Western Pennsylvania (Sharon and Ambridge) (Pittsburgh, Erie: real estate, rental, crime rate)

[Wandering53]

How does Sharon compare with Ambridge as a place to live? I know Ambridge has more crime and is closer to Pittsburgh. Is Ambridge dangerous or just somewhat shady? Sharon seems quiet but boring. Boring is not a problem for me.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by Wandering53

How does Sharon compare with Ambridge as a place to live? I know Ambridge has more crime and is closer to Pittsburgh. Is Ambridge dangerous or just somewhat shady? Sharon seems quiet but boring. Boring is not a problem for me.

"Somewhat shady" is a good description of Ambridge. I'd describe it as rough around the edges, but far from a cesspool. It's certainly a long way from being it's neighbor Aliquippa.

[Bazzwell]

Ambridge has good and bad. An aunt that recently passed away said her neighborhood, street actually, was quite nice. Mostly older folks and long time townies. Across the alley or a block down she said was nothing but trouble. Rental properties, drug issues, in and out tenants. Elderly uncle still lives there and will leave when the undertaker removes him. Their now nearly senior children have no interest in the place and will sell it off.

That's pretty much how all these towns have gone over the decades.

Sharon I have little to no knowledge of, never really had a reason to go there.

[Rust Belt Kid]

I would imagine them to be very different places just based on location alone. Ambridge has some issues with drug related crime, not unlike many of the other mill towns in the river valleys. However the whole town should not be written off, like the poster above said there are some nice blocks that are quiet. If you're not involved in criminal activity, I wouldn't be concerned about your personal safety. Ambridge isn't to the degree of decline as Aliquppa or Beaver Falls, but there are rough patches. I'm not sure of your situation, but if safety is a concern maybe check out Baden or Harmony Township which are adjacent to Ambridge but are generally nicer (albeit more suburban feeling).

[fjy3]

I grew up in the Sharon/Hermitage area. They have a few festivals every year in Downtown Sharon, Waterfire Festival, Buhl Day, Bavarian Fun Fest, and Small Ships Review. Daffin's Candy has a special place in my heart. Sharon also started the wing chain Quaker Steak and Lube. They have a tiny, boring mall (Shenango Valley Mall) that we spent lots of time in. There are lots of nice houses there for dirt cheap, and Buhl Park is a nice place to walk/jog/run or go swimming. People in Sharon are working class, down-to-earth, and friendly. I moved away when I was 14, but I'm sure if I mentioned my family name to people they would still know all the dirt on my parents and grandparents. It's not exactly a bustling city, but it has some entertaining things to do in the warmer months, and the locals are nice.

[crae09]

Im unfamiliar with Sharon, but yes Ambridge is rough around the edges, its downtown is underwhelming and run-down and the drugs there are horrible. Maplewood Ave is home to so many drug dealers and trap houses. Honestly just avoid ambridge.

[mercerme]

> How does Sharon compare with Ambridge as a place to live? I know Ambridge has more crime and is closer to Pittsburgh. Is Ambridge
> dangerous or just somewhat shady?

My question is why are you picking between bad and worse? There are so many better places to live near both of these, still affordable places too.

> Sharon seems quiet but boring. Boring is not a problem for me.

Sharon is boring if you are a minor age person into say 30's and still single. This issue isn't Sharon exclusive, but story of Shenango Valley as a whole, most of Mercer County and Trumbull County too. If you live here and want arts and entertainment and aren't of retirement age or it doesn't involve your children, then you are going to have to drive to Youngstown, Cleveland/Akron, Pittsburgh, and even Erie. So logically, you should move closer to one of those places.

Back to your question about picking between two losing towns. I implore you to scratch Sharon off of your list.

Sharon is corrupt and long has been. Crime statistics are graphically underreported there. Police show up if you are lucky, but never file reports. Demand a report, and they bill you for the report. Major crimes like homicides they have to report and do. But thefts, burglaries, robberies and even sexual assaults go unreported by the Sharon PD.

The actual crime rate in Sharon is probably double at least of what is reported.

Crimes being solved by the Sharon PD are pathetically low. Per Pennsylvania State Police numbers filed with the Commonwealth show little solving of crimes within Sharon's borders. Meanwhile the neighbors in Farrell (poster child for being labeled as crime riddled) show considerable higher solve rates. Neighbor Hermitage shows respectable resolution on crime.

Drugs are an epidemic in Sharon. This isn't some new fad with the fentanyl/opiod epidemic. This has been going on there since the 1970's at least. Widely know stories of one big food chain and it's founders being known for cocaine fueled parties in their restaurant way back then. Go to the undesirable know county wide section(s) of Sharon and you can sit and watch the well-to-do and people of family name out seeking prostitutes and drugs. Police just ignore the problem.

How bad is sex and drug trade in Sharon? Epidemic. One formerly disgraced religious leader continues to run an illegal ***** house out of his home for most of the past decade, yet police let it continue while tricks and Johns go in out of this residential address day and night.

You can walk many block sections of Sharon and see the impacts of substance abuse and hopelessness. It's very evident in Sharon.

I know, you are likely considering these places because of afford ability. While Sharon on paper appears to be affordable, it is not. If you buy anything of quality, demand more out of life than Wonderbread and generic products, buy things of quality build, etc. then you will be spending heavily --- more so than in most other places. Which makes no sense since main I-80 cross country trucking route is just a few miles outside of Sharon's borders. The same price gouging and lack of choices however applies to better areas like Hermitage also.

In real terms, sure housing is cheap in Sharon when comparing to rest of the country. There are reasons for that. The housing is substandard in every way, the infrastructure is crumbling 20+ years ago and the neighborhoods are fairly lacking.

While it might seem like a deal to buy a house for $70k or less, you will quickly find high taxation greets you. Typical in Sharon to see 3-8% per year tax rate vs. your fair market purchase price, some are even higher.

To put this in real dollar terms:
$70k purchase price at 3% property tax = $2100
$70k purchase price at 8% property tax = $5600

These tax amounts are disgracefully high and especially when compared to the purchase price. Nationally taxation of real estate is 2% or less per year.

Lastly, this is what Sharon, a 'boring' town was like yesterday:
Sharon police investigating homicide | News | sharonherald.com
Police: Ohio man hit in 'drive-by' shooting | News | sharonherald.com

If you respect your life, want sanity, want peace and quiet, want boring, then Sharon is not the place for you. It is a social welfare experiment gone crazy and the disease is spreading city wide and to neighboring bedroom communities. Be forewarned and long armed.