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South Mt Vernon has some very rough areas; a few that are slightly worse than the South Bronx after dark. The Downtown area is rough also so walking through it from the Metro North after dark might not be a great idea... I lived in Mt Vernon for nearly 6 months and walked to the Dyre Ave 5 train since that was a bit of a safer route from my old place. After dark the creepy industrial area near Dyre Avenue on the border of the Bronx can be quite desolate and I didn't feel entirely safe walking around there either. Though, nothing happened to me (admittedly I was renting near the Hutchison Parkway and was in an area which was insulated things going on around my immediate area)... still I wouldn't recommend it. Above the Cross County Parkway is the Fleetwood section which is much nicer, especially near the border of Bronxville.
I also recommend checking out Pelham or Larchmont (where I now live after renting in the city for a few years). I moved to Pelham when I had had enough of Mt Vernon and would take the Metro North into the city any day over the subway hand down. Take a look at the Jersey burbs nearby also such as Hoboken (at sea level so that might be something to think about during hurricane season), Jersey City, For Lee, Englewood, etc... Supposedly Jersey has lower taxes than NY state if you're concerned about NY taxes.
"...the general area of Mt Vernon that is immediately North of and around the end of the 2 line (which is the area the OP was asking about) is even worse (considerably worse) than the adjacent areas of Wakefield. My comment was specifically about a certain area of Wakefield and a certain area of Mt Vernon, not about Mt Vernon in general or about The Bronx in general."
I agree with this actually. Though the area around the 2 and the 5 trains isn't that great I felt safer there than in some parts of Mt Vernon. I remember when I first moved to Mt Vernon, I was waiting for the Bee-Line bus at Dyre Avenue and a gypsy cab pulled up and asked if I needed a ride, when I asked him if he would go to Mt Vernon he refused since it was a "tough area". Thought that was a bit ironic of him to say but saw why.
Maybe try Yonkers on the other side of McLean Ave. There are people that walk to the last 34 stop and take it to the 4 or D. Not a great commute either in my opinion, but surely a nicer neighborhood.
OK to have your opinion but please don't purposely twist my words to try to bolster whatever your opinion is on anything.
I was quite specific about what I said and I did not say Mt Vernon makes the Bronx look rosy,as you imply. What I said was that the general area of Mt Vernon that is immediately North of and around the end of the 2 line (which is the area the OP was asking about) is even worse(considerably worse) than the adjacent areas of Wakefield.My comment was specifically about a certain area of Wakefield and a certain area of Mt Vernon, not about Mt Vernon in general or about The Bronx in general.
And I stand by my observations and comments.I think I know much more about both The Bronx and about Mt.Vernon than you do.
Wakefield at the end of the 2 line (or anywhere) is not particularly nice looking. At all. It isn't better looking than adjacent parts of Mt. Vernon. Mt. Vernon actually has bigger homes and bigger yards than Wakefield. There are governmental type housing units in a particular Mt. Vernon not far from Wakefield, but there are also crappy high rises full of crap in Wakefield itself (and there's Edenwald).
I lived in that total dump of a neighborhood Wakefield for 10 months (10 months too long) and saw a lot of crap around the Bronx in general (my least favorite part of NYC).
But if the OP wants to live in Mt. Vernon, Mt. Vernon isn't worse than the Bronx. There are nicer parts of Mt. Vernon. The OP will have to look around Mt. Vernon (and Wakefield for that matter) and determine whether the area is acceptable to him or not.
Maybe try Yonkers on the other side of McLean Ave. There are people that walk to the last 34 stop and take it to the 4 or D. Not a great commute either in my opinion, but surely a nicer neighborhood.
I think your best bet would be to live in Yonkers, close to the area by McClean Avenue & Central Park Avenue. The #4 and #20/21 basically run at the same frequency as typical routes here in the city, and they connect to both the (4) & (B)(D) trains, so you have both East Side & West Side access.
The last stop is at Bedford Park Blvd, which isn't directly at the (B)(D) station, but it's two short blocks away.
Hello, I'm researching the above area via google maps but there is only so much you can gather from there.
I'll also go for a drive through the area after getting some tips here.
A couple of questions: is street parking adequate? In the past I've lived in towns where there is virtually no parking left after 8pm. Is it necessary to move one's car from side to side every so often for street cleaning like in Queens?
Lastly, what about crime and other uncivilized behavior on the streets (such as honking in the middle of the night, yelling, screeching tires, loud music, etc.). I'm a white guy, 40s, work in the city, white collar job.
Is this a serious post? If so, the area you're asking about is a predominately Black area (mostly of Caribbean aka West Indians background). The area doesn't look so bad. There are actually some nice homes and apartment buildings when you get into the residential streets but on the main thorough ways, the daily activities and look of the people is typical of the ghetto which includes uncivil/uncouth behavior. With the warm weather arriving, it means more people hangin' out who act this way. As a White male, would you be comfortable living in that environment? What about the riding the crowded 2 train where the ridership becomes 95% or more Black after the 92th Street stop? Being a White person who is also white-collar you'll look the polar opposite of most of the people you'll live around or encounter in the neighborhood. How comfortable are you that this will cause you to stand out in a way that maybe you don't want to? Things to consider.
Why would you rent in that part of Mount Vernon? It's the worst. Really creepy. It's so bad that when you cross into The Bronx you immediately sense that you are in a much better,safer area.Not too many places can make that part of The Bronx look rosy but Mt Vernon does.You'd be much better off renting in The Bronx or on the other side of the Bronx River Parkway in Yonkers.
I agree. I haven't lived in that area but have personal friends and had clients in those areas whose homes I visited often.
Klass post is so racist, it makes Donald sterling seems normal. Oh my. It seems as where ever black, Caribbean and West Indian people lives are the worst areas in NY. I can agree that a lot are but calm down with your racist self.
Klass post is so racist, it makes Donald sterling seems normal. Oh my. It seems as where ever black, Caribbean and West Indian people lives are the worst areas in NY. I can agree that a lot are but calm down with your racist self.
I'm African-American. To be honest, the worst areas of NYC are in Black areas as even you yourself have agreed that a lot are. Now if you agree that a lot of the worst areas are Black (African-American and/or Caribbean-West Indian) then doesn't that make you as racist as you've accused me of being?
I think your best bet would be to live in Yonkers, close to the area by McClean Avenue & Central Park Avenue. The #4 and #20/21 basically run at the same frequency as typical routes here in the city, and they connect to both the (4) & (B)(D) trains, so you have both East Side & West Side access.
The last stop is at Bedford Park Blvd, which isn't directly at the (B)(D) station, but it's two short blocks away.
Yonkers also has a city income tax,the avoidance of which seems to be of utmost importance to the OP.
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Black area
