Should I listen to East Side "Warnings"? (Indianapolis: crime rate, neighborhoods)

[ranosb]

Originally Posted by 13 Letter Crap Spreader

Who the hell would want to live in Fishers?

Why would you make a comment like that, what do you mean?
Fishers was rated low crime in money magazine Aug2010 and top#8 places to live in America.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by ranosb

Why would you make a comment like that, what do you mean?
Fishers was rated low crime in money magazine Aug2010 and top#8 places to live in America.

Fishers is undeniably popular, but to some the thought of living in Fishers is nauseating. Its one of those things that if you have to ask........

[ranosb]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Fishers is undeniably popular, but to some the thought of living in Fishers is nauseating. Its one of those things that if you have to ask........

Was looking for facts/experiences/atmosphere/neighborhood and knowledge of living in Fishers, and yes I have to ask since I'm currently living outside of the continental USA.

[bertrandandjules]

Originally Posted by Queen_in_a_desert

I actually have a cop friend who always says "everyone thinks east side is bad but west side is the worse". It really depends on the neighborhood. Not everwhere is bad or unsafe. East side is big actually North east side is wonderful. I didn't hear nice things about Post road tho. Well it is true that east side is cheaper due to the occupation of low income families but east side is never a compton, harlem or something like that and I will ever doubt it will become one...

I saw a letter to the editor today from someone on the East Side, who said that they are so ignored out there that they have to get the Southside regional edition of the Indianapolis Star. Why would someone in Cumberland care about what the Franklin school district is up to? The East Side might not have as many suburbs as the other sides, but it still has a lot of people, and it does seem like they get neglected at best--dragged through the mud at worst. Though it has some rough parts, many of the east side neighborhoods are beautiful, with committed homeowners.

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by bertrandandjules

I saw a letter to the editor today from someone on the East Side, who said that they are so ignored out there that they have to get the Southside regional edition of the Indianapolis Star. Why would someone in Cumberland care about what the Franklin school district is up to? The East Side might not have as many suburbs as the other sides, but it still has a lot of people, and it does seem like they get neglected at best--dragged through the mud at worst. Though it has some rough parts, many of the east side neighborhoods are beautiful, with committed homeowners.

The fact is that the east side has always been thought of as lower to middle income. Viewed as an area where there isn't a lot of disposable income, this is what happens. Being a committed homeowner is good, but that doesn't mean spending money. Those who have spending money take it to the north or south side for a few different reasons. So this just adds fuel to the fire that the east side doesn't have much to offer.

[IanBeano]

Originally Posted by mikebchipper

Just found a house on N. Riley Ave. near 16th street and Emerson...been updated and is practially brand new...put an offer on it and waiting to hear back from seller. Now, I have people "warning" me to stay away from that part of town. Any tips/ideas/suggestions? Its either this or I'm stuck with apartment living.

Should you listen to the warnings about the East Side? Yes. You can find cheap housing on the West Side, which is a bit better though not much. I regret not buying a house further West, outside of Indy limits.

[grmasterb]

The east side has a lot of rough areas. It also has nice pockets with character housing stock at an affordable price. I would probably enjoy living in Little Flower, Irvington or Warren Park. Problem is, I also value quality shopping amenities, and the eastside lacks in this area. I also have children, so schools are important.

[OccasionalCommentary2020]

Originally Posted by indy_317

The underlined parts of the above quotes mean a few things:

#1: Have an alarm system. Get a wireless alarm system from ADT, Circle City Alarm (if they are still in business), Koorsen, or any other place. Some have contracts, some don't. With the spread of crime all over the metro area, not having an alarm system is foolish.

#2: Harden your home. Instead of dumping thousands into Colts/Pacer season tickets, $150/month cable TV package, etc., save that money to install some hardcore security doors and locks. The harder it is to make entry, the more likely a burglar will take a pass on your property.

#3: Don't open the door to strangers. While the likelihood of being the victim of a home invasion robbery will be slim, never, ever open the door to strangers. A wired camera which can be hooking into most newer TVs costs only $90. A wired intercom system costs $75.

#4: Don't put all your bling bling on display. Don't snap a picture of your new $2,000 HDTV and put it on Facebook then a week later post "Can't wait to get to the lake...seven days of fun!" Don't take the box to the TV and just lay it out. Cut it up into pieces and take those pieces to a recycling bin...make sure there is no address or personal info on the box. Don't put your TV, game systems, etc. in an area where people from the outside can see them standing on the sidewalk. If such a location is unavoidable, get some curtains and keep them shut.

#5: Don't leave anything you don't want to lose in your car ever. Constantly take your iPad, iPhone, etc. with you every single time you leave the car.

#6: While out in the yard, keep your situational awareness level up. I live about seven miles east of you, in "safe" Hancock County. I don't leave my garage door up if I'm in the backyard doing work. I take note of vehicles driving up and down the street (minimal traffic).

All very good advice. I always wonder about the people who open their doors to strangers late at night, or even during the day, even to people screaming for help. The truth of the matter as that the police can help them a lot faster than you can. And that cry for help might just be a ruse to gain entry to your house. Unless they're J-W's or Mormon's selling their religion, most door-to-door visitors these days are just trouble.

I always get a kick out of the people who put those satellite dishes in their front yards. It's like announcing to the ghetto "hey! I have $10K+ worth of electronics inside !!!" (and pawnable jewelry too!)

