Roll Call! What NYC neighborhood do you live in? and name a few pros and cons about it.... (Webster: transplants, movie theater)

[Joe Bama!]

Flatbush/Midwood
Pro:
Flatbush Avenue
Train access
Bus to rockaway (Q35)
West Indian Food
Brooklyn College
Affordable (for now)
Hipsters are few
Close to my Mom's house
Dollar vans
cons:
The 2 train sucks
Traffic is crazy

[Gardier]

I forgot to mention:

1. Long commute to the city.
2. Poor transit service and safety.
3. Empty drug bags, cigar innards everywhere.
4. Frequent gunshots in the air and at people.
5. Kids and poor adults shoot dice (gamble), smoke weed, drink and fist fight in front of most entrances or walk ways blocking everyones way for some strange reason.
6. Liqour stores, and bodegas are for shopping.
7. The police just ride by when they SEE shady things, such as fights or drug use take place. I guess because of how many rowdy people are outside.
8. Gangs, crackheads offering working tax payers sex for $5 or $10.

I could go on...

[passdoubt]

Harlem

Pros: More affordable than anything south of here (and bizarrely enough, Wash Heights and Inwood aren't really any cheaper despite being further out), on a ton of express trains at 125 to get downtown, tons of buses to get across town, cheapest movie theater in Manhattan, cheapest bowling in Manhattan, Pathmark is cheaper than other grocery stores,

Cons: Food options are mostly limited to traditional ghetto food, soul food, Spanish, and African. Dead at night. Everything closes early (except the Pathmark). Very few bars or sit-down restaurants (nightlife is restricted to a couple jazz clubs). Not even a single 24-hour diner up here.

[jax78]

Just moved. So I'm going to do both.

Astoria (I miss it!!!!!!)

Pros:
-GREAT FOOD and GREAT Variety-amazing Colombian, Greek, Egyptian, etc.
-Diversity not only with food, but people
-Less than 10 minutes and you're in Manhattan
-NW or RV..people complain about these lines, but I've never had a problem.
-Astoria Park! So beautiful, relaxing, and a great place to read, work out, or people watch with nice views of the city. Movies and music at night in the summer.
-I know some streets can be dirty, but I think it's a pretty area. Mixed houses, lots of trees esp by Ditmars, and I just like the look.
-Shopping on Steinway, Ditmars
-Outdoor Cafes on 30th Ave..nice during the summer
-You don't need a car.

Cons:
-Parking/Traffic
-Can be seen as dirty I guess (some streets), but this didn't really bother me.

[jax78]

Just moved to Rego Park/Forest Hills border (on the Rego Park side)

Pros:
-Good subway access. I'm right by the local RV, but not a far walk to the Express F/E
-Austin Street and Metropolitian are cool with shopping and some restaurants
-don't need a car
-close to the LIRR
-lots of people everywhere, day and night
-close to a lot of shopping, mall, Austin St, etc.
-nice houses
-express train to the city is quick
-everything you need is walking distance

Cons
-haven't found any amazing food.
-Parking. I don't drive anymore, but my bf is having a lot of problems.
-i don't like the way it looks. Just buildings and coops and condos; though, it is nice by the Gardens and the houses are nice.

[nyctc7]

I grew up on the UWS and also lived in Prospect Park South. Too long ago to comment.

Gramercy Park Area
PROS
Lots of street life on the Avenues, but quiet on the residential side streets
Safe
Short walk to Union Square, East Village, Chelsea, Flatiron
Union Square: Farmer's Market, good shopping and eats, great subway hub (4,5,6,L,N,Q,R,W), interesting people watching as the south area of Union Square has become a hang out.
East Village: quirky shops, restuarants, bars, interesting to walk around
Chelsea: same, plus convienent big chain stores like Bed, Bath, and Beyond, Sports Authority, TJ Maxx, Filene's Basement, The Container Store, Old Navy, Best Buy, Home Depot
Flatiron: same, minus the shopping, but still a short walk to it

CONS
Expensive, but not all bad
Avoid living on streets that are lined with restaurants; noise from patrons not so bad, but the private hauling companies for the restaurant trash come in the middle of the night
Inconvenient to own a car
Not a lot of green, like if you lived near Central or Riverside Park.

Kips Bay
To the person who lives on Lex and 27th--I live a few blocks away--I know what you mean. In Manhattan Bock By Block they call it Midtown South, but I have never, ever, heard anyone call it this.

PROS
Quiet residential side streets
Lots of bars on 3rd Ave, many have good food
A longer walk to Union Square, East Village, etc, than Gramercy, but still not bad
(For the guys) Seems like all the girls want to live here, my building must be 75% female. There's more nightlife than Murray Hill (which is dead) but everyone who lives just a few blocks south of 34th says they live in Murray Hill.
Strolling down the East River Promenade is nice

CONS
Fairly expensive
Like Gramercy, not a lot of green--no major parks.
Poor shopping--I have like 10 dry cleaners in a four block radius, a couple of Duane Reades, a Borders Books, a decent Hardware store, and the grocery shopping is ok, but little else.
Restaurants are pretty overrated. Not bad, but overrated. There is some good pub grub.
3rd Ave becomes frat boy/yuppie central Thurs, Fri, and Sat nights, but it's not so bad.
Lots of recent college grads live here, they work had and party hard, if you're unlucky you might have noisy neighbors.
Overall, the neighborhood can feel a little sterile compared to East Village, Union Square, etc.
There is a short stretch on 2nd Ave around 27th that feels a little unsavory, and a homeless shelter on 1st and 29th, but overall this is a safe neighborhood, many single woman live here, and I've heard nothing bad.

[krenae]

Bensonhurst:
Pros: Cheap rent, (3 br 1300!), great grocery shopping, good regular shopping, lots of dogs, parks, beach is a few train stops away, a few good restaurants.

Cons: 50 - 60 min train ride on the D, which may or may not actually be the N depending on day and time, no parking, no night life, hasidics who r very mean to my dog

[DanishmomNYC]

Hi,

Would/could someone pls. tell a few pros/cons on Riverdale,Bronx and Westchester?

I consider moving there..
Thanks in advance...

[Rachael84]

Ditmars area of Astoria:

Pros:

Lot of different ethnic food.
Quick subway ride into Manhattan.
Not as crowded in this area considering it's very close to Manhattan.
Very close to Laguardia airport (I'm only 10 blocks away but never hear the planes).

Cons:
A little dirty.
Rents are expensive (at least to me). Still cheaper than Manhattan though.
No one scoops their dog droppings. Other areas I've seen/lived in didn't have a problem like this area does.

[cotb16]

Morrisania, Bronx

Pros:

If you live east of Boston Rd, you're close to the 2/5 trains with the 6 train ten minutes east
More and more stores coming to the neighborhood (both chain and local)
Easy access to shopping (3rd Av, Southern Blvd)
Easy access to Manhattan (the trains to midtown and downtown, the Bx6 and 35 to Washington Heights, and the Bx15 to Harlem)
Since I live in Forest Houses, many of the residents have lived there for at least 15+ years
Cops are doing many undercover drug stings and hallway inspections

Cons

If you live west of Boston Rd, you must take a bus to the train
A lot of housing projects (especially at 163rd St or at 168th/Webster)
I live by 3 high schools (so many rowdy kids stay in the area after school until cops force them to leave)
Rowdy teenagers in my projects
Loud parties every Friday and Saturday night
Schools aren't so good
Kids playing with the elevators
Fights every weekend or every other (with some gunshots in the process)