Is Hempstead , NY a bad area to live? (Florida: apartment, crime)

[info411]

I want to move to NY and my friend lives there and needs a roomate and said I should live with her... however she lives in Hempstead and I have heard not so good things about it. Of course she said "its not bad" but thats because she lives there so I really can not take her word for it.

I don't like to judge so I want to know.. is it safe? how is the crime rate? I am a young female is it safe for me for me to go out at night and come home late? What type of people live there? And NO i don't mean BLACK or HISPANIC (mexicans illegals etc) I myself am a Hispanic and I AM NOT RACIST... i just mean how is the environment , the surroundings? I live in good neighborhood where many people work make money own homes etc. .. will it be a huge diffrence in environment? what about job availability? and the drive into the city how far is it?

anything else i should know about it the area? any info would really help! And please no statistics.. i can google those myself.. i want info from people who live there or know the area for experience !

Thank You for your help in advance!!! =D

[brimasa]

If you can google statistics, they speak for themselves.

If you don't trust your friend, that speaks for itself.

You aleady know the answer this this question, but apparently need confirmation. Stay away from Hempstead.

[info411]

I know its not the best area.. obviously.. but is it THAT BAD where i shouldn't live there? that is what im trying to find out... and Thanks for ur answer!

[Coney]

Yes, it is that bad. The downtown is very run down even though there are some government buildings that keep it alive during the week. I hope your friend is able to find some place else to live soon.

[brimasa]

Yes it is that bad.

Why don't you come see it for yourself? Where are you moving from?

[info411]

Yeah i can go see it but i still need to let her know if I will be living there or not. . . but from the looks of it, its a NO! she lives on the intersection of henry st and jerusalem ave area 11550 to be exact and i'm moving from Florida...

[azzurrony]

There are some areas of Hempstead that actually aren't that bad. The area you mentioned unfortunately is crap. Stay away.

[info411]

ok so NO hempstead!! lol but what is it the makes the area soo bad the crime? gangs and drugs?? AND what are some safe places to live ? =)

[Coney]

Henry Street and Jerusalem is pretty awful. What makes it so bad? You named it, gangs, crime, drugs, and more. The downtown looks awful too even if there weren't any people. As for safe areas, what is your budget?

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by info411

ok so NO hempstead!! lol but what is it the makes the area soo bad the crime? gangs and drugs?? AND what are some safe places to live ? =)

Yes gangs and drugs.

One street, Terrace Avenue, is infamous for having their satellite streetview pictures (mapquest, google, etc.) showing DRUG DEALS at any time of the night or day.

The gangs are terrible there. It is the hometown of Salvadorans With Pride, one of the most violent street gangs there is, who often wage war with their neighbors, MS-13, another infamous and violent gang. Innocent bystanders have been killed by them.

Walking around outside at night is definitely something you don't want to do there.

As for "driving to the City," if you mean commuting to Manhattan for work, hardly anyone does that. People use public transportation, such as the Long Island Rail Road, to commute to Manhattan.

If you live in a middle class area now, where people work for a living and act decent, it will be a bad change in environment for you.

Jobs in Hempstead are not plentiful.

Talk your friend into getting out of there if you want to share an apartment with her.

Where does your friend work? Where are you plannning to seek work? If we have that information, we can give you some suggestions for better neighborhoods that are affordable.