has anyone moved from park slope to bay ridge?

cat

hi. I've been looking at apartments in Bay Ridge... I've heard that a lot of people from Park Slope have been moving there. I know it's *not* Park Slope (I actually have more favorite restaurants there than in PS tho'!) but any personal experiences or knowledge about it? Thanks. cat.

oiseau

The subways there kind of suck.

dan.h

I went to high school in bay ridge.. Not a fan of open collar silk shirts and 3 pounds of gold chains. I know I'm generalizing.. but still.

cat

it seems people who grew up there either do -- or do not like it (either stay there forever or leave ...). but i appreciate all feedback!

thanks.

cat.

citizen jane

I know Bay Ridge can offer a lot more space (including outdoor space) for less money than in Park Slope, and parts of the neighborhood are beautiful, there's lots of commerce, etc. but growing up, I had friends there, and it's always seemed like something of a cultural wasteland and more or less completely homogeneous politically (very conservative). I think of it as Brooklyn's suburb -- whereas parts of Ditmas Park/Kensington remind me of the more "urbane" suburbs like Montclair. Hope I'm not offending anyone but I thought you would benefit from an honest opinion.

anonymous

citizen jane wrote: whereas parts of Ditmas Park/Kensington remind me of the more "urbane" suburbs like Montclair. Hope I'm not offending anyone but I thought you would benefit from an honest opinion.

Not offended but disagree on the above. Montclair people seem to love to talk about how diverse their community is but you can draw a line through the "town" where white and black people live--and it isn't together. Kensington is truely integrated with all kinds of people from many different socio-economic backgrounds, ethniciites etc. Not sure how "liberal" the neighborhood is overall but it is a real melting pot with old timers and newer yuppies, artists and recent immigrants coexisting.

bewitched

Kensingtonmom wrote: [quote=citizen jane] whereas parts of Ditmas Park/Kensington remind me of the more "urbane" suburbs like Montclair. Hope I'm not offending anyone but I thought you would benefit from an honest opinion.

Not offended but disagree on the above. Montclair people seem to love to talk about how diverse their community is but you can draw a line through the "town" where white and black people live--and it isn't together.As an MHS graduate, I can attest to this. I didn't pick up on it as a kid but I sure do now. It's so blatant it makes me ill. In theory it's a nice idea to move the family to the burbs, all the diversity without all the (fill in whatever the reasons were for leaving Queens). But in reality, it's just sugar-coated segregation at it's best.

stacey

I had a lot of friends who lived in Bay Ridge. Great little stores, close to Brooklyn's China Town, lots of little veggie and fruit stores. The real downside is the subway. Rush hour isn't so bad but late night really sucks. Also if you think parking is bad in this neighborhood, Bay Ridge is worse. The apartments there were pretty spacious and the area is pretty well maintained.

linusvanpelt

citizen jane wrote: it's always seemed like something of a cultural wasteland and more or less completely homogeneous politically (very conservative).

Um, and Park Slope is not homogeneous politically? Or is it just homogeneous in the direction you happen to favor?

rose

I don't know about homogenous. Certainly it's fair to say that Park Slope skews liberal while Bay Ridge skews conservative. However, I think liberals tend to be more tolerant of people with different views living among them. In the South Slope, plenty of people have pro-Bush signs in their windows, and no one throws eggs at their houses. While in Bay Ridge, the owner of a store with an anti-war poster in the window was harassed until she removed the sign.

I know several people who moved from Park Slope to Bay Ridge and are happy there. It's pretty by the water.

citizen jane

linusvanpelt wrote: Um, and Park Slope is not homogeneous politically? Or is it just homogeneous in the direction you happen to favor?

Good point. When I say "politically conservative" I think I use it as shorthand for "and everything that goes along with those beliefs socially" -- in other words, a very clear sense of right (Bush, Christianity, heterosexuality, pink is for girls and blue is for boys) and wrong (anything that is the slightest bit different is derided as weird, including religious beliefs, haircuts, diet, you name it). There is a certain amount of keeping up with the Joneses in traditional neighborhoods like Bay Ridge that can be suffocating I think. Yes, that's a huge generalization, but there's some truth in it I think.

