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I'm moving to NYC this summer to accept a teaching job, and I have the opportunity to check out a couple of apartments in this area in Harlem (147th and Amsterdam/Broadway). Does anyone have an opinion on what this location would be like for a new college grad? I'm a white male, and I'd be living with roommates; would I be able to feel mostly safe, or would I have to worry once it got dark? Also, are there a reasonable number of businesses in this area: restaurants, grocery stores, gyms, etc?
I'm very familiar with the area since I used to live there. As a white male you'll definitely be a minority in the area, but you certainly won't be the first or the last white person to move into the area. You might get an occasional odd or intimidating stare but like I said white people moving there has been going for some time now so people are pretty much used to it.
The area does have quite a bit of drug activity, and most of the crime comes from this. As such, if you are not involved in the drug trade, and I assume you are not, then you don't have to worry for the most part. I lived there and nothing ever happened to me, neighbors, or loved ones, so I can say it is a pretty safe area confidently. Drug problems were actually much worse in the early to mid 90's.
There are some things to be mindful of. Hamilton Place is a street that runs from about 133rd to 143 between Broadway and Amsterdam. It is the worse part of this area. Avoid it as much as you possibly can. It is very easy to avoid so don't worry.
The best advice I can give is the advice I routinely give in this forum. NYC is mostly dangerous at night. So avoid staying out really late if possible. If you are out late, try to catch a cab. Your actually going to be pretty close to the 1 train at 145th street and broadway so that is good thing. You'll also be relatively close to the A/B/C/D trains at 145 and st. nick. The st nick station actually has a police station inside and is very safe.
Familiarize yourself with the neighborhood as much as possible. Generally if you blend in and know your way around you are much less of a possible mark for crime. So take advantage of the nicer weather, take your roomates along and walk around as much as possible and get to know everything.
Shopping wise, Hamilton Heights kinda sucks. There isn't much variety. The supermarket's are not that great, but there is a Fairway in the 130's near the westside highway which is a really good. You'll notice the lack of decent food stores, fruit/vegetable shops, etc. The good thing is that you are a short train ride away from better shopping areas. Restaurants are mostly Dominican in the area and they all pretty much have decent cheap food. There are also a few nice mexican spots on broadway too. Copeland's is an okay soulfood spot on 145th between Amsterdam and broadway, closer to broadway. There's also a cajun/creole place on 145th between amsterdam and convent that is supposed to be good, I never got around to trying it. There is also a BBQ spot near the fairway I mentioned, I keep hearing the food is really good there. It's not the greatest area for restaurants, you'll do much better taking the 1 and getting off at 96th street, there are plently of good restaurants/bars in this area.
There is a gym on broadway between 145 and 146, but it is tiny. It can get really uncomfortable and crowded in there during the busier times of the day and the equipment is okay, nothing special.
The draw to the area is the cheaper rent and the close proximity to the train lines. There is much room for improvement still, in the shopping and services departments.
I'm moving to NYC this summer to accept a teaching job, and I have the opportunity to check out a couple of apartments in this area in Harlem (147th and Amsterdam/Broadway). Does anyone have an opinion on what this location would be like for a new college grad? I'm a white male, and I'd be living with roommates; would I be able to feel mostly safe, or would I have to worry once it got dark? Also, are there a reasonable number of businesses in this area: restaurants, grocery stores, gyms, etc?
Thanks for your help, all.
It's the hood, but why do you want to live in Harlem. You should try different areas of Manhattan like the Upper East Side. Trust me if you look you can find an affordable apartment, don't settle for less.
As for businesses. I havn't been around that area in Harlem for a long time. May have a lot of Latin resturants, take out Chinese food (small ghetto bulletproof spots). Maybe Mexican and asian fruit stands. Grocery, small bodegas with basic stuff. Some small ****ty supermarkets. Gyms, nope. None that I know of. Area is pretty much all Black and DOMINICAN (Yes area has TONS of Dominicans and quickly growing). Poor. Yes there is a lot of crime but it's Harlem what do you expect. DRUGS, shootings, robberies, murders, ect. Before you move, might want to see these vids shot by locals:
Once you start teaching those brats in school, do you really wanna live near them? Hope your not teaching JHS/HS. Look south of E 96th on the east, 110 on the west. and away from public housing.
