Anybody been to Wilkinsburg lately?

[Emptymag]

My mom grew up in Edgewood and went to Edgewood High back in the '50s. A few years back, she took my treasured '74 Cutlass down to Pittsburgh and decided to drive through the "old neighborhood", as it were. Lets just say it was a damned good thing she had that old monster muscle car of mine...she didn't stop for a single light or stopsign until she had completely cleared the area.

I coulda killed her when she told me, if I hadn't been so damned happy she was still alive. I myself ain't going into Wilkensburg without some serious weaponry and major backup (anybody got a platoon of Marine riflemen on speeddial?).

Furthermore, I freely admit to being racist enough to blame the majority of problems found in Wilkinsburg (and the Hill district) solely upon the "indigenous population".

I'm confused.

You talk of "Edgewood", but Edgewood isn't Wilkinsburg - not by a long shot. It's mostly wealthy people with well-maintained properties. I know - I maintain several of them.
I don't see how anyone could be afraid while driving through Edgewood.

Honestly, Wilkinsburg isn't as bad as I thought either. I drive through it several days a week and even work at some properties in the streets bordering the nicer sections of town.


I do find it interesting the way the city can be segmented into good and bad sections divided by an imaginary line such as a "street". One side of the street is upscale and if you walk across, it's like you've entered another country.

[brsims]

I'm confused.

You talk of "Edgewood", but Edgewood isn't Wilkinsburg - not by a long shot. It's mostly wealthy people with well-maintained properties. I know - I maintain several of them.
I don't see how anyone could be afraid while driving through Edgewood.

Honestly, Wilkinsburg isn't as bad as I thought either. I drive through it several days a week and even work at some properties in the streets bordering the nicer sections of town.


I do find it interesting the way the city can be segmented into good and bad sections divided by an imaginary line such as a "street". One side of the street is upscale and if you walk across, it's like you've entered another country.

She felt the need to drive through Wilkinsburg to get to Edgewood. There use to be some hangouts for teens in the Wilkinsburg area back then, I guess.

[Ricochet]

Occasionally I have to go on Hill street in Wilkensburg.
I have never had a problem, but I could see if you had to walk through that neighborhood at 2am a problem could quickly arise.

[Kyle H]

Just came back from Bravermans. I honestly don't get all the fear of Wilkinsburg/Homewood. A good friend has a business studio in the old MSA building on Braddock and weve walked to various places in Homewood and Wilkinsburg without issue. I'm white and he's Korean so we definitely stick out but as another person already said if you act out of place then you're going to be targeted. I've rode my motorcycle through Homewood dozens of dozens for various things and most attention I get is compliments from people. Theres definitely a rough way about things but if you don't go around acting all high and mighty you wont ever experience the brunt of it. I don't plan on taking any midnight strolls through said parts of town, and some other neighborhoods in the city, but there's no reason to avoid them during the day.

[arjohnson]

Just came back from Bravermans. I honestly don't get all the fear of Wilkinsburg/Homewood. A good friend has a business studio in the old MSA building on Braddock and weve walked to various places in Homewood and Wilkinsburg without issue. I'm white and he's Korean so we definitely stick out but as another person already said if you act out of place then you're going to be targeted. I've rode my motorcycle through Homewood dozens of dozens for various things and most attention I get is compliments from people. Theres definitely a rough way about things but if you don't go around acting all high and mighty you wont ever experience the brunt of it. I don't plan on taking any midnight strolls through said parts of town, and some other neighborhoods in the city, but there's no reason to avoid them during the day.

During the day I'd agree with you, however after dark may be a whole different ball game.

[Ricochet]

Just came back from Bravermans. I honestly don't get all the fear of Wilkinsburg/Homewood..

Honestly, as much as I like Pittsburgh and I plan on moving back there soon.
But Most Pittsburgh folks dont know what a "real bad" neighborhood is.
Ive heard people say that they are "scared to drive through north side".

Hell, Ive walked through North side at night and never had a problem. Unarmed to boot.

Its the same with where I work now in Morgantown, WV. They all say "Pittsburgh is really bad, I dont ever want to go up there". Yeah, I guess if you lived in WV your whole life, even Squirrel Hill would look bad.

I guess its all perspective.

I not saying nothing bad can happen to you in the Pittsburgh area but where I gerw up, Pittsburgh is Mickey Mouse.

[glock4life]

I go where I want to go when I want to go there. If you act like a victim, you will be victimized! I have walked down Auburn street in Atlanta GA. If you know anything about the reputation of that street, then you have an idea of the "legend". There are wonderful people caught up in horrible circumstances that are often beyond their control. I visit Keith and Frank and Al every chance I get. I bought my first gun there. The East End of Pittsburgh has been ignored for many years. It's coming back now because people with vision and brains realized that neglecting communities only serves to create areas of angry resentful people. If people of any race are given the opportunities to thrive instead of just survive, they will accept the challenge.

[JustinH]

If people of any race are given the opportunities to thrive instead of just survive, they will accept the challenge.

yea, but some people have been given, given, and given many opportunities and they simply ask for more and expect it.

[sgtmcbowflex]

Now I'm only going by what friends of mine at work have told me. Both, however are honest and trustworthy people. One didn't take the warning of not driving down a particular street after dropping a friend off. He ended up with a bullet hole in his fender, and the other lived there for a while and had 3 cars stolen. The shooting incident occurred sometime in the 90s, so I don't know if the area has gotten better or worse since then. The friend who had his cars stolen was within the past few years.

[stringplucker]

They also tore the projects and high rises down and build modular looking homes that look pretty decent but where did all the displaced residence go???...New Ken? lol

I live across the river from New Ken...it doesn't look too bad to me, other than empty store-fronts. It looks almost like everyone moved out about 30-40 years ago, and left everything as it was.

I know West Tarentum is considered the 'hood, or so say the guys at work. I've lived here for 2 years, bought the house without mortgage for just under 30K, put another 8K into it and am very happy with the investment. Other than the damned train, it's a quiet, working class area with just a hand full of houses that need to be dropped.

I grew up in a suburb of Dayton, Ohio...high scale suburb that was filled with cookie cutter houses and cookie cutter families. Everyone was white, upper-middle-class to lower-upper-class. Moving my kids here has been fun...they get to see a whole new culture, and interact with the splatterings of black people.

I lived in the Ogden, UT area, where the Mexicans and Mormons run the streets and governments as gangs...this place is a breeze compared to there.

Admittedly, if the area weren't on the mend, albeit a slow mend, I wouldn't have moved here. I saw the area as an investment into my children's lives, as well as a monetary investment in being able to pick up a house for dirt cheap and selling it at a slight profit, if needed.