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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Moving To Salisbury

The following message was sent to me last night. I told this young lady that I would Post it and told her to keep an eye on comments.

"Hello. I discovered your blog while searching for information about the town. I will be moving to Salisbury in a few weeks. As a single woman, I'm very concerned with the crime rate in the area. I am looking at the apartments downtown on Poplar Hill Avenue. Is this a safe area? And, if not, would you be able to recommend some safe neighborhoods? This list might also be a good addition to your blog for others who maybe moving into town.

Thanks for help. I appreciate it."

45 comments:

Dave C said...

move to Detroit, I heard it's more safe...

Anonymous said...

STAY AS FAR AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN AND THE WEST SIDE OF SALISBURY IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE A REGULAR VICTIM. If you want to be an occasional victim then move to the outskirts of Salisbury. If you want to be safe move into the county several miles from Salisbury City limits.

Trust me I live and own a home in "good" neighborhood in Salisbury City Limits and I would be gone if I could afford to move.

Anonymous said...

If anyone tells you Salisbury is safe, you should second guess their judgment. No place is safe in this town anymore...

Anonymous said...

I'm moving back to Salisbury this summer after a seven year hiatus. I love the website and crime is a problem, but don't let it scare you too much. Salisbury really is a great place to live. My wife and I have lived in NYC and Baltimore, and Salisbury is nothing compared to these places. Most of Salisbury's crime is property related. Why this is troubling, it's not comparable to the frequency of violent crimes in NYC and Baltimore. With that, Poplar Hill is a fairly nice neighborhood. Still, a security system is necessary, if anything, because you never know if you'll have some vagabond or bored teen try and cause trouble. While the crime statistics look bad, you'll quickly come to learn that those incidents are mainly situated in particular areas of SBY that you'll have no need to go to. The same cannot be said of NYC or Baltimore. I hope you enjoy the many great things about Salisbury.

Anonymous said...

Look at www.spotcrime.com/md/salisbury and you will see updates as to what neighborhoods are the crime cores. They also offer daily emails that show the daily locations and types of crimes.

Anonymous said...

Two hints for this young lady. First, stop by the Humane Society here and get a dog who has a history of barking excessively. Next, head on over to Gander Mountain and purchase a small pistol. If those two options don't interest you, you might want to consider moving into Wicomico County. The city of Salisbury is NOT safe for man, woman or beast. Good luck!!!

Anonymous said...

Yea that's real smart, scare everyone away by telling them how bad this area because a small part of the town is bad. That's great for our economy. This is a great place to live, if you don't like it move.

Anonymous said...

you are better off living in Worcester County and commuting instead of living in Wicomico County.

Anonymous said...

No, don't consider Poplar Hill Ave.
I would say consider Wicomico County, but not anywhere in the city.

joealbero said...

My personal suggestion to this young lady is, move to Delmar, DE.

Your taxes will be next to nothing, (seriously) and crime is very low there. You can get to Downtown Salisbury in 7 minutes or to all the shopping in less than 5 minutes.

This is what we did and it was the best move I have ever made. No Regrets!

Anonymous said...

You can always get a tall fence with some razor wire, bars on your windows and doors, 4 Rottwiellers and three 45 caliber semi's.

Anonymous said...

Hey, crime is not that bad! We just need a few more cops and better coordination between the city and county police departments.
If this young lady wants to move to Salisbury, she should be able to find a safe place like hummmmmm; I gues you are right Joe.
Close to Delmar. Other areas are real infected with drugs, prostitution, and sex offenders.

Anonymous said...

Joe, Im calling this email BS. 1st, if she is looking for information about this town, then how did she just end up on your site. 2nd, with all the post you have in the past, MANY different posts, how did she just end up on a crime statistics post. You do have press releases but that is a few per agency. 3rd, Poplar hill ave, so where did she come up with that? her realator? or does she know someone here, OR this person already lives here and just wanted to point out the crime is up and BS runs the city!?!?! My bet that it is younger dude, college age that has many anonymous comments. 4th, if it is young single woman, get those digits and I'll help her being safe on Poplar Hill ave!

Anonymous said...

I agree with the suggestion to move to Delmar Delaware. Especially if you move just outside of the town limits.
Crime and taxes are low in the area and the politics is very subduded.

Avoooooooid Salisbury at all cost it is a crime and high tax black hole.

retired cop and proud NRA member!

Anonymous said...

I agree Delmar Delaware is best. You can shop at Foodlion for groceries, and Wawa for gasoline / coffee. You must try the Delmar Pizza Parlor! Minutes away from Salisbury Mall, movies, etc. Enjoy

Anonymous said...

Move to one of the older neighborhoods that haven't turned mostly rental. Your neighbors will quickly come to know you, and your guests, know your routine and will be looking out for you in no time. I live in one of the older neighborhoods and even though petty crime is encroaching, we catch them everytime because there are neighbors up at all hours, walking, doing things in their yards, on their porches and we have a rapid alert system among the neighbors.

