Is there any part of North Highlands that is safe? (Strathmore: apartments, rentals)

[eri]

Is there an area where people work on elkhorn blvd that is not as ghetto, or is the whole North Highlands area and surrounding just pretty all around bad?

[CityGirl72]

Pretty much all bad

And even if there was an okay area - would you really want to be that close to the bad areas?

[eri]

i should have been more specific, i was offered a job in that area. Someone told me the area where the working district isnt AS bad but still pretty bad. is it even ok to work you think?

[Rob98LS1]

one of my friends lives off elk horn and watt and honestly it really isn't too bad. Sure it isn't as nice as roseville, rocklin, or folsom, but it's not as if your going to get hassled just driving to work. The crime there woudn't stop me from working there or living there. I could see if you were walking the streets after midnight you MIGHT run into a few shady people but who does that anyways.

[Inthesierras]

I grew up in NH and still have quite a bit of extended family there. I personally feel the area around Holmes School (Walerga, Bainbridge, Arutas, Strathmore, etc) is a decent area and probably the 'best' of that area. There can be a lot of property crime and a few times a year more violent crime. As you pass over Elkhorn and into the areas around Village School and past that, its not the best area. More crime happens there. Stay out of the area between Don Julio and A Street. That is where my in-laws have lived for 30+ years and there is a lot of crime in that area. There is a high level of parolees living in that area too.

Another area of North Highlands that is surprisingly nice is the area just behind Safe Credit Union on Watt Ave. That neighborhood is like its own little pocket. Its between I-80, Watt Ave, and Winona. My parents moved to that area after I had left the house and the area is pretty nice. A lot of homes on 1/2-1 acre, most are kept up nicely, etc. A lot of the residents have lived there for many years and take pride in their homes. There seemed to be very little property crime. Many people take walks each night and socialize with each other. My parents met a lot of neighbors in that area because the neighbors walked by every night and they struck up friendships. But you cross over past the elementary school into the apartments around Polk Street, Renick Way, etc and the feeling of safe goes away in an instant.

I really urge you to drive through the area on Friday and Saturday nights. Its winter and not as many people hang outside, but in a few months you will be able to see what is happening. Some streets have great pockets of maintained homes, but you turn the corner and its not as nice. Just cruise through there and see it for yourself.

I have to say before the housing bubble burst, I saw A LOT of improvement in NH. Watt Avenue was getting cleaned up. The OLD yucky businesses that lined Watt have been torn down or renovated. I hope that continues. There still isn't a grocery store, they all closed. But there are quite a few within driving distance. Many landlords fixed up their rentals and sold them. Many young families were moving in and actually taking care of the homes. It was nice to see. Now you might get a DEAL on a home, there are more then 300 repos on the MLS listings and I am sure more to follow.

You didn't mention if you have kids. If so, don't send them to the jr and senior high. The state just stepped in because their performance has been low for decades, but took an even worse turn the last 5 years. They renamed the schools and combined it into a 7-12th grade academy. I am not sure how much that will do. Its the same kids, parents, and teachers. So be warned of that.

As for feeling safe, just use your common sense. If you see a couple of kids walking into the 7-11 with parka jackets on in July, get the hell out of there, lol. Now, if you are looking for gold chains or anything else easily stolen from walmart, then 7-11 is a great spot to find those after dark, lol. I visit NH a lot to see my family and while its changed, its still the same in many ways. Be aware, watch everything around you, especially at night when visiting the local stores. Lock your car and house. Park inside your garage at night. Lock your fence gates, you would surprised at how many thieves go into an unlocked gate during the daytime to rob your house. Have good lights on your house.

I should add this. I have a family now and wouldn't move back to NH even for a free house. But if you don't have a family yet, and don't mind some of the crap, then it might be for you. I must say I find a lot of the going ons funny, there is a lot of great drama. I used to love watching police raids on neighbors homes and the funniest domestic disputes (some were featured on COPS in the 90s) happened in the front yards. That is always entertainment for the neighborhood kids. Nothing attracts 30 kids on their bikes more then the coroner's office bringing out a body bag or the sheriff shooting someone in the middle of the street. When you know the people shown on channel 3 news getting arrested or listed as wanted, its funny. But I don't want that for my kids. I don't want them to feel that is normal and no big thing like we did as kids.