pet peeves: 'in' and 'the'

Hi,

It’s a great place to live in, apart from the increasing volume of traffic that passes under my window every day.
This area of the town is beginning to look very run-down and impoverished.

Are those sentences correct both with and without the bold parts? And if they are, is there any slight change in meaning?

Thanks

They are, and if there is a change it is extremely slight, and relates to emphasis.