Anonymous said...

ok single mom and salisbury..ugh... 1st off i really hope someone didnt say to you that this is a great place to live..
our crime rate is a bit higher than Baltimore..
Our school system is awful... you really dont want your kids in this school system.. think wisely ok???
there is nothing for your kids to do here.
its sad but true... i would think twice before moving to salisbury.. and dont go to Delmar neither. unless u want ur kids hooked on drugs.. and in jail..ugh...

Anonymous said...

Welcome to Salisbury! Just a warning if you are planning to rent...DO NOT RENT FROM DONNIE WILLIAMS...he owns many properties in Salisbury so be sure to ask if he is in ANY way affiliated with the rental. He is a crook...and so are many in his office. He will screw you - trust me. I have personally been screwed by him and a friend of mine used to work for him and was not fired...just moved away but made a comment to me while I was renting from him to 'watch out" because he is so corrupt. Just a warning. If you need a nice apartment try Marley Manor - it is run by a very honest family of commercial/residential investors and will NOT screw you....I would be happy to answer any questions you have about the area as well....beachy2978@gmail.com.

Anonymous said...

hi. i'm the person who sent the email. thanks joe for posting this and everyone who has responded so far.

i came to visit the area a few weekends ago and looked at the new apartment on poplar hill avenue. it's the only apartment i saw that has a security system. i don't have any children so i'm not that concerned with the school system. when i was driving around, i was a little concerned that there won't be much for me to do besides work...but i'll manage.

pls keep the info coming and also recommendations for other places/apartments. thanks again.

Nikki said...

I used to live at Parkwood Apartments and they were nice, not too expensive, and I did not hear of any crime in the area during the years I lived there (2004 to 2007).

Anonymous said...

Krista, you're are right about having difficulty finding things to do socially in this area. Unless you like to drink, eat poor quality chain restaurant food, or spend hours seeing what new merchandise Sam's Club got in, this area in the animal kingdom would be known as the place where sick, injured and old animals come to die.

Anonymous said...

9:47 - looks like you are the B.S. this time

Anonymous said...

Krista...depends on where you're coming from. For me, I feel perfectly safe in one of the "worst" neighborhoods in the city...our "bad area" doesn't hold a candle to the DC suburbs!

I will say, the college-oriented neighborhoods have more theft/robbery/assault type crimes,(college kids apparently make good targets) but everywhere in this city has its own issues-just like every other city in the country.

I've heard the College Lane apartments are decent to live in, too. They're not fancy but are well-kept for the most part.

Anonymous said...

To all you people who are using Krista's question as an excuse to bash Salisbury:

Why don't you just leave? None of you have given any solutions to the crime problem.
What are you doing in your own neighborhoods to fight the crime?
How many of you are friends with your neighbors?
How often do you call the police for suspicious activity?
How many neighborhood meetings do you go to?
How often have you met one-on-one or in a small group with the administration, city departments, police, etc.?

Instead of being a part of the problem, how about being part of the solution for once?

Changing things won't happen overnight - but if enough people decide that they want to change the way this city is going, IT WILL CHANGE.

Electing a competent Mayor and Council is only ONE SMALL PART of the equation. The major factor has to be the citizens - and I don't see many of you doing anything but complain. It has to start from the ground up, it can't come from the top down.
(**major exception and kudos for anon 9:49**)

Anonymous said...

here here on not renting from donnie willams. stay away from the moron. rinnier properties are nice, they have nice areas and have a nice history with me personally of attending to everything i needed. www.salisburyapartments.com is one of their sites, and www.marleymanor.net is another nice place the run.

Anonymous said...

Stay out of the city limits of Salisbury, it is decaying very rapidly. Alot of the landlords even LIVE in the county. Unless you move to Delmar De, the southeast side of the county is nice.

A 52 year resident.

Anonymous said...

Krista:

If you are looking for something to do once you arrive, check out the Salisbury Jaycees. They are nice, respectable people who have fun and improve the community at the same time. More info at www.salisburyjc.com. Just fill out the contact form and you will receive a call or email back shortly.

Anonymous said...

There´s some nice new townhomes just built in Fruitland. Just minutes from downtown Salisbury. The cops there are great too.

Anonymous said...

Mill Pond apt homes aren't too bad...I used to live there and had no problems..they are located near the toys R Us behind the mall..near run away bay apts.

Anonymous said...

I can only assume this "letter" is a fictional/satirical piece, as no single woman I know would make this decision unless the place she was MOVING FROM was Bosnia or Somalia.

Anonymous said...

Get a dog. A BIG dog. And maybe a gun too, but most people around here are scared to death of dogs. Especially BIG dogs

Anonymous said...

C'mon, Salisbury is still a decent place to live despite the obvious problems! We are close to the ocean and the bay, we've got a good hospital, we have a good university with all sorts of free and low cost events, and most of the people here are hard working, good people. I've made some great friends since moving here! Hopefully it will be even better in two weeks!

