Would you recommend these areas? (Ridge, Greene: broker, apartments, rental)

[aj2007]

So I'm searching online at rental listings and it seems that they list Prospect Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Boerum Hill all in one. Are theses areas close to each other and are they all safe? I know Park Slope is nice but I wasen't sure about the others. For some reason the just lump them all together. I've seen some stuidos for about 1,300 that look perfect. Are they coffee shops, clothing stores, resturants,grocery stores, ect around? How is the crime in these areas compared to others? If you could choose would you pick these areas or Bay Ridge?

[jeffcon0]

I live in Fort Greene and it is great. It has everything above that you mentioned except not much in the way of clothing stores although there are a few small ones and there's always Target on Atlantic. I have always felt very safe in the neighborhood and don't feel threatened when I need to walk home late at night. There are some great bars and restaurants, it has that old brownstone charm, a great park, and a very good mix of people from young professionals, hipsters, the stroller crowd, and longtime locals. It's close to just about every subway line in the city and only a couple stops to Manhattan. I commute to east midtown for work everyday and the 4/5 train from Nevins St to 59th street takes me about 30 mins. It is definitly a great neighborhood but be careful of what realtors label as "Fort Greene". They like to move that boundary deep into Bed-Stuy.

Clinton Hill is also a great neighborhood though less convenient because it is only serviced by the G train which will require a transfer to get into Manhattan. There are a lot of young college kids there because of Pratt but that means there are also lots of bars and cheap eats. Like Fort Greene it is an attractive old brownstone neighborhood with a number of mansions on certain streets as well. Brokers also like to call Bed-Stuy Clinton Hill so be careful where your apartment actually is.

Prospect Heights is OK but I don't think it is as nice as the last two. I am always sort of sketched out there unless it is in REAL prime Prospect Heights. I would argue that their are less amenities there than any of the other neighborhoods you listed but I'm sure someone could argue it. Brokers like to pass off parts of Crown Heights as Prospect Heights so watch out for that. You seeing a theme here? Brokers are scumbags.

Boerum Hill is also very nice. If you are close to Smith St I think it gives you the most local entertainment options, restaurants, and bars of all those you listed. Boerum Hill is getting more and more expensive and right now it is a very popular place for 20-somethings who can afford it. I would still take Fort Greene over it but they have many similarities. Check out the streets that have the listings. Some of them seem a bit shady (mostly closer to 4th ave) but just about any neighborhood has pockets you probably don't want to wander into late at night.

These are four distinct neighborhoods even though they share borders. If you have any specific questions I would be happy to help you out as I'm familiar with all of them. If you know the streets/intersections the apartments are on I can tell you specifically how the immediate area is. $1300 is about right for a studio. I'm actually surprised it's not more. I pay $1350 for a studio and that is going up substantially in June (at least 100 more). I'm thinking of moving to Bay Ridge to save money but I would really miss this neighborhood.