Life by the J train? (Mid to Northeast Bed Stuy)
Anyone who read my other post in the renovation forum knows that we are looking to buy in Bed Stuy. We are trying to choose between a huge 4 story house (20×45) near Stuy Heights that is to be “fully gut renovated” by a developer (we choose the layout) and a beautiful 3 story (20×50)…
Anyone who read my other post in the renovation forum knows that we are looking to buy in Bed Stuy. We are trying to choose between a huge 4 story house (20×45) near Stuy Heights that is to be “fully gut renovated” by a developer (we choose the layout) and a beautiful 3 story (20×50) brownstone near the Gates J train stop that has been wonderfully preserved (all original details) and renovated by the owners.
If it was just myself and my husband, we would go for the beautiful 3 story out near the J train, but we have two small toddlers (twins, no less) and I worry about how much access (meaning walking distance) to amenities I would have out there when I must tote two toddlers along with me everywhere I go. I worry I might feel stranded, with only Broadway serving as the main artery of amenities and being so far away from the A train. I am also concerned about being in school district 16 vs. school district 13.
Does anyone live out that who might be willing to share their experiences – how do you fare in regards to amenities? Where do you go to shop (is organic hoping for too much?) Where do you send your kids to school? Where is your doctor, dentist, etc.?
Thanks in advance to anybody who can provide some insight on this matter. It is an agonizing decision, because we love this house so much . . .
When it comes to playgrounds I actually think its better over by the J. Saratoga park is big, lots of grass and huge trees and a very big playground area that is never very crowded and people are always super friendly. I like the park by Stuyvesant and Fulton but its on a busy corner and backs onto a parking lot and is much smaller than the one in Saratoga Park. That said the one on Stuvesant is pretty close. I go to both with my kid regularly.
“Yes, there is gang activity, but they usually go after each other to settle some vendetta or other.”
Oh, phew.
Heather brings up an important point. Local playgrounds and parks also become very important with young kids. You do have a garden when you buy a whole house, but the space and slides and swings and social interaction for your kids with the other kids at the playground is big.
We live off the J at Halsey by Saratoga park. This area is improving very fast by the month. We order Fresh Direct. We love having the J only one block away and getting into Manhattan in a timely manner. It is always humorous to read the same type of comments that were made about other parts of Brooklyn that became great neighborhoods to live in. It’s all a matter of tolerance and what you are looking for in your investment. We are very happy here, but do get frustrated at times, but who doesn’t. After all, it is NYC and having to not be dependent on a lousy landlord for the rest of my life is an awesome feeling.
We were faced with a similar conundrum — or thought we were, before the termites and the job loss — and I have to say, as someone who has a kid currently in PreK (in Clinton Hill, which I do recommend, although getting in out of zone may be an issue), I wouldn’t buy near the Gates J-train. Myrtle, yes — it’s close enough to Williamsburg and Bushwick to walk to all of their amenities. (Clinton Hill too. In fact, were I to predict a bullish area, that is still really, really cheap, that’d be it.)
Gates, no. Not unless you’re a total car person who wants to commute to playgrounds.
Then again, there are a bunch of places for sale on Lexington Ave about five blocks from the J-train and 5 blocks from the G. That area — closer to Von King Park — might be worth investigating.
Stuy Heights does look nice. There’s not a lot there — but it does seem beautiful and there is a strong community. SHparents, I think is the name of the listserve. There’s also a charter school called Brownstone School or something that looked interesting. There are a few places for sale (I think) on Chauncey across the projects. (That may be a negative, I was undecided about how much of one, as that also put them next to the playground, the subway, and the nicest houses in the area.)
i second dittoburg’s comment on the schools. they’re super important. and if you’re planning on staying for a while, check out the middle schools too. i know it sounds crazy to have to think about that with toddlers, but it is going to be an issue.
insideschools.org is a great resource, as is the women who runs nycschoolhelp.com (AND she’s a fellow mom of twins!)
We live near the gates stop on the J and I’d take some issue with what stuyvesantheights had to say. There are definitely some grim blocks, mostly those east of Ralph and north of Halsey (as there are some grim blocks in Stuvesant Hieghts, particularly as you go North) but there are also some beautiful and quite safe blocks (in my experience) west of Ralph–and those south of Halsey going both ways. Saratoga park is quite nice and has a great playground.
I find the J to be really convenient for getting downtown and to Williamsburg. You walk past the police station and fire station heading up Ralph from the subway and I’ve never had any problems. The amenities are a pretty different in each place. Over here you have a great green market, a farmer’s market at the gates stop on Wednesdays (great if you are around during the week) a Walgreens and a pretty solid Associated and an actual bank (BofA). Over on Lewis there are a couple of restaurants Tin City, etc. but none of these more basic amenities.
Lewis Ave is not far–10+ minute walk and a quick drive to restaurants, etc. It really helps if you have a car.
We send our son to daycare in Williamsburg which is a bit of a drive but will be moving him to a program in Clinton Hill. There is a montessori preschool right by Saratoga park which seems to have a pretty good program. As far as actual school goes, I cant imagine that the options are particularly good in either part of the neighborhood but I haven’t done any research so really don’t know.
Hope that helps.
I live on the Bushwick side of Gates, one block from the J subway so maybe this doesn’t help. The Bushwick side on Bushwick Avenue has the most gorgeous mansions that are occupied, and these people are my neighbors and some of them have actually been there over 50 years. Yes, there is gang activity, but they usually go after each other to settle some vendetta or other. My area is very racially mixed and some musicians I know who live in one of the houses recently had kids. I have never been harassed or bothered by anyone. If I need to go shopping there is the HUGE supermarket by the Mrytle J stop, and more stores are opening all the time. Plus you should know that that strip of Broadway was zoned last year as a C-4 which means big store commercial development. Two years ago a Walgreens opened up. On the corner of Linden there is a new commercial building from the ground up. There seem to be people posting here who don’t know the area that well.
I disagree 100 percent about Gates Avenue being the worst stop I have no idea where that came from, I get home at 1 am sometimes and its fine. There is the Linden Street Park on the corner and at a block party my Assemblywoman showed up, and there are community gardens in the back side of the park which is allowed by the hardware store which owns the land. There is the Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays, there are always vendors underneath the subway selling mangoes, oils, incense, records, etc. its quite a hub of activity.
I’m not saying its all paradise, there were some break ins a few months ago, but they seemed to be very local and by the timing of one (the extended family next door was at church on Sunday) they knew the schedule of that family that got broken into.
Rob — there are plenty of excellent doctors and dentists in Brooklyn, even in Park Slope. You are acting like a snob. I have news for you, not all of the doctors in Manhattan are as good as you think they are. You are being ridiculous. If you want to go to a doctor in Manhattant, that’s great, as long as you selected them because they are good, and not just because of their address.