Ignorance is Bliss? Opinions, Please. (Cleveland, Euclid: crime rate, felons, buying a house)

[Cartoon Heroes]

Oh wow. So we're seriously considering a massive, gorgeous old house on East Blvd, zip 44108, in the 1000 block. The driveway is on Parkside Place. By a few parcels, the neighborhood is technically St. Clair-Superior.

That should give you a pretty good idea of the area. We love the house, have seen it twice and the neighborhood is lovely (across the street? The Cultural Gardens) and we haven't seen anything that'd set off alarm bells.

To remedy that I got on the Internet. Between forums (Glenville - avoid! St. Clair-Superior - avoid!) and crime maps, I'm close to losing my mind and my nerve on this place.

I live in Euclid now, and I've never had a problem. No crime.

Would buying a house around this spot on East Blvd. be one of the dumbest possible moves I could ever make? Am I over-analyzing and taking everyone with me? I can be ridiculously persuasive in the face of making a huge mistake.

I'd be tickled pink to hear anyone's thoughts on this one. I appreciate you taking the time to even read it - and even more for putting in your .02.

[tribecavsbrowns]

One of my father's friends lived there for years with his wife. He was a Cleveland schoolteacher. He liked it over there.

The receptionist at the first company I worked for out of college in Cleveland lived a few blocks north of there. She also liked it.

That location is obviously hemmed in by some very bad areas, particularly 105th/Superior and the streets directly across the park between 79th and Ansel. I'm sure the crime rate of the general area is pretty high. But you'll decide whether that's worth dealing with, it very well might be.

[Cleveland_Collector]

The area in general is improving. But, there are some bad neighborhoods several blocks away from there. Be cautious, but it might be worth it to you to blaze a bit of a trail. That area is seeing all kinds of development.

[costello_musicman]

The area has always intrigued me. There are some gorgeous houses there.

Those street itself doesn't look to be bad at all. Like others have said, the surrounding area is where there needs to be caution.

I literary had the conversion with my girlfriend two weeks ago they if these houses do not get the love they need, they could be lost forever.

With University Circle continuing to rise nearby, this could very well be an investment property later on without even realizing it.

Good luck on your decision! You may have found a gem.

[Cartoon Heroes]

Thanks for the replies!

It is funny, because standing in that neighborhood, it's so quiet, calm. The people I've seen are jogging or holding hands walking through the gardens.

Then I get on the internet. Dun dun dun!

I guess there's only one true way to find out what it's going to be like. Thanks again for the honest and thoughtful replies!

[SmittyXCWRU]

Like everyone else has said, the neighborhood is a bit questionable.

I've run around much of the area and I can say I've never felt unsafe on East Boulevard. Almost all of the houses on that street are well maintained and in good condition. But yes, if you go over a few blocks the neighborhood changes rapidly. I think the area you've described, the blocks between Superior and St. Clair, is the nicest part of East Boulevard between University Circle and the lake. East Boulevard does become sketchy north of St. Clair near the greenhouse. The other side of MLK is a much worse area.

If you move there, you would be a bit of an urban pioneer. While I feel perfectly safe running through that area, I would have some reservations about actually moving there, but that's just me. Everyone's impressions may be a little different. While some of the neighborhoods around there are a bit of a war zone, East Boulevard is a nicer pocket.

[bacaboy]

Do yourself a favor and pass. How would you like to worry about your house being robbed every time you go out to dinner or out of town? Being so close to questionable areas means your property, and more importantly your family, are exposed to crimes of opportunity from a local population that does not care, has convicted felons and child molesters among them and rampant drug use. No doubt the house you are considering is grand but it was built a long time ago for a completely different city and population.

Pass and don't look back.

[Cleveland_Collector]

^^You can worry about that pretty much anywhere you live.

[bacaboy]

@Cleveland_Collector
Err...no you can not. A safe area DOES NOT border the war zone which is the East Side of Cleveland, filled with criminals and drug users. As per your thinking, it is just as dangerous to cross I-90 as it is to cross any street in any suburb. Clearly, it is not.

So yes, any home can be burglarized, but at least when you live in a decent area you don't see the criminals standing in front of your home as you drive out.

[Cleveland_Collector]

95% of the people who live on the east side are decent, hard working people. It's not "filled" with criminals and drug users. It's also not a "war zone." Please stop confusing poverty with criminal activity. As per my example, whether you live in the inner city or vanilla suburbia, you must always be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. The area in which you reside guarantees nothing. As a matter of fact and unlike many of the oblivious suburban dwellers, someone contemplating living in that area won't usually take their safety for granted. But, clearly, you have no idea what it's like over there and are going on what some bigoted uncle who "went to Cleveland once," saw a darker complected person, and got hosed off because he couldn't find a McDonalds on every street corner is telling you.