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This is my first post. You guys are great. I am currently living in an artist loft in Mott Haven but looking to have more parks and trees in my life. I was seriously looking into Norwood until I stumbled upon this site. I have changed gears and will be searching for an apartment in Pelham Parkway near White Plains Road. Thanks.
Problem with pelham parkway is that its too far from the city, also the 2 and 5 trains always runs into unexpected daleys.
LOL,you sound like sobroguy.Everything above Mott Haven is "too far from the city."
The difference in time to get to midtown from Pelham Parkway vs the time to get to midtown fro The South Bronx is about 12 minutes.Yes,it's a bit longer but the whole notion that it's "too far" is a bit crazy.Small price to pay to live in such a great neighborhood .PP is also an express stop on the 5 rush hour express trains which skip most of the S Bronx completely and significantly cut down on any time differential.
I have never had a problem with the 2 and 5 re unexpected delays.Most of the service changes have been on week ends and well advertised in advance and usually if there is some repair being done on one the other is fine.My personal experience is that the 2 is one of the most reliable lines in the system.
I don't recommend walking Webster Avenue at night. Everywhere I've been on Webster Avenue from the 160s to 180s has been sketchy. Take the suggestion of the poster who recommended walking Arthur Avenue. Much more pleasant area to walk through. I say move to Pelham Parkway. I've heard bad things about Decatur. A teacher I used to have described it as a drug haven but then again she grew up there in the 90s. I heard a lot of great things about Pelham its considered one of the Bronx's best neighborhoods.
Also about the BX41 it sucks I use to take it all the time.
First time poster here. I am a 20-something Asian male who is moving to NYC as I got a job at St. Barnabas hospital in the Bronx. I have been apartment hunting for the past 10 days and I have narrowed down my choices to one in Pelham Parkway (Barker Av & Thwaites Pl) and one in Norwood (W 205th St & Decatur Av). Unfortunately I can't decide between the two.
Thwaites and Barker, that's where my old co-op is . Grate and very convenient location! I have a car but unless you have a parking spot in a garage, don't let the illusion of all the parking on Bronx Park East fool you. It's a challenge to find a spot past a certain hour. Also, the neighborhood is so convenient & everything is right there on White Plains Rd (including an organic grocery store and a new gym, Planet Fitness) you wont need the car. Go for it!
Personal View/Experience of life in Norwood vs Pelham Parkway
This post was very helpful to me, so I wanted to add my own opinion for people that will read here in the future when deciding to live in the Bronx.
I moved to Norwood in 2011 b/c I thought the neighborhood was quiet, I loved that it is surrounded by parks, I was attracted to the diversity (Bangladeshi, Dominican, Puerto Rican, White-Irish [but not as many as there was 10 years ago I am told], black, and others im sure) and at the time, I was looking for a two bedroom apartment, and this neighborhood fit the price and my criteria. I was able to get a 2 bedroom for $1300 a month (you can probably find a better deal if you search extensively...this is a working class neighborhood to its core...but my building had a brand new laundry room installed so isaw that as a plus), and the location was perfect...same block as the D train last stop, and the best pizza place, Sal's and diner/coffee SHop, Nicky's, is on the corner.
The people in Norwood are pretty friendly, many people (including me) have dogs, so the dog park in Wliiamsbridge Oval park is definitely always in use....I found that having a dog also made it easier to meet the neighbors. In terms of crime, I don't remember seeing anything, and never felt unsafe. There is a police station in the neighborhood so they have a strong presence, and im sure it helps with keeping crime down. Also with regard to safety and security, Montefiore hospital is in this neighborhood, and after a bout with Kidney stones (fun fun fun) I can tell you that there staff is very kind, and they definitely move things along.
In terms of schools, I don't know much because I dont have kids, but I know there are several in the area, and another one currently being built. The area is packed with children.
All in all, when my lease was up, I chose to move on (and to Pelham Parkway) for a few reasons. First, I was on the fourth floor of a walk up, and that was just not something I ever got used to. (Most buildings in this neighborhood are walk ups) I noticed that b/c I was on the fourth floor of a walk up, most of my family wouldnt come and visit.....and that sux b/c you want to be able to show off your apartment. Third, my super, and pretty much every super in the neighborhood has another job, and they don't do the job in their own building, so unless they hire someone else on the side, the building doesnt get taken care of on a regular basis. In my building, there were definitely issues with losing hot water, and thank god I got a dog b/c that made sure I only saw a mouse once. However, I think my biggest issue after a year of living in Norwood, is not knowing if the neighborhood is on an upswing or if its going back downhill.....Some buildings/houses/small apartment buildings are very nice, and you can tell there is no nonsense, and others (especially on the Norwood side closer to Jerome Ave.) make you wonder if thats what the entire neighborhood will be like in a few years. Being someone that wants to start a family soon, I want to be in a neighborhood that I am certain has more positive momentum going, and a better combination of all the things I am looking for......so.....
