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I just moved to NYC from Minneapolis, and I'm working in Chelsea, Manhattan. Currently, I'm trying to figure out where to live. I'm looking through craigslist ads for roomshares/ roommates/ etc, and I'm finding that the areas that are mostly within my price range (>$850/mo) are in either Bed Stuy, Bushwick, south of Prospect Park, Harlem, and some Astoria places.
My main goals are to cut my commute time down as much as possible, live in a fun and safe neighborhood for a new resident, 28 years old, and I'd also like to be close to a college or university to take some classes in the fall or spring.
Right now, I'm leaning toward Harlem, because it seems like it would be nice taking the westside highway down to Chelsea via bike when the weather permits, and west Harlem seems like a higher education bastion, with City College and Columbia nearby.
Also, people keep telling me that Astoria is too far away. I assume they mean from Brooklyn.
Also, people keep telling me that Astoria is too far away. I assume they mean from Brooklyn.
Probably. A lot of transplant Brooklyn residents you are most likely talking to get really convinced that northwest Brooklyn is the center of the Milky Way. And Coney Island at times, when they can be photographed and instagram'd down there.
Astoria is not "too far away". It's closer to midtown than any neighborhood in Brooklyn. And a fine commute to Chelsea.
Unless you’re a visual artist, I’d choose Harlem or Astoria. Bushwick attracts a lot of working artists. If that’s your scene, it might be a better choice.
Hmm, as you said you want to be near a college I would go for Harlem around City College campus. Some beautiful brownstones there and the campus is nice. Only downside is there are some spots that whil OK for safety are not that plasing and late at night you may not want to be hanging around there (the same can be said of a few spots near Astoria - some streets near the Astoria Houses and down in Ravenswood at the projects or near the power plant I would advise not going through late at night - similar situation to Harlem though the pockets in Astoria are smaller than Harlem ).
Commute from express stops in Harlem to Chelsea and express Q from Astoria will be about the same - roughly 30 minutes.
The reason though I say West Harlem City College area is as a NYC resident you will qualify for in-state tuition at City College for classes at a price which is extremely low for the US. Also Columbia U is not far if you are ambitious and have the financial means.
If you are in Astoria, Hunter College/CUNY on the Upper East Side of Manhattan is a fast commute by train and there is LaGuardia Community College/CUNY closer by in LIC (over the bridge when you get off the Court Square stop) which may offer some good language classes but Hunter tends to be better. Unlike Harlem though it would be a long walk to either of these places, bicycling LaGuardia would be easy, Hunter not bad. Oh an I forgot Baruch/CUNY on the east side of Manhattan down in the 30's I believe is possible. One of the biggest pros of Astoria is depending where you live you can get to many amenities easily and , of course, eat a ton of cuisines and get your basics in clothes an housewares on Steinway Street and some spots on Broadway.
So after West Harlem for convenience to a good college some beautiful areas, and Astoria for an equally quick commute in a neighborhood with greater covenience to amenities but not as pretty as the City College area of Harlem, I would go for south of Park Slope as the N and R and Q have express stops at 7th Ave on Flatbush and furth south on 9th Street I believe (around the hospital). Park Slope has extensive brownstone areas with ample foilage and access to great cultural sites - drawback is the nearest high quality schools would be Pratt in Fort Greene, Medgar Evers in Crown Heights?Prospect Heights border and Brooklyn College/CUNY in Flatbush. Of course you'd have access to more schools as you travel to Chelsea - NYU, Cooper Union, SVA in the Village and in downtown Manhattan Pace University and Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY. Park Slop will be more spread out than West Harlem and Astoria with amenities mostly along 7th, 5th Avenues and a few cool performance spaces and "hip" places spread out as you go toward 4th Ave into Gowanus (a great performance venue I enjoy is Shapeshifter in Gowanus).
In sum, my est suggestion is to try a few walking tours:
West Harlem: City College subway stop 137th Street, try Convent Ave to the north and walk St Nicholas a little north of there say to 145 and then go south to 116th so you get an idea of the good and not-so-great of the bneighborhood. Hopefully Harlemnites will fill in the details for me.
