Savannah Georgia Crime (Temple: chapel, lenders, homes)

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by blockbyblock

I love Savannah & graduated from SCAD. It is one of the best schools an artist could wish for. I had intended to get my Masters degree from SCAD also, but I had to leave directly after graduation because too many things happened.
I lived in a very nice part of town, was not out galavanting at night, and was not wild. I went to class, library, and work. I was held up at gunpoint at the FBI building downtown, raped in my home, car broken into, and police arrested a 'peeping tom' who was trying to also reside in the shed in back of our home. He cut the wires to our outside lights & unscrewed the lightbulb that lit our porch. A neighbor thankfully saw him & called the police. This is within a two year period. I stayed there throughout all of these incidents because I am a strong individual who wanted to finish my degree & not let ANYONE or ANYTHING stop me. I have a library of police reports for all the nay-sayers.
I too have heard the gunshot stories & am certain they happened. The school only reports stats that occur 'on campus' which means one of their buildings. I know this because I reported these incidents to them but regretfully, they wouldn't 'count.'
I have lived in New York City and Detroit and was not scared at either place compared to my time spent in Savannah. I would actually still recommend to anyone to live in Savannah and/or attend SCAD. It is a great place- just be sure to get a handgun & carrier's license.

So, really, where was this "nice part of town"? Stuff like that is unheard of. Not saying we don't have crime here, but gosh, I think you just had some bad luck. I live in a transitional area of midtown (the area of Anderson & Abercorn) and I've never had any of the problems you addressed. I ride my bicycle around and even walk short distances at night. Never had any issues with the exception of some loud people, ambulances and road noise (those last two are pretty much one in the same) but those are all because I live within the city. Out on Wilmington Island where my parents live, you could go outside late at night and probably hear a pin drop its so peaceful and quiet.
Anyway, I just want everyone to know that we aren't a utopia and never were, yes, we do have crime here as has been stated, but no, we aren't the next Detroit of the south and no, our crime is not out of hand. Most of what goes on here is in small centralized locations in the middle of the night where no one should be in the first place. Most of it is NOT random acts of violence.

[Savannah2009]

I live downtown, near Troup square, regularly take my dogs out late at night, and although it always pays to be cautious, I have never had a bad experience. Never felt unsafe. I also lived on Lafayette Square at one point, also never had a problem. I've had evenings in which I've started out on River St and migrated on foot over to City Market, never had a problem. The only "crime" I've experienced was my purse being stolen in City Market when I was stupid and left it unsecured. I'd say that was 80 percent my own fault.

[Tar Heel Dad]

Guys,

My youngest has been accepted to SCAD...She is currently enrolled in a fine NC University, but insist on moving to GA. I realize this thread is several years old, but I just read the crime stats for the area SCAD is located and the 2009 stats don't look good.

She and several friends all want to rent a house between east 35 and east 42nd. Are these safe areas for young women to bike into downtown.

Thanks,

[mike0618]

Originally Posted by blockbyblock

I love Savannah & graduated from SCAD. It is one of the best schools an artist could wish for. I had intended to get my Masters degree from SCAD also, but I had to leave directly after graduation because too many things happened.
I lived in a very nice part of town, was not out galavanting at night, and was not wild. I went to class, library, and work. I was held up at gunpoint at the FBI building downtown, raped in my home, car broken into, and police arrested a 'peeping tom' who was trying to also reside in the shed in back of our home. He cut the wires to our outside lights & unscrewed the lightbulb that lit our porch. A neighbor thankfully saw him & called the police. This is within a two year period. I stayed there throughout all of these incidents because I am a strong individual who wanted to finish my degree & not let ANYONE or ANYTHING stop me. I have a library of police reports for all the nay-sayers.
I too have heard the gunshot stories & am certain they happened. The school only reports stats that occur 'on campus' which means one of their buildings. I know this because I reported these incidents to them but regretfully, they wouldn't 'count.'
I have lived in New York City and Detroit and was not scared at either place compared to my time spent in Savannah. I would actually still recommend to anyone to live in Savannah and/or attend SCAD. It is a great place- just be sure to get a handgun & carrier's license.

