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Not unsafe, just the bus is so much more pleasant. Nice comfy seats, lights turned out, you can sleep, and it is only Parkchester residents (which is just more comforting - they are all your neighbors, unlike on the subway). And I simply hate the subway in general (although the #6 in my opinion is one of the best in the city - clean and well-lit.) Plus, the walk to my apt takes less time than from the subway stop. I did take the subway once at 3:30 in the morning after a party - AND I lived to tell about it. But I wouldn't recommend that -anywhere!
Well said NewYowkur81! And SeventhFloor, you should definitely come back and see for yourself. In the nineties (and before the $250 million renovation) investors were snapping these condos up at like $25,000 a unit. That says a lot. It was probably a nasty piece of work back then - but not anymore. And although it still has further to go in some areas, I see improvement every single day! Come see!
These photos were taken within just a half an hour just a short while ago around the grounds of Parkchester. (In the Oval by the Fountain, taking a stroll in the great lawn behind my unit, out getting ice cream at the ice cream truck, etc.) This is a typical cross section of Parkchester residents who are out enjoying the evening every single night. So, come on! Is it not time the outdated reputation of the community is laid to rest? These photos and others can also be found on my photo-blog www.thebronxrocks.com which I started to try to show through photos (like these) just how nice many parts of the Bronx can be. I will post more as time goes on...
Cute couple just enjoying the Oval (and each other)
I see these two each evening when out on my evening stroll.
A family who just recently moved from Brooklyn after hearing all the great press about Parkchester. They are very happy with their condo purchase.
These two, like many of the older residents, are Parkchester fixtures. You can always find them out sunning themselves by the fountain.
Michael, an organizer with the NY Junior Tennis League.
My neighbors down the hall who recently welcomed a new addition to the family. They also are out walking the around the lawn every evening.
Louis, a photographer and long time Parkchester resident.
Andrea Coooper, a dean at a local school and her mother, Miss Clara.
NYCwoman, I agree with you that the Parkchester development is unfairly maligned. The Parkchester of today is not what it was 10-15 years ago, when it had a lot of problems, and the units were not selling for much money. People are not insane, they will not pay more for a unit in an area that has not improved, and the turnover is precisely what is driving this trend. As the tenants of yesterday are replaced, the neighborhood continues to evolve as a vibrant community. Today, the management appears to be much more concerned with who is entering the community as a renter, and the condominium sales have improved as the buildings have been brought back. They are not neglected inner city bleak towers of despair, and it truly is a different world within its borders today. And, there are differences that have been pointed out between management companies in the two areas that comprise modern Parkchester, after the split, but both are making strides back to what they were when originally built, largely self-contained vibrant communities.
People forget that the commercial impact of Parkchester in its original days and now in its current state of repair is an anchor to the entire area. The conveniences near home are what tend to make people enjoy their community, and the first branch Macy's ever, I think, was the Parkchester store. And, it's still there, even through the bad years, and new restaurants and retail have opened in the last few years to bring back the shopping district that once was an integral part of the community.
Unfortunately, people equate the surrounding area with Parkchester, but technically, this is incorrect, since the development's borders are what was originally called Parkchester by Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. when it built the premisis as a rental community. The surrounding areas used to be known as Park Versailles and Westchester Heights, if I am remembering correctly (though I am way too young to know what they were called back in the day), and slowly evolved into Parkchester as the original names for the surrounding communities fell into disuse.
Parking is an issue from what I have read, and I can understand that, since they were originally designed and built in the late 1930s-early 1940s. It was not the norm for city dwellers to have multiple vehicles in those days, and many did not even have a need for a vehicle. So, the legacy of a lack of parking continues, and it's problematic to integrate parking into the neighborhood proper, since it would disrupt the original design. That's part of the problem of adapting an original design for the modern lifestyle, and if that's a big issue for some and they cannot work out an alternative arrangement, such as off-site parking for a little used vehicle, then it might not be the community for them.
