white guy buying in East Palo Alto (Richmond, Menlo Park: condo, crime)

[bradfight]

Hi,
I am an engineer and want to buy a property in East Palo Alto near IKEA and move there with my wife and my daughter. I was reading a lot of bad things about this area and was wondering if it is safe for me to live there.
Should I expect people trying to rob me on the street or shoot me? What bad things should I expect moving there? Should I buy a gun, big dog? I am also a martial arts expert so I am not concerned about me but mostly about my family.
Your feedback is appreciated.

Thank you.
Brad.

[maaci]

There is some discussion on EPA in the "Advice on Palo Alto" that may be helpful.

[bradfight]

Originally Posted by maaci

There is some discussion on EPA in the "Advice on Palo Alto" that may be helpful.

I saw that discussion but I was wondering if being white is even worse than being somebody moving there.

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by bradfight

Should I buy a gun, big dog?

Yes, yes and you might want to invest in bars to cover the windows, as many houses in EPA have. EPA has crime and the schools are lousy.

[hsw]

Suspect the criminals in EPA discriminate based upon one's likely relative economic status....

Common sense would suggest that any place where one feels unsafe is prob not a desirable place to live/work....

Most of the 101 corridor of SV is a series of ugly, high-crime zones....even Atherton (esp E of ECR) is fairly dubious w/its amusing proximity to RC....and PA itself (despite its many resident billionaires) suffers from a fair amt of reported crime...not surprising as EPA and other low-income areas are awfully convenient to easy, affluent targets in PA....

Suspect those living in the W of 280 corridor in Woodside/PV/LAH enjoy the benefits of their more "sophisticated" friends in PA/Atherton serving as a helpful buffer zone vs crime...

[sonarrat]

It's nowhere near as dangerous as it used to be, but it's still just as dilapidated and run-down looking. If it's that condo complex you can see from the IKEA parking lot, that's not so bad. If it's just west of 101 but in EPA, that's not so good.

[bradfight]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

It's nowhere near as dangerous as it used to be, but it's still just as dilapidated and run-down looking. If it's that condo complex you can see from the IKEA parking lot, that's not so bad. If it's just west of 101 but in EPA, that's not so good.

It's on the east side of 101 north near the 114 and newbridge intersection. It's a house not a condo.

[City Boy]

EPA does not look run down or even bad for that matter. In any city on the east coast it would be a decent to nice neighborhood. For some reason californians think run down is bars on the windows. It's not 1993 anymore and it's not that bad. North and South Richmond yes, EPA no.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by bradfight

It's on the east side of 101 north near the 114 and newbridge intersection. It's a house not a condo.

Oh dear. If you really are thinking about buying there, try hanging out around the Gateway Apts on 1345 Willow Road (Menlo Park).. if you don't feel uncomfortable around there, you're a braver man than I. That whole Menlo Park/EPA border area is a well-known gang hot spot.

[maaci]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

Oh dear. If you really are thinking about buying there, try hanging out around the Gateway Apts on 1345 Willow Road (Menlo Park).. if you don't feel uncomfortable around there, you're a braver man than I. That whole Menlo Park/EPA border area is a well-known gang hot spot.

Wow, I just stayed at the Stanford Inn in Menlo Park and I felt really comfortable (granted I wasn't walking or hanging outside). Is Menlo Park also a bad area?