Safety in McKeesport (Pittsburgh, Allentown, Jefferson Hills: violent crime, house, high school)

[Katiana]

Poor choice of words, I guess. Large, scary, slummy housing, crime, all the things that have been mentioned here.

[zip95]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Poor choice of words, I guess. Large, scary, slummy housing, crime, all the things that have been mentioned here.

I understand

[CaptainObvious]

Originally Posted by CaptainObvious

I can tell you that I am somewhat "used to" being in not-so-great neighborhoods on a daily basis. Having said that, McKeesport proper is one of the very few places I actually worry about going to if I have any amount of walking to do...especially at night. I'd put it in the worst 3 or 4 communities in suburban Pittsburgh. It is a fairly scary place, rancid with drugs, and a good amount of violence. To me, yes, it is a safety issue. Their are very "slummy" communities around that I feel perfectly safe in...McKeesport isn't one of them.

So yes, I will quote myself. The second post in the thread summed up the next 30 that followed.

Captain

[biznessasusual]

This is very interesting how I come across this site, but I won't bore you with those details. However, I must say after reading these post I had to register just to reply.

live in a boardering town of Mckeesport, and I have a sister who lives a block or 2 away from this weekends shooting.which by the way, was killed his funeral was today. May he RIP
I was raised in these areas and have lived here 29 years of my life. I've managed to grow up and be responsible along with thousands of others. If you allow negative people give you advise, it won't matter where you live, McKeesport or Bel Air. Your choices would be based on Fear. So basically, Pray if you Know God, He'll lead you here or he'll make it plain to you that the move isn't such a good idea. But if you don't know God, then I'll just pray for you until that time comes.

But to the person contemplating moving here. It can be an upgrade from where your moving from, or you could regret the move for the rest of your life. Is everyone scared who lives in Mckeesport or neighboring areas? NO! Whereever there's poverty theres crime (meaning in the US). If you plan on venturing into the Rap game and go out 2Pac style, that's your prerogative. But if you have a good job opportunity and want to grow in McKeesport, you most certainly can and your kids will be Fine!

Okay, sorry it this was so long, but i just had to say something. I'm sure you'll make the right choice.

"Take Care and Take God"

[movedon]

I am born and raised Philly GAL. My Husband accepted a job in Pittsburgh. We decided to not stay in Pittsburgh. We found a house in McKeesport we love. All I have read scared me, of course no comparison to Philadelphia. But, still enough to worry. Worry about being outside, re sell value down the road, etc... But all in all we bought the house in McKeesport. Why? I loved the location, the house, and more than anything. I have the same beliefs that biznessasusual has. I believe each of us still can make a difference and each person slowly can make a change. This is how communities are over turned and revitalized. People need to get involved when they don't like what they see not just complain about things take some action in what ever way they can big or small. Be part of your community where ever you live. Grow with it. People die everyday. Would be nice if we can try to live each day & Take our communities back. People we elect unfortunately can’t do it alone for what ever reasons being. I was hesitant in buying a house in McKeesport trust me. But as of this past 3 days we are now proud owners of a house there. Philly has the highest crime rate right now. I am not afraid of walking the streets. I am sure McKeesport does not compare. I am a well educated well employed person. I just never give up on anything. MY family came from the poorest areas of Philly. People just need to stop giving statistics and start helping all over. Sometimes it starts at home. Sometimes you need to realize some of these kids come from the poorest of homes. Why I believe in mentoring programs, big brother, big sister, or how about someone just passing someone and saying hi to someone? Putting up basketball hoops just does not cut it!

