Washington Ave.

musicfactor · January 2010

Hello. This is my first post so please bear with me. My wife and I recently moved to NYC from central Florida. We have been subletting in Astoria for the last 5 months and are hoping to move to Prospect Heights to be near friends. We are looking at several places on Washington Ave. One is between Park Pl. and Sterling and the other on Lincoln Pl. Is this a safe area? We are white and in our mid-twenties. My wife gets home later than I do and I am out of town quite often for my job. Will she be safe walking home from the Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum subway stop?

Thank you for your responses in advanced, reading on this forum has already been helpful.

xlizellx · January 2010

It's as safe as most places in NYC I'd say. With the new bars/restaurants open on the street it's not like she'd be walking on a deserted road or anything - but she (and you) should think before doing things (walking around with iphones in hand, etc) like you should elsewhere in NYC. Both blocks are nice and have plenty of food and drink options right nearby. Also, while the 2/3 is right there at the museum, the 4/5 is at Franklin which is only 2 blocks away as well.

bkchickie · January 2010

My husband and I also moved from Astoria to PH. You should really do some searches on Lincoln Place on this board. Lots of varying opinions.

Also, it would be helpful if you visited the neighborhood at night, once on a weeknight and once on a weekend night. Although winter-time activity will be less intense than what you can expect to find in the summer, it should give you an idea if you'll enjoy the neighborhood at all times of day.

poshspice · January 2010

FYI: Your race won't impact your safety, but your willingness to be an engaged, respectful neighbor and overall street smarts will.

No need to dive into a debate on this, but determining appropriate neighborhoods by race really gets under my skin...obviously way more goes into it. Its the opposite of the vibe we try to create in this community.

If you're looking for a mixed socio-economic and ethnic neighborhood to call your new home, then welcome to PH.

*stepping off soapbox*

whatchuwant · January 2010

Watching the changes on the Ave through the years I can tell you this:

-It's WAY better than years ago.
-The new bars and restaurants definitely creates more "people presence."
-The nabe is changing every day with new stuff opening all the time.

That said- I still feel (very occasionally, mind you) a kind of Alphabet City feel at night. Ok, so you're from Fl, so Alphabet City probably means nothing to you. Think 80's urban, kinda punk, kinda early early hip hop, with a mad dash of freak. Nothing to fear there- striking, but nothing to fear. However. There's a "young man element" as I like to call it. They're punks and cannot stand alone, as they're too chicken shit. Your lovely GF just has to be aware (as do YOU). No cell phone talking. DEFINITELY NO HEADPHONES. Keep aware, and you'll be a-ok.

lexie z · January 2010

did you really mention that you and your wife are white? maybe you should move to iceland.....

cdilla4rilla · January 2010

I agree with the above poster. I only moved in the area a month ago, however I would definitely agree that you must keep your wits about you when walking down the street. However in my case, the area is not much different from where I used to live in Queens as far as the "young man element", just more people.

jgregorie · January 2010

or park slope

Lexie Z wrote: did you really mention that you and your wife are white? maybe you should move to iceland.....

the0ther · January 2010

i think the "young man element" is going in the wrong direction right now, but maybe because i was personally attacked a couple of months back. in the middle of the day by five young guys.

kaggers81 · January 2010

I live on the corner of Park Place and Washington and am a single mid 20's gal. Everyone who posted is correct, when you are walkign alone you need to take the proper precautions(phone off, headphones off, etc). That being said, my walk from the 2 is really quick (5 minutes) and I tend to get home around 9pm and I have always felt comfortable. There are a lot more people around then before (in a good way) and ironically having Washington Commons on the corner of my street makes me feel more comfortable then I would have imagined.

jack krohn · January 2010

The area is safe, but some blocks can be very loud during the warmer months, especially Lincoln Place and St Johns Place. In the days leading up to the West Indian Day parade it can get very noisy. Some consider this festive, others a major pain in the ass.

Overall, though, it's a great area and has seen a lot of new bars and some restaurants open over the past few years.

Washington Ave.

Comments

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories