House off Willoughby Way between Ralph McGill Blvd and Ashley Ave, safety issues? (Atlanta: crime)

[zombied]

So right now I live in Cumming and would like to move into the city. I'd like to be walkable to Little 5 Points, ideally. Basically I'm sick of driving and even though I'm willing to drive, I don't want to have to get into my car to run every errand or go to every social event, so being able to walk a mile to hit Variety Playhouse for example would be pretty awesome.

So I found a really cool place off Willoughby Way between Ralph McGill Blvd and Ashley Avenue in Old Fourth Ward. The location seems great; a walk down the block gets you to Freedom Parkway as a nice cut-through to hit L5P, the Beltline is right down the street, etc. My main concern is crime. It's a couple of blocks away from Boulevard, for example. The median income for this area is $78k. Couple of blocks over? $18k. The home has a back yard, but no garage. I have nice bicycles and I'd prefer not to park them in the living room to keep them safe. It has a yard and I don't mind maintaining it myself but not if my lawn mower is going to be under a tarp when not in use assuming it doesn't get stolen.

What are the general opinions of this area?

[Esteban5]

Do you have children? Planning any in the future?

[zombied]

Nope, no kids. 31 years old with a full-time work-from-home IT job at a Fortune 20 company. Girlfriend is 26 and a dental assistant. No plans for kids in the foreseeable future/probably ever.

[Esteban5]

Check this out for reference:

Old Fourth Ward Crime Map Beta - Trulia

Hop this helps.

[jsvh]

I think O4W is at a tipping point. Boulevard will be in for a major transformation as the redevelopment picks up in the next few years.

You will be fine there. Just have a security system, keep things out of sight or locked, and be aware of your surroundings.

[cqholt]

Nice location. Very close to the Eastside Trail.

[ajb85]

Probably not the best to speak to the area (I live in Midtown) but from what Ive heard you definitely need to be careful. Know of multiple people who have been mugged when walking at night. As people above noted, this year is supposedly "the year of Boulevard" but Id imagine it will take awhile for that area to turn around. I have noticed good home deals down there but I personally just wouldnt feel comfortable.