Safety in McKeesport (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Englewood: low crime, homes, neighborhoods)

[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.

[CaptainObvious]

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.

I am sure someone will quote you the statistics at some point, so to that extent you can make up your own mind. But from a subjective FIRST HAND point of view...I work in home care throughout Western Pennsylvania and have been into literally thousands of homes in every community in and around Pittsburgh. 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.

Just my opinion- others will follow.

Captain

[WVUPharm2007]

It's not as bad as, say, the neighborhood around Temple in Philadelphia or anything...but I'd be lying if I said it was a nice, quiet town with low crime. On the other hand, only 1 person was murdered there in 2005 and 14 people raped. Though the crime index was 590 with a US average of 325. That's not THAT bad....I guess...

[PPG]

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

[WVUPharm2007]

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

[whybeme82]

This is a suburb not a neighborhood of Pittsburgh? How far is it from downtown? I should probably add that we currently live in Chicago, in a neighborhood that judging by the responses so far, some of you might deem dangerous, as I would not walk alone at night (but I would with my husband, even though my father has been mugged twice close to the house- go figure) It is a middle class neighborhood and not considered a bad or dangerous neighborhood at all. I have no problem with my kids playing outside and the like. That's just what goes along with living in the city. All that said, I am still very wary to move to McKeesport. Any more thoughts?

[Drover]

Yes, it is a suburb. It's approximately 5 miles from the city-proper border, and maybe 15 miles from downtown. McKeesport is to Pittsburgh as Cicero is to Chicago (that is, if all the Mexicans in Cicero where white instead) in that its danger is exaggerated but it's still not a nice place and there are real quality-of-life issues there. It's kind of like, say, Rogers Park, where there's a large seedy element even if it's not a "seriously bad" neighborhood like Englewood -- but without all the rehabs and slummin'-it yuppies mixed in with the working class and the 'hood trash.

[zip95]

Please...Pittsburgh, like most cities, has suburban areas that are as bad or worse than any city neighborhood. Mckeesport is one of the worst neighborhoods in all of Allegheny county.

Here are some links...and these 7 shootings and 5 deaths span a 2 month period.

McKeesport Teen Killed In Overnight Shooting - Dec 18, 2006

Shots Fired Into McKeesport Home; 2 Killed - Jan 15, 2007

Woman Flown To Hospital After McKeesport Shooting - Jan 19, 2007

Teen Shot In Stomach On McKeesport Street - February 7, 2007

Police Search For McKeesport Shooter - Feb 20, 2007

I don't know if Homewood has had a 2 month period as bad as that?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by zip95

Please...Pittsburgh, like most cities, has suburban areas that are as bad or worse than any city neighborhood. Mckeesport is one of the worst neighborhoods in all of Allegheny county.

Here are some links...and these 7 shootings and 5 deaths span a 2 month period.

McKeesport Teen Killed In Overnight Shooting - Dec 18, 2006

Shots Fired Into McKeesport Home; 2 Killed - Jan 15, 2007

Woman Flown To Hospital After McKeesport Shooting - Jan 19, 2007

Teen Shot In Stomach On McKeesport Street - February 7, 2007

Police Search For McKeesport Shooter - Feb 20, 2007

I don't know if Homewood has had a 2 month period as bad as that?

Here's what's been going on in Homewood lately:

Police seek help with Homewood shooting

1 killed, 1 wounded in Homewood

3 shot in Homewood

Great-grandfather shot dead in Homewood

Man shot to death in Homewood

Man shot in front of students in Homewood

Woman found dead in East Hills was strangled

Granted, it took four months for Homewood to amass this impressive resume rather than two, but one must also take into account that Homewood has only one-third the population McKeesport has. If you think Homewood is "not that bad," I encourage you to read the "My Homewood" blog run by Elwin Green on the Post-Gazette website.

[zip95]

Originally Posted by Drover

If you think Homewood is "not that bad," I encourage you to read the "My Homewood" blog run by Elwin Green on the Post-Gazette website.

Drover...you can't just make up quotes and attribute them to people. No where did I say, or even imply, that Homewood is "not that bad"!

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).