Safety - Prospect Park South - Church Ave and Ocean Ave (Victor: transplants, home)

[CyclistNYC]

Hi All,

I am looking at a place tomorrow on Ocean Ave on the corner of Church Ave (by the Bank of America). This is off the Church Ave B/Q stop.

What are your thoughts on safety/coming home late at night and the neighborhood in general? I am a 30yo male, previously lived in Washington Heights for 5 years and am thinking of heading out to Brooklyn.

Thoughts? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Cavaturaccioli]

Well, the neighborhood is a lot better than it used to be, but it's still a little rough in my opinion.

[jcoltrane]

If you can deal with Washington Heights you can handle Flatbush.

Instead of Dominicans, the area is primarily Carribean blacks.

That is a VERY busy area during the day and into the evening. At night a GOOD street sense is necessary. Presuming you're white and a typical Transplant, you'll stick out like sore thumb in most of the area, particularly late night. It's a fair neighborhood with mostly good hardworking people, but there are predators about. Your chance of running into one inreases as the night gets late and the weather gets warm.

There shouldn't be much issue on the subway, as there are a fair number of other whites riding that line, about 20% or so. Mostly Brooklyn people, most of the Transplants and Yuppies are off once the train reaches Park Slope (7th Avenue). Church Avenue stop begins Victorian Brooklyn, a fair number of non-Transplant white utilize the station. Though FEW non-Transplants do so late night.

If you want a non-, or less trendy, Brooklyn experience, I suggest a stop or two down the line. Look in and around thr Beverly and/or Cortelyou Roads stops, as well as Newkirk. I think you'll find the area (Victorian Brooklyn) a bit more appropriate and still relatively affordable.

If you want to try a little deeper into Flatbush, Brooklyn, I suggest the Midwood/Madison areas, Avenues, H, J, M, and Kings Highway. Not at all trendy, but nice, safe, and affordable, and the subway, especially the Express, makes the areas VERY accessible.

Nightlife foe a Transplant is virtually non-existant for all the areas above, MUCH less so than Wash. Heights. You're nights will be Manhattan oriented, so one MUST always have a 'get home' plan. I strongly would not suggesest riding the subway after 10pm. Service into Brooklyn traditionally SUCKS after 10pm. After 10pm the likelihood of running into a predator increases expotentially with every hour. So having money for a cab is integral. Riding the subway home late night, regularly, is just begging for an eventuality.

Excuse the typos.

Luck!

[BrownstoneNY]

Safer than Washington Heights, for one (depending on the part of Washington Heights, I suppose, but in general true). It gets rough east of Flatbush Ave around there, but west of Flatbush is mostly fine. Not very exciting, but fine safety-wise and generally improving.

[CyclistNYC]

Thanks for the tips! I took a look around the neighborhood today and was pleased. It is not perfect but it looks like it is teetering on the edge of gentrification. Ocean Ave is very cute and I love how it is lined with all those big trees. I also noticed some corporate chains on Church such as a Subway, Walgreen's and a new Bank of America - which usually means the neighborhood is on the upswing.

It seemed fairly diverse - there were a lot of folks from the Caribbean and West Indies but I saw a fair share of Hispanics and a sprinkling of Asians and Whites. The Church Ave stop was a little sketchy looking, but the people there seemed fine with me. Yes I am white and stick out, but I have never had an issue in other parts of NYC where I am the minority. I think this area sure beats parts of Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights...at least there are trees and the park!!

[weenchit]

CyclistNYC, I am looking in this area, too, and I have the same concerns. Did you move there and if so how is it? I am looking at Prospect Park South near the Parade Ground.
Thanks