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Not that long ago? You were not getting a 1 bedroom apartment in Parkchester for $800. You can't even get a room at the local YMCA for under a grand(sarcasm)
I know for a fact that there were apartments in that price range a good 5-6 years ago because I checked out of curiosity. I don't know why you're so shocked. Parkchester (like Co-op City) is a planned community that was created to provide affordable housing, so $800 dollars for a one bedroom isn't that wild. Co-op City (relative to the rest of the city) is dirt cheap too (or at least it was not that long ago). Let's not prop up Parkchester for more than what it is: a working class area. Nothing more, nothing less.
I know for a fact that there were apartments in that price range a good 5-6 years ago because I checked out of curiosity. I don't know why you're so shocked. Parkchester (like Co-op City) is a planned community that was created to provide affordable housing, so $800 dollars for a one bedroom isn't that wild.
Don't roll your eyes as if I don't know what I'm talking about. You think a $500 increase in just 5-6 years isn't a lot for housing that was created specifically for working class people? $1300-1400 a month means one person must earn $52,000 - 56,000. Not exactly working class if you ask me. I should remind you that the median income per household is $60,000. It's much lower than that per capita.
Roseba - look up Parkchester PEP for Seniors (I think PEP stands for some form of "enhancement program"). I am a trim old girl and at 57 still climb mountains so do not need senior services yet :-), but I bought the Parkchester studio with a plan to retire there. A lot of seniors live in Parkchester, enough that they have this special organization for seniors on the premises. Incidentally, I also couldn't care less about anyone's race, and generally stop noticing it altogether after about 30 seconds of conversation, but many other people do care about it, so I would make sure that neighbors are okay with white folks before physically moving in somewhere. It seems that people in Parkchester generally do not mind a white neighbor, ie, I received only one somewhat hostile comment about it (actually, on this forum) from what appeared to be a Parkchester resident.
Osteo issues run in my family and I'm starting to feel it. I had foot surgery this Dec and used a cane for a bit. When it snowed in March, I was no longer using a cane, but I felt very nervous about walking around.
I have a hard time picturing myself hanging out in a senior center. I'm a lot like my dad who is of that age. He would rather hang out with younger people. LOL. I really do like a mixed age demographic. It keeps you alive and sharp.
As far as checking with my neighbors, from the small sampling I got from my home visits, both buildings being 100% owner occupied, people seem to care mostly about having the funds to pay the bills. One would find out a lot with board approval I suppose.
My current residence is a two family. Upstairs are Eastern Europeans. I won't be specific here. Let's just say this: They hate everyone who is American. They are insular, unfriendly, but most of all deceitful. Over the years I saw them do things like get tickets from improper garbage disposal and then hide the ticket from our landlord who then came to me looking to pay it. They had a leak so bad that my kitchen was flooded with water and they claimed they didn't have a problem at all. (Meanwhile you could see it dripping down the ceiling.) It was this weird mentality that owning your 'stuff' will result in some severe consequences. They were only virtuous with their own kind. I can understand tribalism to some extent. You want to hang out and break bread with your tribe. But I see no reason to do anything destructive towards others who are not part of your tribe who are just living their lives quietly and not effecting yours. With PoC, this could be a legacy of colonialsm etc and a legacy of people of less economic means fighting each other for scraps instead of paying attention to the tribe that is robbing them blind. (The ire is usually shown to the people who have the least economic power; to those who aren't responsbile for it.) But there are other tribes in NYC that don't have that history who behave unvirtuously to outsiders. You can note it, protect yourself, keep your head down with dignity, but most important; "your lack of integrity does not make me change mine to match yours" or something of that nature.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pierrepont7731
I have yet to see anyone become extremely hostile, but I did witness a black middle aged woman standing outside of where I assume she lived in one of the complexes remarking out loud for all to hear about how Pakistanis don't like black people. She was clearly trying to instigate something out of nothing, but what I do think is a real concern for some of the residents there (particularly those who are black) is them being pushed out by other groups, be it whites of any ethnic group, Pakistanis, and so on. Parkchester was dirt cheap not that long ago, and the rents have went up considerably in just a short period of time. It's become a place where people that have been pushed out now from other areas are going to and I'm sure this has some long time residents who don't own on edge. At the price points for rent in Parkchester, there really aren't too many other areas of the Bronx close to the subway, walkable and safe that offer what Parkchester has unless you move to the ghetto.
I share those concerns. I also happen to be white. However, I am also a lifetime NYer. I'm a divorced mother. You know the statistics about single moms. My ex has been a dissapointment in the provider category. I don't expect his ability to be useful in that way to change any time soon. The way NY has become, housing costs seems to be based on a per person cost ratio. (Probably because of so many young people living in a quasi SRO situation.) Where I presently live, it's over $1000 a month per person. My housing is less, but that situatin is on borrowed time. Since my 12 year old doesn't have a job (lol), and I can't shell out upward of $2000 a month for rent, what am I supposed to do, but move where I can afford to live. I realize people will view me as a "gentrifier." All I can say is this is my home town. This is where my parents live. This is where I have raised my child. My ex-husband is also a native NYer. I have no plans to reshape the community and suit it to my own liking. I'm too busy going to work and taking care of my kid.
