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About a week ago a man from Penn Hills was driving after being shot in Larimer. He was rushing his critically-wounded passenger to the hospital: 2 charged in Larimer shooting that wounded 2
Anyhow, I'm posting this thread because I want to gain a sense as to whether Penn Hills has ALWAYS had such a history with crime or if this is a trend that has been worsening. I found a great rental home for just $650/month that would be perfect for my partner, his pampered pooch, and I, and I am doing my due dilligence NOW in case another steal like this in Penn Hills comes on the market next summer when we are looking for a place.
Just keep in mind Penn Hills is a very large area by local standards, and in fact I believe it is the most populous suburb in the Pittsburgh area. Among other things, that means it has a lot of different parts, and also that when considering things like crime, you really need to be looking at rates and not just lists of crimes.
Just keep in mind Penn Hills is a very large area by local standards, and in fact I believe it is the most populous suburb in the Pittsburgh area. Among other things, that means it has a lot of different parts, and also that when considering things like crime, you really need to be looking at rates and not just lists of crimes.
True. I also realize that in the majority (all?) cases I cited the victims likely knew their assailants. In the long-term I want to live in the city proper to purchase a home, renovate it, and pitch in to help in its ongoing revitalization efforts; however, until I'm more financially sound I am willing to search anywhere (yes, including Penn Hills, which has a built environment I don't particularly find myself in alignment with) for cheap rental options that accept a dog.
I just worry that if these trends continue the "wilding" we saw this evening in East Liberty in which innocent bystanders were harassed, threatened, and "targeted" (ironically at Target, pun intended) could also occur in Penn Hills, if not worse.
I've delivered very frequently to Penn Hills over the past eight months. Nevertheless I still feel like I know nothing about it. Those three teenagers who were robbed at gunpoint in the street by those two other teenagers were in what I thought was a very "nice" part of Penn Hills. I'm sure there ARE wonderful parts of Penn Hills, but I suppose I'm just cautious because some of these other crimes (including the one on Azalea Drive, too) happened in what I deem to be "nice" areas.
True. I also realize that in the majority (all?) cases I cited the victims likely knew their assailants. In the long-term I want to live in the city proper to purchase a home, renovate it, and pitch in to help in its ongoing revitalization efforts; however, until I'm more financially sound I am willing to search anywhere (yes, including Penn Hills, which has a built environment I don't particularly find myself in alignment with) for cheap rental options that accept a dog.
I just worry that if these trends continue the "wilding" we saw this evening in East Liberty in which innocent bystanders were harassed, threatened, and "targeted" (ironically at Target, pun intended) could also occur in Penn Hills, if not worse.
I've delivered very frequently to Penn Hills over the past eight months. Nevertheless I still feel like I know nothing about it. Those three teenagers who were robbed at gunpoint in the street by those two other teenagers were in what I thought was a very "nice" part of Penn Hills. I'm sure there ARE wonderful parts of Penn Hills, but I suppose I'm just cautious because some of these other crimes (including the one on Azalea Drive, too) happened in what I deem to be "nice" areas.
I think you've answered you own question, as even the "nice" areas of Penn Hills, aren't all that nice. Bad things can happen anywhere, but they happen much more often in some areas, Penn Hills is one of those areas where it is much more likely to happen.
Take it from a guy who lived in Penn Hills for 15 years...
Penn Hills peaked in 1980, and its decline had become evident by 1990. Part of it borders some of the roughest ghetto neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, so those who wanted to get out of the ghetto began to seek refuge in Penn Hills, which was fine and understandable, but for one reason or another, the ghetto followed them, and probably against their will too. As this happened, the school district began to decline, which exacerbated the flight out of Penn Hills by middle- and upper-middle-class families. (Now you know why close to half the student body at Central Catholic High School during the 1990's came from Penn Hills.) Then, as gentrification began in East Liberty and other adjacent neighborhoods around 2000, many of those who were displaced from the public housing projects ended up in Penn Hills as well.
These days, the Penn Hills School District is ranked lower than the Pittsburgh Public Schools in terms of the quality of education, and much of it has to do with the ghettoization of the student body. You know that the school district is in trouble when you consider that the Asian population in Penn Hills has gone from minimal to nonexistent, especially as Monroeville, Plum and Murrysville have added Asian residents, and Monroeville in particular has become the Asian magnet of the eastern suburbs. (Asian families tend to locate based on the quality of a school district.) And while I realize that a lot of black residents and families in Penn Hills are not responsible for its ghettoization, it doesn't change the fact that there are enough ghetto knuckleheads in Penn Hills who are responsible, and have almost single-handedly diminished the quality of life there.
There are still a lot of nice areas in Penn Hills. It's a big area and I believe there are 48,000 or so residents. If I was interested in this area, I would probably be looking in Verona instead of Penn Hills. Same affordable real estate, but far away from the ghettos.
Penn Hills is being greatly effected because there is less housing in East Liberty and Penn Hills is a place for those that used to live in East Liberty to live. It will continue to decline and the school district will end up like Woodland Hills. Hope it stays in Penn Hills and doesn't bleed into Plum, but the wave pool is probably a place that will close at some point soon due to this decline.
Probably headed for more decline. No reason to think otherwise. As pointed out, its a big area and some parts of Penn Hills aren't bad, but would be careful buying anything with a Penn Hills address. Renting, much less an issue.
The township has always been poorly managed. East Hills Shopping Center started declining the day it opened because of the Eastwood gang and lousy law enforcement. I lived there when we had wild dogs roaming the neighborhood. Cops called animal control in Plum because they had none. Occasionally there is the problem of super high water or sewage bills. It is easier to move than to get anyone sensible to realize a mistake has been made.
Rosedale is still nice. I have friends who have lived for years in the Penn Hills part of Verona. Go up Center Avenue and once you pass 5th Street it is Penn Hills. I hate Verona but think it's a much better option than Penn Hills even with it's section 8 problems. You could find a place to rent that's reasonable. There are duplexes there for sale at $60,000 - $75,000 which is cheaper than rent and it's in a good school district.
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