Getting conflicting info on North College Hill (Finneytown: rental, crime)

[homeagain7]

My family is looking at a rental house on Emerson, in North College Hill. I've looked back through the forums and while I see lots of positive comments about NCH, most are from at least a few years ago.

From reading here it seems like a nice place to live, but online crime stats are a little concerning. Is it one of those cases where a few bad areas drag the whole neighborhood down (statistically speaking?) Someone in a past thread mentioned it gets sketchy as you get closer to Finneytown, but what other sections should I be wary of?

We are going to look at the house later today, and will be driving around, but looks can be very deceiving.

Thanks everyone

[cincydave8]

I do not know much about NCH but friends of mine bought a house on Belmar Place earlier this summer and absolutely love it there.

[homeagain7]

Thank you, I appreciate the input.

[kruschev]

there are worse neighborhoods (speaking on crime), but that reputation helps keep prices down (i imagine). i wouldn't feel unsafe living there. i'm married and have a wee one. it's walkable, but not to establishments that i like to patronize, hipster stuff

[Sarah Perry]

There's plenty of older, affordable housing in NCH. I'd personally avoid walking the main drag commercial strip along Galbraith at night, but it should be fine in the daytime. The area has a lot of fast food, grocery, drugstore, bakery, etc. businesses that are actually quite compact and walkable. Yes, there's an occasional armed robbery of a business, shooting among people mostly in the drug business who know each other, etc., but I think it's also a place you can live quietly, safely and inexpensively, especially if you avoid the far west part of town and look for one of the nicer streets.

[homeagain7]

Thanks everyone. This particular house was awful, but the neighborhood seemed just fine. I'll keep it on the table.