Anyone know about Penn Hills? (Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg: low income, apartments, renters)
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I have lived in the Penn Hills area that some have called bad, the east side of RT130.
I'm white and love my street and neighborhood. The blame can be placed on the realestate co. that have drawn a line to show whites one area and blacks another area.
I happen to live on the black sidefor18+ years and have had NO, I repeat NO, issues that some had stated about this area. Yet there are problems, just the same, on the white side of Penn Hills, but no one will tell you that.
I wish we could all live together and stop making excusses for what the real problems we are all facing. Goverment and politics are hurting all our neighborhoods regardless of what color you are-cutting needed funds for education,housing costs and you could list many more cut that effect us all.
Safe is nowhere in the USA(maybe a cave or island of your own), but I take pride in my community and teach my children our grandparents values,we all know what they are... or did we forget?
Come and visit my neck of the woods-some of us whites don't see color, just see good or bad upbringing from today world we are forced to live in.
Sorry, sometimes I can be taken the wrong way(strong minded) for what I believe in and what how I have chosen to do for my side of Penn Hills( the forgotten side).
P.S. my husband and kids are white too.
Brandon, you will love the area and convience to you job. I live on Orin Street and work at UPMC, best of both worlds for me.
The truth, I have a 18yr old and 9yr old and they have the best of both worlds also, many diverse friends and go to public school. The community and school district are having the same problems other communities are having. I have been there for both of my children and am a very active parent when it come to education. I'd be happy to have more families in my area who care, like you do to ask the tough questions. I do not live in a war zone and take pride in my home and community. Look forward to see you and your children next month. Don"t let the rumors scare you away from meeting great people and a great house
^^^ Why didn't you just say Beulah Road? Do you call Rodi Road 791?
The blocks were broken in Penn Hills well over 30 years ago. There's a fair housing act of 1958. Realtors aren't permitted to steer clients to certain areas based on their race, religion, etc. In 1975 I was called to list a property for sale in Alcoma Estates, the area across from the country club. Who owned the house and was living there? Blacks. Where are these lines you're talking about?
I live in Penn Hills, near the Verona/Oakmont areas. I moved there 3 years ago, from New York. I bought a 4 bedroom house in a nice neighborhood at a great price. The neighbors are friendly, it's a quiet peaceful environment, there is plenty of nice scenery. We have trees in our backyard, and you can see wildlife (deer, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, etc) frequently wandering through the area. It really is a beautiful place to live.
I felt like I got incredibly lucky finding a wonderful home in a great neighborhood, until I heard the school district wasn't so great. So I decided to look it up, and I'm finding lots of comments online about crime, the increasing black population, and declining value of Penn Hills. Personally, I haven't seen it. Sure, Penn Hills is a big place, and I'm sure there are other areas where things may be different. But my neighborhood is a very nice place, and I've had no complaints in 3+ years. I wonder where the other Penn Hills critics live?
Oddly enough, Penn Hills does rank lower than the national average in just about every other category of crime. Go figure.
People obviously overlook the fact that Penn Hills is huge in comparison to other communities in Allegheny county. Our Police force is 2nd highest next to the entire City of Pittsburgh. Like any area, you have you pro's and con's. I moved from Mt. Lebanon to Penn hills 2 years ago and love it. It's quiet, more house for my money (and my house is only 20 years old) and it's very convienent to restaurants, shops, work, entertainment. You really need to decide for yourself what you deem safe. I haven't noticed any crime on our side of Penn Hills. I tend to think more crime happens on the border with the city of pittsburgh than Plum/Oakmont/Verona side. Just my opinion.
