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Old 06-09-2007, 10:38 PM
 
10 posts, read 46,426 times
Reputation: 12

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Hello everyone!

I posted a little while ago about relocating to Pittsburgh so my husband can attend CMU for grad school. I think we've found an apartment that fits our budget and our needs, but after reading a little more about the neighborhood of Friendship, I'm starting to doubt myself!

Take into mind that I've never lived in a big city, and I want to feel safe. The place we've found is pretty much right in the middle of Friendship on S Atlantic Ave (close to Friendship Ave).

Do you think this is a good place to live for us as far as safety is concerned?
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Old 06-09-2007, 11:13 PM
 
69 posts, read 295,322 times
Reputation: 25
Quote:
Originally Posted by textopitt View Post
Hello everyone!

I posted a little while ago about relocating to Pittsburgh so my husband can attend CMU for grad school. I think we've found an apartment that fits our budget and our needs, but after reading a little more about the neighborhood of Friendship, I'm starting to doubt myself!

Take into mind that I've never lived in a big city, and I want to feel safe. The place we've found is pretty much right in the middle of Friendship on S Atlantic Ave (close to Friendship Ave).

Do you think this is a good place to live for us as far as safety is concerned?
Friendship os okay, but the surrounding areas are not, i wouldn't walk around alone at night. There are much better Pittsburgh neighborhoods than Friendship though.
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Old 06-10-2007, 07:20 AM
 
Location: Saint Petersburg
632 posts, read 1,739,566 times
Reputation: 319
Quote:
Originally Posted by textopitt View Post
Hello everyone!

I posted a little while ago about relocating to Pittsburgh so my husband can attend CMU for grad school. I think we've found an apartment that fits our budget and our needs, but after reading a little more about the neighborhood of Friendship, I'm starting to doubt myself!

Take into mind that I've never lived in a big city, and I want to feel safe. The place we've found is pretty much right in the middle of Friendship on S Atlantic Ave (close to Friendship Ave).

Do you think this is a good place to live for us as far as safety is concerned?
I have two very good friends who live in Friendship and like it a lot. They don't experience crime and seem very satisfied with their neighborhood. However, I agree with the comment about not walking alone at night in surrounding areas.

I also agree with the comment that there are better neighborhoods out there. You might have to spend a little more to live in those neighborhoods.

Actually, here's my advice: I think if I were in your position, being new to the city and everything, I would initially live in one of the "better" east side neighborhoods first. That means probably Squirrel Hill or Shadyside. After I lived here a while and got a feel for the other neighborhoods in this area and the boundaries of where those neighborhoods are, then I could "downgrade" armed with more information and experience.

Not trying to scare you or anything. Friendship is an ok neighborhood. You just seem nervous about it, and living somewhere else first might make you less anxious about everything associated with the move.
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Old 06-10-2007, 07:31 AM
 
Location: Saint Petersburg
632 posts, read 1,739,566 times
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Hopes is right about Shadyside. I forgot that Shadyside does have surprisingly high crime statistics (relatively speaking for a city neighborhood...it's no hotbed of criminals or anything). It's just a more upscale neighborhood and has a better reputation, so I wrote it down in my post. Sorry.
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Old 06-10-2007, 07:36 AM
 
43,011 posts, read 108,004,288 times
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Oops, I was editing so subdivisions post ended up before mine! LOL

Keep in mind that some people who post negatively about an area might have absolutely no first hand experience with the area, or they may be overly cautious.

Finally, let's look at some official statistics:

Friendship
Population: 1,791
Murders: 0
Rape: 0
Robbery: 11
Aggrevated Assult: 9
Burglary: 29
Theft: 72
Car Theft: 11
Arson: 0
Total Number of Crimes: 132
Crimes Per Hundred Persons: 7.4

Let's look at Shadyside---a city neighborhood many consider safe:

Shadyside
Population: 13,754
Murder: 1
Rape: 3
Robbery: 49
Aggrevated Assult: 16
Buglary: 175
Theft: 484
Car Theft: 106
Arson: 1
Total Number of Crimes: 835
Crimes per 100 Persons: 6.1

Very few people I know would be afraid to walk through Shadyside at night alone. It's just a more upscale neighborhood so everyone assumes it's statistically safer. When you consider the per population percentage, it is slightly safer; however, the crime in Shadyside is more prevalent and more violent compared to Friendship. If you look at the statistics for Troy Hill, you'd see it's safer than almost all city neighborhoods, but there are very few people here who would recommend Troy Hill or think it's a safe area because it's run down and more impoverished. It really seems that people are basing their assumptions of safety on neighborhood appearance, period.

