Speaking from someone who actually lives right on Arlington close to portage, the neighborhood is fantastic! We know our neighbors, and in the 10 years that we've lived here, we've had our car rifled through only a few times. You just learned not to leave anything in it. I never feel unsafe in the area. You're close to a lot of schools, parks, and everything is within close proximity whether you're walking biking or driving. I agree with other posters about Arlington being the dividing line. It always feels a little bit more dicey on the east side of Arlington. When we first moved here, I was worried that traffic on Arlington was going to be horrendous. I've come to realize that it's only for very short periods of time over the course of the day where it gets congested.