for a bus alone? I've been there before and it was quite the shady intersection, but I always go into East Germantown (really unsafe), not West.

No, watch yourself. Check SpotCrime for crime occurences.

[Whatdoesthefoxsay65]

Went that night. It was a pretty okay neighborhood, although standing at Germantown & Chelten was a bit scary.

[Larry Bowa]

Originally Posted by Whatdoesthefoxsay65

Went that night. It was a pretty okay neighborhood, although standing at Germantown & Chelten was a bit scary.

There's a good chance you'll get mugged ...

[2e1m5a]

No offense, but if you "always go into" East Germantown, why are you so concerned about the generally safer and quieter West side?

And that's kind of rude the family you babysit for doesn't give you a ride home (if it's possible) in the middle of the night when you are 17 and presumably female.

I would be cautious, especially at that time of night but I've lived near Queen Lane station for over 3 years and grew up in the area. I have been at Germantown and Chelten at all hours of the night and work nearby. I have never been the victim of any kind of crime in Germantown (knock knock). I actually feel safer late at night at big intersections than walking side streets.

[Whatdoesthefoxsay65]

By "East Germantown" I meant the Germantown Friends campus, and that seems pretty safe.

[2e1m5a]

Originally Posted by Whatdoesthefoxsay65

By "East Germantown" I meant the Germantown Friends campus, and that seems pretty safe.

Oh, ok. GFS is on the edge of West Germantown and is a pretty good area but very close to some shadier blocks, especially along Germantown Ave

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by Larry Bowa

There's a good chance you'll get mugged ...

I've been going through Germantown and Chelten at odd hours (more often extremely early than late) for like two years now without incident. It's certainly not a fun place to be - but the place is hopping during normal hours (so busy in fact that's I'd argue it's one of the least likely places to get mugged - although that doesn't go for the off hours where it's quite busy).

Germantown and Chelten is a run down business district, not that much different than the dozens of other run down business districts in Philadelphia. The stores there mostly suck, they cater to poor people, and they close early.

I've lived in West Germantown for two years now. I don't live right off of Germantown and Chelten - I live a couple blocks further up, towards Mt. Airy. But I'm the kind of person that still lives my life, goes out when I went to go out, almost always leaves for work before sunrise, and occasionally works late. I'm not going to say that I've never seen weird, shady, and annoying behavior, but I probably have less quality of life issues here (including feeling unsafe walking down the street) than I have in any other neighborhood I've lived in or frequented (including Center City Philadelphia and various neighborhoods of Minneapolis and St. Paul).

If taking the bus from the area of Germantown and Chelten, I'd almost certainly recommend catching the bus at Germantown and Chelten, where several buses intersect, there's almost always multiple people waiting for the bus, and the Walgreens is open relatively late (10pm). Contrary to common ignorance, people on the street does not equal a place being unsafe.

[Kukla65th]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

I've been going through Germantown and Chelten at odd hours (more often extremely early than late) for like two years now without incident. It's certainly not a fun place to be - but the place is hopping during normal hours (so busy in fact that's I'd argue it's one of the least likely places to get mugged - although that doesn't go for the off hours where it's quite busy).

Germantown and Chelten is a run down business district, not that much different than the dozens of other run down business districts in Philadelphia. The stores there mostly suck, they cater to poor people, and they close early.

I've lived in West Germantown for two years now. I don't live right off of Germantown and Chelten - I live a couple blocks further up, towards Mt. Airy. But I'm the kind of person that still lives my life, goes out when I went to go out, almost always leaves for work before sunrise, and occasionally works late. I'm not going to say that I've never seen weird, shady, and annoying behavior, but I probably have less quality of life issues here (including feeling unsafe walking down the street) than I have in any other neighborhood I've lived in or frequented (including Center City Philadelphia and various neighborhoods of Minneapolis and St. Paul).

If taking the bus from the area of Germantown and Chelten, I'd almost certainly recommend catching the bus at Germantown and Chelten, where several buses intersect, there's almost always multiple people waiting for the bus, and the Walgreens is open relatively late (10pm). Contrary to common ignorance, people on the street does not equal a place being unsafe.

I strongly agree with the last paragraph of this quoted post. Gtn and Chelten typically has a fair number of people waiting for SEPTA at almost all hours of the day or night. Always safety in numbers no matter where one is.

I'd be excited if the City decided to take the extensive photographic records they have of the Gtn./Chelten business district from the late 50s/early 60s (look on phillyhistory.org - its like Germantown candyland there) and just turn them into massive adhesive decals to put over the fronts of the same buildings, today. That might be a good way to tide so many of us over that cannot believe that entire district was allowed to decline in just 15 years from the 70s to the 80s. Hopefully we live to see the "city inside the city" bounce back aside from big pockets of residential areas...long overdue for commercial rejuvenation and hell, even just a massive infrastructure/streetscape upgrade.