Safe Neighborhoods?
I would appreciate recommendations on what neighborhoods other than Brooklyn Heights might be clean, safe, handy, neighborly, and convenient to Manhattan. We’re moving to NYC from Colorado this summer, and we love Brooklyn Heights, but based on research, we’re concerned that we may not find what we want in BH very soon. Any other suggestions?…
I would appreciate recommendations on what neighborhoods other than Brooklyn Heights might be clean, safe, handy, neighborly, and convenient to Manhattan. We’re moving to NYC from Colorado this summer, and we love Brooklyn Heights, but based on research, we’re concerned that we may not find what we want in BH very soon. Any other suggestions? (Son will be in school in Midtown so near to Manhattan is best and I need subway within two blocks of home.) Thanks, Everyone!
Hmmm…Your budget might be a little low, but I’ll be renting out a gorgeous 3 bedroom duplex in Park Slope 1.5 blocks from the Q train and 3 from the 2/3 around June 1st of this year. It’s not 2 baths, but it is 1.5, washer/dryer, separate dining room, baths and kitchen new, total renovation, but with lots of old details still there…and that’s my endorsement for Park Slope (great neighborhood…can’t beat the park or, at least where I am, the subways…)
No doorman, top two floors of house, but we’ll be owner-occupying the bottom and we work from home.
If you’re interested, shoot me an email at raisarex AT gmail.com
You won’t find the green, landmarked, low-rise aspects of Brooklyn, but apartment-wise, I think you’ll find much else of what you want in Long Island City, Queens: http://www.avaloncommunities.com/avaloncore/nfloor.asp?commname=Avalon-Riverview
eigenj, thanks for the information on your home. It’s very nice. We will only be leasing, as our stay there will be only 2-3 years…. unless we decide we love NYC too much to leave.
My gosh! You are all amazing in your answers! Complete, thorough, thoughtful, informative… I’m totally impressed! You know, there are still a lot of people out here in the hinderlands who still think N’Yorkers are rude, dangerous, and unhelpful. Totally opposite of what we’re finding during our trips to NYC or on this VERY helpful blog.
To be more clear, here’s what I meant by some of my vague phrasing in my original posting: 1. Safe: I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder every step if walking home at night. Race is not an issue with us at ALL. In our opinions, ‘safe’ has nothing to do with color. We ask about other ‘safe’ neighborhoods because we felt very safe in BH while there for a week, but just aren’t familiar with the other parts of Brooklyn. 2. “We may not find what we want in Brooklyn Heights for a while” means that we need a 2 BR, 2 BA apartment VERY near the subway (physical reasons), it MUST have a washer/dryer in apartment (same reason), and must have elevator (same reason), be fairly near Manhattan, and have a doorman. We know that it may take a while to find all of these requirements in one apartment. (Budget: $3000-ish, with six months up front) 3. My son is 18, 6’5″, and will be attending American Academy of Dramatic Arts on Madison Ave. He’s a subway pro, so no problem with his getting to Manhattan and back OK. I’m the one who’ll stay lost for the first year. 🙂
Again, all this good information is quite helpful, and much appreciated! I will follow leads in every neighborhood that you all have recommended. See you in Brooklyn! We can’t wait!
I’ve lived in Bay Ridge for 26 years and I will vouch that it is clean and safe. I was born in Brooklyn and lived here my whole life (I’m 48). Of course, no matter where you live in NYC you have to have a good amount of street smarts and always watch your back and be careful. No matter where you live in this city there is crime, both serious and petty. In Bay Ridge, home break-ins are the most prevalent. Street crimes, like muggings, usually occur between midnight and 5 am, because we have a good amount of bars and people walking home drunk make good targets. BR has a very nice waterfront park that runs for 4 miles, with bike paths, playgrounds, baseball and soccer fields. Its easy to get to other neighborhoods and cultural attractions, like Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Botanic gardens and the Brooklyn Museum from here. We have a good amount of restaurants and plentiful, affordable shopping. When we decided to buy a house last year, I considered all of Brooklyn, but couldn’t find any place that compared to BR, so we bought here.
The other thing about Bay Ridge is that you will find it alot more affordable than Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights and some of the other places mentioned. Not just in Real estate, but in the prices in the local stores also. I worked in Park Slope for 12 years and was amazed at how much higher prices in the stores were. You will get much larger space in in BR for the same prices as the other neighborhoods. My advice is to get a rental in Bay Ridge then explore the other neighborhoods and decide where you want to settle.
You might enjoy Carroll Gardens. We moved to Brooklyn from the western US in 2005 and although we initially looked in Brooklyn Heights, we found more space within our budget in Carroll Gardens. It’s a family-friendly neighborhood with a lot of amenities. The commute to Midtown is about 45 minutes door to door, with the subway ride about half an hour. You might not find a place two blocks from the subway, but you could probably find a place within a ten-minute walk. The only subway line running through the neighborhood into the city is the F train.
There are wonderful neighborhoods all over Brooklyn, so if you have an opportunity to visit before you move, you might enjoy spending a few days exploring them before you decide. Good luck!
I can’t comment on any of the other neighborhoods since I’ve only lived in Bay Ridge my entire life, but I loved growing up here as a kid and I love raising my kids here. The shopping and restaurants are phenomenal, the schools are great, and the neighborhood is a lot cheaper than Park Slope or Downtown Brooklyn. The commute can be a little long, but I enjoy it as a time I can read my book and not be bothered with my cell phone. And since I’m on the first stop of the R, I always get a seat!
I know you didn’t ask for opinions eigenj, so forgive me for butting in! But that space is absolutely starved and begging for crown moldings. Bare of detail as it is, it looks new-condo not brownstone-Brooklyn. Molding isn’t complicated to install and you’d add a ton of charm and character doing so.
My Wife and I live in Carroll Gardens which is a great neighborhood with lots of history, restaurants and good pedestrian vibe. 1 1/2blocks to ‘f’ train and unfortunately for us, we need to sell it. Not sure what your price range is but you can check it out through the listing on Warren Lewis:
http://warrenlewis.com/cgi-bin/re/re_show.pl?re_command=show&ID=6849