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rogers ave / lenox rd - lefferts garden/ east flatbush — Brooklynian

rogers ave / lenox rd - lefferts garden/ east flatbush

wesley
wesley
edited November -1 in Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens

hi,

i am thinking about signing a lease to an apartment here. i get home after dark but before 10. i would be walking from the 2 or 5 train for about 7 minutes to get home. im a single female.

i am very unsure whether i will be safe. i will definitely try to ride a bicycle home.

i am sure there will be some nights i may not have it and end up walking.

i like to run, and would also like to get up and go for an a.m. run - say 7 a.m. to the park.

it is approx five blocks i think to the park.

my biggest concern so far, annoyance - is the time ive spent there in the daytime - there have been a lot of men on the street, and i got cat calls two times in a matter of one block.

im an attractive woman in my early thirties but look very young.

help?

Comments

  • wesley
    wesley

    correction - my biggest concern and fears lie in that walk home.

    any words for me?

  • eastbloc
    eastbloc

    I'd look for something closer to the Sterling Street or Prospect Park stations. Things are kind of dicey on that corner of the park. PLG blocks seem much nicer further up closer to Empire.

    Disclaimer: this is based solely on my own running tours of the area as well as what I've read about the Parkside Ave stop.

  • cremate
    cremate

    Find something more west. You can find deals if you look really hard, or have/want a roommate.

  • capt. planet
    capt. planet

    Toughen up. You'll live longer and might save some money on rent and emergency rooms.

    Predators can smell prey a mile away and if you look and act like you're afraid, you're a lot more likely to get hit on.

    Ever consider a self-defense class? It might give you the self-confidence you need.

    Sorry to sound so offensive, but, hey, it's true.

  • tateinbk
    tateinbk

    Capt. Planet,

    I'm confused, why will toughening up save money on emergency rooms? If there is any mentioning of ERs, why can't she just look for a place a little further west?

    Also, while I agree that predators can often sense fear, do you really define some who catcalls as being a Predator? Or do you see catcalling as a gateway offense towards being a predator? Do you really believe that self-confident women don't receive catcalls?

    Wesley,

    Sometime this week, grab a friend and walk from the train station to the apt. location around 10:30pm. See how you feel and imagine what it would be like if you were alone. I thought about looking there myself, but wanted to be closer to the park personally. (Of course the place I ended up finding was CH and Further from the park, but that's the joy of NYC real estate.) Good Luck.

  • eastbloc
    eastbloc

    Capt. Planet said:

    Ever consider a self-defense class?

    Or a concealed-carry permit?

  • wesley
    wesley

    hey everyone, i really appreciate the feedback.

    i am not foreign or inexperienced living in 'dangerous' areas. my fondest living situation as of yet was the six years i spent living in my own studio apartment in oakland, ca. - which has one of the highest murder rates in california.

    but- i had family and friends there. i also had a car which kept me off the streets. here i have no car at least. i knew the community well. it was truly a beautiful secret. it is a strong loving community focused on growth and change.

    i agree with bringing a friend and walking around late at night.

    i am nervous as i signed the lease (my broker has told me the girl living there before me loved it and has reassured me im all good- not that what he says matters.. but he had no reason to try and sell me anything, or lie)

    i signed it before i posted this, i wanted honest feedback. i also signed it

    after visiting my first apartment on the sterling stop.

    it was my first time to PLG that day and i hung out on sterling/empire for almost two hours. i loved the vibe. the people. it felt good.

    when i didnt get that apartment, i went to see this one... listed as PLG/E Flatbush.

    I didnt realize ten blocks makes such a huge difference. I was desperate for housing.

    I feel like I made a mistake.

    Ive been reading other single white female posts. it varies.

    one said she love it and lived thee for three years.

    at this point, im in bind. my broker has told me if i feel unsafe they will surely find me another place to live and i can break the lease no problem. but** this is the least inexpensive situation they have and i cannot afford more right at this moment.

    although if i feel intuitively it is not right for me i wont let that sway me from feeling safe and leaving - although im sure ill put it off til i absolutely have too.

    my only solution at this moment is to get a bicycle and ride home, and avoid getting home past 9:30pm.

    any advice, thoughts, if you know of single women who live in proximity etc. im open to hearing tips/words of advice/ etc...

  • capt. planet
    capt. planet

    It's a process of adjustment. When I first moved to Crown Heights, real Crown Heights, not Crow Hill, ten years ago, it was a huge adjustment. I'm still adjusting, but I've also changed a lot, for the better. I can hang with all kinds of folks. I have a lot more "street" sense. I've seen and done a lot that I would not have seen or done had I stayed in "safe" Park Slope. Safe from what? New ideas? The sight of visible poverty? Interacting with folks that don't look and act just like myself? Give me Crown Heights anytime.

    So, Wesley, adjust. Get a bike if that makes you feel better. Find your comfort level. With the rent money you save, you could even take a car service now and then if the conditions warrant. Take it easy, as the Eagles say. Don't let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy.

  • theqatparkside
    theqatparkside

    Give it a year. I know plenty of newcomers to the neighborhood who love it now after a period of unease. You will not be unsafe - you will be uncomfortable. There's a difference.

    However, common sense must win out. There are always people out and around in our neighborhood - even young kids out way too late! If you're feeling squeamish, walk in well-lit areas not far from other walkers. You will be fine. As to cat-calls, just ignore them if you can. After awhile, they will give up. It's really not as bad in Flatbush as it is in other parts of the City. Btw, in my experience youth and attractiveness have only a small part to play in that anyway. My favorite of all time was when someone yelled across the street at my wife - "hey, can I squeeze the Charmin?"