I am also irritated by the self-righteousness of liberals but there is at least acceptance of various lifestyles in liberal communities -- who really cares who's sleeping with whom? You want to breastfeed? Good for you; it's not considered disgusting. You want to shave your head? More power to you. Nobody cares what you wear or listen to or eat and that is infinitely freeing.

pitu

citizen jane wrote: [quote=linusvanpelt]Um, and Park Slope is not homogeneous politically? Or is it just homogeneous in the direction you happen to favor?

Good point. When I say "politically conservative" I think I use it as shorthand for "and everything that goes along with those beliefs socially" -- in other words, a very clear sense of right (Bush, Christianity, heterosexuality, pink is for girls and blue is for boys) and wrong (anything that is the slightest bit different is derided as weird, including religious beliefs, haircuts, diet, you name it). There is a certain amount of keeping up with the Joneses in traditional neighborhoods like Bay Ridge that can be suffocating I think. Yes, that's a huge generalization, but there's some truth in it I think.

I am also irritated by the self-righteousness of liberals but there is at least acceptance of various lifestyles in liberal communities -- who really cares who's sleeping with whom? You want to breastfeed? Good for you; it's not considered disgusting. You want to shave your head? More power to you. Nobody cares what you wear or listen to or eat and that is infinitely freeing.

I'll add that the Slope is not 100% liberal/progressive. If you don't believe me, have Fun With Public Records on http://www.fundrace.org/ and see how much money went to Bush and the RNC.
This site makes it very easy to look up political contributions by address/neighborhood. Or see if your dentist gave $ to the RNC.

http://www.fundrace.org/

linusvanpelt

pitu wrote:

I'll add that the Slope is not 100% liberal/progressive.

Conversely, Bay Ridge has a Democratic City Council member, Vincent Gentile. (His district includes other neighborhoods, of course, but I believe they pretty much all do.) Not that this makes it a bastion of liberalism, but it's not as monolithic as it was.

I think it's be great if there more liberals moved to Bay Ridge and more conservatives to Park Slope. I'm pretty liberal, but one reason I live in NYC is that I hated growing up in a town where people surrounded themselves with people who thought just like them -- and it bothers me just as much when the parochialism is among people I happen to agree with.

livetotravel

Subject: Patrk Slope - progressive or not?

On the liner notes for the soundtrack to the film "Blue in Your Face," Paul Auster, PS writer, says that PS is the "most democratic place on earth."

Do we really believe that? Is "democratic" defined these days as a neighborhood with a preponderance of white people with a tolerance for a mionority of lesbians and gays and the warm and comfortable feeling of being able to talk about the handful of inter-racial couples and Chinese babies in the 'hood?

All I really know is that these SUV-driving, double-wide stroller wielding Wall Streeters on my block are far from progressive.

anonymous

Subject: Re: Patrk Slope - progressive or not?

Livetotravel wrote: All I really know is that these SUV-driving, double-wide stroller wielding Wall Streeters on my block are far from progressive.

Oh boy here we go again! I have a double wide stroller becauase I have two kids and I absolutely abhor SUVs. Thte two are not parallel. One is a necessity which when guided responsibly is a way to transport two children. The other is plain old greedy. SUVs are everywhere in the slope which is why parking is even harder than it has to be. But let's face it, SUVs are everywhere. I just don't know how you could delude yourself into thinking you are progressive when you get into a gas guzzling 2 ton monster. But as I mentioned before, the NY times calls the Slope Stodgy which seems to be the right adjective

anonymous

bay ridge wins for nice big apts for almost half the price.

i wouldnt feel comfortable there though, even though i'm italian and its basically a very italian neighborhood, historically, i'm also a giant homosexual. i live in lefferts gardens now, and there are probably more gay people on my block than in all of bay ridge, well, you at least see them more. and i've never had anyone say anything to me personally, although once some teenagers called some guy a faggot, but i'm sure that happens a lot in bay ridge too. actually its unavoidable anywhere, so. maybe thats irrelevent.

i heard a while back that residents there demanded a poster for showtime's L word be taken down becuase it was near a school bus stop. shit like that.

on the other hand, park slope annoys the shit out of me. sure there is stuff to do there, but there are too many spoiled brat types, and those who are cheesy liberals who tip toe every issue becuase they don't really know what to say about it or are super cautious of trying to offend anyone. so basically they have no opinions. but their lives are basically pampered on the surface (i dont know them all personaly). i think the outskirts of park slope are less annoying.

i also think truley diverse neighborhoods like others have said are midwood/ditmas park and kensington.

you can generalize and stereotype about both bay ridge and park slope though, until the cows come home.

linusvanpelt

Subject: Re: Patrk Slope - progressive or not?

