I don't know why, but that particular block has always seemed shady to me. it's so dark, and the fact that it's the block where the church was struck by lightning adds to it's eeriness.

as long as you keep on your toes, it's really not that bad of a neighborhood. just be aware of your surroundings and take care. I lived in the Netherlands building right there and never had any problems, aside from living in the building itself.