opinion on Morningside Heights, Washington Heights (New York, Union: real estate, apartments, to rent)

[good_man_101]

Hi guys,

Are Morningside Heights and Washington Heights areas good to live for South Asians? What are the conditions of the houses, cost to rent a 1 BR APT, demographics, crime rates? Any latest data and or personal opinions?

[DAS]

Morningside Heights where I live is very diverse. I think the entire planet is represented here. It is the Columbia University area, with Barnard College, the Riverside Church, the Cathedral of St John the Divine, Union Theological Seminary, the Jewish Theological Seminary, and Teachers College having a large influence in the area.

A lot of the housing stock in the area is reserved for students of these institutions. Most of the left over housing is coops. There is one NYC housing project at the northern end on and near 125th The Grant Houses.

You are close to Morningside Park and Riverside Park. There are a lot of different types of Restaurants on Broadway, and Amsterdam Avenues. There are supermarkets on the 125th St end at the north and the 110th St end at the south, and smaller deli's, and fruit/vegetable stands in between.

If you can find a 1 bedroom in Morningside Heights proper it would rent for about $2K. Realtors advertise parts of Harlem close to the area as Morningside Heights but anything north of 125th St and East of Morningside Park is South Harlem.

For more statistical data search zip codes 10027 and 10025. The Harlem zip code on the east side of the park is 10026. BTW 10027 covers a large area also part of Harlem north of 125th St

Harlem east of Morningside Park to 8th Ave, below 116th is also good. Rents are close to Morningside Heights rates because of the proximity to both Morningside Park and Central Park. You may be able to find something cheaper in a brownstone, or if an apt becomes available in a rent stabilized building.

In both areas there are Brownstones, older tenement buildings, midcentury apt buildings, and recent construction.

Newcomers to the area tend to let their guards down at first because of the universities, and the cathedrals in the area, and the quietness of the area. But you have to take the necessary precautions, like anywhere else in the city. I can't stress this enough. Also remember the area is diverse so the criminals are just as diverse, and some appear educated and speak very well. Some have been robbed by letting what appeared to be a nice person in their buildings. But overall it is pretty safe.

[NJamboy]

great post. Would you consider morningside heights a true college type city / place to live? Is it similar to living in NYU area but less volume of people?

[nycistheplace2]

Originally Posted by good_man_101

Hi guys,

Are Morningside Heights and Washington Heights areas good to live for South Asians? What are the conditions of the houses, cost to rent a 1 BR APT, demographics, crime rates? Any latest data and or personal opinions?

I am very familiar with Washington Heights. It is mostly apartments btw.
It is a Dominican neighborhood in upper Manhattan. It has a pretty high crime rate and isnt very safe or nice. It is very active and you will see lots of drug dealing going on. Once i was driving in WH and there were a whole lot of drug dealers taking up the street and supplying drugs to cars passing by. They were actually nice people when you talked to them.

[UpsonDowns]

Whatever. I have lived in Washington Heights for nearly six years and I have never seen a drug deal going down. Yes, they happen, but there are nice areas in the neighborhood. Please do not use so wide a brush. West of Broadway is a different world. (except for on S. Pinehurst right off of the parkway - cars coming in from the burbs are primed for drugs) But I've seen drug deals go down in the East Village and no one tries to scare folks away from the neighborhood.

Here's what I wrote in another thread about Washington Heights:
"There are tons of bars and restaurants in Washington Heights - there are sit-down Thai, Japanese, Mexican, and American joints within one block of my apartment. There is easy access to the waterfront for biking and Ft Tryon is a gorgeous park for running. Large, pre-war apartments are cheap and rent-stabilized - if you are lucky like me, you can even have a view of the Hudson. And due to the poor economy, you won't have to pay a broker's fee. I'm on the A train which takes me 30 minutes to get to Columbus Circle (many will say it is 20, but that is only if you hit it perfectly). Last night, I saw a concert at Lincoln Center and was home in 20 minutes.

The best rent deals are east of Broadway, but the gentrified part of the neighborhood is west of Broadway. It is especially safe along Ft Washington, as Columbia has security patrols to protect their med students.

However, the A train runs local after 10:45ish and if you do a lot of socializing downtown, it is a pain in the butt. I wouldn't recommend Washington Heights to a single person who will end up taking lots of cabs home. You might as well put the cab money into paying more rent closer to where you socialize."

Honestly, I haven't seen that many South Asians in the neighborhood, but I don't think you would have any problems.

[DAS]

Originally Posted by NJamboy

great post. Would you consider morningside heights a true college type city / place to live? Is it similar to living in NYU area but less volume of people?

there are similarities to the nyu area. i think morningside heights is more of a true college place to live than nyu is. there are similar types of shops, restaurants, grocers, and supermarkets. we do have hospital in the area, st lukes on amsterdam around west 114th. there are a lot of people that are affiliated with the universities around, students, professors, other employees, and also professionals that may teach, but also rent office space to practice their professions in the various university buildings.

columbia, teachers, college, union theological seminary, the jewish theological seminary, barnard college, and manhattan school of music, all of these campuses dominate the landscape. so in a way you feel like you are on one huge campus.

where at nyu, you are aware of the campus, but it feels like you are more of a part of greenwich village over all.

you have washington square park and other smaller parks around in the nyu area, but in morningside heights you have much more green space. you have riverside park, and morningside park. at the southern end, you are also near central park.

the atmosphere is somewhat different. as you pointed out in morningside heights there is a less volume of people. also because of the 2 seminaries, the riverside church, the cathedral of st john the divine, and some other smaller houses of worship, and the council of churches, it is, if i dare say, a more conservative tone around morningside heights, it is usually quiet around, every hour you hear the church bells, you hear a chime on the half hour.

on the other hand you have the restaurants and bars on bway. so it is that contrast. there is also the contrast of the middle - upper middle class, going to and from there daily activities, and the poor that benefit the food pantries, and other food, and clothing programs, at both the cathedral of st john the divine, and the riverside church.

[DoubleXAs]

Originally Posted by UpsonDowns

Whatever. I have lived in Washington Heights for nearly six years and I have never seen a drug deal going down. .

I have a hard time believing this, especially if you live east of Broadway.

[UpsonDowns]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

I have a hard time believing this, especially if you live east of Broadway.

Exactly. I specifically said that I live west of Broadway and recommended it to the OP. Lovely buildings, cheap rent, and friendly neighbors.

Perhaps a slide show will give a better idea of the neighborhood:
Living in Hudson Heights - The New York Times > Real Estate > Slide Show > Slide 1 of 14

[Bronxguyanese]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

I have a hard time believing this, especially if you live east of Broadway.

me too buddy.

[nycistheplace2]

Originally Posted by SuperMario

I have a hard time believing this, especially if you live east of Broadway.

Exactly.
I dont even live in Washington Heights. I was visiting my grandparents who do live there. there was a drug deal going on in front of everyone in the middle of the street. they were supplying to cars that passed by.