I have lived in Penn Hills. It has a much worse name than it should. I travel through it all the time. Penn Hills is huge. Do you know if you drive up a street in Verona it becomes Penn Hills on the other on 4th Street? Believe me, Penn Hills is giant. It isn't as nice as it once was in its best days, but it is still pretty good. Sure Alcoma CC is now gone. It might lose Churchill CC soon enough. East Liberty is moving in. Everyone knows it. The city of Pittsburgh is being taken back over by the working people of Pittsburgh and it is going to happen. Great for Pittsburgh, not so great for Penn Hills. It will take a decade or so for it to fully transition. In the mean time, Penn Hills is not bad at all. I certainly don't feel threatened there like I would in certain streets in Hill, Homewood, or Northview Heights. There isn't a street in Penn Hills that can compare to those places. Relax, Penn Hills is still okay. It just isn't quite the same as the old days when the school graduated over 1500. Sometimes they had classes over 2000. WOW. Now it is down to 400 or even less. Why? East Liberty is moving in. Just the facts.
I live in Penn Hills, near the Verona/Oakmont areas. I moved there 3 years ago, from New York. I bought a 4 bedroom house in a nice neighborhood at a great price. The neighbors are friendly, it's a quiet peaceful environment, there is plenty of nice scenery. We have trees in our backyard, and you can see wildlife (deer, turkeys, ducks, rabbits, etc) frequently wandering through the area. It really is a beautiful place to live.
I felt like I got incredibly lucky finding a wonderful home in a great neighborhood, until I heard the school district wasn't so great. So I decided to look it up, and I'm finding lots of comments online about crime, the increasing black population, and declining value of Penn Hills. Personally, I haven't seen it. Sure, Penn Hills is a big place, and I'm sure there are other areas where things may be different. But my neighborhood is a very nice place, and I've had no complaints in 3+ years. I wonder where the other Penn Hills critics live?
Living in a house my experience was different than living in apartments. I think it is easily possible to purchase a home within Penn Hills and have everything you've posted. I have quite a few family in Penn Hills and their experiences vary depending on where each of them live. In general I don't think Penn Hills is a horrible area as it is often is described to be and lived many years there. However I do think it is declining and unless they get a handle on it it will continue to decline. A lot of the issues I've observed in Penn Hills is, of course, white flight and that people who are moving in are moving from areas where there is more violence (Homewood, Wilkinsburg, East Liberty, etc) to get away from it. The problem is their family and friends and relatives move in, visit, and bring that drama with them. Also, at one time you had a lot of kids using a relatives address to go to school in Penn Hills bringing their attitudes with them to our kids in the school district. You'd see large groups of them catching PAT buses back to their neighborhood, and they didn't even seem to hide it. People try to describe it as the ghetto and it ain't the ghetto. It has unsavorable sections, but there still is a large area that is livable. Just my opinion based on living there for roughly 30 years.
Housing plans I'm familiar with:
North Bessemer plan back when the Whistle Stop was still around (that should bring back some memories for lifetime residents!). Used to be a nice little neighborhood, not sure now, but I expect it probably still is. (Plum/Penn Hills side)
Behind the Sunoco Gas Station towards the end of Rodi Road. Nice little neighborhood there as well too. (Monroeville/Penn Hills side)
Jefferson Road. Dog park, liked the area and the only negative I found there was cars speeding up and down the road. (Monroeville/Penn Hills side)
Apartments I am familiar with:
Rodi Arms. Paper thin walls. I got to enjoy the weekly beatings of the next door neighbor, but other than that the apartment was nice and low-priced building. (Near Monroeville/Penn Hills border)
Leechburg Gardens. Loud music and fights. Quite a bit of 'activity' going on there. They were income based and seeing the cops there wasn't an unusual occurance. They sit at the end of the North Bessemer housing plan. (Penn Hills / Plum side).