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by movedon

I am born and raised Philly GAL. My Husband accepted a job in Pittsburgh. We decided to not stay in Pittsburgh. We found a house in McKeesport we love. All I have read scared me, of course no comparison to Philadelphia. But, still enough to worry. Worry about being outside, re sell value down the road, etc... But all in all we bought the house in McKeesport. Why? I loved the location, the house, and more than anything. I have the same beliefs that biznessasusual has. I believe each of us still can make a difference and each person slowly can make a change. This is how communities are over turned and revitalized. People need to get involved when they don't like what they see not just complain about things take some action in what ever way they can big or small. Be part of your community where ever you live. Grow with it. People die everyday. Would be nice if we can try to live each day & Take our communities back. People we elect unfortunately can’t do it alone for what ever reasons being. I was hesitant in buying a house in McKeesport trust me. But as of this past 3 days we are now proud owners of a house there. Philly has the highest crime rate right now. I am not afraid of walking the streets. I am sure McKeesport does not compare. I am a well educated well employed person. I just never give up on anything. MY family came from the poorest areas of Philly. People just need to stop giving statistics and start helping all over. Sometimes it starts at home. Sometimes you need to realize some of these kids come from the poorest of homes. Why I believe in mentoring programs, big brother, big sister, or how about someone just passing someone and saying hi to someone? Putting up basketball hoops just does not cut it!

You're right -- for you. Some people have no tolerance for crime and would live in fear. I live in Oakland, CA, in the flatlands -- and have done so with little problems for 20 years. This place scares my mother to death. When I leave the house to go to work she locks the door, and won't answer it.

I understand that, though -- in the 20 years I've lived here, we've had shootings down the block, drug addicts shooting up behind cars, homeless people living in their cars parked in front of our house, and one with no car holing up on our porch and behind our chimney... (we found solutions to get rid of her and her section 8 housing came through so she's now housed)... I got copper choppers overhead almost daily -- sometimes frequently.

Oh, yeah -- front spigots give the homeless access to fresh water.

We've had our house broken into once, and we've stuff stolen from my husband's truck... most often large bottles of detergent.... but it's not detergent.... in our janitorial business, hubby often doesn't have access to restrooms... .

The only thing we don't have is flying bullets and gang shootings.... the shootings down the street a few years ago took care of that problem.

Not being able to easily sell your house when the time comes is a very real possibility. It will take longer, and you may not see the profit from it people in better places would. And even if the place gets better, it's reputation will take much longer... Oakland CA is like that, too.

Here's the smart thing to do -- when you bought your house, you probably got it for a good price and have a good liveable payment. We did.

Start saving. And investing. If the thought of investing in stocks scares you (it does me!), invest in some good index mutual funds -- no loads, low cost and they mirror the market. Keep investing. Even if it's 50 bucks a month. Many many people feel they will retire on their house. You won't. (I won't either -- it's okay -- lots of us in that boat -- even the ones that think they can probably won't)...

This way, if you can't sell your house for lots of money, you'll still have lots of money.

This is a saving grace for us -- since the housing correction started, our housing net worth has fallen from near 500K to 394K. (In Californai -- this is low end housing) I'm still a few years away from selling, but even if I can't get what I wanted to get out of it, our savings will more than cover for that loss.

Sorry for the lecture, but we were where you are 20 years ago... and while our area is better than it was, around us is still pretty gritty, and that is going to effect our long run. If we had purchased a house in 1987 that was 150K in a better neighborhood, there's a very good chance that it would sell for near or at a million today. Where I am now, even if our house could sell (low end is not selling here at all -- first timers can't find financing) I couldn't move up -- I've been priced out of a larger house in a better neighborhood.

[lazy1]

Originally Posted by Drover

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.

I cannot agree with you anymore. Englewood albeit it's better now than it was in th 80's and early 90's was an absolute killing field. I would like to add other sections on the west side: West and East Garfield Park. Both of which comprise the majority of CPD's Harrison district. In the late 80's and 90's they averaged about 100 homicides annually. For those of you reading this and unfamiliar with this area of Chicago it's boundries are Chicago Ave. on the north end, Roosevelt Road on the south, California Ave. on the east and Pulaski on the west. This about 2 miles by 2 miles. No other neighborhood this size in america has a murder rate like this, not even South Central L.A. which is much larger. Drover you might as well include the whole South State Street corridor and north and south Lawndale as well.

