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I think there's more homelessness in Sunnyside. I went to a Wendy's in Sunnyside yesterday, the bad smelling, dishelved, crazy kind of homeless people kept walking in, sitting down, ruining it for me. There obviously was no control of the situation there................I don't think there is or at least I never saw this kind of thing in Bay Ridge.
I have lived in Sunnyside for over a year and have considered moving to Bay Ridge for quite sometime. I wanna post some thoughts for future visitors to this site:
The most important factor (aside from personal preference) in deciding between the 2 neighborhoods, should be commute time to you work/school. Commuting to Lower Manhattan is quicker from Bay Ridge, while commuting to Midtown is quicker from Sunnyside.
From Sunnyside, commute to Time Sq & Grand Central are convenient because 7 train stops there, but pretty much going anywhere else in Manhattan requires changing trains at least once and it does feel longer.
Both Sunnyside & Bay Ridge have only local train stops, that is no express. So, in either case you'll find yourself changing trains often. You just have to get used to it. Thats one of the reasons rent is cheaper in these areas.
One thing I consider important in favor of Bay Ridge is Parks. Sunnyside has none, it is concrete jungle. The only thing green about sunnyside is greenpoint avenue (and there isn't any greenery there either). I like to go out for walks or jogs, but in Sunnyside, I find myself either surrounded by apartment buildings or warehouses.
For Zipcar users, Sunnyside has a conveniently located Zipcar garage, so convenient that it would be the prime reason to get a zipcar membership (if you need it), You can also ride the 7 to go to LIC and pickup a car there. Bay Ridge doesn't have zipcar, last I checked.
One thing I can say about Sunnyside is that it feels very connected to the rest of NYC. If you're in a hurry you can always get a cab near Queens Blvd. Aside from subway, theres also MTA busses which can be slow but convenient. Sunnyside also has plenty of grocery shops, restaurants, takeouts & delivery, although nothing too fancy. Yelp and Grubhub are good places to look for options. Areas around Greentpoint Ave are active with plenty of shops and feel pretty safe. Playground at Greenpoint & 43rd also is very lively even at 11 o clock at night in summers.
All in all sunnyside is a fine area. I am considering Bay Ridge because of quicker commute to work.
Last edited by QueensGuy01; 08-01-2012 at 12:16 PM..
No public parks in Sunnyside but there is a playground on Skillman Ave and north of Queens Blvd, you should find more greens especially along Woodside Ave around Sunnyside Gardens
I have only been to Bay Ridge twice and Sunnyside multiple (20+) times.
Bay Ridge feels more open in terms of physical space and has some really beautiful streets with mansions. It also feels further away. I know you think that this doesn't matter since you only have to go to work in midtown once a week, but you may want to reconsider whether it matters. Why do you think you will only want to be in Manhattan for work? Don't you want to do other things? Explore? Meet up with friends ? Go to the doctor? (etc.)
Sunnyside feels much more urban and doesn't have those beautiful huge mansions. It does, however, have Sunnyside Gardens which is a very sweet-looking area (small area) with brick homes and trees and a quiet vibe.
I believe Bay Ridge and Sunnyside are racially mixed, though I would guess that Bay Ridge has fewer foreign-born people.
Both neighborhoods have a NYSC (New York Sports Club) which is a very decent gym if you need a gym membership.
Both neighborhoods have nice places to eat. However, if you are a food explorer and want to try cheaper ethnic hole-in-the-walls, you would be better off in Sunnyside because of its own ethnic eats and proximity to Woodside, Jackson Heights and Flushing.
I see Bay Ridge as a place to live a quieter, somewhat cleaner and aesthetically more beautiful existence, but aslo feel it removes you much more from Manhattan and feeling connected to the city experience. Sunnyside will put you in the city (Manhattan) in 15 minutes. Coming from Bay Ridge it will feel like much more of a chore to make the trip.
Attached are a few photos of Bay Ridge
THAT MIDDLE HOUSE IS RIGHT NEAR MY DOCTOR.
it is the most uglies house ever. If that doesnt scream I have a lot of money to show off to the neighborhood, i dont know what does.
It is ugly, lacks taste and in reality is a complete eyesore.
most of the homes in bay ridge are beautiful, that one ain't
I've seen both, but am more familiar with Bay Ridge. Bay Ridge has a great view of the bridge. But it's just soooooooooo far away! Sunnyside is pleasant, and it's a very short distance to midtown.
I went to check out an apartment in Bay Ridge. I have spent a grand total of 2 hours in the neighborhood. Just wanted to relate to you some things the main tenant told me (she had been living there for a few years). According to her, it's really a mafia neighborhood. So it's actually very safe and clean and everything. But she's seen people going through her trash.
This is just a story from someone I met that had lived in the neighborhood for a few years, not an endorsement or criticism of the area. I didn't take the room because Bay Ridge is 90 minutes from anywhere.
I have lived in Sunnyside for over a year and have considered moving to Bay Ridge for quite sometime. I wanna post some thoughts for future visitors to this site:
The most important factor (aside from personal preference) in deciding between the 2 neighborhoods, should be commute time to you work/school. Commuting to Lower Manhattan is quicker from Bay Ridge, while commuting to Midtown is quicker from Sunnyside.
From Sunnyside, commute to Time Sq & Grand Central are convenient because 7 train stops there, but pretty much going anywhere else in Manhattan requires changing trains at least once and it does feel longer.
Both Sunnyside & Bay Ridge have only local train stops, that is no express. So, in either case you'll find yourself changing trains often. You just have to get used to it. Thats one of the reasons rent is cheaper in these areas.
One thing I consider important in favor of Bay Ridge is Parks. Sunnyside has none, it is concrete jungle. The only thing green about sunnyside is greenpoint avenue (and there isn't any greenery there either). I like to go out for walks or jogs, but in Sunnyside, I find myself either surrounded by apartment buildings or warehouses.
For Zipcar users, Sunnyside has a conveniently located Zipcar garage, so convenient that it would be the prime reason to get a zipcar membership (if you need it), You can also ride the 7 to go to LIC and pickup a car there. Bay Ridge doesn't have zipcar, last I checked.
One thing I can say about Sunnyside is that it feels very connected to the rest of NYC. If you're in a hurry you can always get a cab near Queens Blvd. Aside from subway, theres also MTA busses which can be slow but convenient. Sunnyside also has plenty of grocery shops, restaurants, takeouts & delivery, although nothing too fancy. Yelp and Grubhub are good places to look for options. Areas around Greentpoint Ave are active with plenty of shops and feel pretty safe. Playground at Greenpoint & 43rd also is very lively even at 11 o clock at night in summers.
All in all sunnyside is a fine area. I am considering Bay Ridge because of quicker commute to work.
I agree that commute is a big factor. If one is commuting to Midtown or the Upper East/West sides of Manhattan, Sunnyside is certainly a much shorter and easier commute than from Bayridge.
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