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Two Questions About Crown Heights — Brooklynian

Two Questions About Crown Heights

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

Hey all! I'm moving to Crown Heights next month (Utica & Lincoln) and had a couple of questions.

1) Women who live in the area - do you experience a lot of cat-calling/men following you down the street? (I'm aware this could happen in any neighborhood, but would like to gauge how often it happens in Crown Heights). Men can chip in as well. Any tips would be great.

2) What's the nightlife like? And what would you recommend to someone who'd like to meet new people in the area?

As a background: I'm a late 20's female who is moving back after living in DC for five years (and not the posh part), grew up in a low-income community in Brooklyn, and while I look white, I am not white. So I'm fairly sure I can handle my own. That said, I'd still like to hear other opinions from people who live in the area.

Comments

  • newguy88
    newguy88

    Sadly, I can't answer about how the area is for females. But I do notice more street harassment in Crown Heights then I saw in Manhattan. It seems to get more of prevalent the farther east you go. However I have only heard of a few instances of women getting followed.

    As for the night life Franklin Ave is always a great time and only one subway stop away from you! Plus its only a ten to fifteen minute walk from there over to Washington Ave.

    I had family that used to live in the District and there were parts that felt way worse and less safe than the worst of Crown Heights.

  • myonlyappeal
    myonlyappeal

    Thanks for the insight, newguy88. Yeah, I lived in Petworth, so I know the risks but in my opinion it's worth it for the cost of rent. Plus, if I live with my family in Staten Island any longer I may or may not explode. I think the risk of internal combustion is probably more pronounced.

    That sounds definitely doable! I'm still new to this whole "Brooklyn is hip" thing (when did that happen?!) so I'll have to check Franklin & Washington Ave out.

    Do you (or anyone else) have some favorite bars they'd recommend?

  • newguy88
    newguy88

    It's totally worth the risk. Also don't be afraid to look at the option of coming West a bit more. You can sometimes find an apartment for a bit more then you can in the East. I know how much living at home can suck!

    As for my favorite bars Crown Inn and Franklin Park are my go to watering holes on Franklin. On Washington Ave Weigh Station, Washington Commons and The Bearded Lady are my favs. The bar scene is great! If you do wind up moving to CH and wanting to check out the bars feel free to shoot me a PM for some more suggestions.

  • myonlyappeal
    myonlyappeal

    I looked at a few options, but I found the perfect house I just couldn't pass up. If I like living in the neighborhood (which I'm sure I will, I loved what I saw when I was walking around) then I'll look at some options in West.

    And awesome, thanks! Those bars sound like a good place to start. I will definitely let you know if/when my move is confirmed.

  • nothinlikeabklyngirl
    nothinlikeabklyngirl

    Hi, myonlyappeal. I would say there is a lot of cat-calling but very little following. I think men who do this seem to take advantage of women who have that deer-in-the-headlights look -- like they are unaccustomed to dealing with it or not sure how to respond. My personal approach is to walk with purpose, to acknowledge anyone who says something decent with something formal like a "good morning" or a "thank you," to ignore anything that's indecent, and to always keep walking. And of course, always trust your instincts. If you do feel you're in danger, I have always found bodega owners to be helpful to a woman in distress.

  • whynot_31
    whynot_31

    myonlyappeal-

    Some of us will be gathering on Sept 3rd at Nostrand Avenue Pub. I say that because I find it is helpful for me to meet people before I take their advice on whether somethng is safe for me.

    I.E. If Rambo says I have nothing to fear, I tend to discard such advice.

    Likewise, if a 93 lb nervous wreck tells me that is a unsafe place to live, I discard the advice.

  • myonlyappeal
    myonlyappeal

    NothinLikeABklynGirl said:

    Hi, myonlyappeal. I would say there is a lot of cat-calling but very little following. I think men who do this seem to take advantage of women who have that deer-in-the-headlights look -- like they are unaccustomed to dealing with it or not sure how to respond. My personal approach is to walk with purpose, to acknowledge anyone who says something decent with something formal like a "good morning" or a "thank you," to ignore anything that's indecent, and to always keep walking. And of course, always trust your instincts. If you do feel you're in danger, I have always found bodega owners to be helpful to a woman in distress.

    Thanks! I can handle the catcalling - although I'm more of a Hollaback kind of girl than an "ignore-them" one. I might do it a little differently on my home turf though, don't want to make any enemies! Those are helpful tips, especially about the bodega owners. I'll be sure to stop by and introduce myself to neighbors & local shop owners fairly quickly. I feel like that's the best way to stay safe (at least it is where I'm living now in SI)

  • myonlyappeal
    myonlyappeal

    whynot_31 said:

    myonlyappeal-

    Some of us will be gathering on Sept 3rd at Nostrand Avenue Pub. I say that because I find it is helpful for me to meet people before I take their advice on whether somethng is safe for me.

    I.E. If Rambo says I have nothing to fear, I tend to discard such advice.

    Likewise, if a 93 lb nervous wreck tells me that is a unsafe place to live, I discard the advice.

    Thanks! I'll try to stop by! I work in PR (and therefore have no life) but hopefully I'll have that day off.

  • kybienoir
    kybienoir

    Hi myonlyappeal

    I've had absolutely no issue apart from a few "hello mama"s along the way. Nothing predatory or threatening at all. My main route is walking from Utica subway stop - Schnectady ave exit down Schenectady to Park place. I definitely walk with purpose though, not using my phone, usual stuff. Late at night I'm not so sure as I have a 2 year old so not out and about but during the winter months when it was dark coming home, no issues at all.

    Franklin is great, lots of bar and restaurant options to explore.

    Best of luck!

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