Hello All-

 

I need some unbiased opinions. I am looking at renting a house on W 67th north of Detroit by Herman. What is your opinion of the area? I know that Battery Park is nearby and there are a lot of nice condos near the lake. I also know that it is 1 block from "Italiantown." Is the area safe??? Thanks for your help!  :-D

I'm sure you'll get a lot of good answers here.

 

I visit that area often but I probably wouldn't live there.  I wouldn't feel safe walking around by myself, particularly at night.

 

I have friends who were held up at gunpoint at the convenient food mart on detroit just east of there, and when I've walked around there at night to attend shows at Cleveland Public Theater I've often felt uncomfortable when by myself. 

 

But I'll disclose that the convenient incident was several years ago, and that I think that neighborhood is slowly coming back.  Personally, I wouldn't live there based on my past experiences, but a lot of people on here might know more current information.

Anything in that area, especially north of Detroit is relatively safe.  I own an apartment building just around the corner on 69th and Herman and it is a very nice area.  All the neighbors look out for each other, and as you can see, there is a lot of rehab and improvements happening.  Is the house you are looking at north of Herman?  Right on the corner of Herman and 67th is the neighborhood vets club, which is a gathering place for many of the neighborhoods older residents who have lived there all of there lives.  As you can see at the extreme north ends of 67th and 69th, there has been some extensive construction and the neighborhood continues to improve.

 

Safety is a relative term, what are you trying to compare it too?  What are you used to?  I allowed my 22 yo daughter to live in my building, so I thought it was very safe.

It is about 1/2 block before Herman. I am most concerned about if we park on the street and walk a few blocks to our house, will we get mugged. Also concerned about cars being stolen/broken into. We are younger (25) single women and we just want to be safe! I had heard that the Convenient Food Mart on Detroit and 59th was scary.

I would make a few visits to the neighborhood at night, particularly during the weekend when there tend to be more people around.  Park your car and walk around a little.  Use your instincts and pay attention to what you see.  That's really a good way to make a decision, test it out yourself by seeing what it would be like to come home to that area and what it's like at night.  I've done this before when considering apartments and learned things like wow, you really can hear that loud music from the bar or gee, there are a lot of people with crappy lawns and cars with their windows smashed out, maybe this isn't where I want to live.

It is about 1/2 block before Herman. I am most concerned about if we park on the street and walk a few blocks to our house, will we get mugged. Also concerned about cars being stolen/broken into. We are younger (25) single women and we just want to be safe! I had heard that the Convenient Food Mart on Detroit and 59th was scary.

 

Muggings can happen anywhere.  You "heard" a store was scary, have you spent anytime in the area?

What is your definition of "scary"?  What information do you have that would make think you could be a victim of a mugging and what is the source? 

 

If you haven't already done so, I would suggest scoping out the area over a few weeks at very times of the day and night so you can experience the neighborhood yourself.  Visit stores in the area and ask people what they think of the area, contact that the neighborhood association and the council persons office for that area. 

 

Are you moving from a different area of Cleveland? Or moving into Cleveland from another city?  My responses are not to be harsh, but I don't want you to move into a neighborhood with preconceived notions that are off target, especially with all the development taking place in Detroit-Shoreway.

It is about 1/2 block before Herman. I am most concerned about if we park on the street and walk a few blocks to our house, will we get mugged. Also concerned about cars being stolen/broken into. We are younger (25) single women and we just want to be safe! I had heard that the Convenient Food Mart on Detroit and 59th was scary.

 

I would be surprised if you had to walk a couple of blocks, you should be able to park closer.  Like someone said, muggings can happen anywhere, you just need to be careful.  The area around 59th and Detroit is questionable, as anything south of Detroit might be.  As I told my daughter, don't stop in these stores as night.

 

Councilman Matt Zone lives on 69th St.  There seems to be a good police presence in the neighborhood.

 

 

My responses are not to be harsh, but I don't want you to move into a neighborhood with preconceived notions that are off target, especially with all the development taking place in Detroit-Shoreway.

 

They sure sound harsh.  I think kimberr too doesn't want to move in with off-target notions...which is why she posted her question.  Don't know why people get jumped on so quickly so often on this board.

"Don't know why people get jumped on so quickly so often on this board."

 

It's the pendulum swinging too far in the direction of focusing on the positive - no one here supports baseless and needless bashing of an area. However, it's silly to question someone EVERY single time anyone dares to suggest an area might be less desireable. Sorry FH2H, there are rough neighborhoods in Cleveland just like there are rough areas anywhere and it's really not necessary to get so defensive when someone even questions that.

I was never suggesting the area was less than desirable, I was just trying to get some unbiased input about the area to help me make a decision. I know all areas have crime, I just wanted to get a feel about what it would realistically be like to be live there.

 

Also, I know I can park right in front of the house, it's just a little walk back to the door and I didn't want to get jumped in the alley or something.

Welcome to the forum and to cleveland (perhaps?)! 

 

I live with my wife and newborn (yes, folks, I'm a dad now!) two blocks south of Detroit, between W. 58th and W. 65th.  It's a little different from the blocks you're talking about... bigger houses, higher traffic street... but I do spend a good bit of time walking/biking/jogging in your neck of the woods, so I can offer my perspective.

 

Like Dan B said, the councilman lives on W. 69th.  That's usually a good sign that you'd be a part of the neighborhood that will not get overlooked.  There are active block clubs in that area and new investment in both housing and commercial spaces, so again, new people and existing people are going to be looking after their investments.

 

As was also said, this is a city and bad things can happen to good people no matter where you end up.  I wouldn't expect the area you ask about to be particularly unsafe, but I would also recommend using the buddy system after dark.  That's just common sense no matter who you are.  Then again, I rarely practice what I preach!

 

There's already been good advice here about scoping it out for yourself.

 

But no one has really plugged the positives yet... you're walking distance to Edgewater Park and the Gordon Square commercial district, new bars and shops, and convenient transit to Downtown.  Plus, as you'll find on here, you've got good neighbors.  I'd give it an honest look!

Don't worry about it Kimberrr, reasonable questions!  If you don't mind my asking, where are you moving from?

I'm moving from Stow, so I'm familiar with Cleveland. I just don't know specifics of areas and there aren't really many people I can ask who don't have unbiased opinions. I figured here would be a good place to talk to people who actually live in or near the area in question.

Well, you've come to the right place.  Stow to Detroit-Shoreway may be culture shock, but I think you'll do fine.  My daughter went from Kent State to 69th and she was fine.  Moved to Stonebridge to be closer to work, but i worry about her more down there than I did when she was on 69th.

"But no one has really plugged the positives yet..."

 

Minh Anh - one of THE best Vietnamese restaurants around...

 

 

Had lunch at Cheddars on Saturday!  Who would have imagined an entire restaurant menu based on Mac and Cheese!!!!!

Here are a couple other threads you may be interested in checking out:

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=2873.0

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=653.0

Hmm, I might have to consider this neighborhood if 25-year-old single women are moving in!

 

In all seriousness, I recently wrote an article for Sun about a renovated century home in that neighborhood. While standing out front of the house with the homeowners, a number of the neighbors came walking up and introduced themselves. They were polished, young white professionals, a black laborer (one wore a union t-shirt), and a middle-age man who needed a shave, a few less holes in his clothes and wasn't afraid of sharing his opinions. Each neighbor pointed to the homes they lived in and said "if you ever need anything, just stop by."

 

I was very impressed by that. We often hear false tales that people in urban neighborhoods don't care about each other, and even hide behind locked doors while bad things happen.

 

I didn't see that in this neighborhood.