How to know if you are moving somewhere safe??

[DBentley415]

So next year I'm planning on moving down to Fitchburg, WI rather than living on campus again because my boyfriend is moving down here and he has a dog and it's really really hard to find an apartment building that will accept dogs. I have heard from a few sources that it's a "bad area," but I'm having a hard time finding real evidence to support what they say. I have asked the property manager if they can tell me anything about the area, but they said they can't comment on that because of 'fair housing' or something. So they said I should contact the Fitchburg police department, which I did today and they told me they can't comment on the crime either because they can't make "judgements."

They have an application on the police department website where you can look up crimes that have happened in the past week, month, and year around a certain address, and I have looked at that, but it is hard to determine whether the crimes that are happening are just the normal amount that happens in a big city, or if I'm actually at risk of being assaulted/having my stuff stolen.

I don't know how else to determine whether this is a "safe" area to live other than just living there and seeing the area. I'm planning on driving down there a few times in the upcoming months to see the kinds of people that are around the area and what the vehicles, etc look like.

Does anyone have any other suggestions or ways they have found this kind of information out?

[CThunder-blue]

Here's what I found: http://www.idcide.com/citydata/wi/fitchburg.htm

It says the city has about the same average of crime as any other. Scroll down and you can see what kinds of crime. It seems vehicle theft has been on the decline, but murder might be going up slightly. There's a lot less burglary/theft in 09, but with any stat, remember that what you're reading is what is reported to the police. There are probably tens of thousands of crimes that go unreported. Over all, I'd say you're going to be as safe there as any where else.

[Cuongism]

http://www.city-data.com/city/Fitchburg-Wisconsin.html

That website generally has every stat for a city. There should also be a link for crime.
Honestly though, your best resource would be driving through the city and asking people who currently live there.

[DBentley415]

thanks guys those websites are helpful Like I said I plan on driving down there a few times since it's only about 10-15 minutes away

[coondog]

Concentrate on YOUR future, living on campus is best for you in ALL ways. Life is not a stick in the mud, it's a beautiful flowering sweet smelling vine if you want to grow it. Going through all this having to be off campus and the boyfriend and his dog at your age is a huge mistake, you're already making huge sacrifices for the past, maybe present, but not the future, YOUR future. There's that old saying about "if you love something you can let it go, if it was true it will return." No offense but I'm about 60 and have a bit of life experience, some of it related exactly to yours now. It's time to be selfish about you, your future, your life. With permanency at 21 or under, even love becomes a millstone around your neck. Sorry, but take the bike you love and live on, in a dorm filled with people having the same trials and tribulations as yourself, and the same hopes and dreams. Sincerely, no offense, I wish I was young again, and know what I know now.

[Blackwidow]

Originally Posted by coondog

Concentrate on YOUR future, living on campus is best for you in ALL ways. Life is not a stick in the mud, it's a beautiful flowering sweet smelling vine if you want to grow it. Going through all this having to be off campus and the boyfriend and his dog at your age is a huge mistake, you're already making huge sacrifices for the past, maybe present, but not the future, YOUR future. There's that old saying about "if you love something you can let it go, if it was true it will return." No offense but I'm about 60 and have a bit of life experience, some of it related exactly to yours now. It's time to be selfish about you, your future, your life. With permanency at 21 or under, even love becomes a millstone around your neck. Sorry, but take the bike you love and live on, in a dorm filled with people having the same trials and tribulations as yourself, and the same hopes and dreams. Sincerely, no offense, I wish I was young again, and know what I know now.

As much as I believe that your opinion is on target, we all know that taking such an advice will not happen. She obviously loves her boyfriend to want to inconveinance herself to move to a location where dogs are accepted. People to tend to learn from mistakes, and if this in fact turns out to be a mistake, she'll learn from it... though I hope it definately isn't.

Kchesney- since you're going to visit the city a few times, rent a nice hotel and check out the area's in the mornings and at nights. No website will give you a clear idea of where is the safest place to live. and even if it does, you will never know what kind of neighbors you'll have in the apartement you choose. its a risk you have to take (i've been down that road). One advice I can give you is when you do find an area to live in, make sure the apartment you rent is gated. Another thing i've learned if the area has houses with bars over their windows, its probably not the best place to be.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

As much as I believe that your opinion is on target, we all know that taking such an advice will not happen. She obviously loves her boyfriend to want to inconveinance herself to move to a location where dogs are accepted. People to tend to learn from mistakes, and if this in fact turns out to be a mistake, she'll learn from it... though I hope it definately isn't.

