Crafton Heights (Aliquippa, Hawthorn, Hopewell: crime, houses, to buy)

[tonyahunting]

Okay so- as some of you may know I am relocating from southern california. I will be working in Aliquippa/Hopewell area. I am looking to buy a house somewhere closer to the city but not too far away from work. I have recently found Crafton Heights.(or surrounding areas) The prices of homes are great. I have found one on Hawthorn i like quite a bit but I just want to learn a bit about the area. I have a five year old who is in kindergarten so school are important. I also have a one year old. We are here to settle. So we want a family friendly community with good schools. I have checked past posts about the area and have heard some good things, until a recent post named it as a place to avaoid-so what is the deal is it good-bad? Any info is greatly aprreciated. Thanks

[ExPit]

Sorry to tell you that I think Crafton Heights isn't so great. I couldn't say what public grade schools you'd be looking at, though a friend's mother was a principal at ... I'm reaching for the name... Greenway Elementary... could be. The public high school is Langley, also not so great. Now if you'd be sending them to Catholic School it gets better. There's St. James that's down in the West End, a borderline area, and then St. Martin's, I believe closer to where you'd be. The Catholic High School is Canevin, which has a good reputation. Just thought of another public grade school in Elliot called Thadeus Stevens. You can match your new address with the schools' zonings....but still I think you can do better than Crafton Heights. You might be better off living out in the suburbs, given where you'll be working and your concern with finding a good school district.

[mister brewski]

I think Crafton Heights is a decent area, but schools are defintely a problem though... Like said, Westwood elementary, Greenway Middle, and Langely High, not good at all. Check in nearby Crafton, which isn't actually part of the city of Pgh and has a different school system, Carlynton, which by no means is top of the line but is a step up for sure.

[Pghtebbie]

Crafton proper is fine, Crafton Heights is NOT. I do not know exact boundaries, sorry.

[DorothyAnn]

There are some beautiful houses in Crafton. However, I think Greenway is a school to avoid. Sorry. And Westwood, um... not the greatest either. Westwood buses a lot of kids in. And no I don't think they are the most well behaved kids. My kid used to go there and I remember every day he would get a daily behavior sheet sent home. I don't think that is a good sign. And Stevens is also a school I would avoid too.

But if you have some extra bucks to spend I think St. Phillips is still open. I don't think the teachers are the best but at least the kids are better behaved. We lived in Sheraden which is close to there and couldn't wait to get out of that neigborhood. The crime was starting to concern us.