Mt. Washington safety question (Pittsburgh, Shiloh: apartment, rent, high crime) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

psm11 · 11-10-2016, 05:06 AM

Hey guys,

Relocating back to Pittsburgh from LA and have found a great apartment in Mt. Washington. The apartment is located at 539 Boggs Ave (the old St. Justin's school) and is a controlled access building with off street parking. My concern is that the one the crime map (I think it was on Zillow) that goes from green (low to no crime) to red (very high crime) marked this area yellow (I guess moderate crime?). Wanted to get someone's opinion who is familiar with the area. My brother lives in the area (Smith Way) which is roughly a 5 minute walk up Boggs from the apartment I am interested in. He's been in the area for roughly 6 months and said it has been great and he has had zero issues. He informed me that almost every weekend he walks from Smith Way to Shiloh street and back (late at night when the bars close) and has had no issues. Thanks in advance for the info!

Lost_In_Translation · 11-10-2016, 06:18 AM

Not the best, but not bad by far. Probably wouldn't walk alone every night there, but during the day it's fine and as long as you lock your car parked someplace visible and don't leave valuables in it you should be fine.

Mikelee81 · 11-10-2016, 07:19 AM

I lived right on Merrimac st. back in '99. Yep a while ago. Not sure how thing's have changed in crime department, but in my experience I loved it. I'd run all over up there to get exercise. I used to run down Bogg's avenue. I found Mt. Washington to be safe. One thing you'll love if you work down town is that you won't have to worry about rush hour traffic. I think you'll enjoy it.

I suggest though not to give your specific address on this site. People can be strange. Probably best to be anonymous.

lprmesia · 11-10-2016, 08:53 AM

Definitely not the best part of Mt. Washington - but not the worst either. Mt. Washington is a pretty large and diverse neighborhood with several neighborhoods within the neighborhood. Most of the crime in that section is small stuff, like bored kids checking for unlocked cars at like 4am. The small amounts of violent crime that do exist in that section isn't random, you're not going to see muggings or robberies or anything like that.

You're also incredibly close to the T station as well which is a plus. Shiloh St is a bit of a hike up the hill though, and while that section isn't great in terms of walkability, it's decent enough and the rental/housing costs in that area are still very affordable.

Nearby Dilworth Park (Mt. Washington Park) is getting a makeover though which is nice.

JLeigh2182 · 11-10-2016, 04:15 PM

I lived on Boggs (800 block) for a year and a half until we bought a house in Brookline this past August. I loved the area, loved the convenience most of all. The only issue I ever had was someone hitting my car overnight. People fly up and down Boggs but since you'll have off-street parking it wouldn't be an issue for you.

I walked back and forth to the T/Bus Stop every day and my husband was able to be at his job in Bloomfield/Shadyside in about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic. We were very happy during our time there.

SteelCityRising · 11-10-2016, 05:08 PM

My partner's friend used to live in that building and loved it!

psm11 · 11-10-2016, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLeigh2182

I lived on Boggs (800 block) for a year and a half until we bought a house in Brookline this past August. I loved the area, loved the convenience most of all. The only issue I ever had was someone hitting my car overnight. People fly up and down Boggs but since you'll have off-street parking it wouldn't be an issue for you.

I walked back and forth to the T/Bus Stop every day and my husband was able to be at his job in Bloomfield/Shadyside in about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic. We were very happy during our time there.

Thanks everyone for the responses. Judging by the responses on here and what my brother and another friend who live in the area have said, I think I should be okay if I decide on moving there.

psm11 · 11-10-2016, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

My partner's friend used to live in that building and loved it!

Thanks for the response! The building seems great as it has been completely renovated and the units are all very modern (off-street parking is great too). Did your parent's friend ever mention the make up of the people living in the building (i.e. young professionals, older people, etc)? The company that owns it seems to be a great company. My brother has been living in one of their properties on Smith Way and has said that they have been nothing but a pleasure to deal with and are very picky with who they rent to (in a good way).

psm11 · 11-10-2016, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JLeigh2182

I lived on Boggs (800 block) for a year and a half until we bought a house in Brookline this past August. I loved the area, loved the convenience most of all. The only issue I ever had was someone hitting my car overnight. People fly up and down Boggs but since you'll have off-street parking it wouldn't be an issue for you.

I walked back and forth to the T/Bus Stop every day and my husband was able to be at his job in Bloomfield/Shadyside in about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic. We were very happy during our time there.

Yes that is exactly what my brother tells me. He lives over on Smith Way and is constantly saying that the area is a gem in regards to convenience and affordability. I know on the street next to Smith Way (Eutaw maybe) they just built a row of very modern town homes which I am hoping is a sign that the area is still on the up and up.

I have been to his place many times and we have walked up to Sloppy Joe's, from Smith Way, and back late at night and have never had any issues. The only issues we ever had were some of his neighbors (old time Mt. Wash residents) telling us to keep it down when he would have people over in his backyard. I will say, however, that the bar on Boggs (I think it's called Hot Rod or something) seemed a little sketchy the times we walked by it (might have just been bad timing).

lprmesia · 11-11-2016, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psm11

I have been to his place many times and we have walked up to Sloppy Joe's, from Smith Way, and back late at night and have never had any issues. The only issues we ever had were some of his neighbors (old time Mt. Wash residents) telling us to keep it down when he would have people over in his backyard. I will say, however, that the bar on Boggs (I think it's called Hot Rod or something) seemed a little sketchy the times we walked by it (might have just been bad timing).

Haha, yes. Hot Rod is a bit sketchy, then again Sloppy Joe's outside of karaoke night or nights where they have bands is mostly the people who've been banned from other neighborhood bars, haha.

Shiloh Grill is great. The Summit has a good beer selection and packs a pretty good crowd, but the people working tend to get lost in their phone instead of serving their customers. Redbeards is decent (but I've heard kitchen horror stories) and they have a nice little outdoor patio area. Niko's is like the true neighborhood-like bar, it's smoking, pool table, darts, a bit divey, good cheap food, and usually a pretty decent crowd. Sloppy Joe's is as mentioned above. Packs and Dogs is beer and food only, but they have 600+ kinds of beer, the crowd is pretty cool and it's comfortable in there. Scarpaci's is pretty similar to Sloppy Joe's, though it was a bit rougher when it was Sonny's (though it's cleaned up quite a bit). Satalio's is pretty similar. Hot Rod is no, haha. Bigham Tavern while not really in or near the main business district is the ultimately true neighborhood bar; combine the best parts of the Shiloh, the Summit, Niko's, and Redbeards.