How safe is the area around brookdale hospital? (New York, York: middle-class, apartments)
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HI,
I am volunteering at the brookdale hospital at 1 brookdale plaza, brooklyn , new york, 11212 in a couple of days. I am new in town( from POcatello, idaho) and have conflicting reports about the area. Some advice would be real helpfull. Is it a safe neighbourhood? My work may include moving around the area at odd hours( mostly between 10-12 at night). How safe is renting an apartment there? How safe is it moving about during the day?
Any feedback would be greatly aprreciated. So far i have no info about the place other than that from the management. Another otion is I can share an apartment with a resident in one of the buildings acroos the hospital. Is this safe.( cause some people said that crossing the parkway from the hospital to the apartments is also dangerous at nights).
Neighborhood motto. Nice, isn't it? That is one section of Brooklyn that I avoid like a cancer. Hell, I only live a few minutes away. Regarding daylight, it should be tamer since either 1)locals are working, 2)gang members are in school, or 3)gang members are sleeping, getting ready for the afternoon/nightshift.
If you have to volunteer at that hospital, take the offer to stay in front of the hospital. Brownsville is a real ghetto. Vast housing projects that makes me feel at home. Welcome to Brooklyn...
Oh and what are you planning to do at Brookdale? If it's anything to do w/ medical, you'll learn and see things VERY fast.
Across Linden Boulevard is a neighborhood that is a little better than Brownsville. Row houses, middle-class homeowners. Largely Caribbean people. I worked, briefly, at Brookdale - until I quit in disgust - and I usually found parking in that neighborhood. People I ran into appeared decent and friendly.
On the other side of Brookdale is Brownsville, one of the worst neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Brownsville is a neighborhood to avoid, as is most of East New York, which is on another side of Brookdale. Both are dreary, ugly and crime-ridden.
There are other neighborhoods nearby. Canarsie is a lot better, I think, although there are people who would question that.
If you are willing to take the bus, there are better neighborhoods towards the west. Take the B82 (Kings Highway) bus after transferring from the Linden Boulevard bus (I don't remember its number). But the B82 takes a long time to come. A real pain to use unless you know the schedule and can get to the bus stop on time. If you have a car, you will have a lot more options. But it is hard to park near Brookdale. There is a parking garage, but if you use it on a daily basis, the cost adds up.
I grew up in Brownsville and lived there and around it for almost 40 years. I seen the neighborhood go through several different changes. However, present date is the worst I have seen. It is very dangerous. I would say it is more dangerous now than ever. The other neighborhoods around Brownsville, East New York, Canarsie, Ocean Hill are all no better. Don't believe the hype about surrounding areas being better...Nonsense. Brownsville and East New York just so happens to be the worst with Canarsie in hot pursuit. I would not live or work there much less voluteer. There is no such thing as a safer time in Brownsville. The people who live there and are known in the community are not even safe. I was robbed several times, my friends were robbed, in fact that's the norm. It's not how tough you are or even how bad you are. You get caught in that moment and game over. You are lucky to live. Everyone is clocking guns. Babies are clocking them. Find another place. Take my word. Your life is the most important thing. They did a study some years back and it showed that you had a better chance of surviving in the Vietnam war than you did in Brownsville. That was years ago, today it is even worst. I don't go near the place. I grew up there when it first made the real turn for the worst, in the late 50's and 60"s. I remember the place when they had horse on carts. I have good memories. But that is all they are...now it is HELL! If you value your life don't do it.
P.S. 10 or 12 at night...you will only meet the best of the worst. That is happy hour. The ghouls run the street. Crack infested. They travel in packs. You don't even want to drive through much less take a bus or ride. I have seen cars stop for lights in the Ville and watch people get yanked out of their cars and robbed.....I seen grown men walking with their pants torn off them for a few bucks. They don't care how much you got. They do it for sport. My dad at the age of 79 years old was pistol whipped for the grand total of thirty cents back in 93. He died less than 4 weeks later.
Neighborhood motto. Nice, isn't it? That is one section of Brooklyn that I avoid like a cancer. Hell, I only live a few minutes away. Regarding daylight, it should be tamer since either 1)locals are working, 2)gang members are in school, or 3)gang members are sleeping, getting ready for the afternoon/nightshift.