Data compliled from: Part One: Pittsburgh neighborhood crime statistics

Quote:
Originally Posted by textopitt View Post
Take into mind that I've never lived in a big city, and I want to feel safe. The place we've found is pretty much right in the middle of Friendship on S Atlantic Ave (close to Friendship Ave).
That's definitely right in the middle of Friendship! I used to live on South Fairmont Street between Friendship and Penn avenues. My husband and I used to take walks in the evening all the time. It wasn't dangerous. Never once did I feel unsafe. Our car did get stolen one night so I highly recommend an anti-theft device for your steering wheel.

Quote:
Originally Posted by textopitt View Post
Do you think this is a good place to live for us as far as safety is concerned?
Don't wander into the neighborhood that is on the other side of Penn Avenue. That's Garfield. I'm not saying it's so dangerous that something will happen to you. I just know that you wouldn't feel comfortable over there. It's pretty run down. Walk around the Friendship area, and over torwards the Bloomfield area (Liberty Avenue), or across Balm Blvd to the Shadyside area.

Regardless of Penn Avenue's close proximity to Garfield, do check out some of the coffee shops on Penn Avenue. That area of Penn Avenue is starting to become a trendy art district. There's a coffee shop there that has live music and other interesting events. That's the street where I would be most cautious at night but you'll be walking with your husband if you go there. Go during the day or in the early evening at first.

I really think you'll enjoy the area. No matter where you move, you need to use common sense and street smarts. I've lived all over Pittsburgh. I've lived in some terrible areas and some really nice areas. Never once did I encounter any danger because I have common sense. I'd list Friendship as one of the areas where I felt the safest.
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Old 06-10-2007, 10:24 AM
 
10 posts, read 46,426 times
Reputation: 12
Thanks for the advice so far everyone! I'm thinking we'll take the apartment because it fits our needs so well, but I'll be sure to be careful (no matter where we are!). I'm still interested in hearing more, if anyone has anything else to offer.
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Old 06-14-2007, 05:08 PM
 
1 posts, read 8,818 times
Reputation: 12
Default friendship is a great location

Hey...just saw your post and thought I'd put my two cents in. I actually live just around the corner from where you're thinking of moving (S. Pacific-one street over, in between Friendship and Penn). This is one of my favorite neighborhoods in all of Pittsburgh and I'm actually buying a house in the area as well. I always feel safe walking in this area, the properties are maintained well , and there's a great mix in the neighborhood (older families, younger families, college students, professional twenty-somethings). It's really convenient to the new Whole Foods, Trader Joe's (both less than five minutes away), and there are fantastic coffee shops, bars, and restaurants all within close distance. There's also an abundance of street parking in this area, which is not the case in Squirrel Hill/Shadyside, etc. Make sure to check out The Quiet Storm at Penn and Graham (great coffee shop), and The Sharp Edge (best beer selection imaginable from all over the world), Kelly's on Center Ave., and Silky's pub (Liberty and Evaline). There are a number of great restaurants as well and there 's a lot of new businesses along Center Ave because of the East end development.

Welcome to Friendship!
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Old 06-15-2007, 05:22 AM
 
34 posts, read 119,265 times
Reputation: 22
I definitely agree. I live in Friendship - right on Friendship Avenue near Evaline St, and my wife and I love it. We just bought our house 2 years ago, just had a baby, and have spent a lot of time and money renovating our house, but have never once regretted the decision. The neighbors are so friendly, neighborhood groups really active, and it's walkable to just about anything you could want. I also like that it's on the upswing. Penn Ave along Garfield is still pretty gritty, but it's come a long way with the Glass Center, Dance Alloy, and so many new galleries. Ten years ago, I think the vacancy rate of storefronts along Penn was about 80%, and now it's down to somewhere around 20%. This will only get better, too, with the 2 new hospitals and the Target and 2 new hotels and condos and all of that stuff coming to East Liberty.
I've also heard that soon there will be a new restaurant and condos being built across from the Glass Center (one of the more run-down areas of Penn), and that the corner of Penn and Negley is supposedly going to be rehabbed in the next year or two.
All great news.
Anyway... Welcome to the neighborhood.
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Old 06-15-2007, 08:26 AM
 
121 posts, read 367,676 times
Reputation: 16
Target? I hadn't heard about a Target coming to East Liberty. Do you know any more about that? I hope they don't tear down a bunch of stuff and build it like a box.
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Old 06-15-2007, 09:44 AM
 
10 posts, read 46,426 times
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Thanks NewBurg and teffymae! You guys are making me excited to be moving! I love that there seems to be quite a bit to check out in the neighborhood. We're actually signing the lease really soon, so your posts confirmed our decision!
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