Safety in the Braddock Metro Area

[Anonymous]

How safe is the area near Braddock Metro around Princess and North West Streets at various times of the day and night? How is parking? The rowhouses seem to have access to parking via an alley with a combined parking pad/backyard based on photos of listings I've seen on Trulia or a parking lot for some townhomes. Is street parking permitted or do you have to circle around to find parking on a regular basis? With regard to commuting is Braddock Road Metro safe? I read about a shooting and stepped up police presence about a month ago. Just wondering if this is isolated or if this is why I've seen several houses in this area up for sale recently. I really like the proximity to shopping and the station but as a woman, I am questioning whether I would feel safe living there for these reasons. Also, what do you do about package deliveries? Most front doors are right on the sidewalk which would make them very conspicuous. What is your experience with that? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

We love the area generally but are moving due to increased crime, mostly robberies and increased gang presence. It's really sad, such a great place to live but the city can't seem to get it under control.

[Anonymous]

I lived on the Old Town side for about fifteen years. I rarely used the Metro and pretty much never walked anywhere, just biked. I didn’t spend time walking around the neighborhood at night but not sure why anyone would. There isn’t much there. I had no crime issues personally other than car breakins but there were a few murders within a block of my apartment.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t this station near Del Ray and Rosemont? I thought those were supposed to be decent areas. Or does the crime from the north part of Old Town just spill over?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We love the area generally but are moving due to increased crime, mostly robberies and increased gang presence. It's really sad, such a great place to live but the city can't seem to get it under control.

Thank you for your response. That’s a huge concern. I’m sad to read this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived on the Old Town side for about fifteen years. I rarely used the Metro and pretty much never walked anywhere, just biked. I didn’t spend time walking around the neighborhood at night but not sure why anyone would. There isn’t much there. I had no crime issues personally other than car breakins but there were a few murders within a block of my apartment.

Thank you for responding. In terms of walking at night I was thinking of walking home after parking the car if there is no driveway. I don’t think this part of Alexandria is where too focus my search sadly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived on the Old Town side for about fifteen years. I rarely used the Metro and pretty much never walked anywhere, just biked. I didn’t spend time walking around the neighborhood at night but not sure why anyone would. There isn’t much there. I had no crime issues personally other than car breakins but there were a few murders within a block of my apartment.

[Anonymous]

They don’t have those HUGE police cameras on Wythe by the post office for no reason. 5 shootings in 4 weeks, and a little girl still got shot with those cameras around.

H to the no would I live there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn’t this station near Del Ray and Rosemont? I thought those were supposed to be decent areas. Or does the crime from the north part of Old Town just spill over?

No, not really. Del Ray and Rosemont are very safe. The commercial on Mount Vernon Avenue between the Metro and Monroe Avenue has only gotten more vibrant in recent years, increasing foot traffic. The area right around Braddock Metro on the other side is by no means unsafe. It's just that area is not activated the same way in the evening. The commercial there is more disconnected and for being as urban as it is some of the streets can be pretty quiet at night - which gets to the OP's concern.

[Anonymous]

Alexandria has all the bones to being one of the best places to live in the area but it misses the mark in so many ways. I'd avoid living anywhere near there for your own sanity.

[Anonymous]

It is a horrible shame the city has been allowed to disintegrate like this. Aren’t the bad schools punishment enough? City council, the school board, and the mayor should be ashamed of themselves. I honestly don’t know how they sleep at night with how they ran this city to the ground.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is a horrible shame the city has been allowed to disintegrate like this. Aren’t the bad schools punishment enough? City council, the school board, and the mayor should be ashamed of themselves. I honestly don’t know how they sleep at night with how they ran this city to the ground.

But they did community barbecues! I thought that was going to fix things.

[Anonymous]

That area is not safe nor is the West End near Van Dorn. We sold because of crime and schools even though we love our neighborhood.

I’m trying to post links for you but for some odd reason this site is not allowing me to link. Just Google “Braddock metro crime”. You’ll get links to a news site some people disparage (and for good reason) but you can at least see what’s happening.

APD’s response to the crime in that and other areas has been to install cameras and have community picnics with cops.

Just last week in my neighborhood there was a shooting that injured two teens, with bullets entering homes nearby in addition to whatever their target was. It wasn’t even late—8:20. My son and I were walking in the neighborhood when it happened. I could have very easily been walking there as it is one of our regular routes.

Justin Wilson frequents the new Potomac metro and tweets about it, so that’s probably safe. Maybe look there (but you’ll contend with airplane and train noise all day).

In all honesty, the City is doing nothing to address crime in the City and the School Board is doing nothing to address crime in the schools, which spills over into the surrounding neighborhoods. It is a beautiful city but unless you can afford to live in one of the more expensive, leafy, large home neighborhoods that aren’t near multi family housing, I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That area is not safe nor is the West End near Van Dorn. We sold because of crime and schools even though we love our neighborhood.

I’m trying to post links for you but for some odd reason this site is not allowing me to link. Just Google “Braddock metro crime”. You’ll get links to a news site some people disparage (and for good reason) but you can at least see what’s happening.

APD’s response to the crime in that and other areas has been to install cameras and have community picnics with cops.

Just last week in my neighborhood there was a shooting that injured two teens, with bullets entering homes nearby in addition to whatever their target was. It wasn’t even late—8:20. My son and I were walking in the neighborhood when it happened. I could have very easily been walking there as it is one of our regular routes.

Justin Wilson frequents the new Potomac metro and tweets about it, so that’s probably safe. Maybe look there (but you’ll contend with airplane and train noise all day).

In all honesty, the City is doing nothing to address crime in the City and the School Board is doing nothing to address crime in the schools, which spills over into the surrounding neighborhoods. It is a beautiful city but unless you can afford to live in one of the more expensive, leafy, large home neighborhoods that aren’t near multi family housing, I wouldn’t suggest it to anyone.

+1. The source of Alexandria’s problems is the presence of outdated multi-family housing that attracts poor people that frankly don’t care to better their situation. Gentrification needs to ramp up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How safe is the area near Braddock Metro around Princess and North West Streets at various times of the day and night? How is parking? The rowhouses seem to have access to parking via an alley with a combined parking pad/backyard based on photos of listings I've seen on Trulia or a parking lot for some townhomes. Is street parking permitted or do you have to circle around to find parking on a regular basis? With regard to commuting is Braddock Road Metro safe? I read about a shooting and stepped up police presence about a month ago. Just wondering if this is isolated or if this is why I've seen several houses in this area up for sale recently. I really like the proximity to shopping and the station but as a woman, I am questioning whether I would feel safe living there for these reasons. Also, what do you do about package deliveries? Most front doors are right on the sidewalk which would make them very conspicuous. What is your experience with that? Thanks!

"a shooting" keep researching. Much more than "a shooting."