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What can anyone tell me about the area around West 133rd Street and Malcolm X Blvd (Lenox Ave). I am looking for an apartment. I need an honest answer as to how safe it is for a single, female who works late to be living in this area. Any info you can give me on this area would be great.[LEFT]
It is the 'hood.
There are shootings, litter, the usual.
Depends whether you can deal with that and the culture around. Unfortunately, it is cold so you do not have the whole picture.
There was a big weapons running club bust a couple of years ago, do not know if or how it changed things, and/or if people are now out of jail. There are currently a few restaurants just below, so there may be interest in cleaning up the area. Hard to know when the planned Whole Foods (125th and Lenox) will actually open.
Someone will post about how amazing the area is and how racism prevents people from moving there ... and so on. Help yourself.
I lived on 129th and MX for a few years, about a decade ago. Around the time the first bank, starbucks, etc started showing up! Eh ... there was a lot of nighttime street noise during warmer months (I'm deaf and lived on the 7th floor, so...) esp loud car stereos, and a couple of shootings on X during that period.
The 4 block subway walk late at night was the same as when I lived in BK -- slightly deserted, need to pay attention to surroundings. At the time, grocery shopping meant the Pathmark between E/W Harlem (did it close?) or a trek to Fairway, which is not that close.
That being said, I also lived there during the blackout and all the neighbors came out to join the street watch to keep Harlem safe. Many people who live there care about the neighborhood and have family going back a few generations. That was the good part of living there. It helps if you appreciate the city's history, as there's so much of it in Harlem that is changing and nearly gone.
Because neighborhoods have changed so quickly due to development, don't let me dissuade you from considering it. Above the park (110-118th) has become very popular, but pricing might be pushing people further up now.
My recommendation is always to re-visit a prospective area in the evening. In the winter you won't get a sense of street noise, but you'll have a sense of whether the streets are active enough for you to feel safe at night. It's also a good idea to see if you can chat up a neighbor to find out if there are any issues in or around the building. This applies to just about any housing choice.
Someone will post about how amazing the area is and how racism prevents people from moving there ... and so on. Help yourself.
My advice - stay west of the park.
Maybe, but Harlem isn't as Black as it used to be. Racism doesn't seem to have stopped people from snapping up condos and brownstones at attractive prices. As Ft Greene went, so will Harlem.
Maybe, but Harlem isn't as Black as it used to be.
Impossible to know what you mean by that.
Most of the "new" Harlem folk are also "new New Yorkers," transplants who are determined to live out the current post-racial America dream. The same population usually comes out with a vengeance, emperor's-new-clothes-esque arguments about most areas in Harlem. The underlying logic is simple. If you observe a problem, and its author is someone you might designate as "black," pointing out aforementioned problem means that you are a racist.
Which is amusing to a point and then annoying, finally. I warned the OP about precisely this.
Its actually not as bad as some people area making it out to be who dont spend much time out there currently. Ive put a few people (im a real estate agent) on 135st and Adam Clayton, 133 and Adam Clayton, 136 btwn Malcom X and Adam Clayton. There are some great deals out there and spacious apts. The most non fitting person i put there was a young 24yr old sexy brazilian girl whose only complaint is always getting hit on. The rent and proximity to subway is more than enough as she doesnt need to hang in that area.
You can shoot me a private message for more info if interested.
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