Powell Rd. in Westwood, (Cincinnati: apartment, crime rate, house)

[yeller12]

We are looking at a house in Westwood on Powell St. Is it a safe area? There is an empty apt. bldg. across the street, looks a little run down. Am I being paranoid?

[mimi in cinci]

You're not being paranoid. I would be a bit wary about any long term vacant property on my street. It's never a good thing and if it's not well maintained it can quickly turn into a nuisance.
Have you talked to the neighbors, run a crime spot report, checked out who owns the apartment building?
I had friends who lived on Powell 15 years ago. While it was a gorgeous house, the surrounding area was not as safe as they would have liked.

[Sarah Perry]

Originally Posted by yeller12

We are looking at a house in Westwood on Powell St. Is it a safe area? There is an empty apt. bldg. across the street, looks a little run down. Am I being paranoid?

If it is 2747, it looks to die for in the online photos. But you don't get a house like that for a price like that unless something is seriously wrong. The overall area is a bad neighborhood. Even if you decide to overlook that issue, I'd make sure to do a thorough inspection of the house itself.

[HistoryMan1]

It might be a good idea to do some more research.

[goyguy]

As of today the house (an eye-catcher, indeed) is "under contract" - maybe to the OP?!
Interestingly, the listing I read mentioned that it's "agent owned." One has to wonder whether someone with a realtor's inside knowledge is getting while the getting's good.
There are several areas in Cincinnati, just like that section of Westwood, which can euphemistically be called "marginal." Homes and even entire blocks are gorgeous and inviting. But the nearest commercial districts are a shambles and the crime rate is not good. We'd have to hear again from the OP in terms of how intrepid they are. But since two weeks have passed I think this person was the "one and done" type.