Highland Park (Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg: upper-class, low crime, home)

[Hopes]

You don't have to cross Garfield or Homewood to get almost anywhere. Both neighborhoods are rather isolated. I only use Homewood for shortcuts from Washington Blvd to Squirrel Hill. I've never had the need to use Garfield for a short cut (except coming from Stanton Heights to Bloomfield). If I were living in Highland Park, I'd have no problem getting to Oakland/Shadyside/Squirrel Hill without going anywhere unsafe.

I'd walk through East Liberty during the day. I'd have no problem whatsoever taking a bus or driving through at any time of the day or night. I'd probably walk through in the early evening with friends.

You can get downtown a million ways from Highland Park. Stanton Hill isn't the only way. You can go through Morningside. You can go down Penn. It's not a big deal to drive between Garfield and Bloomfield. You can drive down Liberty right through the middle of Bloomfield. You can cut through Oakland.

[BrianTH]

There are some good bike routes too. The only thing I could see triggering some discomfort in some people is walking through East Liberty (although I would also have no problem doing it at least during the day).

[gg]

Originally Posted by Squeamish

Highland Park is a great neighborhood in itself, but I would bring up one caution that many if not most of your destinations will likely be in Oakland/Shadyside/Squirrel Hill, and to get there from Highland Park one must travel through East Liberty, which is marginally sketchy but on the upswing. East Liberty is OK enough that I doubt anybody would have an issue driving or taking the bus through it, but many would not feel comfortable biking or walking through it. There's a solid line of bad from Garfield on the west over to Homewood on the east that one must cross; however, East Liberty is not as bad as what's to the east and west of it so it's a good place to cross. You can, however, get to downtown without going through any bad neighborhoods, by going over the hill on Stanton and then through Lawrenceville.

I cycled through East Liberty countless times. I felt Highland was my favorite route at night and most of the time, but sometimes I would ride around Penn Circle to get to Negley. Highland Ave was very comfortable for me, but if Peabody was letting out, it could be a pain. The kids coming out of that school were not the best of lots. There was a cyclist in front of me that got punched by a student riding though there, but I just rode towards them pumping hard letting them know I have an elbow waiting for them if they want to play. They didn't play that time.

Is Peabody still going, or are they going to that dumb they now call Schenley? The old Schenley was at least a nice building, but I don't think any students received much of an education there.

[sith]

as far as grocery delivery, there is a fairly new service in the area called big bird grocery delivery. sister and mother live in morningside and just used them for first time this week.

and LOL about peabody as i graduated from there in (eek!) 1963.

[gg]

Originally Posted by sith

as far as grocery delivery, there is a fairly new service in the area called big bird grocery delivery. sister and mother live in morningside and just used them for first time this week.

and LOL about peabody as i graduated from there in (eek!) 1963.

I played volleyball in that gym for well over a decade and parked in that lot at night. Only had one situation when some kids tried to throw a brick through my side window. My alarm went off and they moved to the next car. Not the brightest kids and they were caught. A few cars did get there windows broke. Now do I consider that a bad place to park? I said I played there for over a decade and had ONE situation. Guess it was safe.

[sith]

i don't remember there even being a parking lot in my day....maybe we were still using horse and buggy

[gg]

Originally Posted by sith

i don't remember there even being a parking lot in my day....maybe we were still using horse and buggy

Oh come on, that wasn't that long ago, but I have talked to people that when there back then and they said it was a good school. Shame it went down to the level it did.

Here is Peabody H.S. situation. They are going to close which will be good for the area to be honest.

Pittsburgh school board approves closing Peabody High School - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

[jimmyev]

The thing that struck me about Highland Park is that people chain their front porch furniture as if it would just disappear...

[Squeamish]

Originally Posted by Hopes

You don't have to cross Garfield or Homewood to get almost anywhere. Both neighborhoods are rather isolated.
...
You can get downtown a million ways from Highland Park. Stanton Hill isn't the only way. You can go through Morningside. You can go down Penn. It's not a big deal to drive between Garfield and Bloomfield. You can drive down Liberty right through the middle of Bloomfield. You can cut through Oakland.

I didn't say you have to pass through Garfield or Homewood to get anywhere. As you know, you won't be in either. You have to pass through the line of bad that extends between the two, specifically East Liberty. I mentioned Garfield and Homewood to help describe how this line is geographically.

As an aside, if one wants to get into finer detail, it extends E and NE into Lincoln-Lemington and East Hills, and the only way around it to go east would be along the river road or crossing the river unless one crosses East Liberty to Penn or south of Penn.

I agree there are other ways to get to downtown through good. I was just explaining that you don't need to cross the line of bad to get to downtown. Mossfield is another alternative - I doubt Garfield is all that bad that far back.

The geography of crime is a fascinating subject. It's surprising, but a relief in a sense, that criminals will generally commit crimes in the bad neighborhood even when a good neighborhood exists only a few blocks away.

[gg]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

The thing that struck me about Highland Park is that people chain their front porch furniture as if it would just disappear...

It is the city and bicycles are stolen off porches all the time and I am sure furniture would be especially if it was metal and someone could scrap it to get there 25 dollar high for the day. I wouldn't leave things around unless the area is really isolated from the black neighborhoods. Sorry, but I speak plainly and honestly. Why sugarcoat things?