I feel defeated by the crime in Capitol Hill. Pl recommend a new neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People get mugged in "nice" areas like the Hill because criminals know that people there have cash/iphones/etc in their pockets. I live in a truly terrible neighborhood, and NO ONE gets mugged. Shot, yes, but not mugged.

Weel then, THAT makes me want to move there.

But the shootings aren't random. People are shooting people they know. In 10 years in my neighborhood, I've never known any law abiding citizen to be a victim of crime. That's why people can feel safe in a 'bad' neighborhood. That being said - obviously if I had the $$ to move somewhere else, I would. I don't have any other options at the moment. But the crime isn't affecting us directly, thank god.

Yes, the crime situation is a lot more complicated than people realize. I tutor a kid who lives in a public housing project on Alabama Avenue. When I check the weekly crime report in the WaPo's Local Living section, I check to see what crime is happening in her neighborhood as well as mine. Never read about robberies on her section of Alabama. It's safer for me to drop her off at her house after tutoring than it is for me to go out to dinner in Adams Morgan.

Where do all the people who are committing the crimes live?

You know what? Even robbers have a business plan. Now I haven't talked to any about it but I'm just betting they don't waste a lot of time wondering whether it's more worth their time to sit around Alabama Avenue just in case some some white professional comes by a kid's house for five minutes or whether the pickings would be better on the streets of Adams Morgan or Columbia Heights where loads of young professionals are filling up the streets on a Saturday night. More bang for your buck, so to speak. (Pun intended)

[Anonymous]

The issue I have is that hearing gunshots, dead altercations in the alley, and being mugged at gunpoint is not really something I would want to expose my small kids to. I grew up in CCDC in the nineties (back before it was gentrified to the degree it is now...although it was always a nice area). There were homeless people, petty crime, the occasional police chase, and robberies. Occasionally people got mugged on the subway, or their house got broken into. But I never felt unsafe, never heard a gunshot, and never found a dead body in my alley.

[Anonymous]

^^^^You forgot Jason Emma, killed last Christmas Eve at 12th and C NE.

RIP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The issue I have is that hearing gunshots, dead altercations in the alley, and being mugged at gunpoint is not really something I would want to expose my small kids to. I grew up in CCDC in the nineties (back before it was gentrified to the degree it is now...although it was always a nice area). There were homeless people, petty crime, the occasional police chase, and robberies. Occasionally people got mugged on the subway, or their house got broken into. But I never felt unsafe, never heard a gunshot, and never found a dead body in my alley.

I understand that and I understand why the OP wants to move because people have different levels of tolerance for this. Not everyone can deal with this and they shouldn't have to if they don't want to. I just want people to check their assumptions about what is actually happening in some of these neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^^You forgot Jason Emma, killed last Christmas Eve at 12th and C NE.

RIP.

Did they ever found out who killed him?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People get mugged in "nice" areas like the Hill because criminals know that people there have cash/iphones/etc in their pockets. I live in a truly terrible neighborhood, and NO ONE gets mugged. Shot, yes, but not mugged.

Weel then, THAT makes me want to move there.

But the shootings aren't random. People are shooting people they know. In 10 years in my neighborhood, I've never known any law abiding citizen to be a victim of crime. That's why people can feel safe in a 'bad' neighborhood. That being said - obviously if I had the $$ to move somewhere else, I would. I don't have any other options at the moment. But the crime isn't affecting us directly, thank god.

Yes, the crime situation is a lot more complicated than people realize. I tutor a kid who lives in a public housing project on Alabama Avenue. When I check the weekly crime report in the WaPo's Local Living section, I check to see what crime is happening in her neighborhood as well as mine. Never read about robberies on her section of Alabama. It's safer for me to drop her off at her house after tutoring than it is for me to go out to dinner in Adams Morgan.

Where do all the people who are committing the crimes live?

You know what? Even robbers have a business plan. Now I haven't talked to any about it but I'm just betting they don't waste a lot of time wondering whether it's more worth their time to sit around Alabama Avenue just in case some some white professional comes by a kid's house for five minutes or whether the pickings would be better on the streets of Adams Morgan or Columbia Heights where loads of young professionals are filling up the streets on a Saturday night. More bang for your buck, so to speak. (Pun intended)

I agree that you are probably right, but aren't muggings often a crime of opportunity? So, poor kids loitering around their neighborhood, and when that professional comes by, they decide to mug him. I think it's that idea that makes many people uncomfortable living in a "bad" neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Did they ever found out who killed him?

No. It was a random, 2:00 a.m. robbery attempt, apparently. They rarely solve those, unless someone involved rats out his partner, usually as part of a plea deal for a reduced sentence against whatever they get caught doing next.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Recent Trindad purchaser (back in 2010) and surprisingly feel safer in Trinidad than capital hill actually. There seems to be much more movement of people in and out of capital hill on a daily basis whereas Trinidad is more of an enclosed neighborhood and you end up seeing the same people day in and day out.

Weren't there like three shootings in Trinidad in the past few days?

Yes - you are right. There were three shootings in the past few days which is quiet unfortunate as while things are not perfect in Trinidad as in other places -they have/had certainly improved. The most recent shooting involved someone who didn't even live in our neighborhood but lived in SE and was in our neighborhood - not to excuse it at all. The fact remains though that seriously, I feel more comfortable these days walking home alone from the metro to Trinidad at 7, 8, 9pm when its dark then I feel walking around capitol hill at 7 pm when its dark. The fear I have is more related to the senselessness of these recent crimes in Capital hill area. I wouldn't walk around Trinidad alone at midnight even though many people do, including single joggers - both black and white. But then again I wouldn't walk around capital hill alone at that time either.

[Anonymous]

Not always. Some people go out looking for people to rob. And they aren't always poor kids, sometimes it's folks just caught up with a bad crowd. I've lived in the straight up ghetto before and never had anything to happen to me. What's the point in robbing another broke person?

[Anonymous]

Agree w/ suggestion of Takoma Park, MD. Live there now, previously Logan Circle and (shortly) Capitol Hill. A bit of property crime in Takoma Park (thefts from car/home), but rarely have I heard of any violent muggings or robberies (in the last 3 yrs at least). We actually experienced more in Logan Circle (two car break-ins in 2 years!). Also neighborhood is very closely knit - neighbors give me (unsolicited) reports on my nanny, handymen, house painters, etc. Think that type of, ahem, "engagement," also cuts down on safety concerns (and/or the feeling of safety concerns).

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the posters with helpful advice on other neighborhoods. I think Takoma park sounds great. A little worried about the commute for my spouse but I guess we could rent there for a while and see how it goes. Is the Takoma park on the DC or MD side better?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the posters with helpful advice on other neighborhoods. I think Takoma park sounds great. A little worried about the commute for my spouse but I guess we could rent there for a while and see how it goes. Is the Takoma park on the DC or MD side better?

Takoma Park straddles the DC/MD border. I don't know which side is better. I used to live on the Maryland side and liked it. But that was about 10 years ago I'm not the original PP who suggest TP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the posters with helpful advice on other neighborhoods. I think Takoma park sounds great. A little worried about the commute for my spouse but I guess we could rent there for a while and see how it goes. Is the Takoma park on the DC or MD side better?

MD side is better.

[Anonymous]

Is there a takoma park school that is great? Gay friendly a plus! Or should I just start a new thread?

[Anonymous]

Takoma Park, MD is as gay friendly as you can get. Hugely so. Look for a house that is in-boundary for TPES/PBES/TPMS. As a bonus, there's a lot of new retail so great walking destinations have become plentiful. Jeff Black's new restaurant, Republic, opens Sunday night!