Most dangerous neighborhood in Indianapolis? (Gary, Anderson: high crime, movies, camps)

[gypsy_at_heart]

Hi all, I am new to Indy (been here around 6 months) and we are looking for a place to buy. Almost all my co-workers live in the north side (Carmel, Fishers, Zionsville) and have been pushing those areas quite a bit. However, my husband and I are quite clear we would like to stay in a diverse, non-suburban and small house (we don't have kids). I have been reading this forum and driving around and so far, BroadRipple and surrounding areas seems to fit most of our needs.

My question is, where are the boundaries we should be looking north of, with regards to crime? Is it north of 46th or 56th? What about east of Keystone (North Kessler Manor subdivision?). I have searched at some of the posts, but didn't find a definite answer. Coworkers don't seem to know much, since they say that I should stay 'outside the loop' (which I don't want to).

This forum has been a great help and so I thought I will post here and get some unbiased opinions!. Thanks

[magnasty]

Originally Posted by gypsy_at_heart

Hi all, I am new to Indy (been here around 6 months) and we are looking for a place to buy. Almost all my co-workers live in the north side (Carmel, Fishers, Zionsville) and have been pushing those areas quite a bit. However, my husband and I are quite clear we would like to stay in a diverse, non-suburban and small house (we don't have kids). I have been reading this forum and driving around and so far, BroadRipple and surrounding areas seems to fit most of our needs.

My question is, where are the boundaries we should be looking north of, with regards to crime? Is it north of 46th or 56th? What about east of Keystone (North Kessler Manor subdivision?). I have searched at some of the posts, but didn't find a definite answer. Coworkers don't seem to know much, since they say that I should stay 'outside the loop' (which I don't want to).

This forum has been a great help and so I thought I will post here and get some unbiased opinions!. Thanks

I grew up in Indy and have since relocated. However, If I were in your circumstances (sans kids) I would look at the area near 56th and Washington/Pennsylvania. You can go as far south as 46th St and be in nice, older homes. There are other nice homes off of Kessler, north between College and Keystone.

[IndieIndy]

You can go down to 38th. and still be nice on Wash Blvd.

[msamhunter]

There are plenty of places that you could live and not have any issues. Butler-Tarkington, Speedway, Lawrence. You've already mentioned Broad Ripple, Downtown, Old Northside. It really depends on the amenities you are wanting such as parks. If you are wanting to stay north, Meridian-Kessler can get a little pricey. Butler-Tarkington (home of Butler University) and the neighborhood just south of Meridian-Kessler has some very nice areas. University right there, Indianapolis Museum of Art, the International School. Broad Ripple is OK, can get pretty pricey for those bungalows though. Places south would be like Beech Grove, Perry Township, Franklin Township and Decatur Townships. You can get that quaint small town feel being in Acton or Wanamaker.

A lot of people who live outside of the loop fail to realize is that the majority of Marion County isn't bad. Indy has some bad pockets yes, but the bulk of the city isn't bad. There are plenty of neighborhoods in the city where you will be just fine.

[IndieIndy]

I really believe that victims of crime, violent or whatever are either mixed up with it or had something to do with it. Random crimes are just that, random. If you know your neighbors and are a generally good person, I think you would be fine in any neighborhood. Pyschos and thugs live everywhere.

[IndieIndy]

I lived in statistically one the worst neighborhoods for violent crime in Indy, but my block knew me and I knew them. We had respect for each others property and would speak up if shady things were happening around us. Being a part of a neighborhood is crucial.

[gypsy_at_heart]

Thank you all for your suggestions! Its good to hear that I can go south of 56th. I was surprised when I was advised to stay north of that, since I saw some really nice, older houses that we would consider, but then, being new to the area, I did not know any better. I will drive around the Butler-Tarkington area and also south of 46th to check it out.

I agree, IndieIndy with your views regarding random crimes. I do not want to live in areas where pockets of crime are consistently high, but I dont want to live in a bubble either. Somewhere in between would be nice (and real).

