Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Its not the worse and not the best. Harlem still has some socio-economic issues and parts of it can still be "ratchet". As popular as 125th is, every time I'm around there, there's some ratchet behavior. I think for the most part you'll be okay, as long as you mind your business and aware of your surroundings. In the end, you're close to Central Park and only minutes away in a cab, bus, train to the "finer" areas of Manhattan. So, the close proximity to UWS/UES, Midtown, Times Square and so fourth and so on compensates I would say.
You can be living in much further and much more dreadful area in the outer boroughs that can take an hour or so to reach Manhattan. You're not too bad.
Location: Unlike most on CD, I'm not afraid to give my location: Milwaukee, WI.
1,789 posts, read 4,154,552 times
Reputation: 4092
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnalystTherapist
But Columbia is just a few blocks west...things can change that drastically in such a short distance? I'm from CA and used to living in suburbs. I lived in SF a couple of years and that's been my only exposure to a large city so I'm not sure what to expect.
Not trying to be mean, but given your background, you could be in for a rude awakening....
Its not the worse and not the best. Harlem still has some socio-economic issues and parts of it can still be "ratchet". As popular as 125th is, every time I'm around there, there's some ratchet behavior. I think for the most part you'll be okay, as long as you mind your business and aware of your surroundings.
Not true. Recently, there were several attacks on people - and they were "minding their own business."
There is growing tension, as well. It will be dealt with but isn't yet.
How would you say the luxury buildings fared off in the last couple of years? Is it still maintaining the higher income residents or do you see it turning into something else?
My opinion: The people who remained for the duration will be glad they did. There is far too much investment for people to simply walk away, and here I do not mean buyers of co-ops and condos. It is money, the potential of huge profits, and the kind of tenaciousness that only New York developers, the real ones, seem to have.
Things are worse of late, but as I have said before, problems will be dealt with. I think there is lots of feet dragging, opening a can of worms. But it will happen.
More higher-income people are moving into buildings every day, and when Whole Foods opens, it will change that area around Lenox - now awful - tremendously. Which will reverberate in other nearby areas.
Ditto the Columbia building area, all of the way to St. N. Park. East of that above 125th will be harder and move more slowly.
But Columbia is just a few blocks west...things can change that drastically in such a short distance? I'm from CA and used to living in suburbs. I lived in SF a couple of years and that's been my only exposure to a large city so I'm not sure what to expect.
It's not a few blocks. It is quite a few blocks and an entirely different area. Columbia's presence and impact on this area is virtually nonexistent. Nor does it have the kind of rising UWS vibe to it.
These are HDFC co-ops ? I am thinking. Be sure to investigate the building carefully, other tenants also, they can be terrible or a mixed bag or they can be simply great.
Did you think of looking west of St. Nicholas Park ? Hamilton Heights as well. Much better areas and better transportation also. And they will improve even more.
Do you know anyone who lives there, not a PC type, you could ask ?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
