Is Hazel Park a diverse(tolerant)safe city?

[electric_lady]

My goodness. For you internet forum nerds out there with nothing better to do than pick apart other people's posts and opinions, (unemployed?) let me rephrase:
Close friends that I have known (six people) experienced violence, the threat of violence and/or theft to a great degree while living in Hazel Park.
In my opinion, the place is a dump. Many people would agree. I suppose if you're surrounded by other suburban dumps everyday and know nothing else, it wouldn't seem that bad. I've also been out of the Detroit area for about a year now and not surrounded by negative people everyday, so forgive me if I'm not quite the sharp ******* I normally am!
What I wanted to relay to the OP is that if they want to live in the area, and possibly spend just a tad more in rent each month, they could do a lot better than HP.
Peace! Y'all can have Hazel Park! Ha!

[electric_lady]

And, regarding quoting me, I was talking about police blotters. As I wrote, in English: If you look in the POLICE BLOTTER for Oakland County, many violent incidents in the POLICE BLOTTER occurred in Hazel Park. I was making a statement of comparing verified instances of crime based on the police blotter. Get over it!
That's all. Enjoy HP.

[Northsider 248]

Hazel Park absolutely has to be looked at block-by-block. It's impossible to judge it as a whole city. There are quite a few upscale, well maintained blocks; but then you look at some - ESPECIALLY west of I-75, that aren't really as bad as Detroit but they're still below average.

Most of Hazel Park can be seen as positive. On Wikipedia, there's a neighborhood map of Hazel Park. Rule out Southwest HP for sure - the one in really light blue.

What electric_lady says is wrong, though. There are a few too many break-ins in Hazel Park, but nothing really more than that. Infact, my grandparents have lived in Hazel Park - three blocks off of Eight Mile - for 25+ years and never had a break-in. Infact, quite a bit of Hazel Park's crime is petty stuff - things like furniture stolen from porches. Teenagers are probably the worst problem the city faces, but you can't blame it - being a resident of Royal Oak, I know it's even worse here.

Alot of Hazel Park is more racially accepting than people say it is, too. Hazel Park has become "blacker" in the past 5 years, by at least 6% of the population. It doesn't present a problem. My grandmother's neighbors are black, and me being 14, I've made very good friends with their 15 year old son. Nobody seems to have problems with blacks - not in the laundromats, restaurants, offices, bars, in the neighborhoods, the schools...

I'm honestly appalled at the statements that have been made. Hazel Park is alot like most older suburbs. Alot of stereotypes about the city can be combated with advanced statistics. Not including two neighborhoods both with high elderly female populations, the median household income is about $44,000 - just a few thousand below the Michigan average. The occasional break-in or car theft might happen once every 10 or 20 years, but the Hazel Park Police Department is extraordinary in their performance.

"Hazeltuckey" is a myth. House values are just slightly lower than Ferndale's, and blight is barely a problem. I can only think of four blighted houses east of I-75 -- one is forclosed, one's owner is no longer alive, and two are just in bad aesthetic shape. Lots are kept clean and lawns are in good shape.

Yet, living in Royal Oak, I've seen quite a few more shacks, especially since I live next to a house which is still in poor shape after recieving a thirteen-page citation from the city. There are people in Royal Oak who don't even cut their backyard lawns, maintain their fences very poorly, have discolored and damaged siding, park their cars on their lawns and even have trash and old furniture scattered on their lawns and driveways. Hazel Park is not nearly as bad.

It's a well-kept, small-scale, tight-knit community; especially north of 9 Mile. Even south of 9 Mile though, there are alot of nice places - The Courts and the Scout Park area can even be compared to an urban Bloomfield Hills. The first home I lived in was near Woodward Heights and John R; and never felt scared walking to school, to my friend's house, or even up to 10 Mile. My great grandmother lives next door to the house and has rarely ever complained. Again, I can compare it to Royal Oak - walking or bike riding in Hazel Park seems very safe and secure. While I was riding my bike to a gas station to pick up a bag of chips today, there was a three-car crash, and I just about fell off of my bike in shock because I thought the loud boom was gunshots.

Hazel Park is average. Royal Oak, Ferndale, Warren - they're no better. The inexpensive housing is a blessing, and if you move to Hazel Park and really get involved, you'll realize that it's the small things about the city are the ones that make it great.

[rucks]

Thank you all very much for the responses.

[balps]

I lived in a neighborhood right by Beecher Junior High just east of North Chrysler Drive for a couple years. I also went to school there. Safe? It's not like Detroit, but it's not necessarily the "nicest" part of Hazel Park. Actually, If I recall correctly, about halfway between Dequindre and Chrysler Freeway towards the freeway, it started looking alright.

[beener1997]

I know this is an old post, but wanted to add for anyone else looking into HP! I grew up IN hazel park. Muir, 8 mile and John R. I love HP. I am in my 30's. Safest, no. Not south of 8.5 north of 9 is different. Lower working class. There is a lot of crime. I know lots of people this is my home. Personally I think the 80's were worse. Ferndale/ hazel park border is decent. It is becoming more diverse.

[Tekkie]

I think anything north of 9 Mile should be consistently safe and well maintained. It's a pretty bland city to be honest. The demographics are primarily lower middle class families. Madison Heights or Ferndale would probably be a step up.

[beener1997]

Something else I wanted to add about people being "tolerant". Being a lower class "white" area for so long bordering detroits lower class "blacks". South Hp has long history of race problems. Even though its much more diverse problems are plentiful. I have heard the whites shout racial slurs as well as blacks. Physical violence as well. Stay north of 9! Still love HP!

[Mayorofsynsky]

Originally Posted by electric_lady

I'd pay more attention to what people have actually experienced about a place rather than crime statistics.

I completely agree. For example, people say Detroit has high murder rate. However, I lived there for a year, and nobody killed me.