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Same reason we didn't stay right next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris or the Pantheon in Rome---not into paying for overpriced hotels to be in the center of throngs of tourists. Would rather be "in" the cities. Plus, we will be at the baseball stadium a fair amount so it is very close.
Makes sense...next time I go to Chicago forget about the downtown area im booking a spot on the West side and when i go to New orleans im gonna look on craigslist for a sublet in Magnolia Projects
Makes sense...next time I go to Chicago forget about the downtown area im booking a spot on the West side and when i go to New orleans im gonna look on craigslist for a sublet in Magnolia Projects
Wow - the people of NYC sure have changed from the last time I was there. They had always struck me as nice, not smarta$$es. I asked a legitimate question. Hopefully if you ever visit Texas and ask for some information, people will be helpful and nice and not snide.
Wow - the people of NYC sure have changed from the last time I was there. They had always struck me as nice, not smarta$$es. I asked a legitimate question. Hopefully if you ever visit Texas and ask for some information, people will be helpful and nice and not snide.
dont get mad at me...ur the knucklehead taking their family on a vacation to the hood.... i wont be back to texas it is boring as $#$# unless ur a hillbilly with a gun in ur pickup
Some posters here will not only be a smart ass, but also overstate the danger of a given neighborhood either intentionally, through lack of knowledge, or just to get a rise out of people. Ignore them. And don't judge all of us New Yorkers by that.
This isn't the most attractive or interesting part of Harlem for sure, and in the immediate vicinity there is little for a tourist to see or do, with the possible exception of whatever exhibit may be at the Schomburg Library at 135th and Lenox. (Recently I saw the original Emancipation Proclamation there and a great exhibit of Gordon Parks photos.)
But it is NOT some dangerous gang-infested no-man's land where you'll be mugged or shot on sight. That's just crazy. For the record, there are many more dangerous and ugly neighborhoods in NYC. Which is something all the snide posters for the Bronx should know, since that's where a lot of them are.
This is mainly a poor to working class neighborhood where anyone using common sense will be fine. If you are African-American or Latino you have probably been in this type of neighborhood before and its no big deal. If you are white you may be surprised that most of the people here will not give you a second thought . Harlem is NOT fully gentrified, but there are enough white people that no one really thinks it unusual anymore to see them walking the streets. A good-looking woman will get catcalled for sure, but that happens in Texas too.
Just do the basics. No bulletproof vest or mace needed. Take a taxi back if you're downtown late at night. Don't flash jewelry, money or electronics. Dont' buy weed on the street. . Be aware of your surroundings when you're out and about. Smile and don't don't get hostile when you refuse giving some wino money. Look like you know where you're going even if you don't. Don't walk around obviously drunk. Etc.etc. etc.
Frankly, for a visitor, there is as much a chance or more of some random street crime affecting you in Times Sq as there is in Harlem-- and that isn't a lot. Talk to your hosts (B&B? friends? relatives?) and they'll clue you in about the neighborhood.
Welcome to the city and have a good time.
Last edited by citylove101; 03-22-2013 at 12:01 PM..
Some posters here will not only be a smart ass, but also overstate the danger of a given neighborhood either intentionally, through lack of knowledge, or just to get a rise out of people. Ignore them. And don't judge all of us New Yorkers by that.
This isn't the most attractive or interesting part of Harlem for sure, and in the immediate vicinity there is little for a tourist to see or do, with the possible exception of whatever exhibit may be at the Schomburg Library at 135th and Lenox. (Recently I saw the original Emancipation Proclamation there and a great exhibit of Gordon Parks photos.)
But it is NOT some dangerous gang-infested no-man's land where you'll be mugged or shot on sight. That's just crazy. For the record, there are many more dangerous and ugly neighborhoods in NYC. Which is something all the snide posters for the Bronx should know, since that's where a lot of them are.
This is mainly a poor to working class neighborhood where anyone using common sense will be fine. If you are African-American or Latino you have probably been in this type of neighborhood before and its no big deal. If you are white you may be surprised that most of the people here will not give you a second thought . Harlem is NOT fully gentrified, but there are enough white people that no one really thinks it unusual anymore to see them walking the streets. A good-looking woman will get catcalled for sure, but that happens in Texas too.
Just do the basics. No bulletproof vest or mace needed. Take a taxi back if you're downtown late at night. Don't flash jewelry, money or electronics. Dont' buy weed on the street. . Be aware of your surroundings when you're out and about. Smile and don't don't get hostile when you refuse giving some wino money. Look like you know where you're going even if you don't. Don't walk around obviously drunk. Etc.etc. etc.
Frankly, for a visitor, there is as much a chance or more of some random street crime affecting you in Times Sq as there is in Harlem-- and that isn't a lot. Talk to your hosts (B&B? friends? relatives?) and they'll clue you in about the neighborhood.
Welcome to the city and have a good time.
THANK YOU!!! This is exactly the type of very helpful information that I was seeking! We are not a scared type of traveler - like I said, my husband is a Texas state police officer and I was a therapist in the Texas prison system for 13 years, so not much fazes us. We are white but we are friendly and don't stare at people that aren't like us as if they're all criminals. We love to meet locals (and have done so all over the world, even where language was a barrier) and see what life is really like, instead of just going to museums and staring at ridiculous art. I know Harlem isn't going to be like the ritzy areas of Manhattan, and that's okay. We actually prefer that, and definitely are NOT ritzy people looking for the most expensive places to eat or shop. It's just been so long since I was up there that I wanted to get an idea of what that section of Harlem was like now.
We will only be sleeping and occasionally eating at the place we're staying and roaming all over the boroughs the rest of the time. I've been to NYC 6 previous times, but this time we're taking our nephew for a graduation present, so we wanted to save money on the lodging since there will be three of us and it gets expensive to add a third person into an 8-day trip! We'll definitely have to hit the tourist spots for my husband and nephew to see, though.
We will use the same sort of street smarts that we use here at home (yeah, Dallas, Houston and surprisingly downtown Austin at times, can be really rough) and when traveling abroad. (I think the people in Rome have been the pushiest of any anywhere, so Harlem shouldn't be any worse!) We certainly won't be buying weed anywhere, either!
Again, THANK YOU so much! If you have any good tips on cheap food in the area, please do share!
Haha! The new fancy one where they serve produce and "fresh" salads.
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