[indy_317]

Originally Posted by gypsy_at_heart

My question is, where are the boundaries we should be looking north of, with regards to crime? Is it north of 46th or 56th? What about east of Keystone (North Kessler Manor subdivision?). I have searched at some of the posts, but didn't find a definite answer. Coworkers don't seem to know much, since they say that I should stay 'outside the loop' (which I don't want to).

This forum has been a great help and so I thought I will post here and get some unbiased opinions!

Sorry, but you will get biased opinions here. The urban cheerleaders will claim crime isn't that bad, you don't have to worry, yada yada yada. The suburban cheerleaders will claim their neighborhoods are safe, the crime is in Indy for the most part.

The truth is this: When it comes to property crime, you are safe no where. There are burglars at work constantly all over Indiana. From the rural homestead to the inner city housing project. The only way to protect your stuff is to buy a home alarm system and a decent home safe installed to where it is almost impossible to remove it without having hours upon hours available to work on it.

Now, for violent crime like robbery, these are usually aimed toward retail stores. Home invasion robberies seem to fall into two categories: Related in some fashion or stranger, with the stranger victim usually being an elderly person. Even in stranger home invasions sometimes the suspects admit they heard "rumors" of cash stashed all over the home. Your chances of being involved in a home invasion robbery are slim, unless you flaunt your wealth all over the city 24/7.

Street hold-ups do happen. An area of the city that was once quite but now seeing an increase in street robberies is the Nora area. There have been many parking lot and Monon Trail robberies in recent years. Broad Ripple has seen their share of robberies as well, BUT they seem to be focused on robbing drunk people leaving the bars in the very early morning hours (1AM-4AM).

In almost every study done, lower income housing has been linked to higher crime. Well, we have seen a spike in Section 8 housing in the outer regions of the metro area. As such, crime is following. The robber who would have been shacking up with some single mother on welfare in the inner city is now shacking up with her in her suburban Section 8 apartment. He isn't going to drive ten miles to the old city to rob someone when he can do it just a few miles down the road.

If you really want to know about crime in Indy, just plug in different addresses into this search tool. Law Enforcement Map Viewer

It will give you a good idea what kind of crime is occurring in various areas. Thefts, especially from vehicles, happen all over the metro area, even in the surrounding counties, so don't let those scare you too much. Also, I have trouble using that search tool in Firefox, so you might have to use a couple different browsers before you can get it to work right.

[Freebird135]

Originally Posted by indy_317

Sorry, but you will get biased opinions here. The urban cheerleaders will claim crime isn't that bad, you don't have to worry, yada yada yada. The suburban cheerleaders will claim their neighborhoods are safe, the crime is in Indy for the most part.

Thought I was the only one who noticed this. There were people in another thread saying 38th and Meridian wasnt a bad area. Some of these people live in fantasy worlds. Like I have said before, Indy has alot of really nice areas inside much bigger rough areas. Woodruff for example.

The whole city is going to hell, whether you people want to admit it or not. The eastside has deteriorated over the last 20 years that I have lived here. All these people saying how safe Indy is probably live in Carmel and only drive through Indy during the day time. There is a reason I carry a gun everywhere I go in this city.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by Freebird135

Thought I was the only one who noticed this. There were people in another thread saying 38th and Meridian wasnt a bad area. Some of these people live in fantasy worlds. Like I have said before, Indy has alot of really nice areas inside much bigger rough areas. Woodruff for example.

The whole city is going to hell, whether you people want to admit it or not. The eastside has deteriorated over the last 20 years that I have lived here. All these people saying how safe Indy is probably live in Carmel and only drive through Indy during the day time. There is a reason I carry a gun everywhere I go in this city.

I do not own a gun, and many people on my street don't. I do not carry a gun anywhere I go, and I do not really know anyone that does, aside from the pizza delivery guy at Bravaro's. I walk through my neighborhood all the time. I've not been accosted, I've not had a gun shoved in my face, and I've not had someone charging into my back door and helping themselves to my belongings. Here is the punchline, I live just a couple of blocks east of the corner of Washington and Rural. I don't live in Carmel; and I spend a lot of time out and about after dark in my city. I've even gone to both Circle Center and Washington Square malls after dark unarmed