Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
My boyfriend and i will be moving to NY (we live upstate now) in November. We need some help with choosing a safe neighborhood we can afford and will be comfortable in. we're looking for a larger sized 1 br or a 2 br, together we'll be making around 85k, but i'll be taking night and weekend classes at FIT, probably wont cost much more than $1000 a semester. A positions he's applying for is in New Rochelle,another is in manhattan but i definitely need to be working in manhattan or the fashion-industry areas of brooklyn.
On out last trip down we stopped in New Rochelle in westchester, The area near Far Rockaway/ Rockaway Beach (with tons of new looking condo-buildings) and Park Slope/Prospect Park in Brooklyn. While i'm comfortable living anywhere where a white girl wont get shot (probably most of the 5 boroughs) and that is within 1 maybe 1 1/2 hours of middle manhattan, He is more picky. He wants easy access to a beach (which anywhere qualifies for, but thats why he likes rockaway) He wants at least semi-luxury-ish apt (new/renovated is good) or any kind of yuppy area. Hes an architect, i'm a fashion designer so artsy neighborhoods are great. He refuses to live anywhere even semi-ghetto-ish (he hated ozone park, sunset park) or anywhere the former tenants could have left roaches. understandable. he wants to be able to drive, and hopefully own a decent car without threat of it being stolen/hit/vandalized.
For everything that you want, with safety, good space for the money, and luxury/near luxury buildings being priorities, with a decent commute to Midtown, I would tend to suggest Riverdale in the Bronx. It's not the most hip of areas in terms of artsy people walking the streets, but it does have a lot to offer. There are some great buildings, everything from a quaint pre-war building to a modern high rise, and many private homes. It's very easy to own a car there, since it's one of the safest areas in the city, though one does have to use the same cautions as they would anywhere else in the city. Garages do exist in many buildings, and there are people who park on the street without issue, though it depends upon the car and its features, since property crimes against vehicles are a factor throughout the city. A Manhattan commute is easily accomplished via MetroNorth train, express bus, or city bus to the subway (this depends upon what part of Riverdale, though, as some areas closer to Broadway offer walking proximity to the subway), and a lower Westchester commute is easy via car.
Riverdale is situated on a promontory overlooking the Hudson River, that provides for some stunning vistas of the river to the Palisades in New Jersey, with some buildings in the Spuyten Duyvil section offering a vista that includes the George Washington Bridge. The only thing lacking in terms of geography is the beach, which you'd have to drive to get to, but there is the water proximity with the river. It's a very stable area, and quite upscale in places, with everything from apartment towers, townhouses, mansions, and private homes, including some two and three family houses. The only part I would tend to avoid is the border with Yonkers, since that tends to be a little less luxurious, but is not as run down as some other areas of the city. Some apartments can get expensive, especially with the views, but the area does represent a good value when compared to similar spaces in Manhattan. And, with smaller buildings or two/three family houses, you can find some decent options and still be close to the parks for views and transportation. Since this is more of a family area, the ngihtlife in Riverdale is nearly nil. There are some restaurants, and a few bars, but it does not have a scene as one would find in other neighborhoods that are a bit more trendy.
Outside of Riverdale, Park Slope, Brooklyn Heights, and Cobble Hill offer much of what you seek, but these areas can get expensive as well. They are closer to hip environments, and offer great access to Manhattan. A Westchester commute would be a bit longer, but could be accomplished via train (subway to Grand Central to Westchester stop) or car, but the car trip would take much longer than Riverdale or parts of Queens. The beach is still not right on the doorstep, but that's more a factor of the city, since there is access to the waterfront in many boroughs, but not beaches per se, unless you are further out. I know people who have cars in Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, but they do pay to park them, so that should be factored as well, since many buildings in the area do not have parking structures, and street parking can be exceptionally tight in some neighborhoods
In Queens, you might want to consider somewhere like Forest Hills/Forest Hills Gardens. This is a stable area with a low crime rate, offers a reasonable commute to Manhattan, though it's not situated by the water. It's easy to own a car in the area, especially Forest Hills Gardens, but again, parking can be tight in Forest Hills and you might end up paying for a spot, since street parking can be difficult. In Forest Hills, I would expect about a 35 minute trip to Manhattan.
The Rockaways do offer proximity to the water, that's for sure, but it depends upon the neighborhood in which you live as to how comfortable you would be in this area of Queens. Some of the neighborhoods were in decline for many years, though this has started to change, but the crime rates are not as low as other areas, and it's a bit further from Manhattan.
Another area that I would suggest investigating is Bayside, which does offer proximity to the water and parkland on the water, specifically Little Neck Bay. It's a safe area that incorporates a mix of single family homes and apartments, and like other good neighborhoods in outer boroughs, it has a suburban character to it, in places. Bayside is a little more remote than closer-in Queens neighborhoods, so one would either take a bus to the subway or take the LIRR into Penn Station, and it's very car friendly here as well, though I have heard parking can be difficult in some higher density neighborhoods. A Westchester commute is easier than Forest Hills or The Rockaways, sicne there is proximity to bridges to the Bronx and then up to New Rochelle, but there can be signifcant traffic on the bridges, and delays with heavy truck traffic, contstruction, and weekend traffic should be considered. Bayside is not as hip as Brooklyn, and there are parts of the neighborhood that are a little more transitional (closer to Flushing), though there are still some upscale areas in the area, especially by the water.
Of all of the areas that I mentioned, the easiest commute for both a Manhattan-Westchester couple, by far, is Riverdale. If it's a dual Manhattan commute, then the other neighborhoods do have a lot to offer as well, and the commutes would be reasonable for each person.
I think you and your boyfriend are to picky i mean come on its NYC what do you expect?You can live in a safe neighborhood...walk a couple blocks and be in the exact opposite of safe...
"While i'm comfortable living anywhere where a white girl wont get shot"...What the hell is that suppose to mean!?....you can get shot anywhere you know how many innocent lives have been taken from drive by shootings and such where people have died and did nothing more then mind their own business??
I dont mean to bash you if you feel that way im just keeping it real
My only suggestion for the both of you would be to expolre different places in NYC until you find what you like...Good luck
Well, if access to a beach is a major concern, what some realtors call the "southern tier" of Brooklyn should be on your list. Neighborhoods like Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Gravesend. Even Bath Beach (which hasn't had a real beach in 90 years, but it's not far from Coney and Brighton).
I think the beach idea should be crossed off the list. If you try to live near a beach (ie southernmost part of Brooklyn or the Rockaways) then you won't get some of the other things you want.
NYC, while surrounded by water, is not a beach town.
oh, i agree that ozone park and sunset park arent ghetto. my best friend has lived in both and i feel like i fit in perfectly.
and by saying a place i wouldnt get shot, i meant more along the lines of any anti-white areas there may be, i know we have a few in albany, and i know that bad stuff happens everywhere, i was in no way trying to offend anyone with that.
and my BF is definitely way too picky, hes from an upscale area near milwaukee wisconsin, and is pretty sheltered, But im trying to something he wont hate.
thanks for the suggestions so far! i'm definitely looking into them.
our budget... hmmm.. thats tough to determine. together we'll be making about 85k, he'll have a car to pay for as well. otherwise we only have student loan bills (about 200 each/month) and whatever costs of living in ny will be.
he really is uptight about where hes going to be living, i think hed be better in a suburban area like parts of westchester than more hip urban areas. The beach we can drive/ride the train to regardless of where we live
Why on earth are you keeping a car? It's a royal pain in NYC, not to mention insurance costs....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