Last edited by Hustla718; 05-21-2007 at 12:19 PM..
kiss your nightlife goodbye if u dont see the cops breaking up some big crowd you will see the rats....as a white male you will feel uncomfortable being there at nite.
I've lived by 146th and Amsterdam the better part of seven months now and have yet to see any of the problems mentioned by Hustla718. I'm pretty happy I moved up here, despite the lack of things to do. I am not going to say that this is my ideal neighborhood, but it's definitely safe, inexpensive and has become pretty diverse (and I don't just mean that more white people are moving in.) If you can get a nice place and the commute works for you, I would definitely spend a day around here to see if it's for you. Be sure to walk around Covent Ave. between 142nd and 148th streets.
In terms of crime, Hamilton Heights precinct tied for the lowest rate of violent crime in the City for 2009. I was amazed to read that in the NYT a few weeks ago but, like I said, I've never had any trouble here. People around here are very friendly. The only crime you hear about involves people who knew each other.
In terms of shopping, most of these reviews hit it on the head - it' s bodegas, small grocers and discount stores as far as the eye can see. There is a Pathmark (supermarket) down on 145 and Bradhurst but forget about going there unless you want to stand in the checkout line for 20 minutes. The Fairway on 132nd under the West Side Highway is really neat, and only a 20 minute walk. During warmer months, there's a small farmer's market that sets up on 145th in front of Jackie Robinson Park.
Dining is sort of the same story, but it's getting better. A Moroccan place, a fully-stocked juice bar and an organic raw food restaurant have all opened up around here. These are a nice compliment to the scores of Mexican, Chinese, Jamaican, and Pizza restaurants that all offer good food for cheap. The coffee is terrible, no matter where you go. The area around the 110th and 116th stop of the 1 train has a much better selection of places. I would recommend the 145th street taco truck for late night munchies.
In terms of stuff to do after work, there are a few nice parks nearby, but not much in the way of nightlife. That's okay -- chances are, most of your friends won't want to come all the way up here to party, anyway. There is a pretty neat private art gallery on 148th street, and the Convent Avenue area is the perfect place to take a walk or go for a jog.
In terms of rent, studios around here are going for $1000 - $1300. My friend has a really nice, spacious 1 BR apartment on 148th street that she pays $1450 for. When I lived on the Upper West Side (96th and West End) I was paying double that for a similar sized place. My current place (Amsterdam b/w 145 and 146) has hardwood floors, exposed brick, a patio, high ceilings and ample storage space and I'm paying $1295. This being said, my friends who live out in Brooklyn pay considerably less for their places ($1100 studio, $1800 for an okay 3 bedroom, etc.) and have about the same commute downtown.
About that commute. The 1 train is really good. It comes every 3 minutes and will get you to 34th in about 25 minutes. The A and D trains come a little less frequently and will get you to 34th in about 21-22 minutes. Late nights, the walk up the hill from the ABCD station feels a little safer than walking from the 1 train, but, again, I've never had any trouble in either direction.
In general, this area is not trendy - not even slightly - and seems to have been spared the wave of gentrification that hit other spots in the city. It lacks things to do but is cheap; it's boring, and a little rough around the edges, but safe. I mean that -- it's 2010 and this area is safe.
And, in response to NooYowkur81's comments of three years ago, Hamilton Place isn't bad at all. There's a nice playground and the street has pretty heavy pedestrian traffic. My friends who have lived off Hamilton Pl for three years now have never had a problem.
I used to live there (I only moved away in August) and I still have lots of friends (mostly white) who live there. It's the sort of place that requires street smarts- keep your head down, don't start stuff and just go about your business. I had the kind of job that occasionally required going to work at 2-3 am, so I have been around there at all hours and while I don't recommend it, I never had any problems.
There are lots of bodegas and restaurants and there are a few grocery stores here and there. It's not the UWS, but you could do a lot worse. Personally, I think the area west of Broadway feels the safest although there are some beautiful brownstones up near City College. You also have Riverbank State Park about 10 blocks away and they have a gym, swimming pool and track, which is pretty cool.
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Hamilton Heights - not so bad.
