So you're thinking of living on: Malabar Street, Boyle Heights
From time to time I try to match a news event to a neighborhood and to some housing prices. A reality check if you will.
News event: "A Boyle Heights gun battle between Los Angeles police officers and a group of drug suspects Thursday left a narcotics detective wounded and a suspect dead."
The neighborhood: The 2500 block of Malabar Street in Boyle Heights.
Housing prices: I checked Zillow "Zestimates" on 17 properties on this block. Median estimated value on the 2500 block of Malabar Street: $355,000. A few of the houses are multi-family homes with "Zestimates" over $500,000, so they drive up the median.
What does a $355,000 house look like? Here's 2527 Malabar Street: Two bedrooms, one bath, 1,008 square feet on a 4,600 square foot lot. It's possible Zillow's numbers are high, so here's a home on the market right now in the neighborhood: 2506 East Fairmount Ave., two bedrooms and one bath, listed for $360,000.
Your thoughts? Comments? E-mail story tips to peter.viles@latimes.com
Photo Credit: L.A. Times.
Show me where this doesn't happen. This was the sight on the street behind my house last month too ( and I live in a "safe" city). Ask the neighbors around this Boyle Heights house and you know they'll say, " I can't believe this happened in THIS neighborhood! Those folks next door were always very nice." I think of that Stevenson Ranch shoot-out and now of all of the marijuana grow houses in the San Gabriel Valley...at least the police are responding. Now, point me to the safe part of town and I'll move there.
Posted by: losher krab | June 06, 2008 at 12:16 PM
One of the local newscasts interviewed a teenager at the scene. Her words were something like "this happens all the time around here." It seemed like she was suprised the news media was there for this regular event.
Posted by: TakeFive | June 06, 2008 at 01:14 PM
Not many shade trees in that neighborhood, always a bad sign. Pieter??
Posted by: anon1137 | June 06, 2008 at 01:26 PM
Crime stats for LA have been steadily going down over the years...
but now that the economy is tanking in a big way, it seems reasonable to expect that crime is going to start increasing. Would you risk your hard earned, first-time home buying dollars on a house in a marginal, supposedly on the verge of gentrifying, crappy neighborhood? Sounds like a lousy bet to me.
In this economic climate, not only are prices falling, but crime is going up. We might see more neighborhoods deteriorate, rather than gentrify. Sad.
Posted by: anon0¢9dxc | June 06, 2008 at 02:22 PM
OK, this is my appeal to all them world-saving celebrities and jungle-penetrating missionaries, please save Boyle Heights, please adopt a few residents from there.
No 'normal' civilized societies have running gun battles in their neighborhood.
Posted by: MyLessThanPrimeBeef | June 06, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Zillow's numbers are high.
Knock off about another 15%, but even thats high for that crappy area
Posted by: nelcisco | June 06, 2008 at 03:05 PM
A shrewd realtor can spin this into a plus. "Prompt, attentive security services for area residents."
Posted by: William E. Jones | June 06, 2008 at 03:16 PM
My grandpa ran a hamburger and orange juice stand right around there in the 40's.
Posted by: Uncle Billy Climbs Mont Pelerin | June 06, 2008 at 04:01 PM
I worked in the emergency department at LAC+USC from 2001-04. The reliable violence of the surrounding neighborhoods is great for training emergency personnel.
Posted by: ER Doc | June 06, 2008 at 04:58 PM
Free Uzi, Pit-Bull, window bars and barbed razor wire with every house! Abandoned shopping carts negotiable.
Posted by: HulaGirl | June 06, 2008 at 05:34 PM
Yeah, Boyle Heights is terrible place to live.
I wonder what would happen if we legalized drugs and the gangs lost their most profitable business.
What am I thinking? If that happened the cops would lose theirs also. They need somewhere to have to fun shootouts and busts before going home to Simi Valley.
Posted by: somedude | June 06, 2008 at 05:42 PM
This happens every day, every where in LA.
Posted by: Steve | June 06, 2008 at 06:06 PM
Yeah, many of those Boyle Heights people would benefit from trip to prison. Otherwise who in their right mind would want to buy a house there. Thanks for another bit of latent racism.
Posted by: Hugo Chavez | June 06, 2008 at 06:10 PM
Racism! Why do you say that Hugo Chavez? Keeping it real that boyle heights is truley a sh.. hole like watts and so. central LA thats overrun by gangs is racist? OH, I see, maybe those scumbag gang members are hispanic, yeah thats it. If the shoe fits wear it, I'm sick to my soul that vermonous criminals calling law abiding concerned citizens that have had it with crime racist just because we call it as we see it. You want to change the stereotype Hugo? BEHAVE YOURSELVES DAMN IT AND BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY OF MAN
Posted by: concernedwhiteboy | June 06, 2008 at 10:10 PM
Hugo Chavez writes: " Thanks for another bit of latent racism."
Hugo, holding up mirror reflecting a community in crisis is not "racism, it's reality. And a very sad reality at that.
Posted by: HulaGirl | June 07, 2008 at 05:20 AM
If anyone desires to live in this neighborhood hold out for a few years. The prices in gang territories like Boyle Hts WILL drop dramatically. 350K for one of these cracker boxes is laughable. Economy goes down, Crime goes up. And Boyle Heights is fertile ground for crime and violence.
Posted by: buz | June 07, 2008 at 02:08 PM
Buz is right. Prices will continue to fall in most all area's of Cali. You know you are speaking truth when poeple start screaming racism!!!!!!!!!
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