Riverdale, Bronx info needed (Scarsdale, Woodmere: middle-class, apartments, rent)

[starrynight]

A friend of mine suggested to find affordable rent in Riverdale Bronx. I will work in financial district and am wondering how convenient the transportation will be from Riverdale to downtown. Does it take a long time to get to downtown? Is Riverdale a safe neighborhood and is it basically a residential area?
Any info will be appreciated. Thanks.

[rlrl]

I live in a studio on Broadway and 252 street and pay a little over $800 for a studio. Very well maintained rent stabilized bldg (built in '59), neighborhood is almost(nowhere is perfect in NY) crime free, everyone looks out, free parking on side streets and side avenue.

Riverdale basically divided into north, central and south. The closer you are to Broadway the cheaper the rents will be. Though seen as somewhat less desirable than areas further to the west, the low crime rate and peaceful surroundings are virtually the same

The Metro North Hudson line has stations at Riverdale (many commuters in N Riverdale use the Hudson rail link shuttle to get to Riverdale station), Spuyten Duyvil and Marble hill to go to Grand Central. The ride is maybe 35-40 minutes.

There are the MTA express bus lines that Bxm 3(goes to 5th Avenue) and other 2 lines(E side and W side) which i cannot remember the numbers of the lines. Commute takes about 45 minutes to midtown

then there is the IRT #1 local train which goes from 242 street to South Ferry. the ride is 14 miles and takes close to an hour

[thf415]

a lot of Riverdale is very expensive since it the most desirable section of the Bronx and is beautiful. finding an affordable place to live there won't necessarily be easy, but good luck. if you're willing to look in other boroughs other deirable neighborhoods with subways include forest hills in queens and park slope in brooklyn.

[mead]

I live in a neighboring section of the Bronx, and recently I've been warming up to Riverdale a lot. I'm especially fond of the area around 235th & Johnson Ave. Very nice area, lots of little restaurants and shops. It looks like they'are opening up a starbucks there which should be nice.

North Riverdale is also very nice, however there aren't nearly as many little shops & restaurants unless you go down to Kingsbridge.

Pretty much all of Riverdale is nice, however Northern Riverdale is more affordable than the Southern part of Riverdale. The most exclusive neighborhood in Riverdale is Fieldston where there are lots of old mansions that cost millions of dollars.

However as to your particular situation I don't know if Riverdale would work for you. The commute from just about anywhere in the Bronx to Wall Street can take forever.

For cheap rents with an easy commute to Wall Street you might want to consider Jersey City, parts of Brooklyn (not so cheap anymore though) or even Staten Island (30 minutes on the ferry and it drops you off right next to Wall Street).

Going downtown from either the Bronx or Queens is going to take you a long time, so you might want to look at other locations, like the ones I mentioned.

[SeventhFloor]

Originally Posted by rlrl

I live in a studio on Broadway and 252 street and pay a little over $800 for a studio. Very well maintained rent stabilized bldg (built in '59), neighborhood is almost(nowhere is perfect in NY) crime free, everyone looks out, free parking on side streets and side avenue.

Riverdale basically divided into north, central and south. The closer you are to Broadway the cheaper the rents will be. Though seen as somewhat less desirable than areas further to the west, the low crime rate and peaceful surroundings are virtually the same

The Metro North Hudson line has stations at Riverdale (many commuters in N Riverdale use the Hudson rail link shuttle to get to Riverdale station), Spuyten Duyvil and Marble hill to go to Grand Central. The ride is maybe 35-40 minutes.

There are the MTA express bus lines that Bxm 3(goes to 5th Avenue) and other 2 lines(E side and W side) which i cannot remember the numbers of the lines. Commute takes about 45 minutes to midtown

then there is the IRT #1 local train which goes from 242 street to South Ferry. the ride is 14 miles and takes close to an hour

damn u got a nice ass deal.....how long have u been there if im not getting 2 personal?

[Guywithacause]

Riverdale is fine if you have a family and do not have to commute downtown. It has lots of trees, is well maintained, nice homes, family friendly, clean, lots of parks, etc. That's about it though...if you are looking for any sort of nightlife...forget it....not many restaurants in Riverdale either..there are a few though.

If you are looking for an easy commute to downtown..forget it. If you like spending your time in the city....it is not the greatest choice. Yes you can take the metronorth into Grand Central..then you have to schlepp your way to downtown too...that is a long and painful commute.

