Is it me or does Cypress Hills have a lot of potential? (New York: transplants, crime rates)
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I have been reading posts on this forum for a while so thought I would just post myself! We are looking to buy and we are really drawn to the Cypress Hills area... Highland park is beautiful, the renovations so far look great. The YMCA and children's community garden on Jamaica are definite pluses. Not to mention the pretty library on arlington. The J is close by, it's an ok commute..not super fast but it works. Overall it is still affordable (for nyc).
On the other hand it is close to the rougher part of East New York, there is still a good amount of crime reports. Just recently I read a man got mugged at gunpoint near van siclan (10 am!) amongst other incidences, seems fairly consistent? Also there isn't a lot of food options, the supermarkets aren't great either.
Looking for insight/opinions? Especially from current residents. We genuinely like the neighborhood but want to be informed.
Yea, it has potential in the fact that it has access to greenspace, some pretty good housing stock, and rapid transit (though way the hell out). It'll be some time before it reaches its potential if ever. It'll probably be next on the docket if Bed-Stuy and Bushwick get gentrified all the way east--again, no telling if that'll ever happen.
And no, it does not have high crime. The crime rates north of Atlantic Ave. are relatively low. The crime problems are all south of Atlantic Ave.
And the further north you go, the nicer it gets. I would assume gentrification will eventually hit Cypress Hills, since it's already in far eastern Bushwick.
The properties around the neighborhood are at the lowest prices in the entire Brooklyn if you are planning to buy. In terms of danger, sure things do happen, but it's not as dangerous as ENY proper. If you ask for my opinion and this is based on a north-northeastern Brooklyn native perspective, if people can handle Bushwick they can definitely handle Cypress Hills. I never really had a harsh experience in the neighborhood as an adult.
The particular street you mentioned is not all that bad, I rode my bike through there many times, never had an issue and it seems quiet in comparison to some other streets. Some unique row-homes too which are elevated because of a hill it's built on. Surely the neighborhood as a whole can use some work, property can be renovated and the area can use some investment. We don't know what the future holds.
During the summer some blocks can be noisy in comparison to others, outdoor music, kids, hangouts, occasional fist fights involving teens at school yards, ect. During the winter it's much more relaxed. The busiest stations are Norwood and Crescent, this is where it seems the bulk of the inhabitant get on and off. There is a heavy police presence on Fulton Street during the night. Some undercover police also.
There are some white people in the area. Some are long term natives and in a few occasions I've seen what appears to be transplants or hipsters, especially around Crescent. The area also contains Latinos of different nationalities, other Caribbeans, South Asians, Chinese and Black-Americans.
All in all, it's not as bad as ENY proper or Brownsville, it's not as nice as Glendale or Ridgewood. I gather it's best if you and your husband would visit and drive/walk around the area for a while to feel it out for your own opinion.
The properties around the neighborhood are at the lowest prices in the entire Brooklyn if you are planning to buy. In terms of danger, sure things do happen, but it's not as dangerous as ENY proper. If you ask for my opinion and this is based on a north-northeastern Brooklyn native perspective, if people can handle Bushwick they can definitely handle Cypress Hills. I never really had a harsh experience in the neighborhood as an adult.
The particular street you mentioned is not all that bad, I rode my bike through there many times, never had an issue and it seems quiet in comparison to some other streets. Some unique row-homes too which are elevated because of a hill it's built on. Surely the neighborhood as a whole can use some work, property can be renovated and the area can use some investment. We don't know what the future holds.
During the summer some blocks can be noisy in comparison to others, outdoor music, kids, hangouts, occasional fist fights involving teens at school yards, ect. During the winter it's much more relaxed. The busiest stations are Norwood and Crescent, this is where it seems the bulk of the inhabitant get on and off. There is a heavy police presence on Fulton Street during the night. Some undercover police also.
There are some white people in the area. Some are long term natives and in a few occasions I've seen what appears to be transplants or hipsters, especially around Crescent. The area also contains Latinos of different nationalities, other Caribbeans, South Asians, Chinese and Black-Americans.
All in all, it's not as bad as ENY proper or Brownsville, it's not as nice as Glendale or Ridgewood. I gather it's best if you and your husband would visit and drive/walk around the area for a while to feel it out for your own opinion.
Yes we have spend a good amount of time walking around during the day and night, never had a negative incident. I spend a lot of time in Bushwick (south) and it feels similar to me? I get off the Cleveland stop when I go though, because the Van Siclan seems very shady. Interesting you say there is a lot of cop presence on Fulton, I feel like I never see any. (Maybe because they are undercover?) The other option is getting off at Broadway Junction and taking the Jamaica ave bus, how do you feel about that route?
You think Cypress Hills has lower home prices then ENY proper? That seems strange to me.
Curious how you feel about Highland Park in itself? It seems so underutilized. Do you think it is dangerous? I've been through in the daytime a bunch but never night.
Yes we have spend a good amount of time walking around during the day and night, never had a negative incident. I spend a lot of time in Bushwick (south) and it feels similar to me? I get off the Cleveland stop when I go though, because the Van Siclan seems very shady. Interesting you say there is a lot of cop presence on Fulton, I feel like I never see any. (Maybe because they are undercover?) The other option is getting off at Broadway Junction and taking the Jamaica ave bus, how do you feel about that route?
You think Cypress Hills has lower home prices then ENY proper? That seems strange to me.
Curious how you feel about Highland Park in itself? It seems so underutilized. Do you think it is dangerous? I've been through in the daytime a bunch but never night.
Cleveland stop isn't all that bad, it's similar to Crescent and Norwood just not as busy. I can understand the way you feel about Van Siclen and it's the appearance of the stop and area. There are some green space and garages around the station.
During the late hours you will definitely see the NYPD in uniform around Norwood and Crescent which are the busiest stops in the neighborhood. At times it feels like they are on every corner on foot or on standby inside vehicle. The undercover cops may appear like everyone else. On many nights coming home, I've seen 3-4 undercover cars stopping or arresting individuals who happen to be driving drunk, ran the light, selling drugs or probably suspected of illegal activity and been under examination. I am not kidding.
Broadway Junction has a bad history for being a location where you will definitely see the baddies who come from the surrounding areas for it services. But the area is much more calm today than it was in years gone by. I never really seen any major incidents (but occasional fights involving teens around the passages or hallways) but you will definitely see ghetto-shady individuals hopping on and off.
About Highland Park, It has improved to what it was in the 90's or earlier 2000's. At times it may seem busy during the summer season with kids playing basketball at the courts, individuals walking their dogs or people cruising on bikes. The upper areas north of Highland blvd is much more tranquil, besides the traffic which goes by. I guess because it's a bit off the path.
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