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Tends to being the key word. Walk around the area. It is not the same Bay Ridge. It is much more diverse. You still have those people there, but you have people moving in from other areas as well. You laugh because you think of the old conservative Bay Ridge. Two rather progressive elected officials were chosen that represent Bay Ridge, both young and progressive.
Bay Ridge hasn't been "old conservative" for decades now. It's a solid middle class immigrant neighborhood.
Of course a hardware store is a sign of neighborhood improvement, owners are more likely to make upgrades than transients. When Whole Foods opens in the Stuy then we can talk.
Ok so then it already has a huge Home Depot. I showed you a very high end supermarket, of which there are two within the neighborhood now- one on Marcy the other on Franklin. There is a Whole Foods in Ft Greene and from where I am it’s a 10 minute walk. Not every “good” neighborhood in NYC has a Whole Foods IN it. If that is when you think a place qualifies as “gentrified” then that’s is a silly marker and would have to apply to every other gentrified neighborhood in nyc, it does not.
Yup, they have improved enough for transplants to flock to them. I know a few people that lived there when it was up and coming, and they seem to think that was some of their best years in NYC. LOL It's ok if that's your thing and you're a transplant and want some action.
Bay Ridge is often lumped in with Fort Hamilton. It's not going to be Williamsburg, for sure. I'm not saying it is either. My point is if the OP wants to save more money, it IS an option, not that it is the #1 option. A lot of people didn't think it was an option, but when comparing $$$$ to what you get, sometimes $$$ makes a difference, so if you want to spend to the max on rent, sure. I'm also aware of the current deals, but the question is how long will those last in such areas?
My point is you are older now #1 and #2 you are a transplant. I am not. I have known Bay Ridge well before you have as a kid, so I've seen the changes first hand. I am not trying to make the place into more than what it is, but as I said, for the cost there and how it has changed, it's not a terrible option, depending on where the OP would live. It will NEVER be Williamsburg, and that's what is great about it, but no neighborhood stays the same forever, and Bay Ridge has changed a lot. You don't need to keep yelling about the median age. It's know for its elderly population and families. That doesn't change the fact that more young people are flocking there and have now for several years, so clearly it's a draw for some people and the nightlife is good enough.
If we were talking about a number of Bronx neighborhoods where more young people have moved that are totally devoid of real night life I would agree.
I know that I'm older now, but I'm close to the OP's age, though I'm not single. Yea, I'm a transplant, so I don't really remember what the neighborhoods were like in the old days, so it's hard for me to have particularly out-of-date impressions of a neighborhood in NYC (not that your impression of Bay Ridge is out of date--just that I don't see how it's a better fit for the OP than at least a few other neighborhoods) nor did the OP ask about what neighborhoods were like earlier. I mention median age, because the OP both mentions his age and specified an area with lots of young people.
It's not a bad option, and I think Bay Ridge is a great neighborhood, but what the OP laid out as what he's looking for and what his budget is, I don't think it's the best fit among Brooklyn neighborhoods for what he stated.
Ok so then it already has a huge Home Depot. I showed you a very high end supermarket, of which there are two within the neighborhood now- one on Marcy the other on Franklin. There is a Whole Foods in Ft Greene and from where I am it’s a 10 minute walk. Not every “good” neighborhood in NYC has a Whole Foods IN it. If that is when you think a place qualifies as “gentrified” then that’s is a silly marker and would have to apply to every other gentrified neighborhood in nyc, it does not.
Yeah, that Home Depot has been there for at least 15 years. Have you ever shopped there? Is it busy on a Saturday?
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Yeah, that Home Depot has been there for at least 15 years. Have you ever shopped there? Is it busy on a Saturday?
I’ve been to the Home Depot many times. It doesn’t seem overly busy- or at least the check out lines go quickly.
To add, if you think a big/good hardware store is a mark of an improving neighborhood, using that logic then what does that mean if Home Depot opened up 15 years ago in Bed Stuy...
I’ve been to the Home Depot many times. It doesn’t seem overly busy- or at least the check out lines go quickly.
To add, if you think a big/good hardware store is a mark of an improving neighborhood, using that logic then what does that mean if Home Depot opened up 15 years ago in Bed Stuy...
Lol, touche.
Question - do you have off-street parking available?
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"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Question - do you have off-street parking available?
