I go down to East Ohio fairly often. My son goes to ATA, I have done lots of work at NOVA place. When I hit East Ohio, I like to go to ACB and then walk down to the Elks. Sometimes I go to the Government Center for shows or walk up to Penn Brew. I've closed Verdetto's (or Regrettos as it is known) more times than I like to admit (the East St shooting was literally beside Verdettos). I know the area well. It's not as wild down there as people make it out to be. Yes, there is crime and that shooting at the Sunoco was horrific. Yes, it has a high homeless population and you see some weird shit at times. I saw a guy smashing jars of pickles outside the GE a few weeks ago. Not sure what his deal was.

Would I want to walk my dog in the commons late at night by myself given your circumstances? Probably not. As a middle age man I've never felt particularly uncomfortable. I anticipate the area will get cracked down on a bit given the recent bit of crime and new development that is currently being done. But people have been saying that for years...