Bronx area - Fordham/Kingsbridge (Pelham, Washington Heights: tenants, subsidized, cost)

[rlrl]

yes those step streets are trouble and attract criminals. I describe the area as 'changed" but not deteriorated. not what it used to be but still thriving

[Freak]

What keeps the 231st area safe and decent is its proximity to Riverdale and the huge crowds that walk the streets, day and night. Once you reach that fire station right after 231st, you're not in a ghetto per se, but in a poorer area which means slightly more crime. 231-236ish is lower-middle class but not high in crime. 238th street+ are middle class areas, very little crime, and still have a nice number of Irish folks.

[rlrl]

..and a nice number of pollutants from vehicles using Bailey as an alternate to the Deegan when the Deegan doesn't move!!

[Hustla718]

Bailey Ave is Dominican. There is also a NYCHA development in on W 234th Street/Bailey Ave. The Kingsbridge Heights area has been slowly declining northward for years. A lot of drug activity near W Kingsbridge Road and Bailey Ave near the NYCHA property. As it is now W 138th Street and up is okay, but I don't know how long that will last.

The better parts of W 234th Street are far west of Broadway, even better would be west of Riverdale Ave. A good distance away from the Marble Hill Houses, the El, and the other NYCHA building on Bailey Ave. These are the hotspots in that area.

[Freak]

The Kingsbridge Heights area has been slowly declining northward for years.

Nah, it stopped right before Giles Place two years ago so it hasn't, and with all these Manhattanites in the northern part of the neighborhood, won't transition.

[briarwood]

Originally Posted by Freak

Nah, it stopped right before Giles Place two years ago so it hasn't, and with all these Manhattanites in the northern part of the neighborhood, won't transition.

I don't get why every time someone sees a white face, it's automatically a "Manhattanite". People act like none of the white ethnics are still here. I think the Irish are making a stand up there. I see lots of blonde kids running around.

[Freak]

Because most of the new whites in the neighborhood ARE ex-Manhattanites.

[rlrl]

I remember as soon as you went below the reservoir, Sedgwick Ave really declined sharply. However these days even that part of Sedgwick(197th, 195th) looks better than it did years ago. Those little parks(Ft Four park) on Reservoir Ave (University, Webb, Claflin) are dangerous, especially at night

[briarwood]

Originally Posted by rlrl

I remember as soon as you went below the reservoir, Sedgwick Ave really declined sharply. However these days even that part of Sedgwick(197th, 195th) looks better than it did years ago. Those little parks(Ft Four park) on Reservoir Ave (University, Webb, Claflin) are dangerous, especially at night

That's why I don't get the big insistance on Parks. They're nice and all, but starting in the 60's, that's where the drug trade got to be open-air (especally in Manhattan). Tompkins Sq was a heroin paradise by 1970. These little vest pocket parks and "community gardens" may be nice to look at, but provide a great hangout spot for kids with nothing better to do than deal and steal.

[Elvira Black]

The Bronx parks that I've seen recently renovated really do seem to have transformed the vibe. It certainly happened in Manhattan. There's a big park near my coop, and it's family friendly--lots of kids, families, etc. In other words, it's being used for its intended purpose. Don't see any gangs etc hanging out there. Might not go there after dark, but during the day it's a pleasure!

People in any community deserve a place where their kids can play and they can enjoy some outdoor space safely. For many of these residents, that's probably all they can afford.