We Are...Safer! (One man's opinion.)

[BobPSU92]

I sat next to a "Household Divided" couple at the game on Saturday. The husband went to pitt, the wife went to Penn State. While the guy cheered loudly for pitt, he was a good guy. We talked throughout the game. He has been to Penn State many times and likes Happy Valley. At one point, he said, "I love pitt, but there is no doubt where I want my kids to go to school. Penn State, easy."

This, of course, caught me off guard. I asked why he was so sure about sending his kids to Penn State instead of pitt, and he said that Happy Valley is much safer than Oakland. I'm sure many of you who live in the Pittsburgh area know Oakland, but this guy is a state trooper. In addition to having gone to pitt, it stands to reason that he knows the crime scene in Oakland first hand.

He said once you get off the pitt campus, Oakland is terrible. I was last in Oakland in 2004, and while it was obviously urban, I felt safe. My Penn State shirt wasn't well received by some pitt students, but my wife and I felt safe walking around, stopping in a CD shop, and getting lunch at The O. This was during the day, but I still felt safe.

Has Oakland changed significantly since 2004?

 

[fairgambit]

I sat next to a "Household Divided" couple at the game on Saturday. The husband went to pitt, the wife went to Penn State. While the guy cheered loudly for pitt, he was a good guy. We talked throughout the game. He has been to Penn State many times and likes Happy Valley. At one point, he said, "I love pitt, but there is no doubt where I want my kids to go to school. Penn State, easy."
This, of course, caught me off guard. I asked why he was so sure about sending his kids to Penn State instead of pitt, and he said that Happy Valley is much safer than Oakland. I'm sure many of you who live in the Pittsburgh area know Oakland, but this guy is a state trooper. In addition to having gone to pitt, it stands to reason that he knows the crime scene in Oakland first hand.
He said once you get off the pitt campus, Oakland is terrible. I was last in Oakland in 2004, and while it was obviously urban, I felt safe. My Penn State shirt wasn't well received by some pitt students, but my wife and I felt safe walking around, stopping in a CD shop, and getting lunch at The O. This was during the day, but I still felt safe.
Has Oakland changed significantly since 2004?

Pittsburgh is one of the safest big cities in the country. It has certain areas that are problems, just like all cities do. The Hill District, which is near the Pitt campus, is a higher crime area. Other areas nearby are not. I would not hesitate to send a family member there.