Is renting in Bay Ridge completely impossible?

[pierrepont7731]

Originally Posted by Shoshanarose

Of course it's ok, I didn't say it's not.

But the OP - I believe - mentioned that they are in an interracial couple and is wondering if that is making it hard to find an apartment to rent in Bay Ridge.
Based on the (southern part of) the neighborhood being almost entirely white, I would just venture to guess that yes: some landlords may not be used to renting to people of color and other landlords may actively discriminate against people of color.

I live in southern Brooklyn, and my neighborhood is also mostly white (Kings Highway); however, I see much more diversity here than I see in southern Bay Ridge. In my neighborhood there is a significant South Asian/Middle Eastern minority, as well as some East Asians and a small number of black people, who you can see on any day walking down the main shopping drag of Kings Highway.
(In my building alone, there are a significant minority of Muslim South and Central Asians, Syrians, and a few black people, as well as a few Mexican families)

The ethnic make up varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, and Bay Ridge is fairly isolated in terms of its location, so it is a rather out of the way place to go to for many unless you live there or have a real reason to go there. You could say the same thing for many other areas of Southern Brooklyn (Mill Basin, Bergen Beach, Gerritsen Beach, Marine Park, etc. - they are all fairly isolated neighborhoods and heavily white). The only reason that some neighborhoods may appear to be more diverse is because of institutions, shopping and the like. For example, Manhattan Beach has KCC, but if that wasn't there, you would rarely see any people of color that far south unless they lived there, as the neighborhood is extremely residential. Coming back to Bay Ridge - if you walked over to 4th Avenue by 86th street, you would see more diversity for sure because of the subway and others commuting. No one is really going to be traveling west of 3rd Avenue or that far south unless they need to, as it is all residential and mainly middle to upper middle class in some parts. Most of Southern Brooklyn has historically been white, as you have a lot of small close-knit neighborhoods there, so the idea that suddenly there were be a burst of diversity seems outlandish.

Could some landlords be discriminating against the OP? I wouldn't be surprised personally. Bay Ridge tends to be more conservative - it leans Republican and has a Republican senator. It's an old school, family-oriented neighborhood, and there's nothing wrong with that. We have enough yuppy, liberal places around to meet the needs of those who don't like the area. I personally think it is one of the best neigborhoods in NYC. Clean streets, quiet, safe... Prices are reasonable and you have plenty of restaurants and bars for night life.

Heck, there are plenty of yuppy, liberal areas of Brooklyn without lots of diversity too despite what you may see walking around on the street - Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill - all heavily white neighborhoods.

[Shoshanarose]

Originally Posted by pierrepont7731

Heck, there are plenty of yuppy, liberal areas of Brooklyn without lots of diversity too despite what you may see walking around on the street - Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Boerum Hill - all heavily white neighborhoods.

Agreed. Park Slope and Boerum Hill do still have some Hispanic and black residents - who have been there for a long time - but they are likely mostly white by this point, along with Brooklyn Heights.

[city living]

Originally Posted by Shoshanarose

I live in southern Brooklyn, and my neighborhood is also mostly white (Kings Highway); however, I see much more diversity here than I see in southern Bay Ridge. In my neighborhood there is a significant South Asian/Middle Eastern minority, as well as some East Asians and a small number of black people, who you can see on any day walking down the main shopping drag of Kings Highway.
(In my building alone, there are a significant minority of Muslim South and Central Asians, Syrians, and a few black people, as well as a few Mexican families)

Sigh. You can see the exact same thing in Bay Ridge as you would on Kings Highway. I guarantee there are more Middle Easterners here than by you. And yes, even a small number of black people also on the main shopping drag, which is 86th Street. (And if you went into any of the stores there you would see a lot of black people working in them.) Like I said, you had your blinders on if you only saw one Muslim family---when I said they are concentrated in the Northern end, I didn't mean that they barely exist in the Southern end, I meant that if you actually walked on the blocks I mentioned, you would be overwhelmingly surrounded by Middle Easterners (and Egyptians) more than any other group. Just like if you walked up 66th/67th/68th/69th streets, you would be surrounded by tons of Asians as well as those from the Middle East.

And in my coop, we have Asians, Middle Easterners, Hispanics, and yes, even a couple of black people---and this includes a number of mixed race couples. So I don't see how your building is any different than mine. My previous coop was actually quite similar.

[silverbullnyc]

To the OP, any reason you're looking only in this area?

[Shoshanarose]

Originally Posted by city living

Sigh. You can see the exact same thing in Bay Ridge as you would on Kings Highway. I guarantee there are more Middle Easterners here than by you..

Kings Highway is a largely Syrian neighborhood, so...no

[viventi]

Originally Posted by mainstreamratchet

My partner and I are looking for a 1 bedroom in Bay Ridge priced at $1600 or less for occupancy by November 1, and every time we get a promising lead, within an hour or so (I kid you not), it has rented. Either that, or we have to deal with bait & switchers at every turn.

Is November an unusually popular time to rent? Is Bay Ridge just lacking apartments? Does anyone know what's going on here?

Additionally, does anyone know any reputable brokers or realty companies that deal in Bay Ridge?
I'm already working with an agent at Ben Bay who I like, but we still haven't found anything and I feel we are getting down to the wire. My lease is up October 31, and I'm not too thrilled about the idea of being homeless for the winter.

Thanks in advance for any insight anyone can provide!

Are you willing to live in Bensonhurst? Not very far away and I had a 2 bedroom apartment there for 1500 a month. I have a 3 bedroom apartment now for 1550 a month, two blocks away. I dealt with Christine at BenBay realty for the first place, she showed me places in Bay Ridge for under 1600, maybe talk to her? I just didnt want to live in Bay Ridge because I have a car.