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I'm renting a studio for 5 nights in NYC and wondered if you didn't mind giving me a quick break-down as this will be my first trip to NYC.
1) Neighborhood: East Williamsburg / Bushwick?; Flushing Ave and Wyckoff.
2) Neighborhood: Inwood/Washington Heights; Roughly 188th and Wadsworth
What I'm looking for:
1) A relatively safe area
2) A quick walk to the subway
3) A few quick cafes/restaurants in the area wouldn't hurt.
Although very different I'm sure being that their geographical locations are so vastly different, is one of these far more safe, more dangerous, more fun, easier to walk around in than the other?
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Thanks to anyone who can shine a bit of light on this for me - I appreciate it.
One is a Puerto Rican ghetto the other is a Dominican barrio. Nuff said?
One is deep into Brooklyn far from Manhattan. The other is near the top of Manhattan island far from the action. Though WH has an action all its own.
If you are female and alone don't do it
You want to do NYC on the cheap? Then find a YMCA or a hostel!
I bit about me:
I'm a 25-year old male and my compadre that I'm traveling with is a 26-year old male, although we aren't dominating presences - one short, the other skinny.
We're from Oakland, CA and are used to giving areas a chance that may be previously written off.
I know they're both a bit far from the action - we'd plan on having Subway passes and rationalized it by thinking we'd probably be out and about touring much of the time anyway. I.e. We have tickets to two Yankees games, a Mets game, and plenty of other interests around the city.
I just think it'd be nice to have our own space with lock and key to go back to at the end of the night and not have to share a space.
When you mention Washington Heights having its own action, I'd assume that means it has some cafes, delis, etc?
How long are the Subway trips from Washington Heights to the more exciting areas of Manhattan?
Thanks again. I really do appreciate the advice. I've been searching but generally don't have a ton of information on these two areas - what I do know about Inwood/WH is that west of Broadway is said to be more desirable but aside from that, I'm not quite sure what to expect.
Would you prefer that Washington Heights location over the Brookyln location?
I dont know much about washington heights, but can tell you that Flushing/Wyckoff wouldnt be horrible spot, the Jefferson L stop is right there, 10 min to Bedford Av (Williamsburg), 15 to Union Square. The area is pretty desolate, with lots of factories, but also has some lofts and a cafe or two (check out Robertas for dinner by the Morgan stop). Id compare it to industrial parts of West Berkeley, not scary but a little rundown.
I would choose East 'Williamsburg / Bushwick'. There are more hipsters and transplants there, and yes more coffee places and diversity of restaurants in the area but they are spread out, so you need to find them and get familiar. Both neighborhoods have crime issues though. So I will take more caution when been out late at night. But yes, you can have much better space for your money in either neighborhood. That is the advantage.
Your own space with lock and key is called a hotel room. Unfortunately, NYC is an expensive city, and rooms aren't cheap. Doing NYC on the cheap comes with issues.
For example, the sublets you are investigating are illegal. Residents are not alllowed to sublet their apartments as hotel rooms.
Also, why go for distant, marginal neighborhoods, which for someone completely unaware and fully unprepared presents danger? You like the idea of something negative ocurring 3000 miles from home? Why take the chance.
Also, by being so non-centrally located, you're going to waste time traveling unncessarily. Importantly, HOW do you plan on geeting back late night? Drunk?
Yankees are in the Bronx, quick taxi ride from WH, long subway from Brooklyn; Mets are in Queens which is distant from your locations. It w/b easier if you were more centrally located. Again why waste time? Why risk getting lost.
WH is a barrio, which being from CA, I would think you w/b familiar. There are restaurants mostly Dominican and frequented by locals. There is a lot of flavor to the are, but overall it is a poor area and comes with issues. Commuting to the UWS maybe 30 minutes; to Greenwich Village 60 minutes or so.
I would not choose either. Food for thought, no one native to this city would either. Transplants who live in these areas are desparate to find anywhere they can afford and either knowingly and most often, like yourselves unknowingly choose these areas having NO idea where they are.
