Stuyvesant Heights Brownstone VS Clinton Hills Condo

If you are planning on sending your kids to public school and you are okay with the Clinton Hill schools, I would hold off on moving until your older child has finished kindergarten in a public school. It's getting very difficult to score an out-of-zone slots.

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 5:13 PM

I believe it's called Clinton Hill.

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 5:27 PM

Where exactly do you live? If you live near Classon or the BQE you might as well sale now and buy you're Brownstone. Those blocks still have ways to go.

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 5:29 PM

If the Bed Stuy location is around Nostrand Ave. (and closer to Fulton than further) I'd spend some time there at different hours of the day.

I recently spent a few afternoons looking for relocation sites for a community center in the area. Since we couldn't afford much rent this mostly involved looking at and photographing churches.

On the side streets I was very warmly greeted by several passers by, a "hey how are you doing" southern seeming thing (I'm from the south). Some cute older women smiled at me taking my pics of the churches and said to me, "aren't they beautiful" or just smiled.

The only negatives I found were a couple of older, kind of drunk seeming guys who snarled at me in a kind of hey whitey go home fashion.

I thought the houses looked great but the streets felt a little dicier towards Stuyvesant Ave. (and definitely beyond it at, say Patchen). There were a couple of nice little stores on Stuyveesant, though.

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 5:43 PM

LAST UP, FIRST DOWN.

If there is a recession and if RE values in NYC start to tank, Bed Stuy will suffer more than Clinton Hill. This is just a fact of life. Since you are happy in CH, it's probably best to stay put and avoid taking so big a financial risk at this very volatile time.

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 6:05 PM

You're buying to actually *live* there, not to flip, so don't listen to chuckleheads like 6:05. Over the long haul, your actual physical house will be more of an asset than your apartment (which is kind of a concept and depends on other people to maintain its value). It will also be more flexible. You can rent some out when your kids go to school, maybe. Or take in an aging parent. Have tons of friends over. That sort of thing.

Bed Stuy has a lot of great parts. The great parts are getting greater, and the sketchy parts are getting smaller. The area down near the A stops (Nostrand and Utica) are really, really pleasant. I don't see that changing any time soon--those areas have been nice for years.

You could take advantage of a soft market right now, although I would look slowly. The market could drop a little more in this neighborhood.

The schools in Clinton Hill are not that great, I wouldn't see it as a reason not to move.

Owning a whole house, though, is much more of a financial/time commitment than owning an apartment. That's really serious. Make sure you want to do that.

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 7:01 PM

How is it that someone lives in Clinton Hill and doesn't know it's not Clinton Hills??

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 8:19 PM

I think it's a fake post.

They refer to the neighborhood not once, not twice, but THREE times as CLINTON HILLS!

It's CLINTON HILL!!!!

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 9:29 PM

OK OK already. WTF? this is not a spelling bee.

7:01 made the most sence. Owning a whole house is much better then owning a condo. The freedom of doing whatever you want without thinking that you might disturb the neighbors under you is priceless. The problem is that a townhouse with some details in Stuyvesant heights is going to run you some good money. There's a lack of inventory in Brownstone Brooklyn and Stuyvesant Heights is not excluded. So good luck...

Posted by: guest at January 29, 2008 9:48 PM

When we were trying to figure out what to do, stay or sell, house or another condo, we figured this: if we stayed or bought another condo just a little bigger, we'd be moving again in 5 years. Yuck! Moves are so hard. We thought let's find a long-term home. And we ventured into a house in an historic area that has plenty upper income homeowners but which is not on the approved list of fancy neighborhoods. Now we're so glad we did, because the investment in the house wasn't so huge that we're nervous about the market and economy. We can ride it out fine. And ultimately I think that's something key to think about, is if you buy the house can you do it with a loan that isn't too huge once you sell your condo. One word of advice, visit the house at all hours of the day and on weekends. You want to make sure you don't have kooky or loud neighbors. Sadly, in up-and-coming neighborhoods you will find difficult neighbors here and there.

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 12:51 PM

Yeah, well, you can also find difficult neighbors in already-come-up neighborhoods, as many a coop owner, and even their next door neighbors, can tell you...

