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As always, it depends on one's level of tolerance. I don't think the Heights are much different from East Harlem in terms of safety, there are good and bad parts but overall the vibe is cool, I find it pretty safe. That neighborhood is very well known to be a noisy area though, as any legit dominican hood lol But really, if it wasn't for the noise I think the area would be livable for a lot of people because the neighborhood is not dangerous (except for a few spots maybe).
Good investment depending on the building. The Heights will continue to gentrify. Especially down there (Near Harlem)
The crime is exaggerated significantly on this board. Culturally, Dominicans are not violent people. They just like to have a good time. Very sociable culture. The young guys are all about promoting parties, music, money, and women. If you can tolerate loitering, open drug usage/transactions, and some noise, you can handle the Heights. Those would be the cons depending on your POV. Pros include urbinity, good transit, restaurants, nightlife, parks.
You won't be the first "White girl" either. Plenty of White Dominicans, other Latinos, Anglos, Blacks, Asians. A lot of variety in the Heights though mostly DR.
Very interesting. Glad I'm not the first white girl. I like a good time, too. If it's peaceful loitering and not harassing, I could probably stand it. Are we talking use/transactions during the day on the sidewalk, that open? Wow. While I don't like use, that beats being mugged or assaulted. I can stay out of their way if they're just light party-type users. Nice that it has good transit and restaurants. Nightlife could be fun. I prefer the quieter side of life, but Edgecombe is definitely the cheapest decent area I've found so far.
If you have to question yourself CONSTANTLY about the safety there as you have in this thread, then I'd say no. You could find a nice place to buy in Riverdale. Close to Manhattan, and certainly safe. I don't know why everyone is so hooked on Manhattan when they have to live in the ghetto sections.
Riverdale... Bronx? Safer than Washington Heights? Yikes. Yeah, I've guess I've always bought into the rep of the Bronx. Is commuting a pain?
If I remember right, there are some pretty town/row houses there, right? There's an apartment listing for a 1 bedroom under $200K. Seems affordable. I might have to check it out.
Riverdale... Bronx? Safer than Washington Heights? Yikes. Yeah, I've guess I've always bought into the rep of the Bronx. Is commuting a pain?
If I remember right, there are some pretty town/row houses there, right? There's an apartment listing for a 1 bedroom under $200K. Seems affordable. I might have to check it out.
Riverdale... Suburb of New York... Nothing like the dangerous Bronx... Very affluent, quiet and low crime... There is Metro-North and express buses to the city and by car it's an even shorter ride. And forget about the town houses... You can enjoy the numerous mansions we have to offer in Fieldston.
Don't think you can find that in Washington Heights.
Very interesting. Glad I'm not the first white girl. I like a good time, too. If it's peaceful loitering and not harassing, I could probably stand it. Are we talking use/transactions during the day on the sidewalk, that open? Wow. While I don't like use, that beats being mugged or assaulted. I can stay out of their way if they're just light party-type users. Nice that it has good transit and restaurants. Nightlife could be fun. I prefer the quieter side of life, but Edgecombe is definitely the cheapest decent area I've found so far.
It's mostly harmless loitering. People in NYC often hang out in front of their buildings, citywide. In neighborhoods like the Heights though, you'll find crowded stoops 24/7 when the weather is nice (and sometimes when it's not). It can get loud depending on your neighbors.
Drug transactions are pretty open here, it's definitely more open then it is in DC. That goes citywide too although it's more obvious in denser, younger, poorer neighborhoods like the Village, Williamsburg, the Heights, South Bronx, Bushwick, Harlem.
Lots of drug usage citywide, especially regarding the nightlife scene. It's way more liberal here regarding that versus DC.
No matter where you live in this city, people speak there mind more often then most places. Guys will approach you and comment. Most women just brush it off or go with it. The Heights can be a little more pushy with that with the Latino, masculine culture dominating. Depending on how attractive you are. But most women will get hollered at from time to time.
The restaurants are mostly Latino, but a mix of really good and bad. Also, nightlife is more oriented towards Latinos, but you get a mix of people. Music ranges from Bachata, Merengue, Salsa, Reggaeton, House, top 40, Hip Hop. Lots of venues, especially in Inwood. You can also take the 1 train to the Meatpacking for diverse, high end nightlife, Times Sq area for touristy bars, and all the other nightlife that exist in NYC.