[jaesmama]

I work in Mckeesport and live in a neighboring town. I also have a six year old daughter. There are good and bad parts of every town. There are still nice parts of Mckeesport...by Renzie Park..in that area. I am a single mother and I have no problem driving around here. My daughter goes to daycare in McKeesport and she also goes to a charter school in McKeesport, which I love. I would rather send her there than to an "uppety" public school in the North Hills. Even thought it is in McKeesport (a lower income area), it is still and excellent school. And no, to the person who thinks the stop lights are always flashing yellow in Mckeepsort because they are afraid of robberires, that is not true..lol

[la_torquemada]

I don't know what the place the OP comes from looks like, but unless you are used to the *look* of economically depressed, hilly, rust belt cities, even the "safest," "nicest" parts of McKeesport are going to look hopelessly awful to you. In short, it is UGLY. Also not very convenient. Given how cheap housing is here, you can probably find somewhere much less unpleasant to live for very cheap. Right now I live in a "bad" neighborhood (Mt Oliver -- and I live right near the main street, not off in the nicer part) where we've had very little trouble over the 9 years I've lived here -- once someone "broke into" my husband's unlocked car and once he was mugged. I wouldn't hang out in bars in my neighborhood, but I don't hesitate to walk to the store in the evening, and my neighbors are almost all decent people. All that said, I'm moving -- in large part because my neighborhood is UGLY. I hate going for a walk with my kids and feeling like we're in the third world somewhere with all the cobbled together crazy old piles of houses. Does this sort of "quality of life" issue come up in statistics -- no -- but it really affects how you feel about your neighborhood and its safety. I certainly would not move there sight unseen -- you may find it just too horribly grim.

[MissShona]

Wow...most of the posts here are pretty shocking...

Depending on the original poster's situation....if the housing was very cheap or free...why not live in McKeesport?

I grew up in the Mon Valley....and heard all the talk about how it isn't safe, and the violence, etc., etc. Although I was born in McKeesport and graduated from High School there....I had only lived in the city proper for a combination of 5 years. I had lived in Clairton, (another Mon Valley town...nearby) and Allentown, PA previously. Now I live in North Miami Beach, FL. LOL...and now I know what real crime problems are! All my years living in the Mon Valley....I never was robbed...no one in my family was robbed. No one in my immediate family was shot. Some cousins were involved in shootings; but they almost always involved people from Pittsburgh. If anyone has actually been around McKeesport....you'll see it's a pretty big place. More than 60,000 people live in McKeesport in the 1950s and 1960s. Now it's economically depressed and you have underpaid, sparse police patrolling a very big area where many places are not well lit and the roads are not in good condition. So thugs from neighboring areas...mostly Pittsburgh city proper...would much rather do their thing in McKeesport than in Pittsburgh where there are a lot of cops.

Same thing in Clairton. I actually grew up in the housing projects in Clairton back in the 1990s. When there was talk of a shooting or crime...it would be on the news...and even though it happened in Clairton...no one even knew these people. In many cases. And Clairton is small...so you know everyone. Even if a victim or perpetrator was from Clairton...it almost always involved people from outside of the area.

So back to McKeesport I would not equate it with any kind of urban ghetto (I think just about all of Miami proper trumps McKeesport in terms of crime. I will walk at night in McKeesport; I will not walk at night in Miami!). There are no people hardly in McKeesport. If someone wants to hunker around looking for someone to mug, they would be wasting their time in downtown McKeesport. It's deserted. What McKeesport is is poor. Simple as that. So yeah, some young thugs are running around....but it really depends on which part of McKeesport you're in. Ironically, growing up, we thought Pittsburgh was super unsafe and crime-ridden. When I went to college and started hanging out on the South Side...so many of my friends and family were scared stiff for my safety!