Moving

yeahlos

Put a deposit down on an apartment on Sterling and Franklin and will be signing a lease next week. Area seems nice, although my previous visits were during the day. I have since heard some mixed reviews. My main concern is safety. There are four of us (1 female), and we all work in the restaurant business so we all get home late (btw 12 and 2am). My main concern is getting home from the subway, especially for my female roommate. Any thoughts on the safety of that area at that hour would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

photogirl

The Franklin Avenue station is busy at all hours, Franklin Avenue itself is usually quite busy late at night, and Sterling, between Bedford and Franklin, is a friendly block. Also, Chavella's will be opening on the corner of Sterling and Franklin this month, and that ought to add to the number of people who are around late at night, and therefore the safety of the block. (Also, a couple of other restaurants/bars will also be opening on Franklin between Sterling and Eastern Parkway within the next few months.) But, as with everywhere in NYC, you need to be aware of your surroundings and not flash your valuables and electronics. Welcome. It's a great neighborhood.

mha

Oh sweet jesus here we go... Yeahlos, don't come around here!

It is not safe. There are Crips, weed-slingers, guns, and pitbulls. In the summer time, believe me, you are going to regret it, regardless of what your realtor says. It's gonna be like 'Do The Right Thing'-- from Bizarro World in the summer. Think of your tackiest rap video, throw in the persistent smell of weed, loud music perpetually, and the whoop-whoop of the sound of 'the beast'; don't forget the pre-Labor Day celebrations as music is played all day and night. Believe me, you are going to regret it.

Seriously. Sterling between Bedford and Franklin is not a friendly block. Don't let Photogirl fool you.

eastbloc

Congrats and welcome! Great block in a great nabe.

I do have a pit, and she's very friendly

mha

not true.

briggs

Be careful. It might seem fine, but the neighborhood is definitely not safe and the summertime is crazy. We just moved out in August (from Franklin & Lincoln). I really *loved* the police tower they put up on our corner because of all the shootings/gunfire/violence that occurred.

whynot_31

Photogirl and eastbloc share my perceptions.

Welcome yeahlos.

dailyheights

MHA, oh no you didn't just complain about Caribbean day parade.

Are you trying to play the Mr. Wilson to yeahlos's Dennis?

mha

I'm not complaining DailyHeights; merely trying to dissuade the hipsters from deluding themselves, and pointing out empirical realities.

A dastardly crime happened recently on Sterling. Photogirl! Come clean girlfriend! You know more about the incident than I do! How could you in good conscience inform these four waifs that it's safe around here???!

despicableme

I'm not claiming to feel one way or the other on this one, but calling them 'four waifs' so flippantly is in my opinion both a little unnecessary and presumptuous.

photogirl

MHA is right. There was a very serious crime--an attempted rape--in a building on Sterling between Franklin and Bedford a couple of months ago, which was discussed on this message board. However, the circumstances were unusual and I don't think representative of the general risk to women on this block. Specifically, the woman was the only occupant of a building that was under construction and the front door to the building was often left unlocked. Those circumstances have now changed--the building is almost fully occupied, the door has a proper lock and intercom, and a security camera posted on the outside of the building. All of the conditions that MHA describes exist--but, for me, they do not dominate my experience of living here or make me feel unsafe. Although, I am very careful, particularly when coming home late, as I have been in all the neighborhoods in which I have lived in NYC.

mha

'Waif' is defined as a homeless child....You might believe it's presumptious to presume they are homeless, but the fact that these young ladies are looking for a home -- in my book -- that makes them homeless. Yeah, there is a bit of hyperbole here, so to the extent that I am speaking in hyperbole for effect, I will agree with DM about the unnecessary characteristic of what I said. But, why is it that you are harping on this?

tsarina

MHA -Your reading and comprehension skills need some polishing.

The people moving in are 3 guys and 1 girl.

They are not homeless, they are moving from one home to another.

And the reason DM is mentioning his opinion is that you feel free to twist facts, spew your racial bias and misinform at every opportunity.

whynot_31

Speaking on behalf of short pudgy guy and his petite wife,

We love the neighborhood.

The neighborhood's safety (especially the area around the intersection of Sterling and Franklin) have improved consistently over the last 15 years.

I hope the neighborhood continues to improve. Welcome yeahlos!

mha

oy... Happy MLK day everybody....

xlizellx

I've lived in the area for 5 years -- 2 years on my own (white female in mid-twenties) and the last 3 with my husband. If you're new to a city/NYC in general, then certainly be aware, don't be overly trusting, don't take out your phone, etc. etc....but I have never felt a "I need to move out of here" from a situation. Shit happens, but shit happens everywhere.

For coming home late, I think that it's a good location for Brooklyn - it's a well-lit walk on Franklin Avenue from the subway and there are always people around. The side-streets are the part that are quieter, etc. but just be aware of who is around you, etc. etc.

Welcome!

eastbloc

Methinks MHA has an advanced case of "foot-in-mouth disease"

krowonhill

Before you sign a lease, you should definitely come visit on a Saturday night in the middle of the summer. And have a chat with some of the cops that are positioned on Franklin during that time. Visiting during the day in the middle of the winter is simply not enough to get a real feel for the neighborhood.

eastbloc

Yeah, great point. Everyone knows the only way to get a "real feel" for any neighborhood is to go out at 2AM on a Saturday night in July and talk to cops.

However it feels the rest of the time, it just ain't "real."

whynot_31

^^ (sarcasm)

Absolutely. Regardless of the fact that you may be in your apartment 90% of the time by 11 PM, you should live your life as if you are at the same risk of harm as those MOST often victimized:

those hanging out on corners between midnight and 4 AM and/or the mentally ill, the homeless, the addicted, those selling to the addicted.