WaHi is pretty unique to NYC, but has some similarities to Columbia Heights in DC. But it's waaayyyy denser, busier throughout. I would say violent crime is a little less too per capita. Latinos in NYC mingle much more with non Latinos citywide than they do in DC among say Salvadorians. More open minded, and dating wise everyone screws everyone. There are also way more Latinos in general, and a lot of different groups represented.
Quote:
Originally Posted by frenchy93
As always, it depends on one's level of tolerance. I don't think the Heights are much different from East Harlem in terms of safety, there are good and bad parts but overall the vibe is cool, I find it pretty safe. That neighborhood is very well known to be a noisy area though, as any legit dominican hood lol But really, if it wasn't for the noise I think the area would be livable for a lot of people because the neighborhood is not dangerous (except for a few spots maybe).
East Harlem has a more disenfranchised vibe then the Heights. More desperate multi-generational poverty then WaHi. Feels rougher, more preferably avoidable people.
Quote:
Originally Posted by okla
Riverdale... Bronx? Safer than Washington Heights? Yikes. Yeah, I've guess I've always bought into the rep of the Bronx. Is commuting a pain?
If I remember right, there are some pretty town/row houses there, right? There's an apartment listing for a 1 bedroom under $200K. Seems affordable. I might have to check it out.
Riverdale is more affluent then most neighborhoods in NYC. The con is that mass transit commutes take longer to the rest of the city versus WaHi. They have no rapid transit station/subway. It's also less dense then most NYC neighborhoods (I wouldn't call it suburban, it's pretty urban with the exception of a small area of about a sq mile like a denser Chevy Chase). It's not really a young or trendy neighborhood. It's a lot like NW DC (Near Wisconsin Ave or CT Ave area, but denser). Family oriented.
Last edited by nykiddo718718; 06-03-2013 at 09:52 PM..
Riverdale in the Bronx is a MUCH, MUCH better option thatn Washington Heights! No riff raff, clean, parks, a lot of green space, affordable, quiet, etc. There is no comparsion to the Heights. The only advantage the Heights has is commute but quality of life sucks and there is a thriving drug trade there. I am not talking about Weed either.
Washington Heights has some cheap housing to buy, so I'm tempted to buy there. One bedroom.
I'm a young white single female, no kids, not dating anyone, no roommates. NOT looking to rent again.
Would I be crazy to consider Washington Heights on Edgecome Avenue?
Specially, on Edgecombe Avenue near 155th and Amsterdam Avenue.
I've lived in downtown DC before, both "nice" and "up and coming" areas. I felt, generally, fairly safe in Washington, DC. I usually didn't feel like I had to bring very little with me during my commute in DC in order to not get mugged. I wasn't an idiot about flashing valuables, but also didn't live in constant fear. I was careful, but I also don't want to live somewhere where the odds of getting mugged are too high.
I've also lived in small-town midwest. Seriously, SMALL town. Under 50,000 people. Quaint college town.
I'm reasonably street smart, and not a hick. I don't flash my valuables, don't have excess "nice" stuff on me, turn jewelry around so you can't see anything but a silver band at night, don't carry a purse if I plan to be in the ghetto and instead put my wallet down my shirt, lock my home doors, watch my surroundings, the usual. I've traveled internationally by myself many times in Asia and Europe. I've traveled to most large cities in the USA alone and never had any problems, aside from a little pestering from panhandlers or maybe a rare cat call. Definitely minor annoyances and I want to keep it that way.
But, I also don't want to feel unsafe, be harassed by homeless, drunks, or vagrants every day, get mugged or worse, etc. if I'm walking home at 9 or 10 p.m. "Reasonably" safe is what I'm looking for. I like diverse amongst ages, cultures, socioeconomic classes, and what have you, so long as there's not tension against me (young, female, middle-class, white, whatever). I've lived in areas where I was the minority in all of those groups and don't mind that. I just want to feel safe and not be targeted because I'm young, female, middle-class, college graduate, etc. I've lived in good areas, bad areas, big cities, small cities. I prefer city living and expect the usual city noise, basic street smarts, traffic, a little noise from apartment/condo neighbors, and so on. Please don't say "go to Jersey."
