Is Braddock really that bad of an area? (Pittsburgh, Beaver Falls: real estate, crime)

[new2theNC]

I live in North Carolina but grew up in Pittsburgh, in the West End area. I've seen some pretty nasty parts of town, but I've recently heard about how Braddock is quickly becoming one of the most crime ridden parts of Pittsburgh. I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I'm moving there, but I'm just curious to anyone who has lived there or knows the area is it a bad area from one side of town to the other or is it just isolated parts? From what I've read it's the same story as most mill towns along the river, but when did it become not just downtrodden but dangerous, at least in terms of public perception?

[Stagger Lee]

I don't know much about it. I do know that going to Kennywood is not fun. That is driving to Kennywood atleast. The area is rundown and depressing. I just don't understand why these river towns outside of Pittsburgh are doing so badly. THe only areas in my opinion that still look like a bomb went off is towns along the rivers like New Ken, braddock. You think these towns that have historic cool architecture, walkable streets, cool downtown streets, etc would be the place to live. New Ken would be a very cool place if it had people and stores in all those boarded up windows. It seems like this moving to the urban areas is only hitting the city still and still has to be passed onto these old towns on the rivers. To many people are abandoning them to waste gas for their own little two car garage surburb in the sprawl belt. oh well, people are atleast getting it and moving back to the city regions. Soon it will hit these towns.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by Stagger Lee

I don't know much about it. I do know that going to Kennywood is not fun. That is driving to Kennywood atleast. The area is rundown and depressing. I just don't understand why these river towns outside of Pittsburgh are doing so badly. THe only areas in my opinion that still look like a bomb went off is towns along the rivers like New Ken, braddock. You think these towns that have historic cool architecture, walkable streets, cool downtown streets, etc would be the place to live. New Ken would be a very cool place if it had people and stores in all those boarded up windows. It seems like this moving to the urban areas is only hitting the city still and still has to be passed onto these old towns on the rivers. To many people are abandoning them to waste gas for their own little two car garage surburb in the sprawl belt. oh well, people are atleast getting it and moving back to the city regions. Soon it will hit these towns.

If Pittsburgh was gaining a lot of people, these places would come back to life. but since it's not, there is little hope for these towns. There is a limited number of "urban lovers", and none of them is going to move to Braddock, when there are places like Lawrenceville, that are much less rundown, more charming, more lively, and less dangerous, but still fairly cheap. You have to understand that gentrifiers tend to prefer two types of urban neighborhoods. One is neighborhoods filled with stoop fronted rowhouses/townhouses. This would be areas like Lawrenceville, South Side, Bloomfield, and the North Side. The second type of neighborhood they like, are those with Victorian houses. Most of Pittsburgh's Victorian houses are rowhouses in the above mentioned neighborhoods, but Shadyside, and Friendship have a good supply of detached Victorians, as well as Edwardian, Neoclassical, and Colonial Revival, which are a bit less popular with gentrifiers.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Stagger Lee

I don't know much about it. I do know that going to Kennywood is not fun. That is driving to Kennywood atleast. The area is rundown and depressing. I just don't understand why these river towns outside of Pittsburgh are doing so badly. THe only areas in my opinion that still look like a bomb went off is towns along the rivers like New Ken, braddock. You think these towns that have historic cool architecture, walkable streets, cool downtown streets, etc would be the place to live. New Ken would be a very cool place if it had people and stores in all those boarded up windows. It seems like this moving to the urban areas is only hitting the city still and still has to be passed onto these old towns on the rivers. To many people are abandoning them to waste gas for their own little two car garage surburb in the sprawl belt. oh well, people are atleast getting it and moving back to the city regions. Soon it will hit these towns.

Sounds like a description of Beaver Falls. Though someone will come on here and say BF is lovely. I'm not sure BF will revive "soon". It seems to be getting worse at the moment.