Stotler Townhomes at the end of Stotler Road. If you believe that crime is limited to the Penn Hills / Wilkinsburg side go hang out here. They are blacklisted by some pizza shops because of how many times their drivers have been robbed. You likely won't see much wildlife. What you will see is a townhouse community that will remind you of the projects with broken out windows, piled up garbage, and boarded empty homes. Drug activity is going strong there and cars are often abandoned there. It's a sad contrast to the homes right up the street from it. (somewhat mid Penn Hills)
Alcoma On The Green. Nice apartment building and unless you lived there for several years you'd likely miss the fact they bolt the furniture down in the lobby (including the lamps and pictures) because if they don't someone will steal it (and has in the past). If you visit there, go up to the lobby near the leasing office and try to move a lamp for a giggle. (It always brought me one.) The rape of a woman in the larger building and the robbery of a woman in the smaller building (as she came in the front door). You may miss the drug activity happening there. Though it sits on 10 acres so you'll probably see some wildlife there too. That's a bonus, right? It's a darn shame too since that is a really nice apartment complex. This apartment complex sits right up the hill from Leechburg Gardens which may be part of the issue. (Penn Hills / Plum side)
I still have multiple family there some in nicer areas (Coal Hollow Road area) and some in areas they'd like to leave (near Swansons & Mount Carmel), but I think that's a pretty good overview of some places there. While a critic of Penn Hills (and really, I am) I do acknowledge that a lot of Penn Hills depends on where you live.
That is just a snippet of what I could post. Seriously, it just goes on and on...and on. Hundreds upon hundreds of things ranging from local crime to corrupt politics. If I could afford a house in Pittsburgh I would not settle there. There are such better choices for the price, but I don't think the area has reached it's low yet. Like I said, it's still heading that way but there's some good years left in PH & if they can get those housing values back up it could become a nice area again.
In truth parts of Penn Hills are very bad!!! Gang violence/ rivalry ain't new, the "thug life", has been around since '95.... "Beef", has been going on between two local Penn Hills gangs. Plus "beef", between the neiborghing hoods: Linclon-Lemmington Cripz, East Hills Bloods, & Wilkinsburgh LAW's. You really don't wanna live close to the city lemits where most of the action happens.
There is a story(arrest) of a few members of what's left of the Penn Hills Mafia, one of the few white only gangs in the Burgh. You better bet those "wise guys", don't reside in the hood of Penn Hills... The Penn Hills Mafia seems to be a few under the radar weed dealers, but they probably live in the suburan section of Penn Hills... Just keep that in mind, yet the quiet, middle class, parts by Verona, Plum,& Oakmont seem to be safe.
You must be a bit wimpy. I feel all of Penn Hills is pretty laid back. Not a street in Penn Hills is all that bad. If you feel they are so bad, let me know the streets in a PM and I will walk you through the area. Just take me to that Mexican joint at the top of Rodi that used to be a BK and I will be happy.
Now hold it I've played football (d-line) since I was 13 years old... Nose tackle doesn't = wimp!!! Now I walked through Race Sreet, Hamilton, Frankston ave. in Homewood @ 11:00pm. I don't get pi$$ my pants when I see a hustler that probably is strapped with a 40cal pistol unlike most people on this forum.. Idk that much about Penn hills streets cause I've never lived there. Although, if you think Penn Hills ain't grimmy then you go to the Eastwood area (I think) that's where on of the gangs: the Eastwood Boyz should claim turf. All I'm saying is Penn Hills by the East Hills is the hood. In the hood mo matter where it is, NYC to Compton gangsta bull $hit still goes down!!!
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and a great house 
A lot of the issues I've observed in Penn Hills is, of course, white flight and that people who are moving in are moving from areas where there is more violence (Homewood, Wilkinsburg, East Liberty, etc) to get away from it. The problem is their family and friends and relatives move in, visit, and bring that drama with them. Also, at one time you had a lot of kids using a relatives address to go to school in Penn Hills bringing their attitudes with them to our kids in the school district. You'd see large groups of them catching PAT buses back to their neighborhood, and they didn't even seem to hide it. People try to describe it as the ghetto and it ain't the ghetto. It has unsavorable sections, but there still is a large area that is livable. Just my opinion based on living there for roughly 30 years. 
