Crime in North Boardman (Cleveland, Akron: crime rates, townhouses, neighborhoods)

[wineandmeeples]

My husband and I have been considering moving to Boardman (not sure yet), but we keep reading that crime rates are really high and to stay in South Boardman. Unfortunately, for what we can afford, the homes in South Boardman aren't entirely impressive--North Boardman has the nicest houses for the right price.

We've been looking at maps of the area and the glowing spots that show crime seem to be just north of the Boardman city limits (the crime density in Boardman Proper seems to be low to non-existent). We also read on another City-Data thread (dated 2009, which is why I am reopening the conversation now) that as long as you stay south of Midlothian Boulevard, you're fine. Is that true? We are specifically looking at houses near Euclid Boulevard. Would it be safe to live in that area?

The more detailed you can be, the better.

If you have any other information besides crime rates, that is very welcome, too! I'm specifically looking for insight on which neighborhoods to look into and which to stay away from. Thank you!

Some information about us that might be helpful:

• My husband and I both work from home, so peak traffic hours are not a concern. Though what is traffic like before and after rush hour?
• We do not have children, but we plan to within the next 3-5 years. Any insight on schools would be great.
• We do not mind neighbors, but we don't want to be crammed up against them. We certainly don't want nosy neighbors--we greatly value our privacy.
• We are from Morgantown, WV. We actually really like it here, but housing prices are far too high. Someone recommended Boardman to us because he said it reminding him of Morgantown. If anyone who has been to both Boardman and Morgantown can confirm, I would appreciate it.
• We make frequent trips to Pittsburgh, for no particular reason. How difficult is it to get from Boardman to Pittsburgh? (As it stands, it takes us about an hour and a half to get to Pittsburgh from Morgantown.)

If there are any other cities you can recommend, we're all ears.


Thanks again for your help!

[South Range Family]

Euclid South of Midlothian is still a decent area. North of Midlothian, terrible.

Boardman is a Township, not a City. North of Boardman is the City of Youngstown. Euclid Avenue is Youngstown City Schools. They are officially the worst schools in Ohio. You would also be paying a City wage tax.

A trip to Pittsburgh would be Interstate 680 to the turnpike, straight to the Burgh. An hour, or slightly less.

[wineandmeeples]

Ah, thanks! Everywhere I look, people keep talking about Boardman like it's a city in and of itself, which was kind of confusing. Good to know about the schools, though. Thanks!

[CortlandGirl79]

I'm not particularly a big fan of Boardman, is there a reason you are limiting yourself to that township??? The Youngstown area is roughly an hour from Cleveland, Akron and Pittsburgh, so you'll have plenty of options for things to do. If we can help you by recommending other areas please tell us the types of homes, schools, amenities, price range, etc that you are looking for and we can help.

[wineandmeeples]

We want to be within 30-60 minutes of Pittsburgh, but we don't want to pay a fortune (higher than $150k is too much--in other areas we've looked at, you have to pay $250k or higher to get anything decent, and they're mostly townhouses where we currently live). As I said, we looked at Boardman because it was recommended to us by a relative, but we're happy to look into other places. We're looking for 3+ bedrooms, with a yard and a basement that is either finished or that we can finish (since we work from home, we need a home office--a nice basement area seems to be the most logical there, because we don't want it to be part of the main living area). I cook nearly everything I make from scratch, as well, so a large kitchen is pretty much required. We would like 2+ bathrooms, but it's not a huge deal.

The schools are not a terrible concern right now since 1) we don't have kids at the moment, and 2) we're willing to consider other options (like private school and home-school). That's a few years down the road, though, so who knows.

[thinkalot]

Finished basements were very popular at the time most houses in Boardman were built. (the owners finished them a year or two after building) Finding one finished won't be hard. Most of the older Boardman houses won't have a large kitchen.

You may be limiting yourself if you think these places sell at the advertised price. Some do but not many. I would extend my search to Beaver, Poland and Canfield too. If you wanted to add 15 minutes for your trips to Pittsburgh you can check out Howland ( lots of finished basements) and 5 minutes more than that for Cortland and probably get a great deal on a nice house. There are nice houses in every Valley area, you just have to see what area you would like to live in.

NOWHERE near Midlothian should be considered. The homes in the northern part of Boardman are that price for a reason.

I haven't been to the Mahoning County Auditors site lately but the Trumbull County Auditors site is good. Just click on property search, then weekly sales. You will see pictures and selling price history. Maybe Mahoning has that now too but I don't know.

[thinkalot]

I just reread your post. I don't think that any part of Ohio is 30 minutes from Pittsburgh. Think 60 to 75 minutes for different parts of the Valley.

[wineandmeeples]

Thanks!

Other places (at least in Ohio) we've been considering:
Salem
Columbiana
East Liverpool
East Palestine
Calcutta
Canton

Does anyone know anything about those places?

[South Range Family]

Salem -----A nice little town with a a great historical district. I live outside of Salem
Columbiana -----Great little town

East Liverpool ----Not within city limits. Sucks like Youngstown.

East Palestine------On the State Line, convenient, decent place.
Calcutta -----Nice area.
Canton -----Too far away.

You could raise a family in any of those places except Youngstown, and East Liverpool.

[wineandmeeples]

Thanks!

Though, I keep hearing that Salem has turned into a cesspool and is filled with crime, which I found odd because so many other people say exactly what you said about it. Any idea why someone would think that?