    Get to know people in your building. It will make you feel safer having people know you. Some of the people hanging out will be nice if you smile and say hello. Forget the others. They are probably not paying attention to you anyway.

    Good luck! Don't forget to read theQatParkside blog, and write to me if you have something we should talk about there!

  • wesley
    wesley

    lol! laughing at the charmin comment...

    i agree. your words resonate with me. they are all thoughts and feelings i have had ..

    they put me more at ease in the unease :) thank you. two both good later posts.

    and nice blog

    :) thanks everyone.

    tomorrow night my friends and i are going to hang out and do my fake walk home.

    tonight i rode the 2 subway and spoke with a woman who gets off at church ave 2 stop

    - it was 11pm. then and plenty of people were still on the train two stop pre winthrop. it

    felt lively to my surprise.

    ive had two police officers tell me to break my lease and one that said i should really have no problems as long as i am not involved in gang or drug activity.

    it all varies. the feedback.

    i came home tonight feeling better after riding the train with her, speaking to her..

    what you have said is exacly how i am feeling - with unease of course.

    i have been in a state of unease since i arrived from california -

    anyhow, thank u's neighbors.

    and checked out the blog, bookmarking it, - NICE!!

    best , w

  • wesley
    wesley

    correction - i was in state of unease moving here from sf.. and it just wore off - looks like i have yet another one to master.. called PLG E FLATBUSH

    best :) w

  • tateinbk
    tateinbk

    I had a couple of cops blanch the other day when I said where I lived. They told me to start looking for a new place as soon as I could. The problem with asking cops is they are mostly exposed to the, er, downsides of any given neighborhood.

  • wesley
    wesley

    ok, so well -iloved the earlier positive posts. and i agree.

    a sense of unease.

    i have to say its only nostrand ave that bothers me at night. i took the 2/5 train to winthrop about 11:00 pm.

    the amount of men in groups on the streets - not a bar in sight that i saw so..

    anyhow, i spoke with alot of people.

    someone suggested i try the Q parkside and walk from the other direction.

    i am aware i will be safe getting home. but i have to say as a woman- this is were the unease comes from.

    any poorly lit street anywhere in nyc, with pockets of men lining the street, with a subway station with no attendant..

    so i took the Q. and what a difference.

    the Q is cool. by the it was 1 am.

    the walk down flatbush ave was cool.

    so, i dont know whats up with nostrand ave.

    but just wanted to follow up, by changing my commute route a little it felt ok.

    being a female and walking the streets is much different. much more difficult.

    i hope to add to the community. its a great area. thanks for the feedback.

    does anyone know of a place i can grab a coffee in the area?

    w

  • tateinbk
    tateinbk

    I'm so glad the Q was better for you. I'm sorry I forgot to suggest that. I miss living off the Q in general too because it speeds right through it's stops, unlike the 2,3,4,5, trains, where even the express trains take their freaking time through lower Manhattan.

    It's interesting what you say about Nostrand. Even where I am, considerably further north, I'm much more comfortable on the streets that aren't Nostrand at night.

    Can't help with the coffee place though. Thanks for the update. :)

  • jeffrey
    jeffrey

    wesley,

    In terms of nearby coffee places I've been to the following (in order of proximity to you):

    1) International Coffee House

    (south side of Parkside between Flatbush and Ocean, mid-block)

    Small, locally-owned place with friendly staff that has a selection of Green Mountain Coffee brews, pastries and other snacks in addition to wall-mount flat-screen tvs, wifi and table and lounge-ish seating. They also have a photocopier and UPS dropbox.

    And, highly recommended but a bit more of a walk for you:

    2) Blue Roost Petite Café

    (near Prospect Park B/Q station, currently on east side of Flatbush just below Lincoln Road but moving into the larger, former K-Dog and Dunebuggy coffeehouse space on the north side of Lincoln Road just a few storefronts away from the Prospect Park B/Q subway station)

    http://theblueroost.com

    http://www.yelp.com/biz/blue-roost-petite-cafe-brooklyn

    Another small, locally-owned place that offers great coffee, friendly staff and a tasty menu of southern-inspired food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They just announced that they are taking over the lease of the much larger, recently-vacated space of the K-Dog and Dunebuggy coffeehouse that was truly a neighborhood gathering place with a basic menu but also featuring local artist exhibits.

    Sad to see K-Dog go but very happy to see another locally-owned great cafe moving in, one that will perhaps improve significantly upon one of K-Dog's chronic shortcomings: extremely slow service resulting in longer lines at the counter, often encouraging one seeking a morning cuppa joe to give up and/or just blow right past it on the daily commute.

    There are also one or two other coffee places just 3 blocks over on the west side of Nostrand a few blocks south of the Sterling Street 2/5 stop.

    Hope that helps.

  • wesley
    wesley

    ahhh i wamt to start a PLG Flatbush BLOG!! I've heard about BlueRoost

    knowing where to go for coffee, ie the international house HELPS! a neighborhood blog

    would be great.

    just a coffee in the morning, thats all i ask.

    nostrand - yeah bad vibes..

  • jeffrey
    jeffrey

    Jump on in, the water's great!

    http://hawthornestreet.com

    http://theqatparkside.blogspot.com

    http://plognyc.wordpress.com

    http://www.leffertsmanor.org

    http://www.plgna.org

    http://theflatbushblog.com

    And be sure to check out and/or join the Lefferts group on Yahoo:

    http://dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/Lefferts/

    RIP:

    http://planetplg.blogspot.com (and its predecessor)

    http://acrossthepark.typepad.com

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