Anyone Live in Hamilton Heights? (condo, neighborhoods, private schools)

[zdg]

After talking to some folks about the current school situation in NY (PS's on the UWS turning away kids that are zoned to those schools), we've been told to look at some of the newer/nicer developments in Hamilton Heights. I hadn't considered living that far up, but if the school programs are really that good and it's safe, I'd definitely look at it.

Does anyone live there? Is it safe for a family with a 6 yr old daughter? Are there plenty of good food/grocery options? If you were just moving to NY, would you move to Hamilton Heights again or "no way"?

[Viralmd]

I wouldn't live there. A major problem, aside from it being surrounded by some not such nice areas, is that the shopping is extremely limited. It's right by City College, but, still, I wouldn't live there. For my purposes, it's out of the way.

[zdg]

Originally Posted by Viralmd

I wouldn't live there. A major problem, aside from it being surrounded by some not such nice areas, is that the shopping is extremely limited. It's right by City College, but, still, I wouldn't live there. For my purposes, it's out of the way.

That's kind of what I suspected. At first I thought "uh, no" but then the more I read about it, it looked like there were a ton of new buildings and some of the apts I saw online looked pretty nice.

I'd rather be on the UWS, but we were rocked pretty good on Thursday when I talked to someone at NY Public Schools and she told me that any of the 3 schools we were looking at are turning away new kids to their district right now. When I asked where that meant our kid would go, I was told "we have no idea." Yikes.

In similar news, going back to another thread you helped me out in, the Parents League said that private schools are seeing MANY more openings than usual, including kids leaving mid-semester which apparently never used to happen.

[DAS]

The schools in Hamilton Heights are not good. Believe me I know.

I also want to add that what sets some schools apart from others in wealthier neighborhoods is that parents contribute a certain amount of money per year. The PTA usually meets and decides what the minimum contribution should be that would also cover parents unable to give at all, or can only give a little. Usually the amount is about 2-300 dollars. The parents and teachers together decide how the money should be spent.

Of course having more parents with enough money to contribute keeps the amount requested down.

Hamilton Heights is not a very poor neighborhood, and there are some solidly middle class families there. However in these types of neighborhoods they may not know that this is done. People tend to think wealthier neighborhoods are given more money by the city for their public schools, when in actuality the parents are donating.

[NooYowkur81]

Originally Posted by zdg

After talking to some folks about the current school situation in NY (PS's on the UWS turning away kids that are zoned to those schools), we've been told to look at some of the newer/nicer developments in Hamilton Heights. I hadn't considered living that far up, but if the school programs are really that good and it's safe, I'd definitely look at it.

Does anyone live there? Is it safe for a family with a 6 yr old daughter? Are there plenty of good food/grocery options? If you were just moving to NY, would you move to Hamilton Heights again or "no way"?

Hamilton Heights is a neighborhood very much in the midst of gentrification and change. I wouldn't really be able to give you a total answer because the area is changing. You really have to go and see for yourself if you think it is a good fit for you. The big pluses are that it has potential, has a good amount of parkland, and that it is pretty convenient transportation wise. It is serviced by the 1, A,B,C and D trains plus a good amount of buses. The 1 is widely recognized as one of the more reliable lines in the system, plus the A & D usually offer a quick ride to downtown from 145 during rush hours.

Safety varies a lot, a lot block to block. However the Hamilton Place stretch is pretty much bad throughout.

The prime areas in the neighborhood are Convent and Broadway, but it can be harder to find a place on those avenues. There are also some recent condo developments along 145th.

Honestly shopping was never one of the strengths of this area. I lived there for a while and my parents still live there (since about 91-92) and the area always seemed to lack in a lot of services. In some ways it has gotten worse in the shopping/services department since some of the local businesses were forced to leave when landlords jacked up commercial rents and the void they left behind hasn't really been filled yet. However there are a few big supermarkets that might require a bit of travel depending on how far you end up from them. There's a pathmark on 145 by the new condo developments and there's also a Fairway by the West Side Highway. The fairway has a lot of deals, but can get very crowded and hectic on the weekends, be advised.

As for schools, I never went to elementary or junior high school in the neighborhood, but I always got the distinct impression that most of the schools in Ham. Heights were not that good, although I have heard they have improved quite a bit in recent years, and I believe there are some charter options nearby. I went to P.S 28 which is not really in Hamilton Heights (it's right on the Harlem/Wash Heights traditional border) and I.S 164 which is in Wash Heights. At the time those particular schools had problems but also had some excellent gifted programs and excellent teachers. But this was years ago, so not the most up-to-date info on those particular schools.

BTW, to add about schools. I believe Mott Hall which is in Ham. Heights is still considered an excellent school. My sis who is older than me went there years ago, and at that time it was considered one of the best public schools in the city. To get in there you had to test and interview.