Adding to your list:

Light up your house ! Inside and out. Nothing sends criminals scattering like roaches like a good lighting plan.

You can outfit an entire house with CFL's for $20. It won't cost more than $5 / mo in electricity if your house is lit up with CFL's (or LED's). Just about everyone I know who's been burgalarized ... They were nearly all careless about lighting. Or else they had false ideas about "lights making it look like you're not home" or "lights driving up their electric bill" when in reality it's the fridge / freezer / big appliances driving the electric bill.

Outside Lighting:
* Lowes sells CFL flood lights, 2 packs for less than $10.
* 60-100 watt equivalent CFL bulbs can often be found for 50-cents to $1 each and they work perfectly well in winter temps so long as they're protected from water. (Stores like Meijer often have a separate clearance area where the same bulbs that cost $3+ are only 99-cents in the clearance area).
* There's a $20, Honeywell in-wall timer that you can install which scrambles the on and off times of porch lights. (the GE model is a dud; buy the Honeywell and make sure it's compatible with CFL's).
* I recommend the "always on after dark" lighting vs. "the motion sensor lighting." The always-on lights keep a reliable zone clear of criminals who don't want to be noticed. Instead of walking by your house which might not trip the motion sensor lights... They just won't walk anywhere near your house to begin with. The motion sensor lights always break. ALWAYS. They flip on and off throughougt the night from the smallest animals. I find that many people get so annoyed with them that they end up turning them off for good.

Inside:
* Same as above with CFL's.
* But use timers with an irregular pattern of lights going on and off throughout the house.
* you can buy a "television light simulator" that makes it look like someone's home / watching the tv.
* Keep some lights "reliably on all the time" so nobody can case your house / judge whether or not you're actually home based on when the lights are turned on or turned off. (like bathroom lights which you might otherwise turn on and off 20 times a night)


If you have out-of-view entrances (out of view to neighbors or the street)... Consider a motion sensor speaker that makes the sound of a barking German Shepherd / Rottweiler when it detects motion through the walls.

And if you're not gonna hook up a security system... At least pick up some stickers and yard signs on Amazon or Ebay, making sure they're for real services NOT those obviously fake stickers that people used in the 80's.

[skeedoodle]

Irvington is OK. Look at spotcrime for Indy and that might help make a decision. Irvington seems to be undergoing some change. They have a pretty good pizza place now called Jockomos. More businesses cropping up. If you'll look at demographics for Irvington, though, you will find they have a lot more crime than a "vanilla Fishers". LOTS MORE even in the robbery, murder, and rape department. Their robbery risk was slated at 275 whereas anywhere in Hamilton County was pretty much at well below average(average being 100). Even Fishers is undergoing change, though. More cops having to be stationed in the schools. More fights in the schools now. Still, for now it is not anything compared to IPS.

I call BS on the seeing a black guy walking down the street scenario you give. Most people want to live in a neighborhood where it is safe to be out and about. Fishers, Carmel, Westfield, and Noblesville have black neighbors who are solid upstanding citizens. Then, there are whites there, too, you wouldn't want to be around. Why do you think black people would want to move to those areas in the first place?

It all depends on what people want. There are many areas downtown that are great. Fairly safe, expensive, and close to work. A lot of young people choose to live down there and partake of the night life scene. If you have school children, the night life scene isn't such a priority. So, you look for the best schools you can...and that is usually not going to be inner city. There may indeed be some great schools in Indy. I couldn't tell you where they are located. Many families I know, living downtown, send their children to private schools.

I would not discount places such as New Palestine and Franklin either. Greenwood can get gnarled up with traffic. All the shopping is along the highway.

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

Parts of the eastside have gone downhill. Parts of it have not, and parts have even improved. Ever hear of Irvington? How about Emerson Heights? Holy Cross? Cottage Home? Some people get too wrapped up in looking for some pristine vanilla Fishers experience in the city, then get scared off when they see a black guy walk down the street. Guess what.......Little Flower is in the city. It is not Fishers. I know people in the neighborhood who have never had a problem in the neighborhood, and have lived there for years. I know a guy who had his back door kicked in as well. Guess what, he has taken measures to try to make sure it does not happen again. Indinapolis is a city and crime happens. People get burglarized in Fishers too.

Don't be a gang banger, and don't look for trouble. Odds are you'll be fine.

[JC2222]

Originally Posted by Eastsidegurl07

Lol people are not ripping on the eastside they are stating a fact. I grew up there, lived there 17yrs and just finally was able to move 3yrs ago. I grew up at 11th n Grant (Little Flower Neighborhood) and not far from Ritter at all...Even in the 90s kids couldnt play outside by themselves. We got our house broken into on several occasions growing up. BUT it's gotten ALOT worse even. Alot more violent crimes. That area used to be kinda cute b/c its close to Ellenburger/Irvington but even that is downhill bad and it's not getting any better any time soon! For Example a week after I moved they found a dead prostitute in the alleyway behind my house. It still scares me to stop at the Admiral at 21st & Ritter for gas and I grew up there!

Irvington may be surrounded by pockets of crime, but the people who live in and care about Irvington are very involved in keeping our neighborhoods safer. Irvington is not "downhill bad". It is a charming place to live. Crime and riff raff are everywhere and it will only get worse unless people get involved and take action. The police can't do it all by themselves. You have to care enough to invest your time in trying to make it better.