Sharpsburg safety (Pittsburgh, Penn Hills, Munhall: low income, apartment, crime)

[sportsfreak]

My wife and I are being transferred to the waterworks mall. We found an apartment on middle street in sharpsburg and we need to know if it is a safe place to live. We have a seven year old daughter, is she going to be safe to play outside? Is there any serious crimes in the area like drugs, gangs, etc? thanks in advance

[PeterRabbit]

Sharpsburg isn't very big, about 1/2 square mile and borders the Allegheny River. Middle Street is 8 blocks long so probably it's the longest in the town. You can check it out on Google Maps. It looks like a decent, older neighborhood with houses close together on a narrow street. Parts of Sharpsburg look run down but it's a lot safer than it looks. I never hear about any crime there and I'm just a few miles away, nothing on TV news. There's no reason to fear going there.

It's a low income town which enjoys being in the Fox Chapel school system. There's a shopping center nearby, maybe 2 miles straight up the road, with a couple supermarkets, a smaller Walmart, and other typical stores. I guess your daughter would be safe playing outside. I don't know the neighborhood. It's not a town you would commonly drive through to go anywhere. It's only a few miles from downtown, the ball parks, science center, aviary, and the zoo is right across the river.

[weaver1]

I have a relative that lives there and likes it.Lots of kids playing in the streets even after dark with no problems.Most don't have yards to speak of so kids literally play in the streets.Narrow one way streets so cars drive slowly.A few good pizza places,a butcher shop and a walkable shopping area on Main St.

[bradjl2009]

I've heard mixed things about Sharsburg. People say it is safe and quiet, but others say it is going downhill since Lawrernceville is becoming more expensive and the people who are causing problems in Lawrenceville are moving there. Also, Sharsburg kids are teased sometimes by the much richer kids in the Fox Chapel. A common insult i've heard is river rat.

[sportsfreak]

thank you for your help!

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by sportsfreak

thank you for your help!

Sharpsburg is more than a half square mile as one poster noted, It stretches from the 62nd Street Bridge to the Highland Park Bridge. 1st Street is close to the former and 23rd Street to the latter. Also, Main Street stretches all the way from 1st Street to 23rd Street. It is the longest Street in Sharpsburg, not Middle.
I would not say that Sharpsburg is dangerous, however, there has been a decent amount of thieving going on. There has also been a few holdups lately. Although nobody is getting shot as in other Pittsburgh neighborhoods, it is starting to take on a bit more of an urban feel and not the neighborhood or town of homeowners and a vibrant businees district that I remember as a kid. It is not terrrible. Many of the people in public housing are top notch and are happy to be there and away from where they came from. Unfortunately, some of the people in the public housing off of Penn Street decied to bring the whole sterotypical mentallity and lifestyle with them. I can be as political correct as as possible. I can only call it as I see it. I live here. I know.

[PeterRabbit]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

Sharpsburg is more than a half square mile as one poster noted,

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles, of which, 0.5 square miles of it is land
Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by PeterRabbit

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 0.6 square miles, of which, 0.5 square miles of it is land
Sharpsburg, Pennsylvania - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Well, It may not be a full square mile. But going east it is at least a mile to the Highland Park Bridge from the 62nd Street Bridge if ones takes Main Street. Going north and south. from the river to the bypass(Route 28), it is fairly narrow, maybe a quarter mile in some places. a bit more in other places. If 1 mile by 1/4 mile = 0.6 of a mile square then maybe that data is correct.

[MikMcD1977]

I have lived in Sharpsburg for little over one year with my husband. We think that it is safe we previously lived in Etna (next town over) and had things stolen from our cars, our house was egged and my car was keyed while in our driveway. Plus the police were constantly at a nearby bar arresting people. I had to call the police twice because teens were fighting in a nearby alley. Nothing has happened while we have been living in Sharpsburg and it is very convienent to shopping and the city of Pittsburgh. Unfortunently children from Sharpsburg are teased at school and mistreated due to stereotypes about this community. As a caseworker for the county I deal with the Fox Chapel School District and it has been my experience that Sharpsburg kids are targeted and the parents are treated as trash. I wish this wasn't the case because people from Sharpsburg in general are hard working people!

[mattjd]

Sharpsburg sucks. I mean, it's not the worst neighborhood in the world...I would much rather live there than Penn Hills or Lincoln/Larimer, but I put sharpsburg in the same catergory with Munhall. It's very "working class" to put it politely. However, your daughter will be in an excellent school district (Fox Chapel) but I've heard that the Sharpsburg kids are often mocked for being poorer, so I dunno how that will workk. I believe sharpsburg is in the Kerr Elem. area, which is the worst school in the district, but it's not bad...it's just that the other schools are really, really good. So, basically the neighborhood is on the low end, but it's not horrific and being in a great school district certainly would make up for the lackluster community.