Will My Dogs Be Safe?

[movedsouth]

There are about half a dozen Chihuahuas within a block of where I live, and they are doing well. One of the owners lets them run wild at times (not that I agree with doing that) and thy don't appear to get harmed.

Just don't leave them alone on the porch over night, or SACARC may come and put them up for adoption

[sheclown]

Seriously?  What other neighborhood takes such good care of its pets?  SACARC totally changed the life of the animals in this area. 

Pets here are honored....& treated to their own dog park (with a special place for the little ones).

[Livein32206]

If they were serious about looking to buy in Springfield, then hearing wild stories and then hearing the truth, should have raised a red flag about the wild stories and any validity to them. Also, wouldn't this person, if serious, have read through the springfield threads and after doing so, realized that this is actually one of the safest neighborhoods?

Me thinks we were just being poked by a troll 

[Springfield Chicken]

We've been here a year now and have not seen or heard any issues with roaming dogs in our area.  Cats and chickens?  Yeah, we have those in plenty but no problems with either!

[fsujax]

and goats!

[CityLife]

Born and raised in Mandarin, which by the way is pretty high up there as one of the most boring places in all of Jacksonville. I know that area very well, as my parents and a few friends still live there.

Crime in Mandarin has gotten exponentially worse in the past 5-10 years. A lot of it isn't major stuff that gets reported in the TU, but when I read the weekly Mandarin section, there is a LOT of crime there. Car breaks in, vandalism, fights, home break ins, etc. Crime will continue to get worse. Many of the smaller homes that were built in the 70's and 80's will soon be home to low income families if they aren't already. I'm talking about stuff in the Losco, Loretto, and St. Augustine Rd. area. Plus there are numerous apartment complexes that already are pretty crummy and will only get worse. Old Mandarin will always be nice and that area has enough money that there will always be a few nice stores and restaurants in the area. But in the next 5-10 years you will see a continued influx of lower income families and crime.

So onto Springfield....Like Livein32206, I'm a little skeptical that were are "being trolled" here, but here it goes.

Springfield is much, much safer than I anticipated when I moved here a year and a half ago. I hear of the occasional petty crime like a stolen bike, or stolen yard equipment. We also have an occasional break in too. But every neighborhood does. The break ins are always in the daytime, when the burglars know the victim is at work. I haven't once heard of a home invasion burglary.

I always crack up when people visit my home and are scared to leave their $5,000 car on the street. I then laugh and say, "I don't think you have to worry about your POS getting stolen when there are numerous luxury cars up and down the streets here."

I go riding my bike 2 or 3 times a week with a friend all throughout Springfield and it is completely safe. We even ride at night quite a bit and it is completely quiet.

We still have our share of homeless, day laborers, and transients occasionally wandering through the neighborhood and 8th Street needs to be "cleaned up", but for the most part Springfield is very safe. The neighborhood is very vigilant and criminals know that this area is closed for business.

[sheclown]

Yes, we have poor people who live here, but just because one is poor doesn't mean he's a threat to anything.  

Seems like the biggest problem right now is theft of plantings in front of 3 Layers.  And this does happen everywhere.  What does not happen everywhere is the circumstances around Yard Chicks and others who volunteer their time to plant-up the space in the first place making it a community effort and consequently, a community loss.

Around here, we are invested in our pets, our poor, our plantings, our chickens, you name it.  We are all over it.

[smacdade]

Jagnole,

Hi, I moved into springfield last may, so almost a year now.  I moved in from Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill NC, which is a beautiful area, and moved into Springfield off of Pearl and 5th street.  I can tell you that initially it was a HUGE change for me, but now I absolutely love the "hood."  For the most part most of my neighbors are great and people watch out for eachother.  I dont know of anyone that has had a problem in terms of their house being broken into etc.. although it does happen every now and then.  I have had two issues since I moved in, I have a fenced in Back yard and fenced front and a pit bull/boxer and alarm system.  The only two issues I have had were: 1. My weedeater was stolen off of my front porch (I went inside for 30 seconds to get my cell phone and when I came back out it was gone)... I believe this was just perfect opportunity that someone happened to walk/ride by at the ideal time and got a new present.  The second issue I have had was, pearl street is a busy street, and it connects the downtown homeless shelters as well as bus stops to Shands Hospital and a few convenience stores so Pearl street gets a TON of foot traffic of people walking up and down the sidewalks.. I had one person that came from the bus stop and was going to Shands ask me for money, (which I dont mind), once I said no, he came in over the fence and threatened me with "something hidden  in his pocket"  I quickly went inside and call the police and he went on his way. 

Those are the only issues.  I can still say that I love Springfield, I love where it is going and my neighbors are great.

Make absolutely sure that when you find a house that you visit the house during the day time as well as the night time.  Talk to the neighbors ask if they have any problems, get police reports on the area, talk to the police that are patrolling that area.  Most people will be honest with you and tell you. 

I personally dont think Historic Springfield is any dangerous then the other neighborhoods, (riverside, Murray Hill etc..) I would encourage you to do your research and definitely stay out of some of the bad pockets of springfield etc..

