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July 31, 2006
'South Clinton Hill'
Could anybody give advice about the area, the realtors and such are calling 'South Clinton Hill' , specifically Quincy, Lexington, Gates streets btw bedford and franklin. We are thinking of buying a home here.
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Sorry, I can't help you with the realtors, but I had to laugh when I read this. Ten years ago this was clearly part of Bed Stuy, and therefore seen as quite undesirable and "dangerous". I love it, South Clinton Hill.
What can I say, it has some really nice homes and streets, especially parts of Gates Ave and some adjacent blocks, but still has the quality of life issues that the larger Bed Stuy community has, poverty, street crime, etc. I don't personally think it is "dangerous", but that's me, others may disagree, and God knows we've had that argument before. Franklin Ave C train/shuttle stop is grungy, and Fulton St there is pretty unattractive and people like to hang out there, so that's much more lively than say, Clinton Washington or Lafayette. You are a decent walk away from the amenities of Clinton Hill, and it's a healthy hike to Fort Greene, but doable. Gates Ave bus runs pretty regularly too. You would be pretty much between the commercial/banking/supermarket strip of Fulton Street and Marcy Ave (Restoration Plaza) and the services found further down in Clinton Hill, so either way you'd have to travel a bit.
All in all, if you find a house you love, I would walk around at different times of the week, if possible, and orient yourself to the neighborhood, and see if you like it. If you do buy there, as more of Bed Stuy gentrifies, you will certainly be in one of the prime spots, since you would be next to Clinton Hill.
Posted by: CrownHeightsProud at July 31, 2006 4:31 PM
geographically this would be "East Clinton Hill," anyway. I think you get a good idea of the challenges from all the recent discussions of the drug/prostitution/violence over near Putnam and Grand. People I know on Monroe have been dealing with similar issues forever. That said, I think some of the houses are nicer, and the streets are quieter than right up close to Fulton. I've lived on Putnam for going on five years now, and I have been a little disappointed by the slow pace of the improvements, although I find many of the long-time residents lovely. Don't expect it to change much in the next few years, though beyond that, who knows?
Posted by: putnam-denizen at July 31, 2006 6:47 PM
Classon is the boundary of Clinton Hill/Bed-Stuy on the east. That would put Bedford and Franklin squarely in Bed-Stuy. Make your decision based on the house and your feelings about the neighborhood, not what a broker tells you the neighborhood is called. The posters above give good advice.
Posted by: fortgreener at July 31, 2006 8:17 PM
The reasons people have bought up all of Clinton Hill and Fort Greene are the pretty blocks, the existence of amenities, and the proximity to Manhattan. By moving to the blocks you mention, you are still fairly close to Mahattan (although the G is your only train unless you hike it to Fulton). But there are no good stores or restaurants and the blocks are very hit or miss in terms of nice buildings. I think a better place to look is the landmarked section of Bed-Stuy and its surrounding blocks, as the buildings are nicer, there are more owner-occupied houses, more amenities, and the A train will often speed by those waiting for the C in CH and FG. There are crime issues throughout, even in Clinton Hill as previous posters mention. But to me, Stuy Heights is much nicer, safer and more accomodating than the Bed-Stuy blocks between Clinton Hill and the Stuy Heights vicinity. Btw, I live on Quincy between Marcy and Tompkins, and although I love the folks on my block, wish we had moved further into Bed-Stuy.
Posted by: Drew at August 2, 2006 9:58 AM
We are on Quincy between Classon & Franklin and I agree with the above posters. Although we love it, it can be a little dodgy around here in terms of crime and architecture.
Lots of new condo development is going on as well as rehab projects by PACC, but the change is still somewhat slow. I expect big improvements w/in 5 years. So consider that time frame when buying and do not pay prime Clinton Hill prices to live here. If you're getting a good value, you can afford to wait a couple of years for improvements.
We have never had a problem with crime, but there are some teenagers who hang out late. Some drug dealing, some prostitution, occasional gunshots.
Transportation is good with the G, C and the 48, 52 and 38 buses w/in walking distance. Parking is always easy.
This is definitely an up-and-coming part of the neighborhood and it's quite close to Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Myrtle amenities. New cafes like Brown Betty and Outpost are coming in and there are a couple of restaurants like Vini Olio and Cafe Lafayette in the immediate vicinity and lots of stuff on Myrtle like Los Pollitos, Cafe Martino. Fresh Direct delivers (at least to our block).
If I had it to do over, I would still move here. It's a little edgy, yet with lots of potential. Classic Bed-Stuy is definitely more attractive, but too far out for us since we do a lot of stuff in the neighborhood.
Posted by: clinton hillbilly at August 7, 2006 5:06 PM
This neighborhood is clearly BED STUY - no ifs ands or buts. The cost of a brownstone here is much lower than what you'd pay in Clinton Hill. The problem with buying in Bed Stuy is that the rents you can get (this is not the safest place in town) might not match the mortgage that has to be paid (unless you're putting a lot of money down). Add repairs & high oil & insurance prices and the profit margin seem non existent. Who knows though - in 10 years Bed Stuy could be the new Park Slope and then these prices will look like bargains!
Posted by: Celia4 at August 15, 2006 11:57 AM
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