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 3:44 PM

Very real question. I too have a child on the way and a 4 yr old in PS.20, which is a very good school by the way. Maybe for those who have older children, Clinton Hill schools aren't the best. But this school has made significant strides to better the education and overall experience for the children. I love it for my boy. Once you have a kid that's in, you can bring the other regardless if you are in the zone or not. So you don't have to give up the school.

At the ebnd of the day, you can't take your bed-stuy house and move it to CH. SO think long and hard about a neighborhood change. I love freshdirect, the local parks, the fact that CH and FG are walking neighborhoods with great diversity and things to do. It costs more to be here because of those things. I decided to stay. We will look for a 3 bedroom here or bite the bullet and take on a size mortgage. I want to be happy and I know it's more affordable to be in Bed-Suy. But, if it was just me and my wife, I'll do it. But the neighborhood is spotty, especially after Stuyvesant going east. I grew up in Crown heights and Brooklyn was a different place at the time. I want my kids to have better and growing up around a diverse community is important. No other area beats out CH to me. Find what's most important to you.

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 4:00 PM

What a dilemma.

I agree that if we are heading into a recession Bed-stuy/SH will be hit much harder then CH.

The schools in CH, in my opinion are better and safer then the schools in Bed-Stuy/SH.

Now with that said, as a parent I know space can be tough with 2 kids...but I would stay in CH. Who knows you may not even be able to sell your condo in this market.

AClintonHillLady

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 4:02 PM

I agree, with those that would stay in CH. With children you have to be leary of picking up and moving just because the house is cheaper. I grew up in Brooklyn as well and definately agree that Bed Stuy is tsill spotty with a long way to go.

As far as the schools, though some may disagree, Clinton Hill schools are getting much better as the parents start to get involved and more zone kids start to enroll and they are definately much better than those schools in Bed Stuy. That is a big factor I think.

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 4:21 PM

i have one rule in buying in big cities - never buy around ghetto black people. bed stuy sucks.

i wouldn't have bought in clinton hill either though for the same reason.

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 4:34 PM

4:34- You're a class A individual.

Stuyvesant Heights is much better then Central bed Stuy with Educated "BLACK" people.

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 6:32 PM

We made exactly the move that you're contemplating: we traded in a Clinton Hill co-op for a Bed-Stuy brownstone. No regrets here. I do miss all the amenities within walking distance in CH, but having a luxurious amount of space is really great for family visits, etc.
We're looking at the whole school issue too, and my understanding is that PS 11 and PS 20 still accommodate out-of-district students. Don't take my word for it - go visit the school(s) yourself and ask if you're curious - but I'm pretty sure you'd have no problem sending your kid to school in CH regardless of where you live.

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 7:11 PM

I'm a bit disappointed in PutnamDenizen. I usually ride with you all the way. But to criticize the authenticity of a post based on them adding and 'S' to the end of clinton Hill is rediculous. I've lived in Bed-Stuy, CLinton Hill, Prospect Heights & Crown Heights for most of my life. (In bed-stuy b/4 they even started calling clinton hill that)

And after living here my whole life, I still will say Clinton Hills. Who Cares.... It's all Bed-Stuy ANYWAY!!!

And to the race baiters. Shouldn't you be watching American Idol or something??

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 8:01 PM

Both neighborhoods are ghetto anyway.

Posted by: guest at January 30, 2008 11:24 PM

lived in a co-op for 10 years in the East Village and I would never go back. I'm in the Stuy, the Heights area and I have never been happier. Amazing neighbors, super friendly, lovely and very southern-type manners. I have pots on my stoop and though some people have had a couple of pots taken, I can tell you that in Manhattan I would have had no pots or plants left. I believe the neighborhood will get better and better and you will never be sorry that you purchased an amazing brownstone in a gorgeous neighborhood with great neighbors. Yes, there is still some funkiness and I would not buy above Madison yet, but Clinton Hill is not exactly stellar. Schooling, yes, a big issue and if you can trade your condo in for a brownstone and not have much of a mortgage with the added rent roll you'll have, maybe you can afford to send the kids to a private school...

aaah, no meetings with the neighbors to discuss paint colors in the hall, no petty discussions, etc...love not being in a coop or condo..

Posted by: guest at February 3, 2008 11:26 PM