Church Hill has been pretty gentrified if you stay below M. We lived there for about 5 years and didn't have issues with serious crime, with the exception of one car-jacking down the street. The car break-ins are incredibly annoying and common, though. If you forget to lock your car literally one time it WILL be tossed when you go to leave in the morning.

If you buy in Church Hill you need to be very, VERY careful of not buying a poorly done flip house. We watched someone down the block from us do the worst flip job I have ever seen in my life on a house, then sell it for $500K. Literally they were just patching holes with particle board or spray foam and painting over it. I feel so sorry for the people who got suckered into buying it, they're going to have terrible issues with that place.

We just sold and moved to Bon Air a couple of months ago and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't kind of a relief. I don't miss the noise from other people's cars and houses at all hours, the people walking in the middle of the street, or people coming up to me when I'm outside my house with my toddler to ask for money or a ride to the hospital. It was fine when we were younger but it got exhausting after a few years, tbh.

We're honestly loving Bon Air, and there's a lot of affordable places out here in your price range.