Kchesney- since you're going to visit the city a few times, rent a nice hotel and check out the area's in the mornings and at nights. No website will give you a clear idea of where is the safest place to live. and even if it does, you will never know what kind of neighbors you'll have in the apartement you choose. its a risk you have to take (i've been down that road). One advice I can give you is when you do find an area to live in, make sure the apartment you rent is gated. Another thing i've learned if the area has houses with bars over their windows, its probably not the best place to be.

What if the houses with bars on the windows are jail houses? Then wouldn't it be safe? LOL.

Good point though. My wife was watching house hunters and the neighborhood they drove by had all barred windows (not on the house they saw but on many others). Never came up in the show's dialogue though.

[kevlarorc]

I have come up with a highly detailed and well-researched mathematical equation for this situation.

x = gunshots and extended tire screeches
t = time in hours

Y = t/x

If Y is greater than 1 then you're probably fine.

[HKr1]

Originally Posted by CThunder-blue

Here's what I found: http://www.idcide.com/citydata/wi/fitchburg.htm

http://www.idcide.com/citydata/index.htm

Thats a pretty cool link

[rwheelz]

Check out the local news! And talk to local realtors.

[Reswob]

Is it a big city? Then chances are it's not very safe.

Check out
http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/wisconsin.pdf
for your options.

[turtlejoe]

Originally Posted by rwheelz

Check out the local news! And talk to local realtors.

This can be really good advice, but in this economy may not be definitive. One thing my wife and I did years and years ago was check the average "on the market" time before houses were sold, how many solds, and stuff like that. Solid neighborhoods were in much greater demand and consequently the average price was a bit higher and time on the market lower. You can also ask about the local schools too - while not necessarily on your shopping list, parents want to gravitate towards better schools and safer neighborhoods.

All of that being said, I've lived in areas that looked rough and were completely benign with great neighbors who looked out for each other. I've also lived in nicer areas where nobody gave a lick about anyone but themselves and break-ins were actually pretty common. Go figure.

Good luck!!

[kkim]

Originally Posted by coondog

Concentrate on YOUR future, living on campus is best for you in ALL ways. Life is not a stick in the mud, it's a beautiful flowering sweet smelling vine if you want to grow it. Going through all this having to be off campus and the boyfriend and his dog at your age is a huge mistake, you're already making huge sacrifices for the past, maybe present, but not the future, YOUR future. There's that old saying about "if you love something you can let it go, if it was true it will return." No offense but I'm about 60 and have a bit of life experience, some of it related exactly to yours now. It's time to be selfish about you, your future, your life. With permanency at 21 or under, even love becomes a millstone around your neck. Sorry, but take the bike you love and live on, in a dorm filled with people having the same trials and tribulations as yourself, and the same hopes and dreams. Sincerely, no offense, I wish I was young again, and know what I know now.

That's some great advice, IMHO. How about your boyfriend find a place on his own and you can visit him there while still living in the dorm?

[DBentley415]

thanks for all the responses

alrite so these are the two apartment complexes we are looking at:

http://www.fred-inc.com/profile.asp?AID=14499

http://www.mandelgroup.com/apartment...il.cfm?n_id=91

I actually have a friend (who is a girl) who lives at the new fountains alone right now and she hasn't had any problems with vandalism or creepy guys following her when she walks anywhere. So maybe I should lean toward those more because I actually know someone who lives there? and maybe stay there a night or something to see what the area is like?

