Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You had mentioned that my earlier assessment was incorrect (see post #13) -- I'm just asking why so.
It is not the UWS, nor is it "yuupie-fied." Would that it were so. The developer-interested press yahoo would love to create this impression, which I consider harmful. The problems will not go away unless out in the open and discussed honestly.
There are still many destructive people and attitudes, stores are terrible, services in restaurants (and food) often terrible as well. Services do not exist. And again, there were several recent attacks on people and one in particular quite disturbing. It is someone my SO knows, they did not even go to the police for fear. Yet we were not surprised - the energy is there, palatable if you live in the area.
We live west of the Park, which while far from perfect, is very different.
The other Manhattan areas you mentioned have the same pros and cons. Have you checked out Hudson Heights. Which is Washington Heights west of Broadway?
Harlem Resident will post all of the negative of Harlem, I'll post more of the positive. I think Harlem resident exaggerates a little but we are both telling the truth. So my advice is to take both opinions into consideration and you will have an accurate assessment.
Admit this is true, not intentional exaggeration but we really are fed up. With everything from the destructive adolescents to the way the bodega owners treat their cats.
Yet not ready to move back downtown yet, or for practical reasons would rather wait.
If there were more stores west we would not be over around that area, FDB and environs.
Hamilton Heights has more quality of life issues. Some blocks and buildings are very noisy. There is drug dealing etc. The White people moving in are young, usually transplants, and don't have a lot of money. They either participate in the action or they tolerate it because it is short commute downtown and they don't know the other boros well enough yet to find housing in a comparable price range.
This OP has enough money to live in midtown and wants to pay less. For that type of person I wouldn't recommend Hamilton Heights at all unless the OP rents a brownstone apt on an all brownstone block making sure that the rear of the house also faces an all brownstone block. Not so easy to find one that is vacant.
Btw Bedstuy offers more of this type of living that I just described with nice renovated brownstone apts. Quick trip to Midtown and Lower Manhattan as well.
morningside park is a decent area. you're within close proximity of amenities, transit options, and the area is heavily patrolled. I feel you're being too paranoid about this. sometimes it takes more than one trip to the area of where you're gonna live. I suggest making a few. if you're comfort level is not there, and you cant help but to feel like a target, don't move.
I admit I am an ignorant, white transplant who is probably worrying over nothing.
I've been living in NYC for a few years but I want cheaper housing and more room. I found a good spot that fits all my reqs, but it's in an area I'm honestly hesitant about based on the unofficial safety map I've found through this forum.
Can anyone speak to this area with a little more detail? When I scoped the area out I felt like the only white person around, which makes me feel like I stick out when my goal in NYC is to blend in and not attract attention when I am out in public.
It also makes me worry a bit about my girlfriend, who is asian (and also felt like she stuck out). She gets home a bit later than I do so I worry about her safety at night.
Anyways what do you guys think?
Clearly, you have reservations about moving to the location, therefore you should look elsewhere and find a community that you will be able to easily blend into...
Harlem Resident is correct in everything he/she is saying. However I moved to FDB (8th ave) between 114 and 115th 2 1/2 years ago and I can honestly say that this year in particular there have been so many positive changes. The dirt bike riders are now keeping mostly east of us, most of the drug trafficking has moved east towards 7th (ACP), litter is a huge problem , noise depending on where you are is a problem and so is the mosque. The first 1 1/2 yrs we lived here we called the 28th precinct twice a day because of noise (cars blasting music, people fighting and yelling in the street, etc) it was a living nightmare. Now I can say that the last time I called police was in June because kids were jumping on parked cars on 8th ave. The loitering in the summer is bad especially at night, along FDB this past summer was better than previous summers though in that the people weren't fighting, just talking loudly. There has been a recent turnover in a lot of those old tenement buildings. Since the Feds are cutting back on section 8 benefits, people are moving and building owners are listing apartments now at market rate. You should take the C train to 110 on a sunny Saturday morning around 11a or noon and walk up along 8th ave to 124th st. Then you will see a totally different neighborhood than what you see on a Friday night, it actually does resemble the upper west side. Most non-black people head downtown on Fri and Saturday nights so then the area does become predominately black. There are pockets to avoid of course. For example do not walk on w114th street between 7th and 8th, apparently w118th and manhattan ave isn't too great either. The uptown entrance of the C/B train is disgusting. There are always chairs on the sidewalk where the crackheads sit. Black people seem to target white men who wear suits, they will badger them for money and sometimes be yelled at if they don't give anything. My husband was attacked right in front if the Livmor condo back in January because he wouldn't give change to someone. When we first moved here in 2011 we were spit at, called "white devils" and yelled at. That behavior has mostly subsided I don't think I've been yelled at this year at all. There are too many white people, upper middle class blacks and other ethnicities who are living here now so most of those thugs hang out east of 8th ave. Also there is a huge new condo being built on 110 and morningside park it will be completely in 2014 so that will bring in a whole new influx of people. There is a brand new lux rental building that just opened on 124 and st. Nick. TriBeCa pediatrics is opening on 8th and 114 soon, lots of positive changes in the area. Stay west of 7th ave, take a walk to Best Yet (since that's where you will be food shopping) 8th and 118, grab some brunch at the bier garden on 113 and 8th (the truffle fries are yummy) or head over to harlem tavern for some brunch with live music.
