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Hey everyone, I'm a college undergrad and will be interning in NYC this summer in Lower Manhattan, and I thought I had found a good place to live. I couldn't make a visit down to the city before committing to a place, but the landlord sent me pictures and he sounded like he had great experience with renting out rooms to young professionals before. I put down a deposit through Paypal to secure the room, but now I'm not sure I made the best decision. I'm starting to worry because the area is in Crown Heights in the 800s of Lincoln Place in Brooklyn between New York Ave and Brooklyn Ave. The place looked great, but I'm starting to worry for my safety, especially at night. I know I should have done some more research early on, but I just recently received the complete address, and based on the information and pictures I was sent, I never would have thought the neighborhood had the stigma it has. I was scrambling to find a place because I just recently found out about the internship, and now I'm not sure exactly what to do. The rent is $1000 a month, which is around what I'd want to pay as a student. I'm supposed to start the internship in a week. I wanted to try the NYU dorms, but they wanted the whole balance paid up front, and I couldn't manage that. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? How bad is the crime in that area? Lesson learned, I guess. Thanks.
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You will be fine just don't be an idiot and walk home in the middle of the night shit faced. Be aware of what is going on around you. Google maps street view has a white dude riding his bike if that makes you feel any better. Are you male or female? What part of the country are you from?
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It gets worse the more east you go. If your worried about your safety I would not go east of Brooklyn Ave. I would recommend to always be aware of your surroundings, don't talk on your cell phone while outside, don't hold your ipod in your hand, and make wide turns around corners. Also, be prepared to hear the occasional gunshots during the summer months.
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I think you can relax a little. Depending on where you are coming from, you may be in store for a culture shock, but you will be fine. The fact is that you are moving into NYC. There is crime everywhere. You just have to be smart as you come and go- and not just in Crown Heights. You can get jacked in Park Slope, the Upper East side, the Village, anywhere. Walk with purpose, and if it makes you feel any better, put on your "thug mug" (that would be your really tough face) when you walk down the street, but I really don't think you'll need the screw face to get along. Be a good neighbor and your neighbors will be really good to you - just like in any community. I hope you enjoy your new neighborhood for as long as you are here. Good luck and congratulations on school!
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you have seriously nothing to worry. You have good access to trains, and it sounds like you found a nice place to live. Like people said before above, depending on where you are from (i am a white dude) it will be a culture shock, that is all. You will think for about a month that everyone is looking at you and that you are out of place. the fact is, no one gives a shit. I have lived in this neighborhood now 3 1/2 years, and finally bought a place here cause i like it so much. I have the best most welcoming neighbors, and a bigger apt than any of my friends can dream of. give your place a shot. you are within walking distance to great bars and restaurants near prospect heights, and you can walk to prospect park. good luck!
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You should be fine. You've very close to the subway and to Eastern Parkway and most of the buildings on that stretch are individual homes. As noted above, follow basic rules, such as removing your iPod, avoid late-night drunken travel, and don't talk on your cellphone - basically, keep your awareness up - and you should be OK. Even though Crown Heights gets a bad rap for violence, I think more of the complaints center around noise, especially during the summer.
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You should be fine. I used to live on that block, in the 800's. I would leave home around 1 am and walk to the train monday - friday b/c I work for a morning news show. That being said, I never had a problem. And I'm a chick.
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wonderchimp5 » You will think for about a month that everyone is looking at you and that you are out of place. the fact is, no one gives a shit.
absolutely if you're from a very homogeneous area where you were part of that norm. Just walk around, get to know people, get to know the good places to eat, shop, etc. and take your time to get comfortable. Curious what this "stigma" is that the OP speaks of... -
I was referring to some threads I found on the City-Data forums: http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-york-city/921197-safety-question-lincoln-pl-near-nostrand.html
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Thanks everyone for all your input.
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Subject: Re: Did I mess up?
sire8 » Hey everyone, I'm a college undergrad and will be interning in NYC this summer in Lower Manhattan, and I thought I had found a good place to live. I couldn't make a visit down to the city before committing to a place, but the landlord sent me pictures and he sounded like he had great experience with renting out rooms to young professionals before. I put down a deposit through Paypal to secure the room, but now I'm not sure I made the best decision. Thanks.
