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thanks for further replies. I think that I am further confirmed to live in Elmhurst. I am moving from Vancouver, Canada. The city is not as massive as Manhanttan. It seems Elmhurst has more of suburban feeling, so I think I will adapt living there better.
Access to cheap and variety of food and distance to my school are two biggest factors for me. I will study in school from 8am to 6pm weekdays, so I don't have the time to live the high life in Manhattan. But Elmhurst is still pretty close for me to enjoy the high life in Manhattan during the weekends :P
If I get drunk during the weekend, I probably will sleep over at my dental friend's place in Manhattan.
how about Astoria? does it have a big Asian population? Is it farther away from Manhattan compared to Elmhurst? Thanks.
Astoria has some Asians, but definitly not as much as Elmhurst. I think Elmhurst has the 2nd highest Asian population out of any neighborhood in Queens, after Flushing.
Astoria is around 15% Asian. Most of the Asians are of South Asian descent (i.e. Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) but there are a decent number of Chinese, a smattering of Koreans and a surprisingly noticeable (considering their little numbers in NYC and the East Coast as a whole) Japanese community. Most of the East Asians however living in Astoria tend to be young professional Asian-Americans who work in Manhattan, not recent immigrants as you'll find in a place like Elmhurst. As such, there isn't as much Asian influence. You don't see large stretches of storefronts with Asian characters in other words as you do in Elmhurst, Flushing, etc.
There are great dining options in Astoria. There are terrific Greek and Italian places everywhere, a large stretch of Middle Eastern restaurants in one part, and a good number of Latin and Brazilian places scattered around, in addition to a few more obscure cuisines such as Afghan and Bosnian. There seems to be a dearth however of good quality Asian restaurants. There's a surprisingly high number of Japanese restaurants, but most Chinese restaurants are little greasy take-away restaurants and from what I've heard (I'm not a big fan of Chinese food myself), not so good. There are some pricey restaurants (most newer places opening up, and a lot of the Euro cafes), but a good number of cheap hole-in-the-wall places too that you'll come to find rather quickly.
Cost may be an issue in Astoria however. I read through your previous posts and saw no mention of whether or not you were willing to share an apartment. If not, then unfortunately your $1000/month rent limit is unlikely to get anything. If willing to share a two-bedroom apartment however, you could afford Astoria. Door to door however, a commute from Astoria to NYU may be a bit of a brunt, probably clocking in at around 45 minutes.
Astoria is kinda expensive in some parts. It's really a short ride from Midtown. (about 10 minuets) Though NYU is all the way downtown. (You will have to transfer at Lexington Ave/59th St and take the F train to W.4th Washington Sq. Or go to 42nd St and take the A down to W 4th. It's up to you..)
Elmhurst is a big neighborhood and some parts of it can be a bit scary at night. And it's not as good a commute as some of the other posters would have you believe.
I would urge you to consider other areas, Astoria, LIC or Sunnyside, perhaps.
ghguy - could you tell me which areas of Elmhurst are dangerous at night? I just got back from a long walk (10pm) from around the area of the Target Mall, all the way to Jackson Heights (over a mile) and didn't see a single thing that concerned me. If there are areas to avoid, I would love to know, as all I seem to see on my walks are what appear to be working people and families walking around outside of single family homes and apartments and coop buildings, and restaurants/markets.
Also, it may be true that there are parts of Elmhurst that are not as easily accesible to Manhattan than others. That is why I recommended the OP look for apartments near an R/V subway stop, where getting into Manhattan shouldn't be any longer than 25 minutes at most.
If I were looking at a place to live, I personally prefer both Sunnyside and Astoria over Elmhurst just for their vibes, but I have never felt scared in Elmhurst at night, nor have I ever felt like it was a difficult or long commute to Manhattan. My Elmhurst friend called me from her job in midtown at 6:05 tonight and suggested we meet at a local Elmhurst restaurant at 6:40 -- AFTER she went home and let the dog outside. This would be a grand total of 35 minutes to leave her office, ride the train, go home, bring the dog outside, put him back inside and then go to the restaurant. I couldn't believe my ears but I showed up at 6:40. She was 5 minutes late because she said the trains were a bit slow with all the rain today. It's probably true that after midnight the commute is much slower because the trains start running local, but still. . . .doesn't sound too bad to me.
And I believe Elmhurst has lower rents than Sunnyside or Astoria, and certainly lower than LIC.
If you have personal experience with danger and long commutes in Elmhurst, please share.
Elmhurst definitly doesn't strike me as a dangerous neighborhood. In fact, I'll say that Elmhurst is much safer then say, Ozone Park, or Long Island City. Some blocks in the neighborhood are dirty, but the neighborhood is far from being a ghetto.
^I don't think you know Elmhurst//Corona//Jackson Heights. There is definitely ish going down. If you don't know, then you cannot speak.
Sure, maybe if you read the police log you will see drug busts or prostitution arrests in Elmhurst. No one ever said nothing police-worthy is going on. But does that make it dangerous for the average resident? I think not. Plenty of families and working people living there with a feeling of relative safety. And reading police logs in any neighborhood will show you there is police activity in every area of NYC.
And I know the area, so I think I can speak.
Crime in NYC is relative anyway. Look at the people with money flocking to live in areas like Prospect Heights and Clinton Hill where there are muggings and assaults all the time. (Check the local online forums if you are unaware.) Give me a few drug busts and prostitution arrests any day over muggings and assaults.
And since this is an Elmhurst thread, why did you need to mention Corona (which DOES have notably bad areas)?
I see you live in Woodside. Do you avoid walking to Elmhurst to go to eat all the amazing food at all the restaurants there because you feel it's unsafe?
And if you know the area so well, why don't you tell us which areas of Elmhurst to avoid, since you seem to think there are some, and since the OP is considering living there?
Last edited by Henna; 02-14-2008 at 09:14 PM..
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