Northrose Residences – East 161st Street & Third Avenue (New York, Aurora: low income, real estate)

[ericka178]

Hello,

Just like to inquire if anyone has any information/opinion about this new development (Northrose). I plan to go there and check it out for myself. From looking at the website, the building and its amenities seem to be very nice. Hoping the rent amounts are reasonable for this area.

I hear from some people that the area is up and coming and it is something to look into in the near future.

In general:

How is the neighborhood (clean, quiet, greenery, residential, or commercial)?
Is it safe (especially coming home late evenings)?
How is public transportation?

Thanks for any comments given!

[riaelise]

Don't live there, so I don't know much about it, but am familiar with the area. Transportation wise there are lots of buses and you have the IRT and I believe IND trains taking you to the E/W sides of Manhattan. As far as safety is concerned, the area around the courthouse is kind of a mixed bag. I don't know to what extent things have changed since '04, when I left NYC. There are some nice buildings interspersed with some seedy areas. If you are looking for quiet, greenergy, residential then maybe your best bet would be farther north. Pelham Parkway/Morris Park/Van Courtland/Woodlawn are some areas I can think of on the top of my head that are more residential. South tends to be a lot of commercial since it is close to Manhattan and the water. Grand Concourse and the 160s has historically been pretty nice, the old buildings have character.

[ericka178]

Thank you Riaelise for responding. It is greatly appreciated!

[lincare91]

Hi erika

I live a few blocks away on the Concourse. Third avenue is a few blocks east and imho the neighborhood is much less safe. Is it going to be a doorman building? I wouldn't consider it at all unless it was.

It is very commercial. You are right by the multiple Bronx courthouses which are very busy during the weekday.

I think that the two best parts about the neighborhood is the multiple transportation options. It really is very quick and easy to get to anywhere in Manhattan and that it still is an up and coming neighborhood so property values are still rising at least in the buildings around the concourse and Yankee Stadium.

It is definitely not yet a cozy little neighborhood. There are virtually no stores outside of fast food restaurants, horrible fried chicken places, and bodegas.

If you have more specific questions I'd be happy to answer as I can.

[ericka178]

Hello Lincare,

Thanks so much for your response. You gave a lot of information that I’m taking into consideration.

Safety is a high priority and I didn’t want to “assume” that all of the Bronx is unsafe.

I’m interested in renting in this area because HPD will soon have a lottery for these apartments called “Northrose.” The rendering of the building and the amenities that are listed on the website appear to be fabulous. Mod cut: No links to specific properties permitted

If I have any other specific questions/concerns, I will send another post. Again, thanks a bunch! Very helpful indeed J

[cotb16]

The only problem with the Northrose area is you must take a bus to the subway, either the Bx15/21/55 buses to 149th Street and 3rd Avenue to catch the (2) and (5) lines, or the Bx6 to Yankee Stadium to take the (4) or (D) trains. I'm actually glad that housing is coming up in Melrose and Morrisania rather than having all abandoned lots. I hope this housing injects some life into these areas.

[ericka178]

Hello Cotb16,

Thank you for commenting. Sorry if I’m being repetitive, but is Northrose in the Morrisania and/or Melrose section of the Bronx? The addresses of these new apartments are 488 East 163rd St. & 514 East 163rd St. Is this location near the new Yankee Stadium? Would you consider this section safe (especially traveling late in the evening – after 10:00 PM)?

One day soon, I plan to check out the neighborhood to get an idea/feel for the place.

[cotb16]

Originally Posted by ericka178

Hello Cotb16,

Thank you for commenting. Sorry if I’m being repetitive, but is Northrose in the Morrisania and/or Melrose section of the Bronx? The addresses of these new apartments are 488 East 163rd St. & 514 East 163rd St. Is this location near the new Yankee Stadium? Would you consider this section safe (especially traveling late in the evening – after 10:00 PM)?

One day soon, I plan to check out the neighborhood to get an idea/feel for the place.

It's technically in the border between Morrisania and Melrose. It's about a mile east of the New Stadium, requiring you to take a bus to the subway. After 10pm, it's so-so. You might have people with you on the bus, but the area is upcoming, so there's a long way to go.

[BronxLat]

THE NORTHROSE is located, as you are already aware, in an up-and-coming area of the South Bronx. Actually...the South Bronx, in general, is experiencing tremendous change, as condominiums have already gone up just BLOCKS south of The Northrose site, on Third Avenue.

YES! The area is fairly quiet, despite the fact that there is a Police Precinct just STEPS away from The Northrose's site! There's also a college in development: Boricua College.

Transportation is EXCELLENT! There is the #15 bus, that runs from W. 125th Street in Harlem all the way across to E. 125th Street and over the Willis Avenue Bridge, into the South Bronx-- and all the way up to Fordham Plaza, where you'll find Fordham University, Botanical Gardens.

There is the #55 buses: one that goes up from E. 138th Street to, again, Fordham Plaza and the other runs further up to Gun Hill Road.

You can take either of those two buses from The Northrose site maybe 4-5 stops down 3rd Avenue to the E. 149th Street/3rd Avenue train station-- otherwise (and affectionately) known as "THE HUB."

There, you may take either the #5 train down to the East Side of the city or the #2 train to the West Side OR the cross town bus (#19 ?) that runs from E. 149th & 3rd across the 145th Street bridge into Harlem...and beyond that area. If you get off at the stop prior to the bridge, you can walk 3-4 blocks north to THE GATEWAY MALL/SHOPPING CENTER. There's a Target, Best Buy, BJ's and other retail stores, and more coming. Take the bus over the bridge into Harlem and you'll have access to TONS of southern-style, soul and cajun restaurants! Or...if the weather is reasonable, you can actually WALK from The Northrose, which runs from E. 163rd down to E. 161st (yeah, it's THAT big: Moderator cut: No real estate links, per T.O.S.) down to E. 149th street at 3rd Ave. It'll take you no more than 10 mins to walk to the train.

