Altadena area near Fairoaks and Woodbury (Los Angeles, Sacramento: crime, house, neighborhoods)

[Maaaaximus]

I'm interested to know how bad this area really is .. specifically over by Summit and Woodbury. Everyone refers to this area as "dicey", but crime statics for Altadena don't seem to be that bad .. does it just look worse than it really is?

[HyperionGap]

I grew up 5 blocks North East of there (area was not dicey). I would agree, however, that Fair Oaks and Woodberry is "dicey," but it's also not like some abandoned part of Baltimore where armed cracklords are marching down the street with an AK-47 like in the Wire.

I've gassed up dozens of times at the ARCO on that corner at night and been the only white person in the whole area. If that type of thing makes you nervous this area probably isn't for you as the area is definitely working class, and mainly Latino/Black population.

Even though I've never driven down Summit, from my experience of the area I wouldn't live there because of its proximity to Woodbury & Fair Oaks (Nix Check Cashing, and the liquor store are BAD news). If you could find a home on any street north of Sacramento and east of Raymond it would be a significantly nicer area.


I would check these websites if you're interested in crime stats

Altadena Crime - Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times
https://www.crimereports.com/

And here's a nice article from the LA weekly about the local pub on Fair Oaks 1 block north of Woodbury
Los Angeles Best Place to Drink with Smart People - Altadena Ale & Wine House - Best Of Los Angeles - LA Weekly

[Maaaaximus]

Thanks for the info - I currently live in Pasadena just north of the 210 on Los Robles, and I have no problem being the only white person in an area .. I typically don't go anywhere near or around my home when I go out, and I keep to myself. My only real concern is theft, but I plan on installing a good alarm system (flood lights, cameras, sensors on all windows etc) wherever I end up moving .. would this be enough of a deterrent, or will I still be a huge target because I'm white?

[HyperionGap]

Who can really say if that's enough? I don't think you would be necessarily a target simply because you're white though.

Have you driven around the area yet? I just looked on Google street view and I would say its definitely a step down from Los Robles & Villa/ Orange Grove area.

[Maaaaximus]

I've driven around at several different times during the day/night .. and aside from a few spots on woodbury (ones you mentioned I think) it doesn't seem all that bad to me. Summit Ave is actually very quiet, not sure if that's a good or bad sign. Also, I checked out the new walmart and I wasn't the only white guy Feels like any other area around northern Pasadena to me, it's got it's good and bad spots all mixed in.

[HyperionGap]

Basically this. If you're used to the area it's no big deal, but to some people they wouldn't touch the area with a ten foot pole.

[HyperionGap]

This just happened on Summit within three blocks of where you were looking. NBC Los Angeles : UPDATED: Shootings Leave 4-Year-Old Boy, Two Adults Hospitalized

[loloroj]

I used to play tennis at Farnsworth Park, which is only a few blocks away from where you're looking to move. The lights were at one time pretty good for a public park. Over the years, the area got sketchier and I wouldn't stay any later than eight in the evening. Too bad because I had a good tennis partner who lived only a few blocks away, and he was black, and if he said he didn't want to stay, then who the hell am I to disagree. Played at PCC which had terrible lights. But was very safe.

Point being, the neighborhood has deteriorated over the last 25 years. Is it as bad as San Bernardino, no, not that bad. Is it as safe as South Pasadena, or the southern part of Pasadena, closer to PCC and Arcadia? No, not that safe. But the area is affordable, or at least it was prior to my leaving Socal. I would live there, but I would understand that some nearby areas are going to be real sketchy and I wouldn't be running around on Fair Oaks very late at night, that would be VERY unwise.

PS: when I would drive through that area, what struck me was the large number of rehab and old folks homes on Fair Oaks. Are they still there and as many. Just curious....

[HyperionGap]

Yah near Fremont and fair oaks there's a whole complex of those. That being said I would say thing have improved in west altadena since the 90s not gotten worse. The Lincoln's crossing development didn't exist ten years ago.

[Kurinji]

Originally Posted by loloroj

I used to play tennis at Farnsworth Park, which is only a few blocks away from where you're looking to move. The lights were at one time pretty good for a public park. Over the years, the area got sketchier and I wouldn't stay any later than eight in the evening. Too bad because I had a good tennis partner who lived only a few blocks away, and he was black, and if he said he didn't want to stay, then who the hell am I to disagree. Played at PCC which had terrible lights. But was very safe.

Point being, the neighborhood has deteriorated over the last 25 years. Is it as bad as San Bernardino, no, not that bad. Is it as safe as South Pasadena, or the southern part of Pasadena, closer to PCC and Arcadia? No, not that safe. But the area is affordable, or at least it was prior to my leaving Socal. I would live there, but I would understand that some nearby areas are going to be real sketchy and I wouldn't be running around on Fair Oaks very late at night, that would be VERY unwise.

PS: when I would drive through that area, what struck me was the large number of rehab and old folks homes on Fair Oaks. Are they still there and as many. Just curious....

I haven't visited Altadena/Pasadena in a number of years, and I was going through some old posts just to catch up on the goings on.

I remember my mother not wanting to drive up N Fair Oaks on the way home, much preferring to drive up Lake Ave instead. This was 20+ years ago.