I hope you checked out that the joint is legit before sending money via pay pal. There are a lot of real estate scams.Everything you believe to be true, is a lie. -
I used to live in that neighborhood and although I was nervous at first, I grew to really like it. I've learned as a small, white-looking female, that I have to be cautious wherever I am in NYC, especially at night. But as long as you're aware of your surroundings, you should be fine. The only problem I ever had there was being catcalled by dudes. That happens everywhere in this city, though.
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My brother lives on that block, it is a gorgeous, quiet, calm block, you will LOVE it!!! Its in a brownstone, right?
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Subject: Re: Did I mess up?
mantic » [quote="sire8"]Hey everyone, I couldn't make a visit down to the city before committing to a place, but the landlord sent me pictures and he sounded like he had great experience with renting out rooms to young professionals before. I put down a deposit through Paypal to secure the room, but now I'm not sure I made the best decision. Thanks.
I hope you checked out that the joint is legit before sending money via pay pal. There are a lot of real estate scams.[/quote] Yeah, that part sounds more off than anything... -
Subject: Re: Did I mess up?
PM » [quote="mantic"][quote="sire8"]Hey everyone, I couldn't make a visit down to the city before committing to a place, but the landlord sent me pictures and he sounded like he had great experience with renting out rooms to young professionals before. I put down a deposit through Paypal to secure the room, but now I'm not sure I made the best decision. Thanks.
I hope you checked out that the joint is legit before sending money via pay pal. There are a lot of real estate scams.[/quote] Yeah, that part sounds more off than anything...[/quote] I hadn't even thought about that -- why wouldn't you have sent a check with your signed lease? -
I'm only subletting for the summer.. the deposit wasn't much. I'm paying first month's rent when I get there.
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Won't be terrible, but the summer is usually the worst time to be in this area. Lesson learned, plus u get some street cred and the experience of Crown Heights culture at its peak[
Mamacita said:
I <3 CTK
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Welcome to the hood sire8. That City-Data blog is worthless when it comes to field checking neighborhoods. Nothing more then a bunch of brittle assholes. I've recommended a lot of people check Brooklynian for obvious reasons but they delete all links to "competitive" blogs.
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sire8 » I'm only subletting for the summer.. the deposit wasn't much. I'm paying first month's rent when I get there.
do you have a key for the place? Can you get someone In NY to check it out? Paranoid as it seems, it kinda sounds like a scam. -
modsquad » Welcome to the hood sire8. That City-Data blog is worthless when it comes to field checking neighborhoods. Nothing more then a bunch of brittle assholes. I've recommended a lot of people check Brooklynian for obvious reasons but they delete all links to "competitive" blogs.
Yes, totally. Asking someone about Brooklyn on city-data is the equivalent to posting to a generic US site and asking how safe it is in NYC. You will get exactly one response from someone in New York (albeit Schenectady) that comes to NYC for a show every once in a while and therefore presumes to know all about it. (not actually interacting with anyone here or lingering in the city any longer than he has to, let alone branching out) And you'll get several responses from people in Kansas, Iowa, Arizona etc. that hear that NYC super scary because they had a cousin visit once that visited Times Square pre-Giuliani. That about sums up city-data.i extend my battery life by turning down the brightness -
Cool The Kid » Won't be terrible, but the summer is usually the worst time to be in this area. Lesson learned, plus u get some street cred and the experience of Crown Heights culture at its peak
Who typed this?
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Yup, City-data is useless. Kind of like a So. Jersey friend who asked me once "Was that shooting near you?" I said, "What shooting?" The response was "The one I heard about on the radio." I tried to explain that Sunset Park is nowhere near East New York, but that was a waste of oxygen. Just check the block in late evening on a week night & a weekend.
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I lived on Carroll and rogers for a while and never had any problems, and I am female. I often worked until 1am and would come home around two in the morning. Just be smart about how you carry yourself and your things, and you should be fine.