Originally Posted by Reswob

Is it a big city?

lol it's essentially a suburb of madison....about 24,000 people I believe

Originally Posted by rwheelz

Check out the local news! And talk to local realtors.

the news is a great idea....i'll start browsing that online...and maybe find a station to watch....thanks

Originally Posted by kevlarorc

I have come up with a highly detailed and well-researched mathematical equation for this situation.

x = gunshots and extended tire screeches
t = time in hours

Y = t/x

If Y is greater than 1 then you're probably fine.

hilarious

Originally Posted by Blackwidow

As much as I believe that your opinion is on target, we all know that taking such an advice will not happen. She obviously loves her boyfriend to want to inconveinance herself to move to a location where dogs are accepted. People to tend to learn from mistakes, and if this in fact turns out to be a mistake, she'll learn from it... though I hope it definately isn't.

Kchesney- since you're going to visit the city a few times, rent a nice hotel and check out the area's in the mornings and at nights. No website will give you a clear idea of where is the safest place to live. and even if it does, you will never know what kind of neighbors you'll have in the apartement you choose. its a risk you have to take (i've been down that road). One advice I can give you is when you do find an area to live in, make sure the apartment you rent is gated. Another thing i've learned if the area has houses with bars over their windows, its probably not the best place to be.

thanks for your honesty, luckily I wouldn't even have to rent a hotel since my friend lives at one of the apartment complexes and I could just stay with her......neither of these apartment complexes are gated :S you mean like you would have to enter a code or something just to get into the parking lot?? I honestly don't think i've ever seen apartments with gates around them here?

Originally Posted by coondog

Concentrate on YOUR future, living on campus is best for you in ALL ways. Life is not a stick in the mud, it's a beautiful flowering sweet smelling vine if you want to grow it. Going through all this having to be off campus and the boyfriend and his dog at your age is a huge mistake, you're already making huge sacrifices for the past, maybe present, but not the future, YOUR future. There's that old saying about "if you love something you can let it go, if it was true it will return." No offense but I'm about 60 and have a bit of life experience, some of it related exactly to yours now. It's time to be selfish about you, your future, your life. With permanency at 21 or under, even love becomes a millstone around your neck. Sorry, but take the bike you love and live on, in a dorm filled with people having the same trials and tribulations as yourself, and the same hopes and dreams. Sincerely, no offense, I wish I was young again, and know what I know now.

I totally understand what you are saying....I should take every opportunity I can....study abroad.....etc....I hear this more than you can imagine being in college....but don't worry I'm not being controlled by my boyfriend and having my goals, dreams, and what not stifled because of it....I honestly think I just will be happier in general not living on campus anymore because of the constant noise, having to deal with drunk kids all over, and having to live with someone I am not all that close with....fact is I'm not one of those college kids who enjoys going out every weekend and getting trashed because I'd rather stick my time into something worthwhile....sometimes I just feel kind of "out of place" here because madison is such a "party" school, and I know I want to go to school here because it's a good education, but I feel like I need to try out something different.....I'm not planning on being one of those college students who gets married before they graduate and has their life all planned out.....i'm just in a long term relationship and doing the whole long distance thing for two years gets really old really fast.....

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by kkim

That's some great advice, IMHO. How about your boyfriend find a place on his own and you can visit him there while still living in the dorm?

I don't live in the dorms I actually lived there last year and hated it. I live in an apartment with one of my girlfriends right now. There are two problems with Ryan getting his own place 1) he doesn't know anyone here well enough to trust living with them 2) I would probably end up spending most of my time at his place anyways and then find it pointless that I am paying rent somewhere else and not just splitting it with him

[DBentley415]

wow....it's 3:20am here....and I think that should count for like 6 posts

[kkim]

just to throw a curve into this... what if you're sharing an apartment with your BF and, heaven forbid, you should break up? do you really need the added stress during school to deal with moving out of an apartment or the hassles that it will entail?

I really wish you the best, but in life, sometimes you need to focus on priorities.

gl w/ your decision, whatever you decide.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by kkim

just to throw a curve into this... what if you're sharing an apartment with your BF and, heaven forbid, you should break up? do you really need the added stress during school to deal with moving out of an apartment or the hassles that it will entail?

.....it's been considered.....and yes it's always a possibility....but personally i'd say it's totally worth the risk.......then again i'm "young and foolish" by stereotype

[warlord]

If it's got WI address it already seems a little shady to me...




J/K
You need to go on a field trip for sure, during the day and at night.

[DBentley415]

Originally Posted by warlord

If it's got WI address it already seems a little shady to me...

hahaha you fibs....