Reviews & Comments
Portland, OR
Crime Depends On Neighborhood -
12/24/2009The fact that every ZIP Code in Portland is given a grade of 6 or 7 for crime is a little off-base. There are good and bad areas in every city, and, from what I've read in books, Portland is no different. It's my understanding that neighborhoods such as Ash Creek, Healy Heights, Bridlemile, Southwest Hills Residential League, Hillside/Westover, Sylvan-Highlands, Arnold Creek, Dunthorpe, Collins View, Riverwood, and Alameda have relatively little crime but many others, such as Downtown, Old Town, Argay, Parkrose, Sabin, Boise, Eliot, and Centennial have a lot, whereas such neighborhoods as Laurelhurst and Irvington are somewhere in between. It's important to check out all your options from as many sources as possible before deciding where you want to live.
Kingston, NY
Kingston Not So Great -
9/20/2009I'm sorry to burst anyone's bubble, but I think you've got certain priorities out of order. True, Kingston has lots of great stuff to do, and is very convenient to shopping and public transit, but in my ward (Ward 6), ever since the Democratic alderman was defeated in the election of 2005 (I was a new resident and couldn't vote), the Republicans who have represented my neighborhood ever since, as well as the Democratic Alderman-At-Large, have been using a "divide-and-conquer" approach to politics that has caused my neighbors to side with authority figures against me all the time. Moreover, in 2007, the Mayor got into a barroom fight with the wife of the candidate for DA. My current alderman is terrible as far as spreading hatred towards people with mental issues in the name of "public safety", and, if things don't get better soon, I might start going to my parents' place in Suffern for visits more often. At least there the people are nice.
Kingston, NY
Not Such A Great Place To Live -
9/16/2009Since moving to Kingston on October 18, 2005, the town has gotten pretty mediocre. Our Democratic District Alderman was replaced by a Republican in that year's election, and he, in turn, was replaced by another Republican in 2007. These people, along with our Alderman-At-Large, who, although a Democrat, is anti-equality, have spread so much hatred against people with developmental challenges, including myself, that the neighbors always side with authority figures, such as my parents or my apartment staff, against me, in addition to criticizing behaviors I can't help. I can't even get support from people in my synagogue. Public transit is good, but there's also so much crime that people are scared not to side with authority figures against me. Moreover, the Mayor got in a barroom fight with the wife of the Democratic candidate for County District attorney in 2007. If things don't get better soon, I might start visiting my parents down in Suffern more often. Hopefully, this election will change things.
Kingston, NY
Great Care Required After Dark -
12/28/2007I've lived in Kingston since the fall of 2005, and, as I've discovered the hard way, you need to be very careful out and about after dark if you want to be safe and keep yourself looking good. In fact, on the night we met, I promised a young woman I found cute that, in order to look good for her, I'd avoid the convenience store after dark. Even though I just wanted to be friends with her, I feel more comfortable when I abide by my promise to her, as things have, from what I've heard, deteriorated over the past fifteen years due to IBM and several other major companies leaving, which seems to make it hard to make a living without resorting to crime or welfare. Fortunately, I'll soon be starting a temporary job cataloguing music, so hopefully, if I pay income tax, I'll be helping to improve the quality of life and bring it closer to that found in areas such as Hurley, West Hurley, and Saugerties.
Seattle, WA
Crime Index A Little Bit Biased -
12/28/2007It seems to me that you tend to give safer big cities, such as Seattle, a higher crime index than more dangerous small cities, such as Santa Fe. I got this impression from the Frommer's travel books. Personally, I'd need more therapy to be brave in Santa Fe than in Seattle.
Portland, OR
Crime Index A Little Off Base -
12/28/2007From what I have read, Portland, OR, which has a crime index of 7, is much safer than Santa Fe, to which you assigned a crime index of 3. This information came from the Frommer's series of books. From what I've read, I'd actually feel safer in my own skin in Portland than in Santa Fe.