It pisses me off royally when people talk about my neighborhood being dangerous. I love my neighborhood and feel perfectly safe in it. Yes, it has it has its share of violence and crime but I believe every neighborhood does. I think in urban areas it is a little more public. (You can read that however you’d like. I am trying very hard not to make some political statement about race, class, injustice, etc. Oh wait, I sort of just did.)
I have had people “helpfully” call to tell me about some shooting near me. I never return with helpful stats on the amount of date rape in their neighborhood. But I could. I have had people look up sex offenders in my neighborhood and tell me how bad the numbers are but then fail to do the same in their own neighborhood. What?
Honestly, I know my neighborhood is not a suburb and I don’t pretend it to be. I do, however, know it is a fine place to raise kids because I see families with great kids all around me. I also know those kids are raised with street smarts. And those street smarts are the same that I have to apply in my day to day living. I’m talking basic stuff here: don’t leave your crap sitting out in your car, don’t leave your windows open at night, lock your doors and be aware of your surroundings.
Wonder Boy and I wanted to live in the city and that is where we ended up. Last year we were a short walk from what was considered the Number One Most Danger City in America. That was enough to elicit some more unwelcome comments and advice as well as some questioning about my own choices.
But guess what? Now Cincinnati is number 24. And yeah, I know we’re still on the list, but improvements are being made. And I’m glad, because I love my city!
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