Overall, though, the complaints now are not nearly what they were years ago when the property was in a sad state of affairs. It's nice to know that there's a successful turnaround in the works for the area, and it's heartening to see the pride that you take in your neighborhood. Some scoff and say that postivie news is done to drive up prices for investors, but I do not think that to be the case at all, since Parkchester is limited in that regard as the buildings are not going to be demolished for new structures or big-box retailers or anything that looks like gentrification.
Your posts have given insight to others as to the restorative quality of adapted reuse of the development for new residents, who coexist with some long-term residents, creating a new community in an older space, and getting rid of undesired elements that contributed to blight and crime. Are things perfect? No, not in any part of the city...there's always a complaint to be had, but things are definitely not what they were years ago. The only major drawback would be the public schools that serve the area, but no area of the city is immune to issues in the public schools. I agree with you that the Parkchester bashing needs to end, since it's not an accurate representation of the current state of affairs in the neighborhood.
Amen, bmwguydc!! Couldn't have said it better myself!
And thank you for the words of encouragement - it's good to know that I am not spinning my wheels here and that what I am saying is making sense to some of you. I think as time goes on, more and more people will start to "get it" - and not just about Parkchester but other areas as well.
Parkchester back in the mid to the late 90's was on the decline and I wouldnt say it ever got to the point of 'dangerous' but it was starting to have that sketchy element but in recent years its gotten better and its pretty safe.
I may have said it before, but I'll say it again.....I came from Park Slope, Brooklyn! Parkchester is extremely quiet and safe. It is extremely diverse! It is extremely family oriented. Anyone who has property in Parkchester has not a steal, but highway robbery! Anytime you can get a condo at well below market rate, with the transportation, amenities, serenities and community like this, is highway robbery!
I love the fact that there is a nice little musical instrument store on Castle Hill and Sterling (I'm a part-time musician!). Also, a Planet Fitness just opened up on Westchester Ave. I think a bookstore will come in time!
As for the lack of nightlife, I'll be honest...I can do without it! As someone who lived 15 years in the Slope, I loved the nightlife, but there are plenty of drawbacks to having too many bars and clubs in your neighborhood!
And I'll be honest...questions about the safety of the surrounding areas are, IMHO, overblown! I'm not saying nothing happens, but trust me, it ain't as bad as one thinks! I truly believe that the Bronx's reputation is still keeping people away from very good long-term investments!
Oh, yeah, another thing I don't have to worry about are inconsiderate greedy developers, who are literally taking over Park Slope!
And thank you for the words of encouragement - it's good to know that I am not spinning my wheels here and that what I am saying is making sense to some of you. I think as time goes on, more and more people will start to "get it" - and not just about Parkchester but other areas as well.
Thanks again!
You're welcome. I can understand your frustration since the way some people have mistakingly typecast Parkchester, such that it would seem that Beirut in the 1980s would have been more stable by comparison. I think part of the reason as to why people cannot grasp that Parkchester dictates the area, not the other way around, and write it off in light of the surrounding areas that are a bit sketchy in places is that they don't understand that it's not just a couple of buildings. It's HUGE, and is literally akin to a small town within the city. Many developments of that type that Metropolitan Life built in NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc. were designed to be urban villages, in the style of LeCorbusier. People who have not lived in such communities or studied their history cannot easily grasp that these communities are not merely singular developments, or a small collection of buildings as one might find in today's developmen pipeline. Since converting from rentals to condominiums with secondary rental tenants has been a very positive step in terms of stability, since owners, individual owners, not large conglomerates, always take more of an interest in preserving their investment. I can really understand your frustration, and your photos have done a lot to help dispel the myths on this board.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scatman
Oh, yeah, another thing I don't have to worry about are inconsiderate greedy developers, who are literally taking over Park Slope!
That's so true, since the condominium associations that are in place in today's Parkchester will help the residents be stewards of their community, and keeping the cornerstone of individual ownership alive. A developer could not come in and buy an entire building, for example, were they able to even consolidate all the units in one, and then proceed to demolish it to build something else for pure profit. You have a hedge against that phenomenon due to the nature of the development and protections afforded by by sheer size.
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Do these people look dangerous to you?!?!