If you have to volunteer at that hospital, take the offer to stay in front of the hospital. Brownsville is a real ghetto. Vast housing projects that makes me feel at home. Welcome to Brooklyn...
Oh and what are you planning to do at Brookdale? If it's anything to do w/ medical, you'll learn and see things VERY fast.
thank you all for the advice.I got hospital accommodation right across from the hospital (all i have to do is cross rockaway parkway, which is the road in front of the hospital). I am a foreign med graduate and am volunteering there for US clinical experience.
Believe me after reading the replies I would have avoided this place if I could, but I have no other choice.
So is it safe to at least cross the road or do I have to be damn carefull even then.
Across Linden Boulevard is a neighborhood that is a little better than Brownsville. Row houses, middle-class homeowners. Largely Caribbean people. I worked, briefly, at Brookdale - until I quit in disgust - and I usually found parking in that neighborhood. People I ran into appeared decent and friendly.
On the other side of Brookdale is Brownsville, one of the worst neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Brownsville is a neighborhood to avoid, as is most of East New York, which is on another side of Brookdale. Both are dreary, ugly and crime-ridden.
There are other neighborhoods nearby. Canarsie is a lot better, I think, although there are people who would question that.
If you are willing to take the bus, there are better neighborhoods towards the west. Take the B82 (Kings Highway) bus after transferring from the Linden Boulevard bus (I don't remember its number). But the B82 takes a long time to come. A real pain to use unless you know the schedule and can get to the bus stop on time. If you have a car, you will have a lot more options. But it is hard to park near Brookdale. There is a parking garage, but if you use it on a daily basis, the cost adds up.
hi ..thanks for the reply
I am going to work as a volunteer at Brookdale. As i said before I got the hospital accommodation right across from the hospital(I have to cross rockaway parkway). Since you have already worked there you must be pretty familiar with the area. can you please give me a heads up on the area , on where the nearest subway is . is it safe to walk there during the day? or do you suggest i use a car when i have to go to places like manhattan etc.
I know I am bombarding you with many questions but After i read the posts here I am quite apprehensive about the place.
I grew up in Brownsville and lived there and around it for almost 40 years. I seen the neighborhood go through several different changes. However, present date is the worst I have seen. It is very dangerous. I would say it is more dangerous now than ever. The other neighborhoods around Brownsville, East New York, Canarsie, Ocean Hill are all no better. Don't believe the hype about surrounding areas being better...Nonsense. Brownsville and East New York just so happens to be the worst with Canarsie in hot pursuit. I would not live or work there much less voluteer. There is no such thing as a safer time in Brownsville. The people who live there and are known in the community are not even safe. I was robbed several times, my friends were robbed, in fact that's the norm. It's not how tough you are or even how bad you are. You get caught in that moment and game over. You are lucky to live. Everyone is clocking guns. Babies are clocking them. Find another place. Take my word. Your life is the most important thing. They did a study some years back and it showed that you had a better chance of surviving in the Vietnam war than you did in Brownsville. That was years ago, today it is even worst. I don't go near the place. I grew up there when it first made the real turn for the worst, in the late 50's and 60"s. I remember the place when they had horse on carts. I have good memories. But that is all they are...now it is HELL! If you value your life don't do it.
Wow thats scary. I wish I could go else where but I have no choice. I am a forign grad and I have to do this for US clinical experience.
Hearing all this from a person who lived there for 40 years... wow. you scared me. but as I said I have no other choice.
So since you actually know the area can please advice me( I asked a couple of questions in one of my replies above). please try and take time to give me some survival pointers.
Good thing hosp provide accomidations across the street. B'ville has REAL problems. Just try not to be traveling the street at night. Even with other people with you. It's not enough. Don't look scared everywhere you go if you have to be out. You have to develop a sense of streetsmarts...act like you lived there for 10 years. You should be ok by the hospital but don't venture too far... Sadly you should see lots of action at that hospital.
Brownsville is rough, but do your residency, pad up that resume, and when it's time to go, then it's time to go! And use common sense whan walking in the hood.
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