Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think in the price-range of $1,100-$1,300 for a 2 bedroom, that is way too cheap for Harlem. That is about what you would pay for the Southern Bronx, so if you are getting the same rental prices in Harlem, the apts are either miniscule (as in formerly small 1 bedrooms "converted" to 2 bedrooms), in really bad buildings/blocks, or a combination of the above.
I would say in general beware of prices that are that cheap in Harlem moreso than being cautious of Harlem itself.
Definitely- I have friends in west harlem who are paying $1400 for a 2 bedroom in an ok building on a not bad block. They are two guys so they are not as concerned about safety. I have other friends living on a nicer, safer block (they are girls) and they are paying almost $3000 for a convertible 4 bedroom (one of them lives in the partitioned off dining room). I would live where the girls live, but not where the boys live.
Harlem has so many projects, that it makes it difficult for me to buy the block by block thing. On one block you have a project, on the next umm a project. It's not only in East Harlem either, it's all over. And my general rule is that NYCHA housing, especially in Harlem, are no good. The crime rate is still up there.
That block by block thing could go for anywhere in the city. There is not one place that you can say, is entirely gutter. There are hot blocks, and some quiet blocks. It's always been the case. That is why the NYPD uses impact zones, skyview patrols, model block etc...
Harlem has so many projects, that it makes it difficult for me to buy the block by block thing. On one block you have a project, on the next umm a project. It's not only in East Harlem either, it's all over. And my general rule is that NYCHA housing, especially in Harlem, are no good. The crime rate is still up there.
That block by block thing could go for anywhere in the city. There is not one place that you can say, is entirely gutter. There are hot blocks, and some quiet blocks. It's always been the case. That is why the NYPD uses impact zones, skyview patrols, model block etc...
so supermario, you wouldnt say that riverside in harlem is considerably safer and probably one of the nicest parts? the only projects in west harlem are grant and manhattanville and those are pretty safe, and clean for NYCHA standards (i've been to both plenty of times back in the day). manhattanville is a little worse. its central harlem and east harlem where the projects are pretty rough.
and there are neighborhoods in nyc where virtually the entire neighborhood is bad...brownsville of course, east new york. to expound on what others have said, harlem has a weird way of one block being totally nice and quiet and the next block is NYCHA or old dumpy tenements. this has happened to me several times walking in harlem. before i even realized where i was walking i was in the middle of johnson projects on 5th avenue. and look at lexington avenue. one minute you're at one fish two fish the next minute you're in carver. a lot of neighborhoods in brooklyn and the bronx arent like that. for them its either the neighborhood is good, bad, or in-between. for harlem you really have to ask by specific block because it varies that greatly.
__________________
"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
so supermario, you wouldnt say that riverside in harlem is considerably safer and probably one of the nicest parts? the only projects in west harlem are grant and manhattanville and those are pretty safe, and clean for NYCHA standards (i've been to both plenty of times back in the day). manhattanville is a little worse. its central harlem and east harlem where the projects are pretty rough.
and there are neighborhoods in nyc where virtually the entire neighborhood is bad...brownsville of course, east new york. to expound on what others have said, harlem has a weird way of one block being totally nice and quiet and the next block is NYCHA or old dumpy tenements. this has happened to me several times walking in harlem. before i even realized where i was walking i was in the middle of johnson projects on 5th avenue. and look at lexington avenue. one minute you're at one fish two fish the next minute you're in carver. a lot of neighborhoods in brooklyn and the bronx arent like that. for them its either the neighborhood is good, bad, or in-between. for harlem you really have to ask by specific block because it varies that greatly.
Yeah but I don't really associate Riverside with Harlem. Im talking about the 150's to 140's Broadway/Amsterdam and all the project areas..you already know where they are. Those are majority bad blocks Seventh. I pass through 145th from Lennox to Amsterdam everyday, and at times it looks downright nasty. Im not saying Harlem is the worst neighborhood in the city, but I just dont think the moniker "block by block" applies.
And you're wrong about the Bronx. You know I live in a bad neighborhood. But there have always been blocks that are really terrible, and other blocks that ring less bells. I pass through all the Bronx, and it's very few blocks I seen that are live. These include Morris Heights, Morrisania, Fordham etc .....Of course it's been frigid out but everyone here knows that there are some blocks you just dont pass through and others that are light. Sorry I refuse to believe that every single block in Brownsville and ENY are circa 1990, where you have countless drug dealers posted up on every block and gang members flagging left and right. Maybe alot of the neighborhood is like that, but not every single square foot of it. How I described the above is how I view Harlem. There are hot blocks, and quiet blocks...ur right....but IMO this applies to all the hoods in NYC. Maybe it didnt 15 years ago but today it does.
no you're right, i said virtually every block in brownsville and eny is pretty much off limits. the only section of brownsivlle that i would consider even walking around is a small section by junius street on the 3 train where its just 1 family homes, and i still wouldnt walk around there at night. but see what you say, some block ring bells some are less terrible. but overall still a bad area, just less stuff goes down on that block than the next one. in harlem you can have a block that is dead quiet, like its not even a part of harlem and the next block is hell. like look at 126th between acp and lenox, nice brownstone block, the back of the state building, then u got blood city with st nick houses a block away.
__________________
"The man who sleeps on the floor, can never fall out of bed." -Martin Lawrence
Mario streets like Riverside and Convent are part of what make Harlem a block to Block type of thing. Not including them in the argument is convenient for you. I know your passionate about your point of view, but it's your POV, doesn't make it right, us wrong, or vice-versa. But for the record I lived in Harlem (West Harlem specifically) over 15 years, so me saying it's block to block type of thing is not just coming out of nowhere. Next time you are around 145th on a nice day visit some of the side streets between Broadway and Riverside or Amsterdam and Convent, some are quiet, some are loud, some are intimidating, this is the type of thing Seventh and I are talking about. Yeah it happens in the Bronx but since Harlem is in more of a transition period, it's way more noticeable, and the differences are more extreme.
Plus the OP made a general question about Harlem, which is a big neighborhood made up of about 4-5 sub-neighborhoods...
Last edited by NooYowkur81; 12-19-2009 at 07:33 AM..
Yeah, no part of Harlem is as "bad" as the "bad" parts of Philly.
Having lived in Philadelphia for 4 years and now living in Harlem, I have to agree.
I'm a young woman who is admittedly not so street smart, have walked home at all hours of the night, and I've never felt unsafe. Annoyed, yes, but never in any danger.
Just drive through N. Philly and you will get the idea.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
