I could totally buy the claim that you found yourself in a situation where you felt more comfortably walled off from it if you really tried hard to will yourself into it…but I know plenty people who’ve grown up in Chicago and in the nearby suburbs who don’t feel safe from violent crime.

Neener, most of us understand that individual tolerances for things like crime varies greatly from person to person. if you aren’t comfortable, you aren’t comfortable. And no right-thinking individual would dispute your complaints about the prosecution of criminals in this city–it’s abysmal.

But I can’t help but notice you falling into the same pitfalls you accuse those in the city of doing when they “gloss over” crime statistics and attempt to mold DC into something it’s not. Your statement above may reflect your own personal views–which you are entitled to–but they don’t reflect reality. Under no accepted measure of research could the crime and safety levels in this city be considered worse than they were 15 years ago.

Every single crime statistic is down considerably from its peak in the mid-90s, as it is in most U.S. cities. The very fact that an alleged stabbing in Meridian Hill Park would merit this much attention is proof enough of that; in 1994 people would have been relieved to know that it was only a knife, rather than a gun, that was used.

Yes, crime in this city remains high, and it’s understandable that one would get frustrated with that. It’s understandable that one would get angry at the continued reticence/inability of the DC government to deal with the problem. I get all that. But much as it doesn’t help to pretend that crime has evaporated, it doesn’t help to pretend that things have not improved. They have, regardless of whether or not you personally experience it.

You sound clinically depressed. Your problems are much bigger than PoP & DC.

I live in the n’hood too and get frustrated, but I wanted to be closer to work. So there ARE some aspects of city life I have to get used too. Are there aspects that I think are unacceptable…yes. But in order to get through the day I have to work on the things I can change. I’ve come to the realization that I don’t want to “set up shop” here. If you know that, YOU need to work on yourself and get out.

FTR~ I am from NC. Your anecdote is….well, let’s just say it’s just an anecdote. Someone who is struggling here will struggle even more in a place with no support.

Umm, right. Thinking proximity to actual jobs with salaries has much more to do with the price of housing in DC and NY as compared to Detroit and Buffalo. Can you pay mortgage on an $11k house on a retail manager’s (if you’re lucky!) salary?