where the rich live in Philly? (Philadelphia, Williamsport: crimes, homes, movies)

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by orrmobl

The houses are dumps...we looked at a few and were horrified by either the property we were looking at/smelling (ew) or the neighbors' places that were crumbling, heaped high with junk a la Sanford and Son or had structures, like an entire porch roof, propped up with 2x4s...we soon learned that this 'hood wasn't the neighborhood for us...

Oh, I thought you were disagreeing with me lol

[john_starks]

Originally Posted by JHG722

'Ethnic' people, poorer, junkie houses, has an 'inner city look'.

typical

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by john_starks

typical

Typical what? I dont feel that way man, I go to Temple. I would've left after five minutes if I had problems with black people. Just relaying how certain people think--wrong or not.

[john_starks]

Originally Posted by JHG722

Typical what? I dont feel that way man, I go to Temple. I would've left after five minutes if I had problems with black people. Just relaying how certain people think--wrong or not.

i didn't say you, but i would imagine that its the typical mindset of the wealthy suburbanites (not naming areas/towns either). unfortunately, that way of thinking happens all over the country..

hey at least there aren't "gated communities".....or are there?

[JHG722]

Originally Posted by john_starks

i didn't say you, but i would imagine that its the typical mindset of the wealthy suburbanites (not naming areas/towns either). unfortunately, that way of thinking happens all over the country..

hey at least there aren't "gated communities".....or are there?

I think the only gated are in Bucks County(!?) I don't think there are any in MontCo.

[solibs]

Originally Posted by PA2UK

Or maybe they just don't want to committ to moving to an area they know nothing about and are trying to do some research. I don't see why asking about the crime or safety of an area you've never been to and might be moving to means you're paranoid. It just means you want a better idea of what you're getting yourself into.

It's not a big deal. But when it's at the top of everyone's list, regardless of where they're moving, it gets a bit ridiculous.

For the most part I don't think the people asking have done much research. If they had the questions wouldn't be so vague and generic. Seriously, people are looking for $500k houses in the suburbs and they're asking about crime? As if their new neighbors with a $4000/mo mortgage payment are going to be sitting on an old couch permanently parked in the driveway while sippin' on a 40, smoking blunts and selling drugs out of the garage.
If you're going to be paranoid about crime in places like that then you should at least be aware of what types of crime are most likely to occur.

It's probably healthy to be scared of North Philly. It's not healthy or reasonable to be scared of going for tapas at Amada or for drinks at Brasserie George.

But let me try this again, since I haven't been explaining it very well. People being scared of the big city doesn't surprise me. What has surprised me enough for me to mention it is people being scared of the West Bay suburbs. Places like Palo Alto. People being scared of Collingswood and Oaklyn or Lansdowne or the "ghetto" of Ardmore. People need to get a grip.

[solibs]

Originally Posted by Pilot1

Until it happens to you.

Until what happens to me?

Until I get mugged? It hasn't happened to me because I don't take unnecessary risks. I still go where I want to, when I want to but I'm smart enough to know that sometimes it's just better to call a cab. That doesn't mean it'll never happen to me. I don't think I'm invincible. Nor do I think that I'm any safer in the parking lot at a suburban shopping mall.

Or am I waiting until I get shot or stabbed? Murders of non-hispanic whites in this city are 8.5% of the total despite making up 42% of the population. That breaks down to 2.3% for the women and 6.2% for the men. Murders of white men aged 26-40 (my demographic) are just over 1% of the total.

Seattle's murder rate (considered a low-crime city) is 5.1 per 100,000. Philadelphia as a whole was 27 per 100,000 last year. The murder rate for white people here is 5.4 per 100,000. The murder rate for african-americans in Philadelphia is 50 per 100,000.

The idea that people are lurking in the shadows, just waiting to pick you off, and you making it home is just the luck of the draw, is ludicrous. 72% of the murders in this city are of black men by black men. 90% of the time the perp knew the victim. 90% of the time the perp and the victim both had criminal records. It's not much different for the white folks either. We had a white woman murdered in my neighborhood last year. She was an addict who had been known to turn tricks for drug money. We also had an asian guy get stabbed . . . in his living room . . . by his son . . . during an argument. There's no "holy crap" moment where we start working on an exit strategy.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by JHG722

I think the only gated are in Bucks County(!?) I don't think there are any in MontCo.

In Montco, Blue Bell Country Club is one gated community... I think there are some others.

[juniperbleu]

Originally Posted by JHG722

I think the only gated are in Bucks County(!?) I don't think there are any in MontCo.

There's one on Meetinghouse Road in Jenkintown (or is it Rydal?). It's easy to get into, my friend's father used to walk their dog in there. It's kind of creepy, there's never anyone around, so we have doubts that people actually live there.

[orrmobl]

I agree with a lot of what you say solibs. But the Inquirer writer who got shot at a Wawa in Germantown, the poor Dunkin' Donuts manager in the subway, the woman gunned down walking from the bus to her hospital job by the same looney that shot a father outside a subway entrance, and I just read about a kid from MN who moved here as a teaching fellow and worked at Starbucks...he was shot in the neck as walked home from work at 1AM, his pockets were gone through, it is thought he was shot for his iPod.

Stuff like that does just happen and is the reason why I have a healthy fear of the city these days...too many loonies and not enough cops.

And I'd much rather be in a suburban mall parking lot than a dark city street - criminals hunt in their backyards and suburban parking lots are not exactly an easy place to commit a crime and then get away...