Moving to Prospect Heights

brooklynbound

I'm moving to Prospect Heights (within the actual defined geographic boundaries). I'm new to New York City and Brooklyn. I've read your posts. Is it really that bad or is that just NYC in general? For the most part, you're not safe anywhere in the country.

When I visited the neighborhood, I felt ok, not immediately threatened. To the single ladies, how safe do you feel in the neighborhood. Do you cab at night or take the trains? Men too.

Thank you!

whyfi

Don't walk around oblivious, yadda, yadda, yadda...

Sorry, hard to get up the enthusiasm on another 'is the neighborhood safe?' thread, what with the fear mongering lately.

I think that personal safety here can be boiled down to two things - don't be fucking stupid and don't be fucking paranoid.

Anyway, welcome, really.

em26

WhyFi wrote:
I think that personal safety here can be boiled down to two things - don't be fucking stupid and don't be fucking paranoid.

Anyway, welcome, really.

Really really ?

LOL , niiiiiiiice.

apollonia666

Heya Brooklynbound!

Sorry, we get quite a few of these types of questions, and some of the local folks are weary of that, especially with some rather alarmist posts of late. I'm going to quote something I wrote a while back in a thread about posts like this: Please keep in mind that you're going to get a somewhat skewed view of what any place is like from a forum like this -- of course people will post here when they hear about a crime in the area, but you're not going to see many posts about when things are just fine the vast majority of the time.

That said, in my experience Prospect Heights is pretty safe, Crown Heights maybe a little less so, but still very livable (Crown Heights where I live, and I've never had any problems myself). It is still the city, and you do need to be aware of your surroundings, of course. But then again, that's something you have to do wherever you live. But hey, I'd WAY rather be here than in a lot of cities where crime is much worse.

You said you're new to NYC -- did you move here from another urban area, or from a more suburban or small town or rural environment? If you've already lived in a city, you probably already have a certain amount of street smarts. And even if you haven't, it doesn't take long to get used to it and develop the right balance of vigilance without being paranoid or reactionary. One tip: When you look at apartments, make use of the search function here on the site to look for the cross streets and see what kind of old posts you can find about the specific area -- things can vary a lot from block to block.

brookfetish

welcome!

brooklynbound

Subject: Thank You!

Hi all,

Thank you for responding. Yes. It does vary block to block. I lived in a part of LA that was considered the hood for five months. There were always police helicopters and kids loitering. I felt on guard, but I walked around and used public trans. I later lived in a more prestigious part of town for a year and then a mediocre part of town probably comparable to prospect heights, lots of students, new gyms, new whole foods type shops, new stores and restaurants, etc. Yes, there was crime. Yes it was up and coming. I walked during the night and day without any problems.

I'm month to month. So if it is bad, I'm out! I trust my energy. I visited Clinton Hills and Bed Stuy and felt uncomfortable. I felt comfy in the heights. But things always change. Thank you so much for responding to yet another safety e-mail.

apollonia666

This is a pretty nice area; there is a little roughness but people who live here generally really love it. MUCH better than the bad neighborhood where you lived in L.A.

A bit of advice: Saying the neighborhood is comparable to a "mediocre" area where you lived before and listing your location as "Apparently the Ghetto" is probably not going to endear you to locals, and it's not exactly the most positive attitude to come in with.

brooklynbound

Subject: Thank you!

Thank you! Please pardon my sarcasm. No harm meant. I'm looking forward to the move.

limestonekid

Subject: Re: Thank You!

Brooklynbound wrote: Hi all,

I'm month to month. So if it is bad, I'm out! I trust my energy. I visited Clinton Hills and Bed Stuy and felt uncomfortable. I felt comfy in the heights. But things always change. Thank you so much for responding to yet another safety e-mail.

You felt uncomfortable in Clinton Hill? What's there to be uncomfortable about? Maybe Robin Hood Hills but not Clinton Hill. (That's a wm3.org reference for those that don't know Robin Hood Hills.)

I think no matter where you live you just need to be aware of your surroundings. Heck if you're so engrossed in your cell phone or iPod you're more likely to get whacked by a car then mugged by someone.

Just keep your head up, engage the people around you and enjoy the great things the neighborhood has to offer.

brooklynpotter

i've felt uncomfortable in parts of clinton hill where it's a little less populated. feeling that way isn't anything to be ashamed of.

lp1378

No, it is not safe! There are black people, drug dealing, gang warfare, stabbings, beatings, registered sex offenders, and all the bodegas are run by Islamic Jihadists. Please protect yourself and don't move here. It is UNSAFE!!!

brooklynbound

Haha. Sounds right at home then. I can't wait.

I think it was Bed-Stuy/Clinton Hills where I was visiting. I'll keep my eyes open and my street smarts on point.

I expect a great experience in Prospect Heights.

Thanks again for all of the help. You were all pretty responsive and helpful. Much appreciated.

apollonia666

Hey, next time we have one you should come to one of the happy hours and meet some of your neighbors! Just keep an eye on the boards; we seem to have one at least every month or so.

sterling2000

brooklynpotter wrote: i've felt uncomfortable in parts of clinton hill where it's a little less populated. feeling that way isn't anything to be ashamed of.

This thread makes me uncomfortable.

limestonekid

lp1378 wrote: No, it is not safe! There are black people, drug dealing, gang warfare, stabbings, beatings, registered sex offenders, and all the bodegas are run by Islamic Jihadists. Please protect yourself and don't move here. It is UNSAFE!!!

Really?

That must be the Clinton Hills neighborhood the OP is talking about and not Clinton Hill.

No wonder I was confused.