SperlingViews - Chester, Pennsylvania

25% of the population living below the poverty line, at times the drop out rate from the high school has been 50% (which explains why 25% of adults over 18 don't have a high school diploma or GED), 20% unemployment rate, 2nd poorest city of its size in the country. SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!!![read more...]

Seems to me Sperling's got the wrong city's ratings in there (in fact, maybe for a whole 'nuther planet). I never lived there myself, but have lived somewhat close by (Wilmington DE), and have seen my share of Chester scum drive down to steal my car, do some purse-snatching and carjacking, along with the occasional junkie killing themselves (and their own babies) in intentional head-on collisions during police pursuits, etc.... A '4' for violent crime??? Gimme a break, it's gotta be closer to a 8 or 9. I mean, unless it's because they always drive outside their own city to wreak havoc...seriously. But while I don't think I can ever say enough bad things about Chester, just to be perfectly fair, a coworker of mine's parents said there actually once was(?) a really nice, posh club/restaurant they used to frequent there. Go figure. But the bottom line, it is a place I and everyone else I've ever known have always liked to avoid.[read more...]

My parents and I lived in Chester for a few years in the 1980's in a nicer part of town. We then moved to a nearby town. I spent a lot of time in Chester in the late 1990's visiting my father who had at that point moved back into the Chester home. He finally decided to move out of there after there were 2, yes TWO, driveby's at the end of his street and he got sick of the vandalism. Chester is also where many locals go for drugs. The crime is terrible! When I take shortcuts through Chester to avoid I-95 traffic I roll up my windows, turn down the music and lock the doors; all the while being very aware of my surroundings and ready to "floor it" at any moment. I recommend staying away![read more...]

A very violent city, off the charts! It is terrible that the local authorities have allowed this city to become like this.[read more...]

See the fun facts below, look at the murder rate alone. The only reason why burglaries and larceny isn't higher is because there's NOTHING of value to steal. One thing they don't tell you about Chester. Highest AIDS and syphilis rate per-capita in the COUNTRY! Pretty scary stuff indeed. Nice to know that the Philadelphia-area boasts two of the nation's worst crime areas. Camden which hit number one on that list and Chester who would have made had its population been a little bigger.[read more...]