Finding an Apartment in the Most Dangerous City in America

Recently Camden was designated America's most dangerous city for the second consecutive year. And so, true to the logical nature of human enterprise, real estate agents in the University district of Rutgers - Camden, have raised average rent prices to roughly equivalent the price it would cost to live comparably in Philadelphia. I have spent the past three days scouring the Cooper Street Historic neighborhood in hopes of finding something reasonably priced. Here's what I found:

1. A renovated firehouse for $790 a month on the first floor of the building. It's a true loft layout which means that everything but the bathroom is in one small room. Parking was included. Electric and heat were not. There are no bars on the windows and the owner suggested I keep them locked - year round.

2. Another first floor apartment without bars on the windows and no washer/dryer facilities or parking for $865 a month. With all the the shops within walking distance and safety at an all time high, who would want a car anyway? When I questioned the real estate agent on the exorbitant price of the apartment, he reminded me that for $60 a year I could park on the street within 1 or 2 blocks of the apartment after obtaining a resident permit (which requires that your car is registered in Camden - easy to do when you're also trying to park there immediately). He also indicated that if I were unhappy with the price of the apartment, I could live within the safety of the suburbs and commute a half hour each day. Which brings us to...

3. A quaint little place in the Collingwood area for $695 a month. Off-street parking, laundry in the basement, separate living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Plenty of yard space for gardening. Utilities not included.

Now, it's a real toss up. The safety and spaciousness of living in the suburbs within easy commuting distance for a reasonable price; or living in the most dangerous city in America and paying like you're living in a thriving metropolis. Perhaps the developers are a bit confused about the messages they are sending about the City of Camden and the rate of the renewal they encourage if renting is ridiculously expensive.