I grew up in metro detroit and you are telling me you would rather walk down cass coridor or 8mile and woodward (detroit side) than walk in savannah? the woerst areas of savannah are 10 times safer than those 2 areas of detroit and I could name 10-15 more areas of detroit I would not stop at a red light at. Theres a reason women are allowed to run reds in detroit at night without a worry about getting a ticket. makes me wonder were in detroit you lived? was it southfield? oak park? or was it really in the city? Because most people say detroit really were in the suburbs in oakland co.

[mike0618]

Originally Posted by Tar Heel Dad

Guys,

My youngest has been accepted to SCAD...She is currently enrolled in a fine NC University, but insist on moving to GA. I realize this thread is several years old, but I just read the crime stats for the area SCAD is located and the 2009 stats don't look good.

She and several friends all want to rent a house between east 35 and east 42nd. Are these safe areas for young women to bike into downtown.

Thanks,

what are the cross streets? in some areas there are lots who bike to school and back or walk. but good areas to so so areas can be a few block in a direction.

[ellie]

I think Mike0618 is exaggerating a bit on his comparison w/Detroit, though I've never been there. So what do I really know?

I lived in several locations downtown for many years and had very few problems with crime. I didn't, however, ride my bike around at night. There are plenty of people who do, though, and few that I know of have problems. Still, she needs to be very careful.

Mike is right to ask about the cross streets. If you're within a few blocks of Bull St., things are pretty safe. If you go farther east than Price St. things rapidly become less stable.

Not that you're asking for my advice on schools... but if I were you, I'd put my foot down and cut off her funding if she decided to leave the University she's currently attending in NC. SCAD frequently has problems with accreditation and will pretty much accept anyone who is able to pay the tuition.

[mike0618]

actually I am not exaggerating about detroit. If you are near the stadiums you are ok. but lots of streets with almost 9 out of 10 boarded up. I used to drive down woodward after tigers or lions games and almost every building on woodward for about 4 miles was closed down. people walking acrross the street infront of your car while you are driving regardless if the light is green or red. dont care if you hit them. People asking you if you are in right area because you are white.. I lived most my life 5 miles from detroit. Flint is just as bad and Saginaw has gun shots heard almost nightly. Savannah has alot less crime activity. At least you dont have abandoned streets, and i mean abandoned.... flint is thinking about tearing down whole neighborhoods and turning them into farm land.

[ellie]

Mike, I think I read your comparison backwards...Savannah would have to work to be as bad as Detroit, wouldn't it? Sorry about that.

[mike0618]

Originally Posted by ellie

Mike, I think I read your comparison backwards...Savannah would have to work to be as bad as Detroit, wouldn't it? Sorry about that.

yes. I was talking about how someone earlier talked about how savannah was worse than when they lived in detroit or new york. I was taking aback by that. There is no comparision. Detroit has been trying to come back from the 67 riot for 40 plus yrs now. Anyone who thinks savannah is anything like detroit doesnt know what they are talking about.

[bellhead]

Mike,

I grew up south of Toledo Ohio and have been to Detroit many times, people here don't know what poverty and urban blight is on a large scale until they see some of the larger rust belt cities in Michigan and Ohio. The population density was greater than what it is here in Savannah in many of these areas and almost overnight there was nobody there. This first happened in Detroit in 67 with the riots, the city never made it back, almost overnight Oakland and Macomb Counties were born, these are the counties north of Wayne and the city of Detroit. Almost all people of European descent moved out of Detroit during the next few years "aka white flight" and the city really never recovered. It was also cheaper for businesses to build new on farmland than to undergo urban renewal projects.

Having been to Detroit and driven around during the day just to see the city you cannot understand the amount of devastation there is there until you see it first hand. Imagine everything from the Historic District to Southside occupied by 2,000 people almost all of them on pensions or government assistant. Now throw in 2,000 homeless people who live in abandoned properties in this area, crumbling infrastructure, crime, and you can begin to see where Detroit is. Philly is also in a similar situation. When I was in the Navy in 92, I was at TPU Philly waiting on my plane to my duty station overseas. I was in downtown Philly on a Saturday with a couple of other sailors taking in the sites. We jumped on a bus going north and missed our stop, the next stop was 6 blocks north. I go to get off the bus and the driver noticed we didn't belong there and refused to let us off out of fear for our safety, she told us to wait 20 minutes as she would loop around up by Temple University. It was the first time in my life, that I saw abandoned buildings, people living in burned out cars, 50 gallon drums used as fireplaces with people huddled around the fire "it was March". Big eye opener.

Just wanted to say people here know poverty in some ways but don't in others.