Livetotravel wrote: All I really know is that these SUV-driving, double-wide stroller wielding Wall Streeters on my block...

Again with the double strollers. I love how people on this board have basically equated them with SUVs, as if to own one means that you're despoiling the planet with fossil-fuel emissions, running people down as you rush home to check the price of your Halliburton stock and mail in a donation to the GOP.

Dude, maybe people get big SUVs because they want to show off and have more room than they need and don't care about the environment. People get double strollers because they have two children and don't want to move to the suburbs and drive everywhere. What's the sinister part about that? [/i]

citizen jane

My hero!

anonymous

linusvanpelt wrote: [quote=citizen jane]it's always seemed like something of a cultural wasteland and more or less completely homogeneous politically (very conservative).

Um, and Park Slope is not homogeneous politically? Or is it just homogeneous in the direction you happen to favor?

THANK YOU!

schergr

Subject: Re: has anyone moved from park slope to bay ridge?

cat wrote: hi. I've been looking at apartments in Bay Ridge... I've heard that a lot of people from Park Slope have been moving there. I know it's *not* Park Slope (I actually have more favorite restaurants there than in PS tho'!) but any personal experiences or knowledge about it? Thanks. cat.

Seems like this thread has digressed pretty badly, so lets see if we can put it back on track. The original question was essentially does anyone have personal experiences or knowledge about it? The answer? Yes. I grew up in Marine Park and lived in Bay Ridge for two years first on 71st and Shore Road and then on 92nd and Shore. I can summarize my Bay Ridge experience in a number of ways, but the must succinct would probably have to be..."Sigh....Oh man....not again. <insert activity here> is such a pain in the ass, but it's so nice to live here by the water.." Some if the "activities" include, parking, taking the damn R train (the worst in Brooklyn I believe), parking. On the up side, if you live within walking distance of shore road, you can get the Express Bus, which is a $4 slice of peace and quite for your commute.

From a food perspective you can't go wrong, but you could do better. While Bay Ridge has great places to eat (truth be told, some are a bit overdone), I love living in Park Slope. Living off 5th avenue on restaurant row....come one...what does Bay Ridge have to offer that can compare to Blue Ribbon? Oh...yeah...I know...cheaper rent...sorta.

Anyway, hope that helped.
Best,

Greg
The Epicenter

anonymous

Subject: Bay Ridge

I have a friend that lives there and when I'm too lazy to walk to the R, then I sometimes jump on the 63, which literally takes an hour from South Slope to Bay Ridge. The subway situation is enough to keep me away from Bay Ridge, being restricted to the R Local. And if you go out in Manhattan and rely on subways, it'll take you forever to get home at the end of a night. If that doesn't bother you then you'll probably find a nice apt for cheaper and be close to the waterfront area near the bridge. Depending where you are, you can have an amazing view out your bedroom window.

anonymous

Subject: Moving to Bay Ridge

I moved to Bay Ridge in May, close to the water in the low 70's, after living in the Slope for many years. My experience with the R train is not very negative, coming home from Manhattan at night. You just have to smart about the subways. I am a gay man and I feel comfortable, even with public displays of affection, in fact there are other gay folk in my building. I think the 60's and 70's are more diverse than most think, the shopping is great, and there is lots of good food. Although there is lots I miss about living in the Slope, I like living in Bay Ridge a lot.

anonymous

Subject: insider

After five years in Park Slope we moved to Bay Ridge. The advantages are many, the drawbacks are few. We were able to afford a two floor (plus basement and yard), four bedroom brownstone for approximately the same price as a 2 1/2 beroom co-op in the Slope. Certainly the area is less progressive than Park Slope, however we are quite liberal and haven't had any issues with anyone in the neighborhood. The people are generally friendly and middle class -- lots of cops, firemen, teachers) -- and the region is ethnically diverse (Italian, Irish, Arabic, Greek, Asian). However, it's pretty obvious that the area is quickly becoming more gentrified as a growing number of free-thinkers are move in. Although our kids aren't old enough yet to attend public school, we understand the school system here is quite good. As for transportation, the R train runs along Fourth Avenue right into the city, and while it's a pokey local, it's easy to transfer to an express N train at 36th or 59th Street. Our complete rush our commute from 76th Street in Bay Ridge to Midtown Manhattan is about 40 minutes -- which is actually faster than our former commute on the dreaded F train. Also, we own a car and its WAY easier to find parking here than it is in the Slope. Hope this helps.

