Living in Hyde Square? (Orange, Huntington: crime, school, restaurants)

[chippe]

We're an early 30s married couple and we've been interested in moving to JP. We weren't really thinking about Hyde Square until we saw a really nice place on Paul Gore St. Anyone familiar with this area? What's the crime situation? Young families with children?

Thanks!

[RemiJP]

Paul Gore is a lovely street, with great access to the T (close to both Stony Brook, and the 39 and 42 bus routes) the bike path, a community garden and great restaurants/bars (Zon's, City Feed, Velouria, The Alchemist. There are lots of young families in the area, but the school situation is complicated - it's been discussed quite a bit here.

Crime in the general area of JP has been discussed A LOT too, however, it tends to occur more in the Jackson Square, Forest Hills, and off of Washington St. I would gladly move to Paul Gore with a young family though.

[goyguy]

I lived close by there, on South Huntington Ave, and can tell you that the area's gotten nothing but better. Word to the wise, though: Jackson Square and vicinity (to the east of Hyde Square on Centre St) is best avoided after dark. Gentrification has worked wonders across much of JP, but the Bromley-Heath public housing "development" has all the problems associated with "da projects." During the daylight and rush hours, all kinds of people funnel through the Orange Line station, though. I've never run into any trouble around there, but neither do I tarry in the area or go there at night.
Realize that JP has a long-standing history of diversity and social tolerance. A large number of lesbian-headed families, and same-sex couples and "GLBT" individuals, call it home. My block was populated by nearly-equivalent numbers of Hispanic, AA, and White people with a smattering of Asians and "Native Americans." The street I live on now is also what could be termed "mixed." I thrive on dwelling among all kinds of people, but know full well that's not what everyone is into.