Is Harlem (116th Street) safe? (apartments, sex offenders, crime)

[gogettergirl]

I'm female and in my early 20s, and I'm relocating to NYC from Mississippi. I'm going up there this weekend to look at a few apartments. There's a flat on 116th Street that is really cheap, but is that area safe? I'm a young woman moving to a big city for the first time alone, so naturally I have reasons to be concerned.

[DAS]

What are the cross streets?

[StaggerLee22]

[b]Moderator cut: Orphaned comment - refers to a post that has been removed
First off it's not a totally black area.
Secondly--where my sister lives--116 between first and Pleasant has TONS of white people that have just moved in within the last 3-5 years. There are MILLION dollar apts in that area.

Why do you think Best Buy/// Target// Costco// and other GIANT super stores just opened there a few months ago??
Thats right--because it's a safe area.

[UES Single Mom]

I go shopping all the time at the new Target and Costco, etc and feel perfectly safe being up there, taking the bus, walking around the little shops in the area, etc... I have even looked at a few apartments on E116 and Pleasant that were very nice but since my daugther goes to a good school, I can't just move..

Now, I don't go at 3 am in the morning so I couldn't tell you that (being a single mom, I don't go anywhere at 3 am unless she is at her dad's lol)

[All American NYC]

That area used to be Italian, later Hispanics started moving in and drove them out. There are a lot of illegals living there as well.

[AllenDullesMJ12]

It is "safe" only by Harlem standards. But if you venture out of the commercial spots you might run into trouble.

Here we have some crime incidents that occured in the last 2 years. The line along 116th St is relatively peaceful but if you go north or south 3 blocks you start to get into the more dangerous areas, especially in the northern parts.

http://i52.tinypic.com/2hgxv9h.jpg

In a similar pattern, sex offenders live to the north of the commercial zones.

http://i53.tinypic.com/2wqy8aa.png

This area is surrounded by several rehab centers (for drug addicts) and housing projects. This is the central part of the hood, further east it's even less safe.

http://i55.tinypic.com/j9mt52.png

Like in many places with somewhat livable rough areas, it depends on who you live nearby to. You can get a quiet spot and live comfortably if you are street smart. Or if you are unlucky you get an area where the less savory elements of society like to harass "outsiders" or pick them for assaults and muggings. There is also a significant number of sexual predators nearby.

[Bernski]

Friends of mine who do child protective work inside NYC Children's Services building on West 125th Street say area was bad, yet now is okay... thanks to gentrification.

[Sal Schiavo]

Originally Posted by All American NYC

That area used to be Italian, later Hispanics started moving in and drove them out. There are a lot of illegals living there as well.

yeah the italian lived there when it was a good neighborhood, in fact they were the ones that made it good. i rather turn my back on my great italian heritage than live somewhere like 116th street or anywhere in Moderator cut: not necessary harlem. it just sounds bad living anywhere with a triple digit street in manhattan.

[TOUR_Quarterback_12]

You shouldn't be saying 'Italians'. You should be saying, 'My people'.

[itshim]

if it's 116th around 2nd and 3rd avenues I would NOT recommend moving there. I still see thugs hanging around, doing nothing, eye balling people and talking nonsense. Although developers have tried to inject more middle class living standards into the area, it still has a pretty bad vibe around there.