what's the neighborhood like near W116th st and manhattan ave. (apartments, renting)

[sissi]

Hi,

I'm a grad student at columbia and I just found an apt at W116th st and manhattan ave. Just wondering what's the neighborhood like? Is it safe? any grocery stores around? hope to get some advices from you guys. thanks a lot!

[schiphol]

I lived there in the late 90s and my dad still live over on 113th and Manhattan. Manhattan Ave in my opinion was fine then and it is gentrifying now. New luxury buildings are sprouting up all over the place and the rents are rising. The funny thing I noticed was that my dad's building had more whites living there than blacks and Hispanics but I never saw them in the streets or in the closest subway station, 116th and Frederick Douglass. Everyone walked to 110th Street. Shoot, I did too. But seriously, I think it's fine over there but I think the majority of stores and shopping is more south around 110th and on Frederick Douglass which is just one block over. Additionally, you're a short bus ride or walk to the UWS and Columbia U.

[yvette]

Wow (the memories), I use to live at 314 West 112th Street years ago. My parents rented a big three to four bedroom (I think one room was probably a maid's room who knows how long ago but my mother use to use that room, which was adjacent to the kitchen, to iron and my bicycle was also in that room and a filing cabinet my father use to have in there) a nice sized living room with a teeny-tiny balcony on the second of two living room windows. I am sure the apartments are condos now and I'm sure they sell/sold for well over a million. I even remember the old landlord's name Mr. Lynch but I think he died sometime in the late eighties. We moved from there when I was eight and now I am in my late thirties.

[sissi]

thanks for the replies. seems i forgot to mention i'm renting an apt instead of buying it. can't afford the price.

[schiphol]

I'm certain the rents have risen by a lot but it's still cheap considering you're in Manhattan. I had no problems when I lived there. I went to City College and walked to and fro everyday when I lived there. I have come home late at night with a $1300 bass guitar and no one ever messed with me on the walk from the train station. Though I did have a woman run up behind me, but she was trying to do the safety in numbers thing. I thought she was going to try to jump me but she just didn't want to walk alone and we happened to live in the same building, 312 Manhattan Ave. Ahh, the memories. Morningside Park right across the street. The mini-waterfall. Starbucks would usually hold their Earth Day celebration there. The baseball, soccer, and basketball games. The Columbia kids playing football on weekends. Good times.

[Rudbeckia]

This area is fine, you should not have a problem and you will be around many other students and you will have morningside park right there.

[schiphol]

M4? Forgive me because it has been a year since I last lived in NY, but the buses on Manhattan Ave are the M116, M7, and M3...aren't they? Isn't the M4 up on Broadway?
Besides good ole fashion walking, the OP can walk to 110th and catch.....oh yeah the M4, right? Sorry.

[Rudbeckia]

You are correct, I revised the post. It would be faster for the OP just to walk to campus. If it is late at night or something he can take the M4 to 110th and switch buses there, or just walk 6 blocks north.

[schiphol]

M4 will still be handy for that uphill trek to Broadway. That's a workout. But I don't remember, does the M4 drive by Columbia? and does Kolony pizza still serve those colossal slices?

[Rudbeckia]

The M4 stops at Columbia at the 116th and Broadway entrance. The OP can just walk through the park to get to campus, and at night he can take the M4 from Columbia to 110th and Manahattan Ave, then walk up Manhattan Ave.

Not sure about the pizza, does Kolony serve up a good slice?