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Ishtar » [quote="Cool The Kid"]Won't be terrible, but the summer is usually the worst time to be in this area. Lesson learned, plus u get some street cred and the experience of Crown Heights culture at its peak
Who typed this? :lol:[/quote] Hey its too late to back out now. Dude already Paypaled a deposit (?????). He's basically in CH now. For $1000 a mo he probably could have got a room in Manhattan but what's done is done. Odds are he will be fine so there's no sense in freaking him out. All I try to tell people is to factor in the realities of the nabe BEFORE they commit to moving here. There is good in CH but there is a lot of bad in CH you won't find in a lot of similarly priced places. That's really the gist of my feelings on it and I think they are reasonable.[Mamacita said:
I <3 CTK
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Subject: CH safety
That area is fine. I am a female who walks alone from the 2/5 train stop at all hours and I feel safe. Just keep your wits about you, don't have those stupid ear buds plugging up your ears and walk like you mean it! And, please, be friendly when you get here - we don't bite! -
FYI Some amusing comments about the neighborhood http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-york-city/970902-did-i-mess-up.html#post14123889
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modsquad » FYI Some amusing comments about the neighborhood http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-york-city/970902-did-i-mess-up.html#post14123889
Those comments were pretty mild + accurate... $1000 just for a room in CH is def a ripoff, u can prob find a 1 bedroom place for that much. No way the place is $3000 or even 2500 a month.[Mamacita said:
I <3 CTK
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modsquad » FYI Some amusing comments about the neighborhood http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-york-city/970902-did-i-mess-up.html#post14123889
Which comments did you have a problem with? -
Yeah you really did mess up. Expect to be mugged occasionally, expect to be given dirty looks and spat at. Especiallyyy spat at! I hate when people ask this question.."Is it safe?" Because in reality what your really asking in code is "Is it safe for a white person?" You dont feel comfortable coming here well I dont feel comfortable with someone living in a community where they are already weary of the inhabitants. Like the other posters said just dont be an easy target, and be aware of your surroundings.
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bluesea1015 » Yeah you really did mess up. Expect to be mugged occasionally, expect to be given dirty looks and spat at. Especiallyyy spat at! I hate when people ask this question.."Is it safe?" Because in reality what your really asking in code is "Is it safe for a white person?" You dont feel comfortable coming here well I dont feel comfortable with someone living in a community where they are already weary of the inhabitants. Like the other posters said just dont be an easy target, and be aware of your surroundings.
I don't think it's an issue of race as much as it is being used to a certain level of safety + quality of life. For example my girlfriend feels fine walking home from the A train at midnight, but won't walk our dog at night due to excessive catcalling & the possibility of running into that one dude who won't take no for an answer. She doesn't get that same feeling in a neighborhood like Greenpoint. Plus given the homicide maps and CH's rep I think it's a totally fair question.[Mamacita said:
I <3 CTK
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homicide map: http://projects.nytimes.com/crime/homicides/map Hmmm. Is it safer to be a black person or a white person in CH? ....People (of all races) who are not engaged in criminal activity are at low risk of crime. Like most neighborhoods, the vast majority of Crown Heights residents (of all races) are not involved in crime. ...but there does seem do be more dots (aka murders) than in other neighborhoods, and alot of those victims seem to be black. ...as do a lot of the perpetrators, although less data on that is presented.For better or worse, the change on Nostrand is going to make the change on Franklin look minor.
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whynot_31 » ...but there does seem do be more dots (aka murders) than in other neighborhoods, and alot of those victims seem to be black. ...as do a lot of the perpetrators, although less data on that is presented.
well yeah. Black-on-black crime, or more succinctly, poor-black-on-poor-black crime, is the crime in CH. People getting their Iphones stolen or being paranoid about where in their vicinity strangers dispose of their saliva sounds, even to new residents, like a lot of self-pity. This isn't Baghdad, and poor people hurt each other the world over. There's nothing wrong with moving here regardless of who you are (all NYC neighborhoods change, constantly). If you don't want your environment to be somewhat different than what you grew up with in a flyover state, don't move to Brooklyn. If you're from Brooklyn and you think that the influx won't eventually be on your side, ask an East German or a Russian how that kind of insularity worked out for them.
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