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I'm interested in applying to CU, but have some reservations as I know it is close to Harlem. I have read online that MH is a good area, but is it actually safe for students? Do people go out at night? Is it mainly college students or adults or "ghetto" people?
This is a great area - very busy at all times of the day and night. Full of college students, graduate students and non-academics, too. People go out all the time. You really need to look for yourself.
Great neighborhood and always has been.
I went to Columbia in the 1970's and even then it was a decent neighborhood, when a lot of the UWS was very scary to say the least.Now the whole UWS has been transformed and the Columbia area has gotten even better.
I lived there and completely agree with the above posters. However, you should be aware that Morningside Heights is Harlem. But its character is completely different than the rest of the neighborhood.
If you're lucky enough to be put in student housing, great. If you have to search on your own, I would stick to places south of 123rd St. and west of Morningside Park. A ton of Realtors try to sell the area east of the park as Morningside Heights or as in the Columbia-area. While you can technically trek it up to Columbia from there, the neighborhood's character is not of a college town at all. It's also quite a walk.
Anyway, you haven't even applied yet. So I guess it's not time to worry about that.
This is my neighborhood. It is right next to Harlem to the north and east of MH. For me that is the best thing about it. However if you are uncomfortable with venturing into Harlem just stay away from 125th St, and don't cross Manhattan Ave going East through Morningside Park or going down 110th St hill.
You will love it. It is very diverse. There are all types of people in the area, ranging from the homeless to the very wealthy. This is because there are 2 large well known NYC churches that have services for the homeless in the area. Riverside Church and St John the Divine. This is very unlikely to change because both churches have social service programs, and are committed to this type of service. I also like this aspect of it, you don't loose your perspective in this area. You realize every day that there are very wealthy people, and very poor people, and all in between in this city. We all are here together. This is not the neighborhood to live in if you are uncomfortable with this reality. The homeless are also diverse in age, and race just like everyone else in the neighborhood.
There are all age ranges in the area young families with small children and teens, Columbia students, all the way up to the elderly residents in the neighborhood. The ethnic and racial makekup of the neighborhood is very diverse, there are many interracial families.
There are many types of restaurants along Broadway and Amsterdam Aves. You have both Riverside Park and Morningside Park, and you would also be within walking distance of Central Park.
The architecture in the area is amazing. There are huge pre-war buildings along Riverside Drive. More pre-war, Art Deco buildings, Brown and Limestone Row Houses, and the modern post war buildings all line the other Avenues and in between blocks.
I think it's a nice neighborhood as well! Architecture up there is gorgeous as is Riverside Park... It's serine. I've also never feel in danger walking around the area.
Yes, I totally agree with you on how serine Riverside Park is. I love to walk on the Drive when I want to "get away from it all". It is especially nice in early evening in the fall/winter, at sunset. There are many people jogging, walking, bike riding etc at that time.
I'm interested in applying to CU, but have some reservations as I know it is close to Harlem. I have read online that MH is a good area, but is it actually safe for students? Do people go out at night? Is it mainly college students or adults or "ghetto" people?
Thank you.
Depends how you define ghetto people.
The reality is that most likely while your going to college your going to be living in a bubble anyway, so the outside world is not a huge issue.
MH is full, full, full of college students. Plenty of little cafes, bookstores, restaurants, and bars that cater to this crowd in that area. It doesn't have quite the nightlife of the NYU area but students definitely frequent the bars at night. It's safe by city standards but you have to be smart of course. Walking around really late at night alone and drunk will put a big mugging target on your back. MH is fine and I've always liked it, and yeah it's part of Harlem although a lot of people don't really understand that since it seems to have more in common with the UWS. I've always looked at it as a mixture of UWS and Harlem, probably 60% UWS, 40% Harlem in character, feel, etc.
I'm interested in applying to CU, but have some reservations as I know it is close to Harlem. I have read online that MH is a good area, but is it actually safe for students? Do people go out at night? Is it mainly college students or adults or "black" people?
Cool. I'm really happy now...except it's gonna be a stretch to get in. I pray to god I can get in.
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