Green Space? (Union, Cortland, Liberty: apartment, lease, safe neighborhood)

[aLiLa]

Hi. I'm new on the forum. Thanks for reading! Here's my situation:

I've been living with my boyfriend for 3 years. We currently live in Marble Hill (which, for those who aren't familiar with the area, is the northernmost neighborhood in Manhattan). Our lease expires in October and we have both agreed to move at that point, but it seems to be the only thing we are agreeing on.

We currently pay $1,318 for a two-bedroom and are hoping to stay in that range. My boyfriend works near Union Square.

We have a 75-pound dog, and want to find an apartment very close to a dog run--not a park with off-leash hours, but a full-time dog run.

Now, here is where the disagreements abound, and I thank you for reading this far: My boyfriend loves being near green space, and he wants to move south to Inwood or north to Riverdale in the Bronx, in order to be closer to either Inwood Hill Park or Van Cortlandt Park (right now we are about a mile away from each, smack in the middle). I, on the other hand, was thinking we could move to someplace like Astoria (or elsewhere) where his commute would be much shorter and we would have the possibility of a little patch of private outdoor space. Also, safety is the number one issue for me, as I am a tiny woman. My football-player boyfriend doesn't seem to think this is a big deal, but for me it is. I want to feel okay going out alone.

So I guess our perfect place would be:
- In a very safe neighborhood
- No more than $1,400
- Near a dog run
- Near a large park
- Has some private outdoor space
- Quick transportation

Sorry for the long post, but apartment hunting can be so frustrating. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

[clevedark]

You're each going to have to give something up for a good compromise. Lose the quick transportation part and you'll probably have a better chance of finding something safe, green and cheap. But when you add in the enormous dog your chances will go down.

I say look in both places and see what turns up.

[missionhill]

Having lived in both Inwood and Park Slope, Brooklyn, I'd suggest looking in the neighborhoods around Prospect Park. It's significantly closer to Union Square than Inwood or Marble Hill. Park Slope and Prospect Heights are the most expensive but you might find something you can afford in Windsor Terrace, Kensington, or in the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens section of Flatbush. Prospect Park does not have a dog run, but it's a marvelous park--expansive, beautiful, full of people without being too crowded, lots of dog walkers and dogs off leash, and not too many creepy or isolated places. Inwood Hill Park has more a wilderness feeling to it, except for the playing fields. It's beautiful but a lot of people don't feel safe by themselves in the forested part. The nice thing about that part of Brooklyn, as compared to Inwood and Marble Hill, is there's a lot to do there--it's loaded with cafes, restaurants, the museum, BAM, movies-- lots of stuff. In Inwood, what is there to do? You're always faced with the long ride downtown to do anything.

Consider also Jersey City--neighborhoods off Grand Street-Jersey Ave are nice, more affordable in general than NYC, and a walk from Liberty State Park which is a huge, beautiful, new park that's been taking shape since the '70s on what was once the railyards of the Jersey Central Railroad. Then the PATH train takes you right into downtown Manhattan or Greenwich Village/Chelsea.