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Excellent, I also think this area will be a lot better with time.
One thing I’ve noticed is that there aren’t many apartments available to buy. This is probably due to the fact that there are lots of rent-controlled buildings in the area, which will slow down gentrification. For example, the building that I’m looking into is being converted to condos, but out of 43 units, only 12 units have been converted. The rest of the apartments still have tennants, and that will probably remain so for a long time. This also means that the few apartments up for sale are a lot more expensive than they should be.
Yeah, there are not many listings--but there are a few brownstones available. I think some buildings may start to convert to condo units. That has happened with a few on 148-149th Streets. There is only 1 vacant brownstone left on my block--and when I moved in, there were 4 empty ones.
It's such a great neighborhood, and getting better. Have you taken a look at Convent Avenue (one block east of Amsterdam--from 150th street south to about 140th or so? Amazing architecture and older mansions and beautiful buildings. Gorgeous part of the neighborhood!
For what the OP describes, Hudson Heights is a better option. It is more established, marginally safer, is close to beautiful parks, and has better amenities (like a "gourmet" supermarket that stocks organic produce and meat, for example). Hamilton Heights is nice, too, and slightly closer to midtown, but it's more "up and coming." Both are fine places to live, but I personally prefer Hudson Heights.
What do people more familiar with the area than me think? Have you seen steady improvement in the last few years? I'm a little bothered by the number of youths hanging out on street corners. Two kids were gunned down on 151st and Broadway just last August, which is rather alarming to me.
I live on 149th/broadway - have been here for a couple years - and that incident was a little alarming but I think he was targeted. It was a drive-by shooting and I think that kid(and maybe one other person) were shot.
There was also a shooting right around the 137th st bar/grill on Broadway, but it was gang related and he was a target.
I don't really worry about that type of thing, I don't hang out in gang/drug circles and unless I get hit by a stray bullet(which really could happen almost anywhere in the city) I doubt anyone is going to mess with me.
I'm also a single 31 year old woman and have never had any problems here at any time of day/night.
Plus there are new restaurants popping up all the time, a new brick oven pizza place opened on 151/broadway(went there last night and will definitely be back)
I also started running in the mornings and I love going along riverside - there is a nice path and then the park where there are usually lots of people walking dogs, walking/running/cycling/etc. (Edit: I see people with dogs along the path...I've been told they aren't allowed in the park itself)
It's a great area imo. I think quality of life can vary by building - the one annoying I've dealt with here was my neighbors and their music. Was able to get them to turn it down though...
I own a coop further north. I found many banks weren't interested in granting me a mortgage because my building is about half rental, half coop (and with rising rents, there will be no coops offered for sale any time soon). Anyway, not to give them a plug, but I found Citibank was willing to overlook this point.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pizarrony
Excellent, I also think this area will be a lot better with time.
One thing I’ve noticed is that there aren’t many apartments available to buy. This is probably due to the fact that there are lots of rent-controlled buildings in the area, which will slow down gentrification. For example, the building that I’m looking into is being converted to condos, but out of 43 units, only 12 units have been converted. The rest of the apartments still have tennants, and that will probably remain so for a long time. This also means that the few apartments up for sale are a lot more expensive than they should be.
With Columbia erecting a building on Broadway around 148th (topped out already), and a new campus under construction in the west 130's just below Ham Hts (they're calling it Manhattanville), and all the new Medical campus buildings going up in the 160's, I think their tentacles are being deeply entrenched in the whole upper Broadway corridor, and this, along with whatever gentrification would happen anyway, is going to turn the area into another Ivy League playground.
Makes me wonder, as I'm typing this, if the Univ isn't quietly buying up property in the area, for "future considerations." After all, their students and employees have to live *somewhere*.
Of course they are quietly buying up property in the area, for future considerations. This has been going on for years.
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