Safety in McKeesport (Pittsburgh, Homewood, Woodward: crime, live in, dangerous)

[PPG]

Just a little inside info for the well uninformed. The Port is full of wanna be hardcore gangsters who like to start trouble and get into gun fights, however most of the homicides in that city are commited by people from Pittsburgh.

Aww, come on, it's not like it's freakin' Baltimore or anything.

Oh yeah because in Baltimore there's a killing every millisecond right?
This is America, and this is Pittsburgh not Vermont or Kansas.

To the OP, do not move to McKeesport. Let the person from WV move there, since it's not like it's Baltimore or something.

[pghlibrarian]

Originally Posted by PPG

Oh yeah because in Baltimore there's a killing every millisecond right?
This is America, and this is Pittsburgh not Vermont or Kansas.

Actually, in Baltimore in 2005 (last year I could find statistics for), there was a homicide every 1.3 days. In Pittsburgh in 2003 (last year I could find statistics for), there was a homicide every 5.1 days.

For comparison, in New York (2005) there was a homicide roughly every 12 hours, in Chicago (2006), there was a homicide every 15 hours, and L. A. (2003) has a homicide every 17 hours. While I don't doubt that many parts of Pittsburgh can be quite dangerous, I think the OP of the Baltimore quote had a valid point - Baltimore does have more murders and could be seen as more dangerous than Pittsburgh. I've lived in both places, and I'd agree.

[PPG]

Sorry, but I was actually speaking of McKeesport. I just mentioned Pittsburgh because its so close.

My point was not about murders. You should have read my original post.

These suburb cities are not as bad as Pittsburgh's worst neighborhoods. In Pittsburgh they make sure you are dead.

My point is that Mckeesport is no worse than anywhere bad in Pittsburgh. I don't know where Baltimore came from. That's a bunk statement anyhow. Bad is bad, I don't care where you are. Nobody moves from Baltimore to Compton and says "at least it's not Baltimore".

So once again, DON"T MOVE TO MCKEESPORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lastly, I think a lot of people really do not know how to correctly read DATA. I'm considering making a thread about DATA reading in the GENERAL US section.

[Katiana]

Lastly, I think a lot of people really do not know how to correctly read DATA. I'm considering making a thread about DATA reading in the GENERAL US section.

I agree, and I wish you would.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by zip95

You, however, did say "...it's not a "seriously bad" neighborhood...". I happen to disagree. I think the Mckeesport knuckle-heads have done enough to earn the neighborhood the "seriously bad" label (at least by Pittsburgh standards).

Well that's fine, but I was comparing it to Chicago neighborhoods because that is what the OP is familiar with. And believe me, I bet most people in Englewood would love to live in a place as relatively calm as McKeesport, where the murder rate averaged out for the last six years that data is available hovers somewhere just above the national average. Englewood is neighborhood of 40,000 that, in its current "improved" state, now experiences "only" 15 to 20 murders a year, whereas just over 10 years ago they once suffered EIGHTY MURDERS IN FOUR MONTHS. Trust me -- McKeesport is not Englewood. You may not know what that means, but the OP probably does. I'd rather spend a year in McKeesport than a week in Englewood.

[PPG]

Originally Posted by whybeme82

We are moving to Pittsburgh, and have been offered a place to stay in Mckeesport until we find a place. I have gotten the impression that this is an extremely undesirable place to live, an wanted to know what the deal is regarding safety. I have two small children, who would want to play outside, go to the park... Is it a safety issue or that there are bad schools, and slummy housing? Are there shootings? I'd like to hear from people with firsthand experience and knowledge, not people who have heard things, like me. Thanks so much.

To end this thread.......

Is it a safety issue? - yes

Are there bad schools? - yes

Slummy housing? - yes

Are there shootings? - yes

Truth speaks for itself. If this is what is bad to you, then there you have it. Your questions are answered.

[Drover]

In other words, if you can deal with the so-so areas in Chicago like Marquette Park, Belmont-Cragin, Humboldt Park west of California, the Howard portion of Rogers Park, and the like, you have an idea of what McKeesport is like, except it looks more run-down than most of these areas.

Curious, what neighborhood do you live in at the moment?

[WVUPharm2007]

Originally Posted by PPG

To the OP, do not move to McKeesport. Let the person from WV move there, since it's not like it's Baltimore or something.

Hey, I lived outside of the area around Johns Hopkins for a month for a rotation I went on at that very hospital. Nowhere....and I mean NOWHERE in Pittsburgh is as bad as the part of Baltimore I had to hang out in.

My friends up in Yinzer town use the "Home" rule. If the name of the town/borough starts with "Home", drive the other direction.

[CaptainObvious]

OP, My original post-the one right after your initial one-says what everyone else was trying to say if you could cut through the BS that was all the bickering. PPG backed me up for the most part, and from what I can tell in other posts in other threads, that's one dude that knows what he's talking about. So, it most definitely ain't Watts circa 1969, and it most definitely ain't East St. Louis circa 1977, but it also definitely ain't no place you want to be. I agree there's been a lot of overstating of just how terrible McKeesport is by locals (and that happens with all the "bad" areas around here), but overstating or not...it's not good. It's nowhere for your kids to be, even if you could handle it. The immense drug problem alone is enough to keep me away. I'm not exaggerating this...I actually saw 2 crack deals go down at consecutive blocks while stopped at a red light there- and a cop was a block away watching it all happen. If the cops have better things to do than stop a middle of the day, middle of the road drug deal, you've got issues with your community. You don't want your kids to see that shizz. The only other place I've seen this happen around here is not Homewood, not the Hill, but Aliquippa...and that's another suburb where you want to be too.

Captain

[PPG]

Originally Posted by WVUPharm2007

Hey, I lived outside of the area around Johns Hopkins for a month for a rotation I went on at that very hospital. Nowhere....and I mean NOWHERE in Pittsburgh is as bad as the part of Baltimore I had to hang out in.

My friends up in Yinzer town use the "Home" rule. If the name of the town/borough starts with "Home", drive the other direction.

Yeah, I saw the wire. Kinda reminded me of webster ave in the hill district. Ever been there?