If you are a city person..i.e. like the urban environment, the easy access to Manhattan and everything it has to offer, Riverdale is not for you. If you are looking for a long commute, and looking for a suburban setting to come home to..then Riverdale is a good choice.

[NewYorkerGal]

Riverdale is the safest part of the Bronx. It's expensive. It's very Jewish. My friend from school actually used to live there until she and her family moved to Woodmere..

[mead]

I would have to disagree on some points.

First off there are different sectionsof Riverdale, so that might be causing the confusion here. There is South Riverdale/Sputeyn Duevil, Fieldston/Wave Hill, and North Riverdale. All of these neighborhoods are pretty distinct and have their own vibe.

As to the restaurants. On Johnson Ave and Riverdale ave (in South Riverdale) there are actually a lot of restaurants. The area around 235th & Johnson Ave alone has something like 4-5 Chinese restaurants, a Japanese restaurant, an Indian restaurant, a Jewish deli, a Subway, bagel stores, and a couple of other restaurants. This is probably one of the most restaurant filled areas of the Bronx, and they're even going to open up a Starbucks right there.

Now a lot of people in Riverdale complain about the restaurants because they are accustomed to living in nicer areas of Manhattan with 4 star restaurants on every corner. However for the Bronx, Riverdale (the South portion of it at least) is like a foodie's dream come true. Even in North Riverdale along Mosholu there are a bunch of restaurants that look pretty good (Italian, Japanese, BBQ, Irish).

I know in my neighborhood of the Bronx there are only 2 real restaurants, and the rest are take out joints and pizza parlors.

Now as to the urbanity of the area. Around 235th & Johnson its pretty dense, it is also pretty dense down in Sputyn Duevil. In Fieldston it is all low density, single-family mansions (looks like Bronxville/Scarsdale basically). In Northern Riverdale along Mosholu ave its kind of a mix between apartments/muti-family homes and single-family homes. This mix is common in more middle-class neighborhoods of the Bronx in places like Wakefield, Morris Park, Pelham parkway, etc.

The biggest drawback to Riverdale is that it can take a long time to get to midtown or downtown from there. There are the Metro North stations but all of them are located along the waterfront and as a result are pretty difficult to get there without a car. You can however take the local bus to the 1 subway or take one of the express buses for $5.

Originally Posted by Guywithacause

Riverdale is fine if you have a family and do not have to commute downtown. It has lots of trees, is well maintained, nice homes, family friendly, clean, lots of parks, etc. That's about it though...if you are looking for any sort of nightlife...forget it....not many restaurants in Riverdale either..there are a few though.

If you are looking for an easy commute to downtown..forget it. If you like spending your time in the city....it is not the greatest choice. Yes you can take the metronorth into Grand Central..then you have to schlepp your way to downtown too...that is a long and painful commute.

If you are a city person..i.e. like the urban environment, the easy access to Manhattan and everything it has to offer, Riverdale is not for you. If you are looking for a long commute, and looking for a suburban setting to come home to..then Riverdale is a good choice.

[Guywithacause]

Anyone renmotely termed a foodie would think all the restaurants you names were local hole in the walls. Yes there are a few restaurants..but if you live there..it would be the same 4 restaurants that you would have available to you...so selection is also lacking big time. Riverdale is not urban at all...being dense and being urban are 2 different things...maybe it would be urban if it were in Texas..but by NYC standards...it is quite suburban in the look, feel, and density.

[mead]

Alright we'll have to agree to disagree, but I was talking from a Bronx perspective that these restaurants are pretty good.

I wouldn't say selection is lacking though. Jewish Deli, Irish food, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Thai. Thats great for a neighborhood in the Bronx.

In my neighborhood we have Pizza, Chinese takeout, and Irish food. I enjoy it, but its nothing that special.

Originally Posted by Guywithacause

Anyone renmotely termed a foodie would think all the restaurants you names were local hole in the walls. Yes there are a few restaurants..but if you live there..it would be the same 4 restaurants that you would have available to you...so selection is also lacking big time. Riverdale is not urban at all...being dense and being urban are 2 different things...maybe it would be urban if it were in Texas..but by NYC standards...it is quite suburban in the look, feel, and density.