Astoria: Ditmars last stop on the N and Q walk west to the water to see Astoria Park and then loop back and past the train and walk to Steinway for a taste of the older Greek/Italian neighborhood and an idea of what your longest commute would be. Other stops Broadway and 30th Ave with 30th Ave being a bit of the "hip" central of Astoria for now. For a more interesting walk get off 36th Street stop on the R an M walk to Coffeed on a Saturday and check out the organic rooftop farm nd then walk north to 36th Ave and walk toward the N and Q and a few more blocks before looping up to 35th Ave and the Museum of Moving Image which takes you near the Steinway Street subway stop.
South of Park Slope - I am assuming something like 7th Ave on the F and G or 15th Street. But I am not sure. Try those stops and mak your way to Prospect Park. Finally check on the B and Q Newkirk Ave and Church Street express stops. It is the Flatbush area going into Midwood which can quite residential with some lovely houses - Victorian and pretty houses with wraparound houses as well as apartment buildings - all in very different shape. Very Caribbean feel and spread out.
OP - keep in mind that east and west of St. Nicholas Park differ very much.
We would not live east of the park again, but people are moving there.
West of the park is really Manhattanville and finally (moving up) Hamilton Heights.
Yes, I realize that I have myself have called this area "West Harlem." I would not now - it is a different area.
West of the park is fine everywhere except St. Nicholas Terrace, and even that is changing and will change much more given the Columbia building projects.
Amsterdam above 125th has the projects ... west of the projects to the river is seeing vast and rapid development.
Lower Convent is within walking distance of Columbia and City College, but Convent is not so affordable.
I would not live ON St. Nicholas, but living nearby gives easy access to the east side - did you mention a bicycle ...? It cuts across, west to east from uptown.
Yeah I second your advice on St Nicholas, some beauitiful buildings but quite a few not in great shape. Some are public housing and so with NYCHA's spotty history you probably may not want to live right next to one. That was one of my reasons for recommending walking down St Nicholas from 140's down to 116th - you get to a more realistic picture of the neighborhood. Also even just off St Nicholas a block or two to the east is fine.
Yeah I second your advice on St Nicholas, some beauitiful buildings but quite a few not in great shape. Some are public housing and so with NYCHA's spotty history you probably may not want to live right next to one. That was one of my reasons for recommending walking down St Nicholas from 140's down to 116th - you get to a more realistic picture of the neighborhood. Also even just off St Nicholas a block or two to the east is fine.
Thanks for the clarification and corrections.
Well, the challenge is - it often looks "fine"-ish. Although ... I walked home from the Met the other early evening and could not believe how St. Nicholas around 116th had deteriorated - litter and garbage everywhere, people hanging out, quite literally a police office at every corner. Which indicates that there have been "incidents." These seldom hit the press in a big way because development interests would like to sell people on moving there and helping with the gentrification that means more $$$$ for them.
The 'hood culture has always been unbearable. I met a developer who told me that St. Nicholas is this impossible street, no matter where, anything anyone does is stolen, sabotaged, whatever - immediately. So many anti-socials.
Many of the buildings are social-service housing, unfortunately. This is the case all of the way up St. Nicholas.
I'd also suggest Harlem. I visit a friend all the time at about 129th and St. Nicholas Terrace and I've never had a problem. Some nice restaurants are popping up there and its not a bad commute down to Chelsea.
I'd also suggest Harlem. I visit a friend all the time at about 129th and St. Nicholas Terrace and I've never had a problem. Some nice restaurants are popping up there and its not a bad commute down to Chelsea.
That is an up-and-coming building.
Only one restaurant opened, 127th and St. N., but it's a start.
127th and St. N. Terrace to just about 129th - nightmare. This will change I think.
An old-timer commented to me the other day that the crack children, raised by grandmothers (or not) are entering teenage-hood. He was commenting on the increasing problem of unsupervised, "feral" (my significant other's designation) adolescents in the area now. It is my theory that they all live in that two-block spread and on 127th.
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