is Perry Hilltop a bad area? (Chester, West Chester: high crime, neighborhoods, dangerous)

[Chautauquast]

Just so folks know, the Charles Street Valley is much improved. Just within the past year or two many abandoned houses have been torn down and the empty lots are for the most part mowed and trimmed. It's a big change. Very much for the better.

[gg]

I think that area is going to get better and better. It is a shame there are some projects around there making it harder than is should be. It is a beautiful area to say the least and some amazing homes.

[zman63]

Originally Posted by Chautauquast

Just so folks know, the Charles Street Valley is much improved. Just within the past year or two many abandoned houses have been torn down and the empty lots are for the most part mowed and trimmed. It's a big change. Very much for the better.

I agree. Since this thread was started in 2009, Perry Hilltop has shrunk tremendously in vacant houses and population. The crime appears to be on a downswing as well.

IMO the entire north side of the city as well as the east end neighborhoods are the pockets of new growth in the city and probably the entire region. I have seen it with my own eyes. There are a lot of young out of town professionals that are living in the north side neighborhoods. Also, there is not much for sale around these parts (north side neighborhoods). I know the Allegheny YMCA has seen a huge increase in membership. When I first moved here in 2006 they may have had only 200 gym members at that time. Now the gym population has swelled to near 1,000 members. It is all younger professionals people from colorado, new jersey, ohio, new york and new england areas. These are the areas where the newcomers to the region are moving.

While I think the north side area and good portions of the east end are repopulating it still may not be enough to offset the population decay in the west end, south hills and Homewood/larimer and lincoln lemming ton neighborhoods of the city.

Sheridan (west end neighborhood) used to be a good neighborhood, but it is really looking rough with a lot of vacant houses. Especially behind the now closed langley high school.

[zman63]

Also, I think the east end areas are more of the starving artist and hipster population. The north side seems to have young new coming middle class people that are working downtown or elsewhere in the city.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Chautauquast

Just so folks know, the Charles Street Valley is much improved. Just within the past year or two many abandoned houses have been torn down and the empty lots are for the most part mowed and trimmed. It's a big change. Very much for the better.

I kinda question in general that a neighborhood can improve due to a demolition spree. Besides the long unbroken Charles Street row itself there's virtually nothing remaining of the original neighborhood at all.

[Uptown kid]

The area on Perrysville north of Charles is still a pretty good neighborhood (approaching Observatory Hill) but the views aren't there. It makes up for that with its proximity to Riverview.

I disagree. I bet so do the mothers of black males who son's have been killed due to gang-related violence regarding around feuds between the Perrysiville Tre Eights and other Northside street gangs.
The area from Charles Street to Hawkins Street is one if the worst non project areas in the city other than Homewood & the Hill.
The area from Hawkins St to Marshall Avenue is only slightly better.

Just so folks know, the Charles Street Valley is much improved. Just within the past year or two many abandoned houses have been torn down and the empty lots are for the most part mowed and trimmed. It's a big change. Very much for the better.

The Charles Street Valley has had its major bad block renovated, ie "2500 Blocc". However, it is still the same as before- the only thing different is that the houses appear nicer. I would agree that currently the Charles Street Valley is no longer 24 hour gang zone. Although that is so, only because the Northside is currently not too gang crazy. Yet things can change very quickly, as we found out two summers ago... And if yinz already forgot, there's a thread all about it on this forum; in addition to, several existing articles online that you can read about.

Perry Hilltop has simmered down, but there is really no sign of drastic improvement. Larimer and Wilkinsburg simmered down following major gang indictments from 1997-2000. Look at them now! While at least those areas got there street gangs hit with the RICO Act... The Charles Street Valley/Perry Hilltop has not had that nor any postive change of that magnitude.

I would be the first to celebrate a safer Perry Hilltop, but I really can't see it if most of the neighborhood is either in rock bottom or continual decline... The Snapville/Up Top aka the Wilson Avenue Corridor area is rock bottom; the Perrysville/Perry Central area from south of the bridge to Marshall Ave is from rock bottom to decline; the area from Ridgewood Street to Buena Vista Street is in major decline; even Divinity/Langley/Lithgow Streets have hit rock bottom. The Columbia Park area off of Marshall Road is safe now but slowly going down hill; IMO the only stable area is the smidgen of Perry Hilltop south of Triangle Tech- on the boarder of Central Northside.

Now if anywhere were to come back in Perry Hilltop IMO it would be: the Maywood Street-West McIntyre Avenue-Kenwood Avenue area and/or some scattered block stretches of Perrsyville Avenue.

[Uptown kid]

From 2000-2012 Perry Hilltop had 26 homicides and 102 shootings. Only Homewood South, Terrace Village and Bedford Dwellings had more homicides. P-town tied with Larimer and Middle Hill, that includes beating other bad areas such as: Garfield, East Liberty, East Hills, Lincoln-Lemington, Homewood West, Hazelwood, Northview Heights, Manchester, Central Northside, Cali-Krik, Crawford Roberts, Fairywood, Beltzhoover, Knoxville, and St. Clair.

From this span only Homewood North & South had more shootings.
Source:
http://www.alleghenycounty.us/WorkAr....aspx?id=39671

Not too mention, Perry Hilltop now is the only technical neighborhood with more than three different street gangs claiming turf (more than Sheraden, Knoxville, Homewood North/South, Bedford Dwellings and current day Terrace Village, East Liberty and Fairywood which all have/had several street gangs).

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by zman63

Also, I think the east end areas are more of the starving artist and hipster population. The north side seems to have young new coming middle class people that are working downtown or elsewhere in the city.

Both areas are too large for generalizations like that.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by ferraris

Both areas are too large for generalizations like that.

i agree. its such a blend. there certainly are the 'starving artist' elements, but then there is a conservative jewish culture, a significant amount of chinese nationals, etc. etc. etc.

[norcider]

Uptown Kid, I still have friends who live in and around the Marshall/Perrysville (the Island) intersection and not much has changed regarding the overall safety of the neighborhood in their opinion. Now I'm talking white residents of many many years that have decided to stay for the long haul. I do acknowledge the uptick in black on black crime North of N. Charles and the shootout in broad daylight at the corner of Perrysville and Vinceton a few years back was pretty crazy. I'm trying to stay positive about the Hilltop's/Observatory Hill's future but for now I'm not going to go on record and say that these areas are dangerous to people who have chosen legal career paths. Also, "The area from Charles Street to Hawkins Street is one if the worst non project areas in the city other than Homewood & the Hill.
The area from Hawkins St to Marshall Avenue is only slightly better."

We're talking all of what, a 1/4 mile of Perrysville here? I know what you are saying but it really is a small section of neighborhood. Kennedy between Marshall and Perrysville looks the worst to me.