Maybe, when I'm all settled and found my home, some of ya'll can meet me somewhere for coffee and we can meet in real life. It would be nice to have some local peeps.
Half a decade ago isn't exactly "not that long ago"
I do agree with you, though.
Well it is to me. Average that out over 5 years and that's an increase of $100 a month in rent each year. I don't think people's salaries went up that much (if at all) to cover those increases every year.
Well it is to me. Average that out over 5 years and that's an increase of $100 a month in rent each year. I don't think people's salaries went up that much (if at all) to cover those increases every year.
I went for 7 years without an increase and when I finally got one, it was by $3k. Within a month my rent increased which wiped away any catch-up. I've never had a Manhattan income but I used to have more choices in where I chose to live than I do now. 1. Because I am no longer married and don't have a dual income. (All though he was worthless 1/2 of our marriage, hence the divorce. 2. Because I need more space vecaisw of my kid. Many housing lotteries look at income and number of people. I have two people, but it's not the same thing as having a husband where you share a bedrooms. I suppose I could camp out in the living room for the next 12 years. That's not ideal either. So as an individual I might make a little more than some, but if you look at my income as shared which it is, I'm priced out of almost everywhere. My rent has increased by 50% in the last 10 years. If you were on the other thread, you also know I live on a dump. My landlord is very old, so I really on borrowed time anyway. So I can move on my timeline, or move when he passes away and do it in haste. Having a spouse would improve a lot of this but, let me build my life in my dime and worry about the other stuff later.
The problem with that place was a few things:
1. They wanted to do a home inspection of my current residence. They said it is to see how I live, who I live or don't live with. My ex-h is still living there, but won't be moving in with me in the next place. But outside of that, it's super creepy and intrusive.
2. They had the real estate agent (who was very nice) so wound up about her open house, that I thought she was going to have a nervous breakdown.
3. They have a 40 page application process, on top of all the other stuff necessary for buying an apartment.
Which made me wonder, how intrusive they would be in my day to day. I don't have guests often, but I really do want some privacy.
3. The flip tax. This was a big one. They had a 25% Flip tax on the property whether you hold it a year, or 30 years. I have heard of this on properties that sell at a discounted rate, but this is at market rate.
When I'm ready to sell, it is because I am moving to a place that never sees snow. It also means, I am no longer working because I have decided to retire. I don't want to lose that much of my investment, upon selling. Especially since things come up. The family who is selling got a job in another city which is why they are moving. I could, gasp, get married again and want a bigger place. That flip seems like a strangle hold.
So for example: My dad bought his place in 1989. Then the market crashed. His mortage was upside down for more than a decade where he had to pay prices far exceeding the value of his apartment. Finally, after holding this apartment for nearly 30 years, it's worth nearly double what he paid. So that's $150K profit. With a 25% fip tax, he'd have to pay $37,500 back into the building that already charges a high maintenance and assessments.
I can't stomach the flip tax. It seems overly high. I suspect that keeps buyers away.
4. The maintenance was a little higher than average.
The building with the intrusive application and the huge flip tax was not in Pelham Parkway was it? Because I am very familiar with all the co ops and condos in Pelham Parkway and don't know of any building like that around here.
The building with the intrusive application and the huge flip tax was not in Pelham Parkway was it? Because I am very familiar with all the co ops and condos in Pelham Parkway and don't know of any building like that around here.
Roseba - the idea about meeting over a coffee is a nice one, but I do not live in NYC (my "retirement condo" in Parkchester is rented to a long-term tenant until I indeed retire), so I wouldn't be able to join. But I'd be very interested in a Virtual Parkchester Coffeehouse on this forum, ie, hope people will continue posting about evolution of living conditions in that corner of the Bronx. Some people really do write interesting and useful comments about it.
I still believe Latinos (of various races and country-origins) are the overwhelmingly predominant people in Parkchester, not Blacks really (unless they are Black Latinos). My present tenant (who is a Black, originally from the Bronx) is just about the only person with a non-Latino last name among all the residents of my building. Not that it matters one way or the other - just a demographic observation.
Re rent increases, I tend to raise the rent by $20 each year, to keep up with increases in monthly condo association maintenance fees. My tenant right now pays me $960 per month for a studio, plus she pays her own utility bill to ConEd. Even a person making a minimum wage can marginally afford that (my tenant makes somewhere in the 50s K per year on a very low level, but very stable, job). I do not rent the place for profit, but only to be able to cover the cost of purchase and maintenance until I decide to live there. You can still find individual owners in Parkchester who, like me, offer affordable rents.
Last edited by elnrgby; 06-01-2017 at 01:27 AM..
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