Crime in Crafton Borough. Going downhill? (Middletown: sale, apartment complex, house)

[fjy3]

My aunt does field surveys with at risk teens throughout Pittsburgh, so she thinks she's an expert on crime. I'm pretty sure all this crime she's talking about didn't occur in Crafton borough. Maybe she's talking to teen girls who live in Greenwood Manor in Crafton Heights. I have no idea.

We currently live in Morningside, which is right next to East Liberty, and she seems to find no issue with that. The Rite Aid in our neighborhood was recently robbed at gunpoint and people's cars get broken into quite a bit. Otherwise, there's really no issues. People look out for each other and there's a strong feeling of community. Crafton seems to have that going for it too.

I just can't find any news articles about all these nonstop drive by shootings in Crafton Borough she's talking about. This was the link to the house in Crafton that filled her with rage. 5 Lawson Ave, Crafton, PA 15205 - realtor.com®
I commented on how gorgeous it was, but didn't seem like a walkable location. I also mentioned it looked like it may be on the border of Crafton Heights and that set her off. It just made me feel like I'm overlooking something. Crafton Heights doesn't seem any more dangerous than Garfield or East Liberty, two neighborhoods we live in walking distance to. Maybe I'm missing something, though. It seems very quiet, clean, and middle class. My significant other works at Modcloth in FairyWood and walks around there all the time. He picks up groceries at the local Giant Eagle a couple of times a week. We've hung out at the playground at Crafton Park and hiked at Thornburg Park, and nothing about the area sets off any crazy warning signals to me. It actually looks and feels like the perfect fit for us. I'm pretty sure we may end up buying there if we find something we like.

[Plink]

Originally Posted by gg

Sure is an amazing contrast. I don't know the area well, but maybe it depends on what part of Crafton. Good luck.

It doesn't. Crafton is one square mile. There are no gangs and no "drive by shootings". What a ridiculous thread.

[bradjl2009]

I think your aunt needs to take a chill pill. In her job, it sounds like she's dealing with the tiny minority of the community that are the worst. Hardly representative of the majority who live there.

[eschaton]

The comparison of Crafton to Morningside is pretty apt, IMHO. Both were traditionally lower-middle class areas. Both are seeing a slow gentrification process where younger professionals and families move in, but also aren't quite as lily-white as they used to be. Both of them are close to areas which are somewhat sketchy, but mostly have minor nuisance crime like car break ins.

The major difference - the only difference - between the two is the neighborhoods around Morningside are all getting better, while basically everywhere sketchy in the West End is still getting worse. I'm confident the decline - even in the worst parts of the West End, like the eastern part of Sheraden - will bottom out eventually, simply because there there aren't enough bad apples to turn the entire region to sh*t.

[stremba]

Originally Posted by guy2073

Was your aunt thanking of the broodhead manor area that is closed down? Other than that crafton is a very nice town. I would have no problem raising my family there.

Even if she was, that's not Crafton. That's the Fairywood neighborhood of Pittsburgh. I do strongly suspect that any justifiable negativity that OP's aunt has stems from things going on outside of the actual borough of Crafton in surrounding city neighborhoods.

[fleetiebelle]

Best stay out of Fox Chapel, too, because there's a crime spree goin' on: Fox Chapel Police Investigate 3 Burglary Cases « CBS Pittsburgh

[ElModChupaPollas]

I think you should go for it if you find something you like! Maybe your aunt won't visit you very often but at least you will be living in a place that makes you happy.

I suggest looking up user GoodJules and reading her posts from a few years ago when she discovered and then bought a house in Crafton.

It's a shame because your aunt only sees the worst of these neighborhoods, I have a feeling if she worked alongside Jules she'd have a different outlook on the neighborhood. Crafton is amazing for
its value!

[fjy3]

I just hope we can find a house we like there. All the houses we've been liking are contingent within a couple of days. We loved a house that was for sale on North Emily. It had two bids on it after two days. I was so sad. We only have a short window of time to find a house because our lease on our rental house is up on May 1st. We need to move into a house by the end of April. We aren't looking for a six bedroom victorian, so that makes it harder. Ha. Ha. Just a nice 3 bedroom family house that isn't completely dated under 200k. There was one house we really liked in the perfect location, but it had knob and tube wiring, an old fuse box, and drop ceilings. Our agent said it wasn't worth taking on.

The only worry I have about Crafton is property value. Do you think property value will go up, or will it just remain the same or decline? In my opinion, Crafton has tons of potential. The housing stock is similar to what I see in Highland Park and Friendship. The houses are gorgeous and the streets are tree lined. It is very family oriented and quiet. There's a library, swimming pool, playground, a community garden, post office, diner, poetry house, pizza shop, donut shop, grocery store in walking distance. It seems like a down to earth community. The commute into Downtown via the West busway is fast! I used to care about bars and restaurants, but now that we have a child those things don't matter much. I'd just love to see Crafton get some recognition! I just wonder why my aunt and her friend from the South Hills have this terrible perception of the area.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by fjy3

I just hope we can find a house we like there. All the houses we've been liking are contingent within a couple of days. We loved a house that was for sale on North Emily. It had two bids on it after two days. I was so sad. We only have a short window of time to find a house because our lease on our rental house is up on May 1st. We need to move into a house by the end of April. We aren't looking for a six bedroom victorian, so that makes it harder. Ha. Ha. Just a nice 3 bedroom family house that isn't completely dated under 200k. There was one house we really liked in the perfect location, but it had knob and tube wiring, an old fuse box, and drop ceilings. Our agent said it wasn't worth taking on.

The only worry I have about Crafton is property value. Do you think property value will go up, or will it just remain the same or decline? In my opinion, Crafton has tons of potential. The housing stock is similar to what I see in Highland Park and Friendship. The houses are gorgeous and the streets are tree lined. It is very family oriented and quiet. There's a library, swimming pool, playground, a community garden, post office, diner, poetry house, pizza shop, donut shop, grocery store in walking distance. It seems like a down to earth community. The commute into Downtown via the West busway is fast! I used to care about bars and restaurants, but now that we have a child those things don't matter much. I'd just love to see Crafton get some recognition! I just wonder why my aunt and her friend from the South Hills have this terrible perception of the area.

that sounds great. funny thing about pittsburgh is if you dropped someone in friendship or brighton heights they wouldn't be able to tell which was the more wealthy area even though the housing and feel is the same. it goes to show though location location location.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Paul2421

that sounds great. funny thing about Pittsburgh is if you dropped someone in Friendship or Brighton Heights they wouldn't be able to tell which was the more wealthy area even though the housing and feel is the same. it goes to show though location location location.

Friendship is actually poorer than Brighton Heights.

The census tract which is defined as Friendship by the city (S Graham to S Negley) has a median household income of a bit over $27,300. The "Friendship Part of Bloomfield" is more middle class, with a household income of around $50,500.

In contrast, the poor side of Brighton Heights has a medium household income of $33,800. Then the other two tracts rank at about $52,000 and $62,000.

Of course, the difference here is the income spread. Friendship (especially Friendship proper) has a whole buttload of subdivided houses which are being rented out by poor students. The homeowner-occupied households are fairly wealthy, but they comprise a distinct minority. In contrast, Brighton Heights is mostly homeowner occupied.