Harlem Resident is correct in everything he/she is saying. However I moved to FDB (8th ave) between 114 and 115th 2 1/2 years ago and I can honestly say that this year in particular there have been so many positive changes. The dirt bike riders are now keeping mostly east of us, most of the drug trafficking has moved east towards 7th (ACP), litter is a huge problem , noise depending on where you are is a problem and so is the mosque. The first 1 1/2 yrs we lived here we called the 28th precinct twice a day because of noise (cars blasting music, people fighting and yelling in the street, etc) it was a living nightmare. Now I can say that the last time I called police was in June because kids were jumping on parked cars on 8th ave. The loitering in the summer is bad especially at night, along FDB this past summer was better than previous summers though in that the people weren't fighting, just talking loudly. There has been a recent turnover in a lot of those old tenement buildings. Since the Feds are cutting back on section 8 benefits, people are moving and building owners are listing apartments now at market rate. You should take the C train to 110 on a sunny Saturday morning around 11a or noon and walk up along 8th ave to 124th st. Then you will see a totally different neighborhood than what you see on a Friday night, it actually does resemble the upper west side. Most non-black people head downtown on Fri and Saturday nights so then the area does become predominately black. There are pockets to avoid of course. For example do not walk on w114th street between 7th and 8th, apparently w118th and manhattan ave isn't too great either. The uptown entrance of the C/B train is disgusting. There are always chairs on the sidewalk where the crackheads sit. Black people seem to target white men who wear suits, they will badger them for money and sometimes be yelled at if they don't give anything. My husband was attacked right in front if the Livmor condo back in January because he wouldn't give change to someone. When we first moved here in 2011 we were spit at, called "white devils" and yelled at. That behavior has mostly subsided I don't think I've been yelled at this year at all. There are too many white people, upper middle class blacks and other ethnicities who are living here now so most of those thugs hang out east of 8th ave. Also there is a huge new condo being built on 110 and morningside park it will be completely in 2014 so that will bring in a whole new influx of people. There is a brand new lux rental building that just opened on 124 and st. Nick. TriBeCa pediatrics is opening on 8th and 114 soon, lots of positive changes in the area. Stay west of 7th ave, take a walk to Best Yet (since that's where you will be food shopping) 8th and 118, grab some brunch at the bier garden on 113 and 8th (the truffle fries are yummy) or head over to harlem tavern for some brunch with live music.
I'm confused. Why did you move to Harlem if you felt so uncomfortable around the people in the community?
Also, your comments shed light on why you and your husband were disrespected by the local residents:
Quote:
There are too many white people, upper middle class blacks and other ethnicities who are living here now so most of those thugs hang out east of 8th ave.
It's funny that you felt the need to add "upper middle class" before black, but didn't use such a description to describe the white population in Harlem. Are all white people in the area upper middle class?
I'm confused. Why did you move to Harlem if you felt so uncomfortable around the people in the community?
Also, your comments shed light on why you and your husband were disrespected by the local residents:
It's funny that you felt the need to add "upper middle class" before black, but didn't use such a description to describe the white population in Harlem. Are all white people in the area upper middle class?
Yes, they are.
The "comments" statement is far too foolish to merit attention.
News flash. Not all "people in the community" are poorly socialized. Many generations-long residents have also called the police every night, for years, and few of those people involve themselves in street harassment. Hint: the ones who do are the aforementioned poorly-socialized folk.
Unsupervised brats also jump on cars on Convent. On a quieter evening, they merely use them for lounging, although this too has caused damage to private property. When one resident finally called the police (people now call every night), one of the perpetrators taunted them with his age, 14, stating "they can't do nothin'." Unfortunately, they cannot be arrested under a certain age, only taken to the precinct where their parents are summoned to retrieve them. Said parents often arrive yelling and screaming about racism and harassment. Yeah. Can't make this stuff up.
About the building on 110th and Morningside - they will be market-rate and assert another change. There is also the building ... 123rd ? Many fires, set by the crack heads who squatted, now undergoing a complete re-hab. I heard there, as well, market rate.
The "comments" statement is far too foolish to merit attention.
News flash. Not all "people in the community" are poorly socialized. Many generations-long residents have also called the police every night, for years, and few of those people involve themselves in street harassment. Hint: the ones who do are the aforementioned poorly-socialized folk.
Unsupervised brats also jump on cars on Convent. On a quieter evening, they merely use them for lounging, although this too has caused damage to private property. When one resident finally called the police (people now call every night), one of the perpetrators taunted them with his age, 14, stating "they can't do nothin'." Unfortunately, they cannot be arrested under a certain age, only taken to the precinct where their parents are summoned to retrieve them. Said parents often arrive yelling and screaming about racism and harassment. Yeah. Can't make this stuff up.
About the building on 110th and Morningside - they will be market-rate and assert another change. There is also the building ... 123rd ? Many fires, set by the crack heads who squatted, now undergoing a complete re-hab. I heard there, as well, market rate.
Funny, I lived at 4 W 121 street for several years and never experienced any problems. Then again, I never felt the need to stereotype and I didn't believe that I was better than those who lived in public housing.
Don Lemon is that you?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
