NYC Neighborhoods (Inwood, Hamilton, Rose: fit in, apartments, safe area)

[makossa]

Hi Everyone. I'm new here. Spent time in NYC and am moving to NY in early "09". I will surely have many question from now until/and after I move.
Can anyone tell me how safe Inwood/Wash. Hts. is? I've seen some nice apts on craigslist. I've shopped on 181 st & enjoyed much.

Any help appreciated. Thanks.

[futurebird]

It's hard to say how safe a place is because it depends on how well you fit in, in some ways. And different neighborhoods are dangerous for different reasons. It would be easier to help you if you could name a part of the city where you felt safe--

If you think say... Hells Kitchen is safe (at all times of day) then you'll be fine up there. Still, you might want to avoid Inwood Park at night. If you only feel safe on the UES or in Gramercy then you will not feel safe in Inwood.

I know a lot of people who live in Inwood. They have kids and work downtown mostly. They are street smart but not originally from NYC, like me, they moved here from smaller towns and cities. I know of one break-in. But that's in the past 5 years.

I lived in Washington Heights and, though I liked it a lot, I always felt left out since I didn't speak Spanish very well. Still everyone was pretty nice to me and I made a few friends. It's just as safe as Inwood but it's all Dominican, Puerto Rican and Mexican.

I say this over and over but if you want to know if you'll like a place go there and hang out for a bit.

[Rudbeckia]

You should check out Hamilton Heights if you like 181st street. I think is seems like a safe area ( I do not live there), and I have read there are some good deals on housing there, but like the above poster said, how safe you feel is all relative to who you are, so go and check it out b/f you decide to live anywhere.

[makossa]

I appreciate your advise very much. Actually, I would feel safe there, although I would take your advise a keep out of Inwood Park at night. I don't speak spanish but would not mind doing the Rosetta Stone thing..

Just one more question please.....Is there more english spoken in Inwood??

[Rudbeckia]

Both languages are spoken, you should really stay out of any park late at night unless you are there for some reason, like a concert or something.

[jackson92186]

I'm curious--why inwood? its mostly some old buildings, which are typically ideal for immigrants. There are no new housing, and the new buildings are better and suitable unless you fall in the same economic bracket of an immigrant.

[Viralmd]

Originally Posted by jackson92186

I'm curious--why inwood? its mostly some old buildings, which are typically ideal for immigrants. There are no new housing, and the new buildings are better and suitable unless you fall in the same economic bracket of an immigrant.

I vigorously disagree with the statements above. New buildings are NOT 'better.' New buildings often have no character. Those buildings that you call 'old' have beautiful architectural details, with beamed ceilings, nice wood (usually oak!) floors and beautiful glass doorknobs. Those apartments, because of the solid construction, are also incredibly soundproof.

I live in up in that area during medical school and had a beautiful, spacious apartment with 10 foot ceilings and lots of closets in an 'old' building that was far superior to any of the 'new' construction.

Have you ever been IN one of those 'old' buildings? They're chock full of detail and craftsmanship that you'll never see in a cookie cutter 'new' apartment building.

[analyticalkeys]

Pre-war buildings tend to have huge amounts of space.. I'd probably take those over the post-war buildings. I also think that they have a lot more character; sometimes I really disgusted with how simplistic some of these modern buildings are.

[Moderate Guy]

Originally Posted by analyticalkeys

Pre-war buildings tend to have huge amounts of space.. I'd probably take those over the post-war buildings. I also think that they have a lot more character; sometimes I really disgusted with how simplistic some of these modern buildings are.

Very astute observation. Prewars have their own good characteristics, e.g., many have terraces and glitter on the inside/outside. But when you actually carefully examine prewars, you do see sturdier construction and quality workmanship. After the war, housing was in hot demand for returning servicemen/women and the baby boomers to be, so construction accelerated and guess what - quality and cost gave way to expediency and a fast buck.

Somehow that scenario seems familiar in other aspects of life, but maybe it's just me.

[Fred314X]

Not just prewar, but there are some fantastic Art Deco buildings on both Fort Washington Avenue and Bennett Place--just below Inwood.