This is why I moved to Pelham Parkway. I consider the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood to be Allerton Ave to the top, Bronxdale ave/Neill ave to the bottom, White Plains Road on one side, and Jacobi on the other. I moved into the Presidial Apartments on Lydig and Wallace Avenue. They actually own a few buildings in the area, but the main two are on Lydig and Wallace. The management office is on site (instead of the crappy landlords from Norwood that never returned calls b/c they had to worry about 50+ buildings in the city) and there are several maintenance people on staff, 24 hours a day if needed. We have a courtyard in front that is well maintained, and the neighborhood surrounding us is very nice, with this being an even more diverse community than Norwood. Here the Albanian population is dominant, with still a large dominican/puerto rican population, but also a noticeable amount of Black, Asian, White, and middle eastern populations as well (all demographic live in my building which i love.) There are still older jewish and Italian families as well, but you can tell that population is really still only heavy in Morris Park (5 min to the south) or over by Throggs Neck and the Country Club area. In terms of safety, feel just as comfortably as I did in Norwood, and here I notice at least two cops walking the beat every day, but at the same time, I am still not exactly sure where the police station is...so it must be kind of far.
I am now in a 1 bedroom apt b/c the two bedroom was just two much in Norwood, but this one bedroom is huge, and its going to take awhile to fill this place up, which I am okay, because I love the area so much that I know this is it until I am ready to buy something in the next 5-10years. From the day I moved in, this felt like home, and as someone that has lived in 6 places in my 6 years since graduating college, this means everything to me. The rent is a little pricier in this neighborhood (as it is half working half middle class) but I found it worth it. My one bedroom is $1295 a month, but others in my complex go for less, and in some cases more...there are several designs for one and two bedroom apartments. One big plus was that there was also no broker fee here. They have installed all new elevators, there are historic pelham pkwy photos in the lobby, trash compactors in every hallway, everything has been renovated, and the building has a real NY feel....you can really feel NY history here.
As much as i love the building and this neighborhood, it still has its downsides. This building has no laundry room (but there are like three laundromats on every block.) There is also no dog park here (which is weird b/c there are sooo many more families with dogs) The train service is stressful....the local 2 to Manhattan can be brutal (but at least you usually get a seat) and the 5 train while great when its express, seems to have some stupid issue EVERY DAY during rush hour, making your trip 10 minutes longer than it needs to be....and as someone who lives in between both lines, ive taken the 5 from both stops, and you are never guaranteed a seat on either, but the pel pkwy stop you have a better shot than at morris park.....oh, and if you drive....ITS JUST LIKE MANHATTAN....Norwood isnt great by any means, but this is crazy hard....several 24 hour garages for those that give up....but there are also several apt buildings that have their own garages or lots.
In terms of personalities, b/c of the way this neighborhood is setup, it can seem like two worlds...from White Plains Rd (or even to Boston Rd) to barnes ave with pelham pkwy and brady ave on either end, it feels like Manhattan...lots of nice buildings, lots of people, lots of dogs, but nobody really in the mood to chit chat with you or have your dogs play....we all just want to get the dogs away from each other so they can handle there business, but then from matthews ave to the 5, and then well into the morris park neighborhood, it suddenly becomes a westchester suburb. Anytime I walk my dog over there, I seem to start a conversation with someone and the dogs can play a little bit.....its tough on the dogs in this neighborhood without a park b/c they all get restless.....hopefully they put one in soon....they are currently remodeling the entire park and road on pelham pkwy, so who knows.....they could even put one in bronx park next to the zoo.
Like I said earlier, both neighborhoods are great, but in the end, Pelham Parkway is it for me. I dont have Sal's anymore, but I do have John and Joes, and I dont have Nickys which I heard sadly burnt down, but I have Lydig Cafe or Rainbow (as a back up.) Instead of the sketchy area and shops on Jerome ave and limited shopping on Bainbridge/204th, I have a better selection in a nicer setting on White Plains Road and Lydig Ave. They are also repaving what seems like all the roads in the neighborhood, there is a new school being built, and a better selection of restaurants to go sit down in.
So, for the forseeable future, Pelham Parkway is home....I know this is a lot, but hopefully it helps someone else researching living in the BX.
PS- The meat market and my barbershop across from the meat market are two places I will continue to take the subway and bus to get to....nothing here compares to either, and if I ever get sick, I am going to Montefiore or the ambulance can take me there...Jacobi is a HOT MESS.
Excellent and truthful. Good luck with your pup. Was Sal the guy who used to run the 5 brother's pizza with his Dad Mario on 204th street?
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LOL,you sound like sobroguy.Everything above Mott Haven is "too far from the city."
. Grate and very convenient location! I have a car but unless you have a parking spot in a garage, don't let the illusion of all the parking on Bronx Park East fool you. It's a challenge to find a spot past a certain hour. Also, the neighborhood is so convenient & everything is right there on White Plains Rd (including an organic grocery store and a new gym, Planet Fitness) you wont need the car. Go for it!
Personal View/Experience of life in Norwood vs Pelham Parkway
