When I used to drive through the area where I live now,I was scared to death that I was going to get caught in the crossfire of a gang war or be the victim of a drive-by shooting. And when my daughters moved into this area, I was certain they were going to get mugged or raped or worse. But they survived and even thrived in their inner city apartment. Their proximity to Ohio State University and large numbers of young people. I told myself that they were young and didn't mind living in a dicey area. I'd been young once, too, and I could remember the appeal of old homes with character and interesting architecture, high ceilings, wide wooden baseboards and trim, bay windows, towers, and large front porches. Not to mention the huge old trees that lined the streets.
When I went looking for a house I ended up in the same general area because it had more affordable housing than anywhere else in the city. Of course there are reasons for that. And one of the reasons is crime. But crime didn't even enter my mind when I found my house on a quiet side street. The house was as nice as many I'd seen in the suburbs, but it was half to one-third the price. The house prices on the other side of High Street were astronomical, but that didn't stop people from moving there. I figured that the crime rate couldn't be that different since the neighborhoods were just blocks from each other. (I know, I was naive.)
That's the nature of city neighborhoods. One area might be really safe and two streets over you have rampant crime. I've never witnessed a shooting from my front porch but down the street and around the corner a seventeen-year-old kid was gunned down at 3:30 in the afternoon, when children were walking home from school. That was several years ago now, but you never forget it. And that's not the only murder that has occurred in the area.
When you live in a high-crime area you can't worry about what happens on the streets around you. It's quite possible for there to be pockets of safety in even the worst city neighborhood. We happen to live across the street from an elementary school, and outside of the noise issues, we feel that the frequent police patrols do quite a bit to make us safer. Also, there are severe penalties if you're caught with drugs within a certain distance from the school property.
The most frequent crime is burglary, but that can be true of any neighborhood. Sometimes the more affluent neighborhoods are hardest hit. Not too long ago, a better neighborhood north of us was subject to a windshield smashing spree. That's not fun, or inexpensive, but it's better than being mugged or hit by a bullet. You have to learn to prioritize what you're going to worry about.
I've lived in my house for over ten years now and haven't been burglarized once. We don't have one bit of graffiti on our property. Maybe I've been lucky. Maybe it's the fact that until recently I had a dog. Maybe it's the sign for the alarm system that is posted out front (and the actual alarm system that backs it up--some people just put up the signs!) Maybe it's the police presence in my neighborhood. I had a drunk try to kick in the door and force open the windows once, but my neighbor yelled at him and he ran off.
I'm sure I'd have a much better picture of the criminal activities in my area if I talked to a policeman. But from what I've experienced and been able to observe, most of the crime is in my head. A woman comes to the door and wants money which I refuse to give her and I'm afraid she's going to retaliate against me in some way. But nothing happens. A guy stops me in the street and asks if I have a cigarette and when I say I don't, he says "thanks" and walks away. A mean-looking man passes me on sidewalk and says, "Hi, how ya doin'?" and keeps on walking. A bunch of kids hang around my house wanting to know if I have any jobs they can do for money, but when I say no, they stop coming around.
A lot of people I know can't understand why I live in the "ghetto." They tell me cautionary tales all the time. Some think I should never answer the door. Some think I should get a gun. Some warn me about giving out money. Some tell me to keep my shades drawn all the time. But I refuse to live like a prisoner. This is my home and it's been a good and safe one for some time. If I were to worry about something awful to happen all the time, I might as well not venture outside of the house. I like to work in my garden. People walk by and comment on how nice the garden looks. This is a neighborhood. Families live here. Kids play on the sidewalks. It's not an ideal place to live crime-wise, but is any place really?
I could move to the suburbs, but I'd be giving up everything else that I love about living in the city, and I might not be any safer. I might not see as much graffiti or trash, it might be a little quieter, there would (presumably) be less guns. But I would also miss the atmosphere, the liveliness, the sounds of life, and the convenience. I might be more protected (maybe), but I'd be infinitely more bored. It's a trade-off. There are definitely worse ways to live. You just have to pick the right one for you. (See next post.)
