Determining a Neighborhood's Class

[Amanda G.]

Hello all, 

I'm trying to decide on where I want to purchase my first investment property. I've been looking in both Rochester, NY and Buffalo, NY, but also looking at neighborhoods on the borders of these cities. I am trying to understand if there is an easier way to determine A/B/C/D/F class neighborhoods. I have spent a lot of time comparing different homes and reviewing crime maps of the area, etc. but I feel I'm wasting a lot of time looking in D class areas which I'd like to avoid. I always see people posting to stay away from D/F neighborhoods, but I don't ever see how exactly to determine that - I've read a breakdown of what each class entails, I guess I'm just looking for a tool that tells me that instead of trying to figure it out on my own in an area that is not well known to me. Is it just based off knowledge from experience/visiting with boots on the ground/from speaking with other investors/realtors?

Thanks!