Originally Posted by Herodotus

If Pittsburgh was gaining a lot of people, these places would come back to life. but since it's not, there is little hope for these towns. There is a limited number of "urban lovers", and none of them is going to move to Braddock, when there are places like Lawrenceville, that are much less rundown, more charming, more lively, and less dangerous, but still fairly cheap. You have to understand that gentrifiers tend to prefer two types of urban neighborhoods. One is neighborhoods filled with stoop fronted rowhouses/townhouses. This would be areas like Lawrenceville, South Side, Bloomfield, and the North Side. The second type of neighborhood they like, are those with Victorian houses. Most of Pittsburgh's Victorian houses are rowhouses in the above mentioned neighborhoods, but Shadyside, and Friendship have a good supply of detached Victorians, as well as Edwardian, Neoclassical, and Colonial Revival, which are a bit less popular with gentrifiers.

I am no expert on "gentrification", but this makes sense to me. It is true that many still prefer the suburbs as a place to raise their families.

[Dmojdstny]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

If Pittsburgh was gaining a lot of people, these places would come back to life. but since it's not, there is little hope for these towns. There is a limited number of "urban lovers", and none of them is going to move to Braddock, when there are places like Lawrenceville, that are much less rundown, more charming, more lively, and less dangerous, but still fairly cheap. You have to understand that gentrifiers tend to prefer two types of urban neighborhoods. One is neighborhoods filled with stoop fronted rowhouses/townhouses. This would be areas like Lawrenceville, South Side, Bloomfield, and the North Side. The second type of neighborhood they like, are those with Victorian houses. Most of Pittsburgh's Victorian houses are rowhouses in the above mentioned neighborhoods, but Shadyside, and Friendship have a good supply of detached Victorians, as well as Edwardian, Neoclassical, and Colonial Revival, which are a bit less popular with gentrifiers.

We have purchased 6 properties now in the Braddock/North braddock area over the past 3 years and are seeing the changes. The problems in Braddock seem to center around the abandoned buildings and untended properties. These unboarded homes are being raided for copper, cast iron & aluminum. The area was depressing to look at. Lately, things are changing for the better. The Mayor has taken huge steps toward making Braddock a more desireable place to live. Abandoned properties are being labeled comdemned & demo'd. The lots left in the wake are being immediately turned into gardens & parks tended by the neighborhood & children groups. New homes are popping up all over in clusters & roads and sidewalks are being relaid with cobble stone. The town is slowly being brought back to life as is evidenced everytime we complete renovation on another unit & get it rented within a month or 2 to people new to Pittsburgh. Make no mistake, Braddock is coming back.

[vectorfrankel]

It's not as bad as other parts of town, but it's pretty bad.

I think most of the abandoned properties in Braddock have already been taken by copper theives. When a property goes abandoned, they hit places like that up pretty quick.

[bbrian12]

i was surprised
i drove through braddock and they tore down a bunch of buildings
prob to make way for the mon fay expressway if it ever gets built

[Mr. Mon]

Originally Posted by bbrian12

i was surprised
i drove through braddock and they tore down a bunch of buildings
prob to make way for the mon fay expressway if it ever gets built

The Mon Fayette is a big reason reinvestment isn't occuring at a faster pace. Why bother building new, or fixing anythign up if it's only going to be plowed over for a highway.

PA needs to either build the thing or kill it for good so the area can move forward.

[globalburgh]

I was in Pittsburgh about a month ago for a conference and a good friend of mine from Youngstown gave me an early Sunday morning tour of Braddock. I wouldn't characterize Braddock as dangerous. I would describe it as left behind or out-of-sight-out-of-mind.

Thanks to the efforts of Mayor John Fetterman, Braddock is a growing home to urban pioneers. The devastation is obvious. Braddock was built to sustain a much larger population that used to work at the nearby mill. Much of what is left needs a lot of love and a few hearty souls are up to the challenge.

Braddock has to do everything on a shoestring and as other people have posted, their are well established neighborhoods in Pittsburgh for those looking for something more conventional. I'm bullish on Braddock because it fills a unique niche, providing opportunities you can't find anywhere else in the region.

[MarqueseGilmore]

It depends really!! Me and my sister and her children lived there and we had no problems whatsoever!! But one time there was a stabbing next door to us. The thing about Pittsburgh is it has too many small little boroughs that only promote Racism/Classism IMO. Braddock is decent if you mind your own business!! It would/should be a booming little borough if someone invested money in real estate/stores!