Let me know if you have any other questions/concerns.... and hopefully Welcome to the Neighborhood!

[A-Finnius]

If they were serious about looking to buy in Springfield, then hearing wild stories and then hearing the truth, should have raised a red flag about the wild stories and any validity to them. Also, wouldn't this person, if serious, have read through the springfield threads and after doing so, realized that this is actually one of the safest neighborhoods?

Me thinks we were just being poked by a troll 

To the troll remarks.. JagNole is a friend of mine.  He has been looking to move to one of the urban neighborhoods for a while now and has finally reached the point financially to where he can buy.  He has always been a fan of springfield but expressed his concern with crime to me.  I recommended MJ to him and advised him to start a thread asking residents for their honest opinion.  He was not aware of this site/online community until this past sunday.  I recommended the site because not only am I a daily reader but when I was looking to move out of the suburbs two years ago I posted a similar thread concerning Riverside and the members of MJ greatly influenced my decision to move to Riverside.  And now I love where I live and I am hoping that MJ will be able to help JagNole out as much as it did me.

[fsujax]

We need another Nole in Springfield!

[Springfielder]

If they were serious about looking to buy in Springfield, then hearing wild stories and then hearing the truth, should have raised a red flag about the wild stories and any validity to them. Also, wouldn't this person, if serious, have read through the springfield threads and after doing so, realized that this is actually one of the safest neighborhoods?

Me thinks we were just being poked by a troll 

To the troll remarks.. JagNole is a friend of mine.  He has been looking to move to one of the urban neighborhoods for a while now and has finally reached the point financially to where he can buy.  He has always been a fan of springfield but expressed his concern with crime to me.  I recommended MJ to him and advised him to start a thread asking residents for their honest opinion.  He was not aware of this site/online community until this past sunday.  I recommended the site because not only am I a daily reader but when I was looking to move out of the suburbs two years ago I posted a similar thread concerning Riverside and the members of MJ greatly influenced my decision to move to Riverside.  And now I love where I live and I am hoping that MJ will be able to help JagNole out as much as it did me.

The person may be a friend, but with them making such a snap decision after only a few serious posts (as most on the first page were jokes between regulars) and nothing was negative....but yet they decided that this isn't the neighborhood for them....please....it's more than clear that they weren't serious, if they were, then there would still be dialog between them and the others here...but is there...nope..so what are those sincerely responding to think....which is the conclusion I came to as well

[mtraininjax]

I hear of the occasional petty crime like a stolen bike, or stolen yard equipment.

My friend used to live on Silver between 7th and 8th. He had to chain everything in his backyard to the fence for fear of it walking off on its own. That is the only way he knew of keeping his stuff from being stolen. So yeah, that keeps crime down.

So glad I do not have to do this in Avondale.

[Jimmy]

LOL, mtrain.  My buddy in Avondale had his door kicked down while he was at work yesterday.  When he got home, his TVs and computers were gone.  If he had little dogs, they could have been wandering the streets.

It happens everywhere.

[CityLife]

LOL, mtrain.  My buddy in Avondale had his door kicked down while he was at work yesterday.  When he got home, his TVs and computers were gone.  If he had little dogs, they could have been wandering the streets.

It happens everywhere.

Seconded. My mom can't leave her garage doors open anymore since she's had so much taken out of there. And this is in a part of Avondale that barely even has pedestrian traffic.

I really wish all of the bandwagoners who have recently moved to Riverside/Avondale knew what it was like 10 or so years ago. I used to see dudes smoking crack when I was playing ball at Willow Branch Park. I once saw a guy get stabbed there over a basketball game. Once got trapped on a car roof by two stray Rottweilers for 10 minutes until someone could call the cops. Gas station on Park south of Edgewood was shady as hell. And this was just Avondale. I'm sure Riverside west of Park was much worse.

Its usually the bandwagoners in Riverside/Avondale that like to sometimes call out Springfield's negatives, because they weren't in Riverside/Avondale when it was still a little rough.

[mtraininjax]

Its usually the bandwagoners in Riverside/Avondale that like to sometimes call out Springfield's negatives, because they weren't in Riverside/Avondale when it was still a little rough.

LOL! I purchased in Dec 1999. I know it was dreaded back then. Shops of Avondale were No where near the destination they are now, 5-points was a ghost town, the old Riverside Hospital was still standing and the Publix was not there yet. Back then, Avondale was not a destination it is now. Perhaps the success of the commercial and retail stores is part of the reason for the crime. More people, brings more opportunity.

If they people stealing my friends stuff on Silver lived in the alleys and back-streets of Avondale, I am sure we would have more of an issue here too. But just the same, the cops in Avondale can be real tools when you show up and don't look like you belong. I am sure they are sweet-hearts as well in Springfield, but my experience with cops in Avondale would rival some of the stories you may have in Springfield.

There are still parts of Riverside that rival Springfield. North Riverside is not a casual place to loiter after dark.