Make sure to "Keep Fear Alive!" by spending some quality time with cops. Much like the principal of your high school, they may tell you that there are only honor roll students and kids being suspended. Afterall, how many average kids get referred to the principal?

Yes, by talking with those that see society at its worst on a daily basis, you may very well conclude that none of us are actually average, and that the sky is falling at all times.

----Yeahlos, once again I refer you to Photogirl's post for seemingly excellent, balanced advice.-----

BTW, those foam ear plugs may be the way to go during the summer. Your neighbors may like to play music late, and the ear plugs will allow you to sleep while simultaneously having the windows open for fresh air.

tsarina

Wow sage advice!. Put a deposit down then wait six months to get a feel and a chat with a cop. Just tell the landlord to hold that apartment!

holla peno

MHA: Proofreading the message boards with the sincerest kind of "yo I'm black. Nothing any of y'all say matters."

Since like 2009. And even that feels like a long, long time.

holla peno

Krowonhill: she's thinking about moving in soon and you're telling her to come visit in the summer. I swear to god Brooklynians, get lives and make yourselves less totally numbskulled.

boygabriel

I've spent a lot of time in the area, it's not Brooklyn Heights, but it's not the wild west either, especially if as Whynot says, you're not a young male hanging on a street corner, or a guy selling or using drugs.

There's danger everywhere in this city, so be smart, be aware, be friendly, don't come home fall down drunk, and things should work out.

Women are obviously more of a target than men, so I can't speak to that end.

yby

I lived on Sterling between Franklin and Classon for 2.5 years and still live in Crown Heights. Your new apartment is on a great block in a great neighborhood that's undergoing a commercial and community renaissance - Chavella's moving to the corner of Franklin and Sterling, Franklin Park, Dutch Boy, Breukelen coffee, and a new bar by the Franklin Park guys all a block or two from your place. Safety concerns are legitimate as anywhere in the city. Enjoy your new neighborhood.

krowonhill

Yes, no doubt I wrote what I did because I'm an idiot who can't recognize that summer is six months away. Is this serious, or just the most efficient form of slander? Maybe "idiot" can be my special pejorative. My detractors can just use that, instead of addressing the content of my posts. Same MO as Fox News.

My post points to what we all know: the rate of crimes - muggings, shootings, murders - surges during the summer months when our neighborhood is consequently invaded by police tape, cops, and an Orwellian police tower. All information easily available to anyone in the internet audience through a few searches on this message board.

Maybe this poster will not feel that cheap rent and proximity to dollar stores, Pine Tree, and Franklin Park (or whatever else s/he is looking for in a neighborhood) balances out the occasional twinge on an early summer evening that one has entered into a DMZ zone? I don't know, but s/he is making a valiant effort to get a proper feeling for the neighborhood, and I thought my perspective was welcome also.

homeowner

Oh, my lord...first I'm in agreement with MHA and now I've got to defend Krowhill

Folks, the reality is that certain blocks are much quieter in the winter than during the summer. I should know, I live on a block that is just like that. Pointing out to someone that the feel and atmosphere of a block can changes with the season (and/or the weather) isn't a horrible thing, and someone asking what their future block is like should be made aware that on a summers evening they might be greeted by hanging out, music and 40's.

That having been said, I haven't seen many blocks that feel like a DMZ. Those terms make me think of those warm summer days of basketball in the center of the Albany projects when the occasional gunfight would break out on the sidelines. THAT felt like a DMZ. Most of what is around here now is just damn foolishness.

cheightsrez

I've lived on Sterling between Franklin and Bedford for five years and have had no safety issues, have not even heard a gun shot, knock on wood. The influx of police in the past two years has definitely helped. There have been numerous drug busts and I think much of the activity on our block has been snuffed out. On Franklin the police tower and frequent foot patrols has tempered drug activity tremendously, and the new businesses that are attracting the cool kidz for sure are helping the foot traffic stay lively and more safe late at night.

It's a great area that is only getting better by the day - and Chavella's new location is going to further those changes.

The street is noisier in the summer than in the winter for sure but not unsafe - the biggest noise we've found is from a group of young girls that sit outside and gab into the late hours, and I find it hard to get upset about that. They're never unruly, just sometimes get a bit carried away. Franklin Park is amazing in the summer and that alone is a reason to love the area.

I think good things are ahead for our block and our neighborhood in general in terms of safety and more restaurants/bars opening up. The location is tough to beat in terms of proximity to the park, gardens, museum, several great subway lines. Everything is structurally in place for this neighborhood to take off.

And if we can all put in requests to the parks department to plant trees on our barren stretch of Sterling, it'll be even better. I really think you'll like the block.

mha

I mis-read. I thought it was three broads and a dude, turns out it's three dudes and a broad. My apologies. That being said, I stand by assertions about the block. Yeah, it's better to be welcoming and inviting, but truthfully, such is not the case. Need I go through the numerous things that have happened on Sterling in the past three months? The rape, the muggings and the shootings, both accidental and otherwise? It feels good to be fashionably anti-MHA, but I speak the truth.

That being said, it's become fashionable to use every forum here to poke jest or cynicism at those who state their opinions instead of focusing on the opinions themselves. Sure, certain people might have a certain opinion, but frankly, I feel more inclined to respond in kind to comments like Holla Peno's paraphrasing of comments. I made no mention of race, so a comment about my blackness and ignoring 'truth' are nonsensical -- in any context.

MOD

"broads"

Like always, same ol MHA

mha

Hey, I was channeling Spencer Tracey. Broad is slang for 'woman'; it is not a pejorative.