hill district? (Pittsburgh, Wilkinsburg, Sharpsburg: low income, roughest, to live in)

[ML North]

Originally Posted by brand03

No offense but some of you are pretty out of touch with reality. I'm sitting here cracking up at some of the responses. Sure, the Hill District can be a dangerous neighborhood. I work in the Violence Prevention field and have dealt with that area extensively and also have lived in the Sugartop section for several years. However, it is not what it is being made out to be on this forum. You are not going to get dragged out of your car and beat up. Most people are middle or lower income families with the same aspirations as everyone else. I would tell a person not familiar with the neighborhood to avoid the project areas but, other than that, there is nothing to be afraid about. Take a visit to the Hill House, YMCA, and drive through down Wylie Ave to see where the Crawford Grille used to be. Crawford Square and Schenley Heights (Sugartop) are both relatively safe. Visit and get to know some of the actual residents before forming such a strong opinion.

Completely agree, especially on the point of getting to know actual residents. My friend owned a house on the hill (I stayed with him for a while) and his neighbors were lovely people. Lots of kids always playing outside in the summer, too.

I used to walk from his house on Webster down to Fifth Avenue to catch the 500 (RIP) back to my house on the North Side in the evenings during the summer and never had anyone bother me. One time someone approached me: an older dude wanted to know if I would split a BOGO bus coupon. I'll take that deal any day of the week!

And this is not to say that you can't get yourself into trouble on the Hill -- like anywhere else, you can -- but 99% of the people who live there are just ordinary folks doing ordinary things, just like in any other neighborhood.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by ML North

And this is not to say that you can't get yourself into trouble on the Hill -- like anywhere else, you can -- but 99% of the people who live there are just ordinary folks doing ordinary things, just like in any other neighborhood.

I was chatting with a young mother who was swimming with her little girl at the Y today. She said she used to belong to the Y in another part of Pittsburgh (Homewood?) and switched to the Y on Centre because of shootings near the other Y. She was afraid for her daughter. She likes this Y much better. Like me she just joined a few weeks ago.

Off topic, but I had to buy a smaller swimsuit this weekend. The Y is working!

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by juliegt

Off topic, but I had to buy a smaller swimsuit this weekend. The Y is working!

Photos???

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Photos???

Why Copanut, I'm shocked!

[Uptown kid]

2 shot early Tuesday in Hill District | TribLIVE Mobile
Let's not drink too much of the kook-aid here. I'm not saying most of the Hill District should be refered to as a hostile war zone, but it truely is a rough neighborhood. Second to none (note even Homewood with 92 murders) the Hill (excluding SugarTop) is the the murder capitol of Pittsburgh with 97 murders from 1997-2012. Though its safe to say that most motives were somehow inner-personal disputes or were drug-related (but rarely gang/group-related between rival factions in the Chauncey Drive Housing Projects & Homewood).

Q: Does that mean you will most definitley be robbed if you walk there during the day???
A: No... In fact, you most likely won't have a problem at all...

There have never been any safety issues during any of my many experiences in the Hill District and have plenty of good memories. Still numbers don't lie, and there's a criminal element that can prove it. The Hill's criminal element isn't a predatory one, and you will likely not have a problem unless you go find one. Yet its one where many of people have killed in.
That is the sole reason why I don't recommend Bedford Dwellings, Middle Hill, and part of Lower Hill, and tell OP's to avoid walking through the areas listed above at night (yet if so don't walk alone/take serious precautions)... It's not a displaced sense of fear, but in a sense a wise & distanced respect for the high number of recent homicides and notable element of drug/gang activity.

[brand03]

Originally Posted by Uptown kid

2 shot early Tuesday in Hill District | TribLIVE Mobile
Let's not drink too much of the kook-aid here. I'm not saying most of the Hill District should be refered to as a hostile war zone, but it truely is a rough neighborhood. Second to none (note even Homewood with 92 murders) the Hill (excluding SugarTop) is the the murder capitol of Pittsburgh with 97 murders from 1997-2012. Though its safe to say that most motives were somehow inner-personal disputes or were drug-related (but rarely gang/group-related between rival factions in the Chauncey Drive Housing Projects & Homewood).

Q: Does that mean you will most definitley be robbed if you walk there during the day???
A: No... In fact, you most likely won't have a problem at all...

There have never been any safety issues during any of my many experiences in the Hill District and have plenty of good memories. Still numbers don't lie, and there's a criminal element that can prove it. The Hill's criminal element isn't a predatory one, and you will likely not have a problem unless you go find one. Yet it is one where many of people have killed in...

Agreed.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by Uptown kid

2 shot early Tuesday in Hill District | TribLIVE Mobile
Let's not drink too much of the kook-aid here. I'm not saying most of the Hill District should be refered to as a hostile war zone, but it truely is a rough neighborhood. Second to none (note even Homewood with 92 murders) the Hill (excluding SugarTop) is the the murder capitol of Pittsburgh with 97 murders from 1997-2012. Though its safe to say that most motives were somehow inner-personal disputes or were drug-related (but rarely gang/group-related between rival factions in the Chauncey Drive Housing Projects & Homewood).

Q: Does that mean you will most definitley be robbed if you walk there during the day???
A: No... In fact, you most likely won't have a problem at all...

There have never been any safety issues during any of my many experiences in the Hill District and have plenty of good memories. Still numbers don't lie, and there's a criminal element that can prove it. The Hill's criminal element isn't a predatory one, and you will likely not have a problem unless you go find one. Yet its one where many of people have killed in.
That is the sole reason why I don't recommend Bedford Dwellings, Middle Hill, and part of Lower Hill, and tell OP's to avoid walking through the areas listed above at night (yet if so don't walk alone/take serious precautions)... It's not a displaced sense of fear, but in a sense a wise & distanced respect for the high number of recent homicides and notable element of drug/gang activity.

Well said UK!

[Uptown kid]

TBH this was a better article than the one I posted earlier (so same shooting incident & no new developments)
2 Injured In Hill District Shootings « CBS Pittsburgh

[simetime]

Originally Posted by Q-tip motha

It isn't like that just on Center ave either.

I picked a different street every time I walked through the place, even cutting through the side streets, just to see more of the neighborhood. Never a problem. There are some interesting buildings up there. Homes with good bones that need a complete renovation of the interior (gas, water, electric, drywalling, etc).

That is the reason why I will keep the property that I already have there

[simetime]

Originally Posted by Uptown kid

TBH this was a better article than the one I posted earlier (so same shooting incident & no new developments)
2 Injured In Hill District Shootings « CBS Pittsburgh

I'm curious, do they have the same focus on crimes in other parts of the city, or are they doing this primarily to the Hill? I found that it is very hard to buy land on the Hill even for investment purposes could the media induced fear be part of it?