We have (deeded) parking spaces and an enclosed parking lot behind the building. All new buildings that have over a certain number of units are required to have parking lots. I don’t know what the exact law says but there is a ratio. So my building has something like 25 or 30 parking spots but I think there are 70 units in the building. Something like that.
It’s a requirement for large rentals in the area too. The new rental buildings across the street have signs up offering some of their parking spots for rent to non tenants.
The housing stock is what some people are flocking to these areas for, esp. Bed-Stuy. Those brownstones are in good shape. They gut-renovate them and you have a HUGE space on a nice tree-lined street. The amenities are a little better than before, but nothing earth shattering. A few coffee shops, hipster places, etc. Still have the projects and all of that. Not going anywhere.
Bushwick still has that vibe though. Been going there for years. A number of my friends moved there after college that are not native New Yorkers like me (born and raised in the outerboroughs). Bushwick is still in this strange place where you have the old and the new. Some hip places, but I think Williamsburg has it beat by a mile. If money is no object in terms of the young and hip vibe with lots of bars and just that whole scene, Williamsburg is #1 for the OP, but I personally would go for a deal. I have always preferred to live near the action but not necessarily right in it. Pay a little less. Good quality of life and still be able to enjoy the action when I want to.
Bushwick is still very rough around the edges in some areas. Those vinyl sided houses are not too aesthetically pleasing--but they can be found scattered all over Williamsburg and Greenpoint too. Bushwick was populated by a lot of working class poor folks and very rough around the edges type of neighborhood, up until change started coming in fast around 2008/09/10 or so. Maria Hernandez Park down there was a huge drug park (still probably is for some old timers) and you didn't want to be caught there late, in the early 2000s.
How can you recommend Brooklyn Heights or DUMBO? Neither of these areas have any real nightlife. When I think of DUMBO, I think TINY. It's a very small area right near the Brooklyn Bridge, with a few stores. Yes, lots of young people, but not much in terms of nightlife. A few places to eat. Brooklyn Heights has more in terms of food options, especially being close to Downtown Brooklyn, but some parts still feel rather removed. After all it's a bedroom community. Always has been.
Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO are super nice and super close to Manhattan. These are both well-off, pretty wealthy areas with incredible options in terms of high rises with apartments and condos, and brownstones and townhouses in Brooklyn Heights. DUMBO is like a mini Tribeca, basically. It's bougie and urban, and 3 minutes from downtown Manhattan. There are several spots to go and drink and dress it up and hang. If that's not your scene, pop into downtown Brooklyn, Ft Greene, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Clinton Hill, Williamsburg, the city. All within 10-15 minutes or so away by walk, subway or uber.
Bay Ridge is big. If you are near the northern part, which tends to be more Arabic, it is not such a terrible commute. You can walk to 59th St for the N express which makes about three stops and then you are in Manhattan. 36th St, Atlantic Av and then Canal Street. If you live deep into Bay Ridge, such as in Fort Hamilton, then you need the R train, but if you are near Shore Road, the X27 and X37 express buses provide a quick option into Manhattan. The real issue with the R train is how poor it runs. It is not frequent, which is the problem. It's only 5 stops from the 59th St station, but you can wait 20-30 minutes for one R train.
It's a nice area with very nice housing and is a great quality of life. As long as folks who move there realize they are not convenient to Manhattan, then all good. But if someone moves there wanting to be in the city or in other parts of Brooklyn relatively easily, it ain't happening living in Bay Ridge. It's just far away from stuff in north Brooklyn and Manhattan in general.
It should be noted though that even parts of Williamsburg is not all the same. You area to be near is near the Bedford Av stop on the L. Parts of North Williamsburg are not near any subway.
Yep. The northside is mostly ideal and the luxury towers have been built -- a lot anyway -- closer to the water. But the southside is really more attractive for some people, since it doesn't get as many "hip tourist posers" and is more off the beaten path. It has that gritty denser housing stock too, with a lot of older Williamsburg residents still living there, giving it a diverse vibe.
East Williamsburg is pretty vast and ranges from the Italian area near Graham Ave to the more bustling somewhat sketch area near the Grand Street stop, to the Montrose and Morgan stops planting you right in the middle of loft, warehouse, less dense Williamsburg.
All of Williamsburg has its pros and cons and I happen to love most of it. But a Morgan Ave vibe is night and day from Bedford Ave or Lorimer St.
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