Lents area (Portland: real estate market, crime rate, felony)

[dabird]

I am moving my wife and young child to the Lents area in Portland. Is this area really coming up (improving)? I really dont know too much about the area, is it relatively safe for a young family? Thanks!!

[ncgalnow]

When I lived in Portland from 1989-2003 (NE Roseway neighborhood) The Lents neighborhood was known as "Felony Flats" in local parlance. I don't know if the booming real estate market there has changed any of that in recent years, (but I doubt it!) but if a realtor is telling you good things about Lents, just to sell a home to an unsuspecting person, I would definitely go running in the opposite direction!

Good Luck out there!

P.S. you might want to try the NE area for better values. I lived on NE 76th
in a charming little cottage - and LOVED it there! It was within walking distance to the library, school, and grocery store.

[oldtintype]

It depends where you are. Yes, they're really trying to improve lents and some new things are being built, etc. There is a nice park there and it's close to the freeway and walking/bike trail along 205. However, it's also an area with a lot of meth, halfway houses, and felony convictions. BUT, it really depends on where you are in Lents. Some areas aren't so bad, some are pretty bad. Do you know where you're going to be? And by pretty bad, I'm not suggesting you can't walk down the street or that you'll be robbed constantly, it's just a kind of depressing and ugly area at this point and yes, there is a lot of crime compared to the rest of Portland. They do (as a positive) have a really great farmer's market as one of the improvements.

[ChadPettingill]

Lents didn't seem that bad at all when I stayed there for a few days. Granted the houses are older but I would think that those would be good starter homes for new families.

[oldtintype]

Where did you stay? It's a fairly large area and can be different by as little as two blocks....The entire area isn't horrible, but it's not the kind of neighborhood you'd call fun for a young family, unless you're hanging in for the long haul of neighborhood improvements. There is a huge push to improve Lents and I hope it does happen. I know some improvements have already been made and with the light rail going in and the urban renewal funds Lents might be a different world in a few years.

[dabird]

Thanks for your input. We will be around 101st off Foster. I was looking at crime maps and there is a higher crime rate in Lents but 101st seems to be on the outskirts of it?? Any more input is greatly appriciated. Thank you so much...

[oldtintype]

I'm more familiar with the closer in part of Lents--right by the freeway area. At 101st you might be a lot better off. 10 blocks can make a huge difference! Are you moving there because it's cheaper? Are you buying?

[SimpleWords]

Hi,

This sounds really horrible, but the Lents area is known as "felony flats". My sister lives in Lents and this is what I can tell you: 1) many of her neighbors are nice, low-middle class folks who are just fine, and; 2) many of of her neighbors are not people you'd want living next door -- drugs, rough behavior, etc.

Her block has been closed down at least twice due to police raids on drug houses. The elementary school and high school have some kids that don't exactly come from nurturing homes.

That said, Lents does have a Farmer's/Artists Market and there are some new buildings popping up. People REALLY want it to be a great neighborhood. And maybe it will be someday.

[madmonkey05]

I live in that area in one of the newer (since 2000) townhouses. I would tell any friend of mine... DON'T MOVE ANYWHERE IN THIS AREA!
We had some guy with MS beaten almost to death a block away because he "narced" on a shop lifter and a week later someone was stabbed at the bar across the street. My wife once had to ask the SWAT team to move their van, as they raided a neighbors house, so that she could go to work. The "hood" did give us a sense of doing our civic duty when we witnessed an armed robbery and we were the only ones to step forward thus going through months of supoena's and rescheduled trials.
The lowlife's suck because well... they're low life's.
The normal folk suck because we are miserable being surrounded with low life's. Our "normal" neighbors have threatened to kill our dogs and have thrown glass in our yard to hurt our dogs.
Any realtor that would tell you it's great is a lying scumbag or clueless.

[ChadPettingill]

If the maps say your area is a low-crime area, then you'll be fine. Frankly with the way things are nowadays (rising prices in food, housing, growing gap between rich and poor) Lents might become a more sought-after area because of lower prices.