Like I said, YMCA or a Hostel w/b a more intelligent choice in my opinion. If it is the case, why not accept the fact that you may not be able to afford your own w. Lock and key.
Your own space with lock and key is called a hotel room. Unfortunately, NYC is an expensive city, and rooms aren't cheap. Doing NYC on the cheap comes with issues.
For example, the sublets you are investigating are illegal. Residents are not alllowed to sublet their apartments as hotel rooms.
Also, why go for distant, marginal neighborhoods, which for someone completely unaware and fully unprepared presents danger? You like the idea of something negative ocurring 3000 miles from home? Why take the chance.
Also, by being so non-centrally located, you're going to waste time traveling unncessarily. Importantly, HOW do you plan on geeting back late night? Drunk?
Yankees are in the Bronx, quick taxi ride from WH, long subway from Brooklyn; Mets are in Queens which is distant from your locations. It w/b easier if you were more centrally located. Again why waste time? Why risk getting lost.
WH is a barrio, which being from CA, I would think you w/b familiar. There are restaurants mostly Dominican and frequented by locals. There is a lot of flavor to the are, but overall it is a poor area and comes with issues. Commuting to the UWS maybe 30 minutes; to Greenwich Village 60 minutes or so.
I would not choose either. Food for thought, no one native to this city would either. Transplants who live in these areas are desparate to find anywhere they can afford and either knowingly and most often, like yourselves unknowingly choose these areas having NO idea where they are.
Like I said, YMCA or a Hostel w/b a more intelligent choice in my opinion. If it is the case, why not accept the fact that you may not be able to afford your own w. Lock and key.
Thanks for the advice on traveling times - that's helpful.
I've added a new location the mix - I was offered a flat in Queens in Rego Park, which obviously is a better neighborhood but we're still debating our stay. I would take it you think of Rego Park as a much better area, safety wise?
One thing to remember is that I come from Oakland, where folks all around the globe have written off much of my city (and I am happy with that, keeps real estate prices low). Truthfully, I'm only interested in relative safety. I don't drink - I won't be coming back anywhere drunk and I'm generally in bed pretty early. I don't forsee a big issue. I've traveled both internationally and domestically quite extensively and have a good sense of direction, good people skills, and apt street smarts. Sometimes I think my laid back attitude and a build that isn't intimidating lends itself to me not attracting a whole lot of bad. Selling real estate in Oakland has me walking in all sorts of neighborhoods that some might think of as unsavory, but continually I wonder what the big deal is.
Like I said, I'd rather sprawl out in a lesser neighborhood than share a hostel and in my experience, I tend to think people overreact and judge more harshly environments than I do. So, that's just where I'm coming from. I do appreciate your concern and I'm happy you're as forthright about areas.
Thanks also to everyone else - I appreciate the comments. I've enjoyed reading all of your comments in other threads and will continue; hopefully, I love NYC.
That part of Wash Heights isn't exactly a garden spot and if I were visiting here on the cheap I would also try a youth hostel or a Y first. But if you do end up there I don't think it's THAT far from downtown--probably only about 40 minutes from there to the Village, less to Midtown, a little longer to the Lower East Side places you might want to hang out. It's also a quick walk to the subway at 191st St, which is a local, but connects with an express at 168th St or at 96th St (two different lines). It's not the most dangerous neighborhood in the city by far, but things do happen there--so use your Oakland street smarts. Personally I'd be more worried about the security and condition of whatever apartment you'd find in this area since its not a real hotel or hostel. You don't know who lives there or what they're up to or who has access to the building and apartment.
The above description of the place is largely true. It is pretty much a poor to working class Domincan immigrant neighborhood with little of interest, the type of place a visitor might be interested in to get the flavor of an off-the-beaten track area of the city, check out the Latino food, or something like that, but not much more.
Am not familiar enough with Brooklyn to comment about that spot.
Just cross-posted and see that you're looking at Rego Park Queens instead. A much better idea. That's very middle-calss section of Quenns that I've only visited once and thought it was sort of boring, but I wouldn't worry as much about security and safety there, and depending on exactly whwere you are, you can get the trains pretty regularly and easily on Queens Blvd. Enjoy New York!
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