BUT...The Northrose happens to be ALMOST SURROUNDED by condominium buildings. Starting at E. 156th Street/3rd Ave there is THE ORION. Across the street from that, there is THE DORADO (still under construction) and right across from that police precinct just down the block from The Northrose is THE AURORA condominium. There are several other very important developments coming-- namely VIA VERDE-- a green building they're calling "mixed income," except that rents aren't really reasonable to low income households, like they claim. That limits who can get in, which is a great, and it helps to amplify the safety of the neighborhood. Part of the VIA VERDE development will include apartments one can buy-- and townhouses meant for work/live use: people who work from home, for example! AND that'll be on the end close to...

...the new HUB PLAZA! There will be more retail, a movie multiplex with something like 6-8 auditoriums, new office buildings that will house City of New York offices, among others businesses. There's already a post-office really closeby. There's a STAPLES at E. 156th & 3rd, a Nine-West shoes, Rite Aid, Duane Reade; the area also has a GNC, Dominoes Pizza, Spanish restaurants, Chinese restaurants, Italian Restaurants, Steak houses AND just STEPS away from The Northrose (like right across the street) is a little mom-and-pop diner...PERRY's! Great food...low, low prices-- it's where to go for morning coffee, breakfast, lunch and dinner (if you have dinner b4 4pm).

Any store you need, you can walk to...walking around at night is peaceful. I walk from E. 149th and 3rd up to The Northrose area, and in 17 years, I haven't witnessed an issue. I've walked at 10pm...11pm...1am...2am-- never a problem, thank God. I mean...there's a police precinct RIGHT THERE and plenty of extremely well-lit streets and activity from buses and stuff. It's been a very convenient, safe, desirable area for a long time...kinda like a little secret nobody knew about-- until recently!

I've owned my coop just 2 blocks east of The Northrose for 17 years and can say I feel very safe. YES...there are SOME "projects" buildings maybe 6 blocks from The Northrose, but here's what's happening: the 3-story ones a block over from me have ALREADY begun converting to Co-Ops! That is the new trend, and it will continue to happen gradually in this area. Uh...I believe it's happening in 2 other areas, so I've been told.

I mean...I always say-- "go check a neighborhood out for yourself...but try to make 1 or 2 visits AT NIGHT, too!" You'll get a sense of what's what.

[BronxLat]

MELROSE AREA: Location of Northrose...

I'm more than a little surprised at some of the replies I've read here:

"NO stores outside of horrible fried chicken and bodegas?" and "unsafe" on 3rd Avenue? That's preposterous!

Come on...there's a police precinct just 2 blocks away ON 3rd Avenue. There is a Staples, even a Nine West (yeah...in the South Bronx) and one of each of the popular drug stores (Rite Aide, etc) PLENTY of restaurants that are good. There is the PEACE-LOVE cafe on Melrose Avenue @ E. 153rd, there's only 1 fried chicken restaurant in that area, and that's ACROSS from The Northrose development. Condos that SOLD OUT almost as soon as they laid the last brick. IF there truly a safety issue, I don't believe ANYONE would bother to pay $ 325k for a condo in the area. There are TONS of condos, TONS of stores and TONS more coming. What is there on The Concourse that makes it safer? That park, which makes EVERYBODY walk across the street from it, because perhaps IT is a bit spooky? Is there a police precinct nearby there? No! The OTHER police precinct is on Melrose Avenue...about 8 blocks away from the other one.

ERICKA...go see for yourself. If you're serious about it-- feel free to ask ANYBODY on the street what their opinions are. I can't imagine people saying that there are safety problems when there really aren't any. Have you heard the news? EVERYTHING happens in Queens, Staten Island, even Manhattan -- and even in NEW JERSEY, a place New Yorkers have been flocking to for years, to "get away" from New York's "issues!"

The truth is: we live in The City of New York. And just like ANY large metropolis in the U.S., there is bound to be an issue here and there-- but the Bronx is NOT what it was in the 70's and 80's. If you want-- I will send you a list of retail stores in the area, restaurants...PLUS there is the new Gateway Shopping Center (mall) not to far FROM the Concourse, that has a Target, BJ's, Best Buy, Marshall's, Applebee's and an assortment of other stores peppered on the grounds-- plus a waterfront park across from that mall. PLUS you have access to all the terrific southern, soul and cajun restaurants of Harlem. 3rd Ave's got ALL KINDS of retail. I can't believe I read what I just read. I'm completely dumbfounded as to why anybody would deliberately mislead someone with false/inaccurate information.

NOW..."The Concourse?" THAT has nothing nearby, depending on WHICH part of the Concourse you live at. Isn't that true? The part of the Concourse that is "closest" to The Northrose is near the E. 161st Street/Yankee Stadium stop of the D and #4 train. THAT has a horrible fried chicken place! THAT has a mediocre spanish restaurant and diner-- and a Burger King in front of which SHADY-looking characters hang out. What else is there? Very limited retail, aside from the new mall that opened earlier this year! That's what!!

They don't call it THE HUB for nothing! That title was not given to the area lightly. Please don't be mislead, uninformed. Try to visit the area and see things for yourself. ALSO...you can see this really cool BLOG page called The Boogie Down-- which imparts much useful information and updates on virtually all of the borough, and is intelligently written.