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Hi! I'm moving to NYC from Seattle for grad school and need temporary housing until I get everything figured out. I found a place in Bed-Stuy (St. Andrews Pl & Atlantic), but since I booked it, a lot of people I've talked to have been telling me that it's not the safest area (one told me I'm guaranteed to get mugged). The people I've heard from haven't spent a lot of time there, so I'm not sure if their comments are just based on reputation, so I was hoping people from the area can give me their two-cents. I'm a small female that will mostly be by myself, although I don't see myself coming and going really late at night.
Just curious,what would possess someone to rent a place( even temporary) in a NYC neighborhood that they know nothing about ?
It's not the worst part of Bed Stuy but it's a weird spot for a single F without NYC living experience to land.Whoever said it's "definitely not the safest area" was spot on.There is no mugging guarantee however.Maybe just a fair to good chance.
Did you even Google that corner? You will notice that it is
-on a very wide commercial street
-with elevated train tracks
-surrounded by storage and industrial places
-across from a giant asphalt playground, which will AT BEST turn into a big forbidding void at night
Also, the neighborhood overall is not good. I would suggest finding another place.
I chose that place because I know nothing about any area in NY, I live in Seattle and the only time I've been to NY was for my interview. I chose based on 1) proximity to school, 2) reviews of the space on the website I booked through (airbnb), and of course 3) cost. I did look at the area on google street view and it didn't look any worse than some other areas I've lived. I also did some research on t he neighborhood and found stuff referring to the seedy reputation, of course, as well as the gentrification and references to how much better the area has become, the differences depend on what area of the neighborhood you're in.
As I said in my original post, I'm not sure how much people are warning me away based on the reputation of the area vs. familiarity with the area this house is in.
I chose that place because I know nothing about any area in NY, I live in Seattle and the only time I've been to NY was for my interview. I chose based on 1) proximity to school, 2) reviews of the space on the website I booked through (airbnb), and of course 3) cost. I did look at the area on google street view and it didn't look any worse than some other areas I've lived. I also did some research on t he neighborhood and found stuff referring to the seedy reputation, of course, as well as the gentrification and references to how much better the area has become, the differences depend on what area of the neighborhood you're in.
As I said in my original post, I'm not sure how much people are warning me away based on the reputation of the area vs. familiarity with the area this house is in.
It's always funny to me how people who haven't lived a day in NYC in their lives question the knowledge of New Yorkers who have lived here their whole lives... It's up to you... It seems to me that you are bent on coming to this area regardless of how many people tell you to think otherwise so I say go for it and enjoy the area you picked... Whatever needs to be said about the area has already been said, it's up to you to take the counsel for what it's worth...
Sounds like you have already made up your mind about this sublet, I am a strong believer in actually visiting a neighborhood before living in it, but I have also traveled with airbnb before, so I would be willing to trust the reviews on the site. I would wonder if you have had many emails with the person who you are subletting from, how long you are staying with them (or on your own), and is it something you can cut short if you are unhappy with the area?
But I am guessing you will be fine...or you will love it...or you will hate it...but it sounds like you are going to do this either way, so good lucky with everything.
It's always funny to me how people who haven't lived a day in NYC in their lives question the knowledge of New Yorkers who have lived here their whole lives... It's up to you... It seems to me that you are bent on coming to this area regardless of how many people tell you to think otherwise so I say go for it and enjoy the area you picked... Whatever needs to be said about the area has already been said, it's up to you to take the counsel for what it's worth...
People give her warnings but she ignores them. You can only do so much for people. The thing is you are going into a sketchy neighborhood as a single female. If you stick out, then yes, you will encounter problems. If you are used to living in areas like this, then maybe you can get away with living there since you know to blend in and act like you have lived there forever. But WHY would you want to live in an area where you have to really question your safety then don't listen to the advice you are given?
I also did some research on t he neighborhood and found stuff referring to the seedy reputation, of course, as well as the gentrification and references to how much better the area has become, the differences depend on what area of the neighborhood you're in.
Personally as a short, scrawny, under-30 white guy I felt safer in a lot of these "gentrifying neighborhoods" ten years back than I do now. Sure, crime was worse then, but I didn't feel the resentment I now do, as if I am part of an invasion (I am not). Back then it was assumed that a weird white person floating around Bushwick or Bed Stuy was either an NYC native who had a crappy job nearby or someone looking for drugs, in either case someone who had street smarts. Today, to many crooks in those areas, white skin=$$$ and a transplant chump.
For all I know you are nonwhite and have more street smarts than I do, but even then more people have a vested interest in exaggerating (or lying about) how safe these neighborhoods have become than in telling the truth.
In reality living in New York City without a TON of money means having to accept one more of the following-
*roommates
*living in an unsafe neighborhood
*living further away than you would like from the parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn where you work, play, or go to school.
Personally I prefer living further out in an admittedly dull (but safe) neighborhood in Queens.
I chose that place because I know nothing about any area in NY, I live in Seattle and the only time I've been to NY was for my interview. I chose based on 1) proximity to school, 2) reviews of the space on the website I booked through (airbnb), and of course 3) cost. I did look at the area on google street view and it didn't look any worse than some other areas I've lived. I also did some research on t he neighborhood and found stuff referring to the seedy reputation, of course, as well as the gentrification and references to how much better the area has become, the differences depend on what area of the neighborhood you're in.
As I said in my original post, I'm not sure how much people are warning me away based on the reputation of the area vs. familiarity with the area this house is in.
You need to be careful on city-data because lots of people talk tons of crap about neighborhoods they know nothing about and have never visited (recently- which is key in NYC). You have to be especially careful when this "advice" extends to areas that have seen rapid shifts in demos, income, and population.
That being said, I'm a resident of Bed-Stuy and visited various parts of the neighborhood (have friends here) before moving. I'm a small female I have not been shot, stabbed, mugged, robbed or had any of the nefarious things happen that outsiders seem to think go on here on a regular basis.
That particular area you are going be in is not aesthetically pleasing and is kinda sandwiched between two very busy streets (Atlantic & Fulton)- which might actually be a good thing if you are coming back late. It is very close to the train, which if you have to take late, is always busy. I took the train home at 3AM the other day (which I generally avoid doing, for common sense reasons) and it was PACKED. For whatever reason it skipped my normal stop and went to Nostrand, the stop right before yours. There were literally cabs lined up outside the subway looking for fares. A lot of people in Bed Stuy live far from the train so these cabbies wait outside the train stations to get quick fares to dive them 10-15 blocks. In your case, you are REALLY close to the train which is good but if for some reason you feel the need to hop in a cab for that 1 block, they would be right there.
You are not that close the areas of the neighborhood that have sit down restaurants, bars and cafes- those are mostly on Franklin Ave, Bedford Ave, Nostrand Ave, and Lewis Ave. Your close amenities would be on Fulton St and would be of the fast food variety but there are also lots of those cheap mom-and-pop variety stores on Fulton.
In terms of safety, the worse parts of the neighborhood tend to be the ones that are furthest away from the A,C,G subways with the exception being the stops that are closest to Brownsville (so Eastern Bed Stuy). So safety wise, that area is likely fine but if I was recommending an area in Bed Stuy, that block wouldn't even come to mind. I will say though, the aesthetics of where it is would probably make it feel worse than it actually is.
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