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Im thinking about moving to Greenpoint, Brooklyn and I was just wondering if anybody is from this area. Or if not from the area, if anyone knows if this area is pretty cool, safe, etc? Rent dosent seem too bad, and It will be a great improvement from where I am now. Im also considering whether or not I should go through a broker, more expensive, but probably better. Basically I need an apartment thats easy to commute to the city, and also Park Slope, so if anyone has any other places that I should look at let me know. Thanks!
Are you Polish? Because I believe that Greenpoint is still pretty heavily Polish.
Didn't you write on another post that you recently signed a lease for an apartment in the hood? Your slumlord is probably going to sue you if you break the lease, so you better be careful.
Actually, Im on a month to month, so thats why I've decided to move. Reading all that I've read about Bushwick, I think Its time to go. I am Polish, but also like 10 other things, so thats not the reason Im looking at that area. I've been looking online and it seems like a really nice area. So I was just curious if anyone knows anything good/bad about the area.
The important thing is whether your surname is Polish. You can use that and take advantage of any local ethnic Polish newspapers available and look for apartments in the classified section.
Well- I spent some time there when I lived nearby in Northside Williamsburg up til spring 2006. I think Greenpoint would be a fine neighborhood for you. In terms of ethnicities- yes, Polish is the dominant one, but like every NY neighborhood there is a little bit of everything else as well. Definitely there is a HUGE overflow population from Williamsburg. I think you know Williamsburg, so you probably know what kind of population I'm talking about. There are tons of amenities in Gnpt- cafes, restaurants, lots of chain drug stores (you'll appreciate that!) a nice health food store that I think is called the Garden.
Greenpoint gets highly industrial on the west down by the river, and also remember that Greenpoint goes all the way north by the bridge - is it the Pulaski bridge? Either of those locations might put you a bit far from a subway - just something to consider. Google maps will show you where the subways are, plus if you click on 'street view' you can also look at 360 degree photos of various intersections.
A friend lives in Park Slope and has an art studio near the Key Food on McGuiness in Greenpoint and I have never heard her complain about the commute (I think she takes the G train all the way) though I have heard PLENTY of people complain about the G train in general.
On the other side of the coin, my bf, who is not from the US and has only been to visit me in NY a few times-- absolutely HATED a part of my neighborhood in Queens that is under the 7 train when he first saw it. He found it seedy and gross etc etc and I promised never to take him that way again. Then I took him to a party in Greenpoint down by all the abandoned warehouses. He never saw the 'nice' part of Greenpoint - the historic streets and Manhattan Ave with all the shops. He absolutely could not believe it when I told him that Greenpoint's real estate prices were so out of control. He thought it looked like a slum. (The house we went to was actually quite cute, in my opinion, with a little garden in the back). But anyway, in his opinion, Greenpoint is a slum. And when we got back to my neighborhood, Jackson Heights, he was MORE than happy to go to get tacos on Roosevelt Ave under the 7 train at 1:30 in the morning at a taco stand where he was spoken to in Spanish only (he speaks no Spanish). He said in comparison to Greenpoint, everything about my neighborhood was beautiful.
But if you liked the grittiness of Bushwick with the exception of safety issues and amenities issues, then I think you will love Greenpoint.
There are a million and one Thai restaurants in greenpoint if you like Thai, plus there's a farmer's market in McCarren Park once a week for part of the year.
Last edited by Henna; 10-08-2007 at 11:56 PM..
Reason: sorry - my post got sent twice.
As far as brokers--you might try what some poster here said and try to contact the landlord one on one--some "key money" might be in order. Maybe that's a thing of the past though, esp in gentrifying areas where demand is now high.
I'd also suspect that if you find a real "deal" it may be on a less "desirable" block or area, but hey, I could be wrong. I looked at an apt in Greenpoint (I think it was Greenpoint) several years ago and it was just on the border of Bed Stuy. Beautiful old buildings, but also some residents walking down the street talking bad about "whitey" moving in. The apt itself was an overpriced dump. It's probably "better" now though.
i've been to greenpoint a few times (actually as recently as last weekend) and the area along manhattan avenue looks pretty nice....i also went to a party there in an apartment off manhattan avenue last year (can't remember the name of the street) and the blocks seemed real quiet. parking was a hassle though.
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