hwpelux

16th Street between Pine and Spruce is a WONDERFUL block and area to live. If you love inner-city living - this is the spot. Walking distance to shops, parks, restaurants, museums, schools, art galleries and more with excellent Center City public transit. After 4 years of living on this block, not once did I experience any bad crime first hand. Leaving my bike locked up outside on a lamp post was never a problem. When family or friends would visit, they were always able to find free street parking and their cars were never vandalized.

Although this is a college town, the neighbors and local businesses are very friendly and supportive of the Arts. The buildings are very old (mine was a 4-story row home built in the 1800's) so don't expect high-end or updated appliances in the rentals. Most buildings do not have central air conditioning, and trash pickup can be very noisy.

Overall, I loved living on this street. Center City Philadelphia is a wonderful town and this block is homey, safe and close to everything.

The Cypress-area in NW Houston is beautiful, however the reported crime incidents on Cypresswood Drive and at the Villages of Cypress Creek are making me question my decision to live here. Just in my apartment community in the past year we've had our door mat stolen, multiple vehicles have been broken into and vandalized, apartments have been broken into and non-residents have been caught dismantling our security gates and entrances. I was also an eye witness to a young group of males riding their pickup truck up onto the flower beds of our apartment community's entrance in the middle of the night doing burn-outs and peeling out to leave tread marks and destroy the landscaping. There are a lot of drunk and irresponsible drivers, and a lot of parties and loud music at night. I once even saw a resident throw an empty beer can out of his window onto the community lawn when leaving the apartment complex.

There have also been problems recently with water main breaks, cockroaches, power outages, and cable and internet outages. During the hurricane last year we were without power for 10 days.

It is a beautiful area however, and there is a YMCA with hiking and biking trails, basketball courts and sporting fields within walking distance. It's a nice place to jog or take a walk during the day. There are also additional parks in the area.