Alder Street, Portland center - that bad? (apartments, for rent)

[yankbrit]

Myself and my wife looked at a property on Alder Street for rent. We know the Soup Kitchen is right there and the landlord was upfront about the area being a little sketchy too. We spoke to friends of ours who live around Portland and they said if we are coming from Philadelphia we shouldn't be too concerned. We have been told it is not particularly violent and as long as you stay out of peoples way it should not be a problem.

So, getting to the point! What are your thoughts on this area? Is it really that bad or is it just a lot of homeless / addicts looking for a buck and a meal?

We are also looking at potential utility costs. Heat and H/W are included but we were wondering what the average monthly electric might be for a 2 bedroom apartment approx 900 sq feet would be?

One last thing - does anyone recommend someone other than Time Warner for cable / internet? I've been researching and it looks cheaper to get internet elsewhere and when we sign up for cable to go with DirecTV which is available and a hell of a lot cheaper than doing a Time Warner bundle.

Thanks to all!

[genmomto5]

My son lived near there for the summer. His bike was stolen from a nearby parking garage but, I do not know if he had it locked. But, as far as I know he had no confrontations with any neighbors. I wouldn't want to live there with children. I think you'd be able to find a decently priced place in a nicer area of Portland, but, you are correct in assuming a bad neighborhood in Portland is not even close to the level of a bad neighborhood in Philly.

[markportd]

Is a HORRIBLE place to live.. The crime is HIGH, Most buildings are run down. You can also call Portland Police and they will also tell you that Alder St. is NOT the place to live especially with children.. Also stay away from "grant" "sherman" "Kennedy park" .. good luck

[oceanfit185]

Nothing in Portland is bad by Philly standards. You pretty much nailed it when you said “a lot of homeless / addicts looking for a buck and a meal”

But you would probably be a lot happier in another location. So why bother?? There are tons of apartments out there. I would say keep looking.

Also, my electric bill is less than 50 per month for a 1,300 sqft house

[yankbrit]

Thanks, we took the apartment here. The location is fantastic. A five minute walk to everywhere. There a couple of homeless folks around but no one unfriendly. The building we live in is fantastic and we have a huge apartment. This area IS NOT that bad at all. It's a little dirty in spots but it's got a certain charm. We certainly have a beautiful apartment and like I said we are five minutes from everything. Thanks to all!