Bronx area - Fordham/Kingsbridge (White Plains, Freeport: home, employment, to buy)

[mead]

I don't know about that. Lots of Yuppies are moving into Hudson Heights. I mean they've opened up that starbucks and a couple of trendy restaurants. Its only a matter of time before the rents start hitting $2,000 for a 1br ;-)

[briarwood]

Originally Posted by Hustla718

And that is why they are dumps.

You might live on the best building in Harlem, but you think the stick up kid who lives around the corner will hesitate walking through your block to make some money? That a drug dealer won't waste his rival taking a breath, sittinig on your stoop? That a rapist won't follow a girl into your building and rape her? That some street kids won't trash your building with graffiti? That a junkie won't get high in your stairwell? Is there some kind of invisible wall I don't know about? I have liked this anology lately. It's like having a pissing section in a swimming pool...

The overwhelming poverty and associated problems will effect you.

Harlem is the ghetto, it's a poor neighborhood. Overwhelmingly Black (Unless your on the East Side, that's Spanish). It is full of inner city problems. It's HARLEM. Same goes for the Heights. That once "okay" pocket along the Hudson is breaking down, disappearing. For that you can thank White Flight out the city and an increase in a low income Dominican population.

I think it's a little more complex than that. East Harlem is bad only because of the ****loads of NYCHA. If NYCHA were ever to reform itself or let middle-class in, I garentee East Harlem would become nice in a heartbeat. Central is terrible above 125st, I'll give you that. But the blocks between St Nicholas and 5th south of 125st are gentrifying. Basically, the west side is very nice below 125st. Above there, there is the MLK houses and the fact that the 130s and 140s are absolute **** between Nicholas and 5th.


It really all depends. I think we will see a totally gentrified West side from Nicholas to the River from 110st to the Bronx (covering the Heights and Inwood), East will become nice over time and so will Central below 125st. That pocket of North Central above 130 has always been bad (since 1900s) and will likely stay that way.

Also, keep in mind that the Concourse is improving as well, that adds to the overall ambiance of the area.

[njguy]

How safe is it to walk in to the Fordham Metro North Train Station from the B or D subway stop?

Thanks.

[NooYowkur81]

During the day its safe. Just go about your business and try not to stand out too much. Its not a long walk, maybe 10 minutes, probably less. I wouldn't recommend doing that walk late at night though. But I wouldn't recommend walking around the city at all late at night.

[Hustla718]

Originally Posted by briarwood

I think it's a little more complex than that. East Harlem is bad only because of the ****loads of NYCHA. If NYCHA were ever to reform itself or let middle-class in, I garentee East Harlem would become nice in a heartbeat. Central is terrible above 125st, I'll give you that. But the blocks between St Nicholas and 5th south of 125st are gentrifying. Basically, the west side is very nice below 125st. Above there, there is the MLK houses and the fact that the 130s and 140s are absolute **** between Nicholas and 5th.


It really all depends. I think we will see a totally gentrified West side from Nicholas to the River from 110st to the Bronx (covering the Heights and Inwood), East will become nice over time and so will Central below 125st. That pocket of North Central above 130 has always been bad (since 1900s) and will likely stay that way.

Also, keep in mind that the Concourse is improving as well, that adds to the overall ambiance of the area.

NYCHA is not the only low income housing program in place in NYC. Neighborhoods like Harlem have MANY different low income housing programs. It would take more then NYCHA disappearing, and that won't happen.

The West side will never totally gentrify, it will be mixed. Dominicans will definately have most of it though. Some gentrified blocks, some slum blocks. Central and East side are and always be the worst areas in Harlem.

The Grand Concourse in the Bronx? No way. The most most impressive looking building on the Grand Concourse (Bronx flatiron) is low income housing. Same goes for many if not most buildings on the concourse itself. Only in the Bronx. The Grand Concourse and surrounding areas are the definition of the hood. Must have the most crime per block in the country outside housing projects, all the way up to Bedford Park Blvd, then it fizzels the rest of the way up. The other night there was a police shooting a few blocks off the GRAND Concourse. About a month ago a van full of feds observing drug deals was turned to swiss cheese by gunfire from a Bronx rooftop on the Grand Concourse. Take it from me, I work the South Bronx, used to work the 42nd precinct, AKA the wasteland.

[scatman]

Originally Posted by Hustla718

You do know in the true burbs around NYC, most counties haven't had shootouts in 10-20 years. Drug activity is very minimal. Poverty is low. Housing is roomy, spread out well. Lots of land for activties. Does not sound like the confines of the 52 precinct at all.

Check with me in 20 years on.....

1) Hempstead, NY

2) Eastern Pennsylvania

[BXGEAR]

Hustla, your knowledge of the Bronx is vast and descriptive.
May I ask you another question?
I am looking into Morris Park, specifically, the Indian Village (area surrounding Jacobi Medical Center). Closer to the Pelham Parkway 5 Train, what's the area like? I heard this is a relatively affluent part of the neighborhood. If so, how much further west, north, or south must you go before you run into trouble?

[mead]

That neighborhood in Morris Park is really nice, if its the one I am thinking of (east of Williamsbridge Rd, and north of Morris Park Ave???). To get to a bad neighborhood from there you'd have to go all the way west past the Synagogue on Pelham Parkway (or on Morris Park Ave, west of Bronxdale Ave is sketchy) south of the train tracks where Morris Park ends, and north you have to get up north of Allerton ave before it gets really sketchy.

A lot of people think Morris Park is going downhill though as there aren't really any new Italian immigrants moving into the neighborhood (Morris Park is considered to be Little Italy in the Bronx) and a lot of the more well to do families with children are moving out of the neighborhood as the public schools aren't as good as they used to be . The parochial school in the neighborhood, at St. Clare's parish I believe is still really good though.

[fsrg]

Originally Posted by scatman

Check with me in 20 years on.....

1) Hempstead, NY

2) Eastern Pennsylvania

Or Wyandanch; Roosevelt or Freeport LI


Hustla's knowledge of the Bronx is vast and essentially what he is saying is that virtually every area that has large numbers of Blacks or Hispanics are "dumps".

The notion that Castle Hill, Parkchester (even west of White Plains Rd) or Bedford Park (south of Bedford Park Blvd) are drug infested, crime plagued "ghettos" is just patently false.

I would be the first to admit that these neighborhoods are not crime-free nirvana's but for the price and proximity to Manhattan they offer some nice housing stock, good transportation and relatively low crime.

It is so clear that Husla is one of those stereotypical cops who ends up burned out, hating city life and counting the days till he can go "20 and out".

The truth is that if you want a large apartment for under $1500 a month and are willing to live within a mixed ethnic community with a crime rate similar to the "better areas" of virtually every other major city in the U.S., the Bronx offers a great alternative.

[NooYowkur81]

Castle Hill has some decent spots, but a lot of it is pretty rough. Out of the three areas you mentioned, it is definitely the worst.