I don't want to have to ALWAYS take a cab home after dark in order not to get mugged/worse.
I don't want to ALWAYS have to make sure I don't have ANY visible valuables (a visible phone, jewelry, decent purse, etc.) not to get mugged. I don't flash nice stuff, but if I have, say, a phone or Kindle out on occasion, I don't want the odds of getting mugged to be almost guaranteed. Still, please don't say... go to Jersey. I've already lived in New Jersey. Been there, done that.
So, would you -- as a single, childless, young, middle-class white female -- buy in Washington Heights?
I highly suggest living in NYC first -- anywhere in NYC -- before thinking of buying in a transitional neighborhood, or any neighborhood where safety would be a concern. There are many neighborhoods in NYC that have good subway access where you can buy a one bedroom for under $250K.
Move to NY, rent for a year, travel around to different neighborhoods on weekends and learn a little more how things work here before jumping into anything. My 2 cents.
Riverdale in the Bronx is a MUCH, MUCH better option thatn Washington Heights! No riff raff, clean, parks, a lot of green space, affordable, quiet, etc. There is no comparsion to the Heights. The only advantage the Heights has is commute but quality of life sucks and there is a thriving drug trade there. I am not talking about Weed either.
It's all about POV.
Washington Heights is a dense, vibrant, international neighborhood with a strong Latin American vibe. The primary thoroughfares are busy throughout, with noisy, crowded residential side streets primarily concentrated in the East. Bodegas blasting Bachata, old men playing dominoes, children running along the street, neighbors sitting and chatting on stoops. A few interestingly sleepy blocks and urban oasis like Fort Tryon Park up the hills in the West. It's also architecturally beautiful, more so IMO then Riverdale (which can be pretty bland in parts)
Riverdale is not suburban throughout. Greater Riverdale is pretty dense (more so then the OP's mentioned DC). There is a small (1 sq mile) central section called Fieldston and the area immediately West around Wave Hill which is like a suburb. It's really family oriented and inconvenient without a car. Very nice parks in Riverdale like Wave Hill.
Transportation wise, W 155th is much more convenient then Riverdale (No subway service). In order to truly be mobile in Riverdale you may need to buy a car depending on where you live because of that, which will prove annoying, not to mention expensive. Both areas have a lot of Greenspace, Upper Manhattan has a number of large parks.
IMO, the best parts of Riverdale are the most convenient. Like Around W 235th and Johnson. You can live car free around there. Lots of local amenities, walkable, dense. It's a lot like the areas immediately around CT Ave in NW DC, only more dense. Subway is a little less then a mile away, 15 minute walk or bus/occasional cab. Still a PITA compared to W 155th.
Overall totally different hoods.
There are other nice neighborhoods in the Bronx too like Pelham Parkway/Bronx Park East, Norwood, Kingsbridge, ect. You can also consider these. The lower Grand Concourse is another transitional area to consider (though it's in a much earlier stage of gentrification then WaHi) Most are more convenient subway wise then Riverdale, but less so then that part of Washington Heights (which is more central) (Lower Grand Concourse is an exception, probably better transit wise with East Side access via the 4).
I would definitely explore Washington Heights and other neighborhoods first as suggested by Henna. NYC neighborhoods are very different then in other cities. They are much more busy and populated, a lot of people from out of town can be intimidated by some of our transitional neighborhoods. They are usually older and more gritty looking then other cities.
Last edited by nykiddo718718; 06-03-2013 at 11:31 PM..
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I like a good time, too. If it's peaceful loitering and not harassing, I could probably stand it. Are we talking use/transactions during the day on the sidewalk, that open? Wow. While I don't like use, that beats being mugged or assaulted. I can stay out of their way if they're just light party-type users. Nice that it has good transit and restaurants. Nightlife could be fun. I prefer the quieter side of life, but Edgecombe is definitely the cheapest decent area I've found so far.
Safer than Washington Heights? Yikes. Yeah, I've guess I've always bought into the rep of the Bronx. Is commuting a pain?
Very affluent, quiet and low crime... There is Metro-North and express buses to the city and by car it's an even shorter ride. And forget about the town houses... You can enjoy the numerous mansions we have to offer in Fieldston. 
