apartment rental Riverdale or Pelham bay? (house, neighborhoods, restaurants)

[bluedog2]

Originally Posted by Bronxintern

Thank very very much, bluedog2. I will definitely visit all these areas at night to feel the neighborhood.

I originally try to find an apartment near pelham parkway because it is close to the hospital. However, when I look at the crime map: New York, NY crimes - Trulia.com
It seems there are more issues around the white plains road than the other two areas. That's reason I decide to see around in riverdale and pelham bay. Maybe I am too worried. Personally I like white plains road more than the other two, because there are more people shopping around, giving a sense of safe.

One of the first things you have to do for yourself is learn to understand what a format like the trulia crime map says.

For one thing,it is severely flawed because it maps only crime incidents.Numbers of crimes mean absolutely nothing without knowing the population and characteristics of the area you are looking at.8 crimes in an area with a population of 20,000 people and that has another 50,000 people passing through daily is not nearly as bad as 5 crimes in a pocket with a population of 15,000 without much influx even though the former area might be coded a darker color because of more "incidents" of crime.The Trulia crime map tells you nothing.On the same map,the intersection of 70th St and 2nd ave in Manhattan is coded red,darker than the intersection of Pelham Parkway and White Plains Road.Would you be afraid to live at 70th st and 2nd ave because it is red ?

Regarding the Pelham Parkway/White plains Road area specifically,the map shows a total of 5 crimes in the last 3 years ! Look at the dates of the crimes.Hardly a lot of crime in a densely packed,extremely busy urban neighborhood over a 3 year period.Out of all the areas you are considering it is by far the most densely populated and busiest so there is going to be more crime ! That does not necessarily mean it has the highest crime rate.Crime rate differs substantially from crime incidents.

The trulia crime map is pretty useless if you ask me and shouldn't be used for anything anyway.Of course there are going to be more incidents of crime in neighborhoods with denser populations.

Pelham Parkway is part of the 49th precinct which has one of the two lowest crime rates in The Bronx and a crime rate that is at or under the NYC crime rate as a whole.The area I am recommending to you on Williamsbridge Rd is one of the safest areas of the 49th precinct and probably one of the safest areas in all of NYC.

[Bronxintern]

Thanks bluedog2 for clarifing the crime rate and crime incident. I misunderstood the two concepts. I will visit the pelham parkway at night to see the neighborhood. Thanks again.

Thanks to DoomDan515 for your nice suggestion!

[DoomDan515]

That crime map is horribly inaccurate. It says that Glendale and Rego Park have high crime rates. WTF?

[Bronxintern]

Thanks to everyone. Keep you posted. I went to belmont, pelham parkway/morris park, pelham bay yesterday afternoon. Like Bluedog2 said, pelham parkway is very nice area, better than pelham bay, also much closer to the hospital. It would be my first choice.

I found Belmont(from hoffman street to belmont ave) also looked nice. Lots of ppl in the restaurants. Anyone knows would it be safe walking late at night?

I plan to find a realtor for renting an apartment because the internship would start soon. I saw some local realtor offices in the pelham parkway. Is it a good choice to ask them for renting apartment? or Should I find a realtor in New york Times or craigslist?

Thank you very much for the input!

[bxlefty23]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

W238th is not far from the police station on W236th and Kingsbridge, so it is not a terrible location. Stair streets are actually more dangerous for cars parked in the vicinity of the top of the stair streets as it is easier to sustain property damage/theft and evade detection. Unfortunately, the murder on W232nd appears to have been the case of a targeted crime,i.e., the alleged perpetrators saw the iPhone on the train and followed him to steal it at a secluded spot. Serious crime is not very common in the 50th precinct, that covers Riverdale, but you do need to take adequate precautions, such as not walking around with an iPhone or iPad in use on the bus, on the street, etc.

An alternative to the Bx9, since you would be walking up the hill anyway, would be to take the Bx1 to W231st & Riverdale Avenue, and then getting the Bx7 to points up the hill via Riverdale Avenue. The Bx1 would let you off close to the stop for the Bx7, which is in front of the Manhattanville Nursing Home at W231st and Riverdale. That would be a route I would recommend, provided both routes are operating, though I would forego the walk in from Broadway to the stairs late at night, because the streets are pretty quiet, and would instead walk up the hill on Riverdale. It's a more challenging walk, but Riverdale is a wide, bright avenue, and has more traffic as well.

Youll be fine walking home from 238th
And people arent getting killed for iphones left and right despite one horrific incident

[bluedog2]

Originally Posted by Bronxintern

Thanks to everyone. Keep you posted. I went to belmont, pelham parkway/morris park, pelham bay yesterday afternoon. Like Bluedog2 said, pelham parkway is very nice area, better than pelham bay, also much closer to the hospital. It would be my first choice.

I found Belmont(from hoffman street to belmont ave) also looked nice. Lots of ppl in the restaurants. Anyone knows would it be safe walking late at night?

I plan to find a realtor for renting an apartment because the internship would start soon. I saw some local realtor offices in the pelham parkway. Is it a good choice to ask them for renting apartment? or Should I find a realtor in New york Times or craigslist?

Thank you very much for the input!

There are lots of apartment buildings(maybe most in the neighborhood) that have apartment for rent signs on the front or side of the building,either with a phone number for the management office or saying "see super".

There is one building on the West corner of Pelham Parkway South and Williamsbridge Rd with a phone number on a big sign and I know that the same landlord owns 5 or 6 buildings within a few blocks of the one with the sign.You can see the sign with the number from a google street view of the corner.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2184+w...5ZBv5mgzC62UGg

You might be able to spot more signs with numbers by google street view but walking around is probably best,especially when the signs say "see super"

I'm pretty sure most of the rentals in the neighborhood get done either this way or by using small, local re offices in the neighborhood but I would use internet sites like craigslist,trulia,etc as well.You never know.

[Bronxintern]

to Bluedog2: Thank you very much for the nice suggestions! I will definitely go to the place you mentioned above and call them to see if they have available units.

[bluedog2]

Originally Posted by Bronxintern

to Bluedog2: Thank you very much for the nice suggestions! I will definitely go to the place you mentioned above and call them to see if they have available units.

If you use the zoom in feature on the street view link I provided,you can see the phone number.Looks like 892 1330 to me.

[Bronxintern]

Thank you, Bluedog2. After 10 days of apartment hunting, I get a studio ($1000) in Muliner Ave in Pelham parkway.

Like Bluedog2 said, there are two buildings in pelham parkway that you can apply by yourself. One is Crystal House, the number is 718-892-1330. The landlord has many sites, one is 1130 pelham parkway south, another site is 2160 Matthews avenue. This building is well maintained, and the room is very nice. The price may be a little expensive. One studio is around $1150 and the one which I saw is $1200. The other one is Presidential apartments, and they have a webside: Apartments in Bronx, NY | Pelham Parkway Apartments | Fordham University | The Presidential. You can print the documents and apply directly in their office. The price is like studio $1150 and one bedroom $1300-$1350. Also a little bit expensive. Both are elevator building, and presidential apartment has a doorman. The application fee is $150-$200.

I had a realtor who showed me the studio in a building in Muliner Ave, and the price is reasonable. I finally choose this one.

Thank you so much for everyone's suggestion, especially to Bluedog2. I really like the area in pelham parkway. Very safe neighborhood, very diverse, very vibrant.

[bmwguydc]

Congratulations on your selection. I am sure you will enjoy Pelham Parkway!