anonymous

Subject: GO BACK HOME, YOU GUYS DID ENOUGH DAMAGE,

BROOKLYN SUCK. AND YUPPIE GO HOME YOU F_ _ KED UP OUR NEIGBORHOOD AND EVEYTHING IS TOO MUCH MONEY AND WE CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE WE GREW UP.

carnivore

Subject: Re: GO BACK HOME, YOU GUYS DID ENOUGH DAMAGE,

SEE123 wrote: BROOKLYN SUCK. AND YUPPIE GO HOME YOU F_ _ KED UP OUR NEIGBORHOOD AND EVEYTHING IS TOO MUCH MONEY AND WE CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE WE GREW UP.

WE CANT EVEN AFFORD GRAMMAR OR LOWER CASE LETTERS OR PROPER PUNCTUATION!

quig

LOCK YOU CAPS!!!


(regrets if someone else did this...)

cat

Subject: thanks.

thanks everyone for your replies.

and i understand the frustration of 'all caps' poster. it's so ridiculous here and everywhere in bklyn, manhattan... that i can't figure out who is affording all the rents! all that housing on 4th avenue is going to be 'luxury' and everywhere you go in manhattan and bklyn it's more 'luxury apartments.'

Bay Ridge has a lot of cell phone towers ... I'm not sure why that is... and I was a little concerned about the health effects plus just wanting to stay a little closer to what i was 'used' to but yet get a way from park slope a bit. So I am not moving there ultimately but this was all helpful.

this was an interesting discussion. bay ridge has a lot of great restaurants - tanoreen, great indian that i can't recall the name, panteantico (sp?) - and the water is beautiful and there's a lot going on there. it's different but each neighborhood in brooklyn has a lot to offer.

anonymous

Subject: moved from park slope to bay ridge

we moved from park slope to bay ridge about a year and a half ago. our area is the italian section (83rd and 3rd). the apartment is beautiful- big and cheap ($950/month).

that said, i think this would be an amazing place to live for the right kind of person... we just aren't that type. it's still mainly controlled by the big hair/gold chains set. there isn't much beyond pizzarias and nail salons. the two book stores don't offer anything you wouldn't find at an airport newstand. and is it true that this was the only neighborhood bush carried in NYC in 2006? maybe parts of staten island.

then there's the "R" train. i work at home thank god. but when i do want to go in to manhattan (anywhere, really) i pretty much have to plan to be on the train at rush hour. off hours and weekends you need to budget upwards of an hour and a half to get to the village or beyond.

as soon as we can afford it we're heading back north.

sje

I lived on 72nd and 4th/5th around 5 years ago, and the R train then took exactly half an hour to get to Prospect Heights, door to door. Are you saying it's worse now? I'm contemplating a move to the mid 90's and shore road and will have to depend on the R, especially on weekends. It is really pretty there, and the rents are great, and the apartments are very big.

anonymous

hi sje-

not too sure about 4 or 5 years ago. it just seems now that they're always screwing with the N/R. we're on local trains down here and so many nights i've been able to get to 36th or 59th street, then gotten stuck. the wait can be really long sometimes.

half an hour to prospect heights (atlantic/pacific) is about right if you hit the train exactly. my girlfriend works on the union street stop and always budgets 45 minutes. actual train time is about 25 minutes.

shore road is indeed beautiful. my favorite thing about the neighborhood is the harbor. it's especially great when the fog comes in and the ships start blowing their horns at each other. oh- one thing... parts of shore road are a major hike to the train.

best regards,
walker

sje

THanks for the info, Walker. after being jerked around by RE agents in BR all yesterday morning, Bay Ridge is now off my list for the time being. Last thing I need is to hang around in subway stations, also, Good Luck!