Anonymous said...

if ya bring your own heat or get a right to carry permit and a great big mean dog you will be fine...just stay in after dark,never use an atm,install steel doors and bars on your windows,hire a private security firm to stand at your door,
pretty sad when the best advice you can give is to stay away.....way to go salisbury

Anonymous said...

to krista or anyone else looking for a place in salisbury you can get a two bedroom one bath for around 600 a month at Glen Garden apartments it a safe neighborhood that has several city and county police officer that live in the apartments so very safe and right around the corner from the park i lived there for two years and loved it had to move out cause out grew it (kids) anyway just call the property manager and she'll set you up real nice lady named Brenda

Anonymous said...

Nothing good to say about Salisbury or surrounding areas BUT GOOD RIDDANCE...Leaving this place for good in less than 2 months and counting.....Whewwwwwwwwww.....Thank Goodness...I will be free of the delmarva peninsula 39 years tooooooooo looooooooonnnnnnggggg

Anonymous said...

I moved to Mill Pond Back in January and LOVE it there!!! very quiet yet very close to everything!

Anonymous said...

I would actually recommend moving to Delmar too, on the Delaware side. Taxes are lower on the Delaware side. Wicomico County Maryland has one of the highest local taxes in all of Maryland. Delmar is a nice town and the community is pretty active if you choose to participate. There is not a lot to do for a single person around here, but since it's only a few hours from major cities (Philly, DC, Baltimore, Norfolk) it's not too bad and you can "get away" when needed. In the end, the Shore is a nice place to live for awhile, but I certainly don't want to live here forever... be prepared to set your cultural clocks back 20 years...

Anonymous said...

Anybody know about the newer apartments on West Rd? Insight on those?

Anonymous said...

Be careful krista, I to came here just for a couple of years and twenty-three years later have been spending hours upon hours wondering why ? Better yet , How , I can get out of here.

Its like that paper that catches the fly's , Once you get here you can't get away. The cost of living is only about double of the wages able to be earned here. So forget about trying to have a savings. Yet , with all the polution and crime, somehow one becomes brainwashed into thinking its wonderful here. And there was a stabbing/murder as well as home invasions in Delmar last month, funny how Joe forgets what he covers.

If by some stupid reason you do move here, Never go out at night ! Consider your self warned. :)

Anonymous said...

I live in College Lane Apts- The Greens, no crime, peaceful, quiet and apts starting at 715 for 1 bedroom. Poplar hill might be cheaper, but Greens are certainly nicer with less crime and surrounded by young professionals with the nice mix of college kids and retirees

and all these people are being RIDICULOUS about the crime, it's your average growing city that goes through bad spurts, but its NOT a big city crime, barely anyone gets killed, i would bet our murder rate is LOW LOW, just carry some mase if ur a single lady and decide on poplar, but u should have mace no matter where u live really

Anonymous said...

thanks again for your comments.

there have been a number of comments suggesting that i would have to be crazy to move to salisbury. i'm not crazy..what i am is a woman who was laid off in october 2008, who needs to work again and this is the best job i have been offered. if i had another option, i would take it. i'm leaving a place that i have lived for the last 9 years and created a wonderful network of friends with family nearby. this hasn't been an easy decision but i want to work again and take care of myself. surely, you can understand that..

thanks again for your help.

Anonymous said...

Krista
Not saying you should not come to Salisbury to work...just meant don't make your residence in the city limits of Salisbury unless you have absolutely no other choice.

Anonymous said...

And for something to do- Brew River dock bar is a great time in teh summer EVERYDAY, people hanging out by the river to good tunes and decent prices

once again, the crime thing is really nothing to worry about, these people that post are mainly pessimists who like to complain about stuff, you will be fine

Anonymous said...

Krista,

First, let my apologize on behalf of some of my fellow Salisburians who have represented Salisbury in such a poor way on this site. I was born and raised in Salisbury and my family has lived there as long as there has been a Salisbury. I moved away 8 years ago and am considering moving back.

I think you will find crime to be the least of your worries. Instead ignorance and small mindedness of some of the community members is a larger problem.

As someone else mentioned, what the locals consider horrible would be seen as not that bad in many areas. Like anywhere you just need to use good judgement and common sense. I can say quite certainly that those who are speaking so negatively regarding crime have not lived anywhere but Salisbury.

The summers on the Eastern Shore are great. Ocean City and other beaches a short drive, the rivers, bays, boating, Chincoteague pony swim, seafood, Dolly's popcorn, thrashers french fries, etc. Close to DE tax free shopping. Baltimore, DC, Philly and Hampton Roads two hours away.

True, the area can be boring. But if you have a good job offer you can certainly make the most of it and make the area enjoyable.

The locals should be welcoming a new working member of the community, not scaring you away.

Chimera said...

Churchstreet-No offense but I tried all that "community involvement" stuff during my 1 yr stay in Doverdale.Guess what?the police and the Mayor blew me off at every turn,the neighborhood thugs and pushers targeted me and since I was not crazy enough to buy a home in the 'hood,I was able to get the heck out of that war zone when my lease expired.If whatever you are doing works for you,terrific,but being a good neighbor and citizen got me nowhere fast.
I too would recommend the newcomer check out the many apartment complexes mentioned previously.