Advice - moving?

anonymous · October 2007

OK, so I'm looking to move to Crown Heights because it's one of the very, very few places in my affordability. I've read a lot of posts here and only know the area slightly...I'd be moving here on my own (female, slenderish/short side). What blocks should I keep clear of?

I think the recent post about a homeless men's shelter made me seek your collective wiser council. I used to live near a homeless men's shelter growing up, and the stuff that happened to my mom and I...no good. Don't want to repeat it.

Thanks!

anonymous · October 2007

Subject: advice cont'd

Actually...I also want to know whether the area is safer than the one I currently live in (in the Bronx, Westchester Ave/Castle Hill Ave. area).

Thanks!

capt. planet · October 2007

Personally, your comfort level is your comfort level. Just come here and walk around alot at different times of day and night find out how you feel.

For me to tell you I walk around all over Crown Heights night and day and have never felt particularly threatened does not help you a lot because you're not me, right?

opossumqueen · October 2007

Agreed about it mostly being personal and about visiting.

Walk around where you would go, between apartments/trains/stores, etc. at night and during the day. If you'll be walking around alone when you live there, do that on your visits.

lilbangladesh · October 2007

I'm not that familiar with the Bronx, but I'm willing to bet that it's probably safer here.

That said, I had worked in the Morrisania area (which is a scuzzier area than where you hail from) for a while and I never had anything happen. Still, walking into the house where I worked was like walking into an armed fortress. Metal gates on all the windows. Depressing.

The one thing I will tell you is that Crown Heights actually has more amenities than where you live. (gasp!) It's easier to get healthy food and the takeout is amazing.

Crown Heights is weird that there are good blocks and bad blocks. My general impression (other posters can feel free to correct me) is that in Crown Heights North, a good area is West of Kingston, East of Nostrand and South of St. Marks. I'm not qualified to comment on Crown Heights South. Generally, try to avoid Albany Ave., especially near the Albany projects.

ricorn · October 2007

I'm going to ask this question even though the chance of the answers devolving into accusations of racism, sexism and cruelty to pachyderms is very close to 100%. What criteria are you (bangladesh or anyone) using to differentiate good and bad blocks? Are there specific things you notice, just a general vibe, or some combination of the two?

opossumqueen · October 2007

We thought we lived on a *good* block for a couple of reasons:

1. It hardly got any through traffic, which made it fairly quiet (kids could ride bikes, play hockey, etc).
2. The people. A lot of the neighbors knew each other already so once we met one person, we quickly got to meet others so it felt like a friendly spot. Also, knowing lots of neighbors made me feel safer when I was alone (I'm a tiny female).
3. We were really close to trains and Mazon (RIP).

For me, a bad block would have been (aside from not having the above):

1. Some of the spots where I was harassed rather aggressively (small, blond=easy target I guess). 99% of the time it was spots where young men (15-18 maybe) hung out and I think they would harasss anyone who was alone.

2. A block that seemed deserted--not many homes, but car garages or warehoues. I avoided walking down those blocks at night because the lack of people creeped me out.

anonymous · October 2007

Well, I'm the only white person on my block now in the Bronx, and I think it's a great block. People are quiet (except for the &^%$^& car alarms that go off all night), I can walk down the block and not get harassed, and I feel safe when I walk down the block...never had anyone follow me or try to follow me inside my apt. or mug me or anything. People go about their business and generally keep to themselves. However, the next block over I hate -- all chop shops and dark and unpopulated at night except for occasional people who I don't think are up to much good. So I dislike deserted streets. And streets where no women seem to live. Streets that are congregating grounds for idle groups drunk men (yeah, I know...i've basically described the entire lower east side on that one).

bojolais · October 2007

Merry,
If you create a login, I will PM you about my block and the rentals available here.

lilbangladesh · October 2007

Yeah, areas of that section of the Bronx can be nice. I used to perform there. Still, I never wanted to live there.

Really, that is what I use as a criteria for a good block. It's the feel of the neighborhood. In the area where I described, it seems a stable area full of homeowners who care about the appearance of their home. Kids play outside. Neighbors congregate. For me, it wasn't about race at all, but I do see racial integration within a neighborhood as a stabilizing factor.

My dad (who does have some racial prejudices, but to his credit, I've never seen him discriminate against ANYONE because he has a greater fear of hurting someone's feelings than he does of Blacks, Latinos or homosexuals; that's my personal definition of a mentsch: consistently behaving better than the person you are) once asked me if I was the only white girl in my building. I said that I was. My dad replied, "HA!" But then he had to admit that my immediate neighborhood seemed very nice and that he enjoyed watching the kids play a pickup ball game on my street while he was guarding the truck. "This one girl kicked all the boys' butts!"

I'm definitely the minority in my neighborhood, but I feel very comfortable here and nobody here has tried to make me uncomfortable (at least in real life, heh). I've been told that part of the reason is that I don't act like an above-it-all hipster and instead, I act friendly and down to earth. I don't distance myself from people (unless they show that they really need to be distanced from). Doing my weekly food shopping on Nostrand is a joy (well, not actually, because some stuff is really hard to find; I had to go to Manhattan for a lemon juicer, an item that should have cost two bucks at the dollar store) because I hit all the smaller stores before going to the supermarkets. Shopping at the smaller stores gives me a better feel of the neighborhood as well as allowing me to support the neighborhood with my hard-earned dollars. And it allows me to be known in the neighborhood. At Imhotep's, I'm known as "that flaky girl who left her nori on the counter after paying for it".

:oops:

I also enjoy the characters I meet. While I'm glad that it's finally turned cooler, I'm sad that I won't see Boom-Box Guy anymore. This is a guy who in nice weather sits all day outside his brownstone with his boombox at a discreet volume (you only really hear it when you walk in front of it) and he was usually playing something cool like Miles Davis.

I dunno. For me, race never entered the picture in judging a block. It was really about how the residents behave.

On the other hand, my brother would FREAK OUT if he visited me here. Mr. Suburban would be like "I see black people! :shock: "

dawnlovesmike · October 2007

Subject: Welcome merry!

My husband and I just moved here from michigan about two months ago. Here's my definition of good and bad blocks:
Bad:
-Young men in groups openly selling drugs or being loud and obnoxious.
-Much garbage in the street, around stoops, brownstones falling into disrepair
-Bad "vibes" from people you pass on the sidewalk

Good:
-EVERYONE hanging out on their stoops, talking and being positive
-People who care how their home/neighborhood looks, or whether the trash would attract rats
-People greeting you on the street, even if they don't know you a "nod" says "we're cool, have a good day."

Now, having said that, we live right by Brower Park. We are absolutely the minority (being white) and although we don't have a racist bone between us, honestly we WERE a bit worried about the neighbors seeing us as the "enemy" yuppies coming to "gentrify" their neighborhood. I walk alone with my dogs at all times of the day and night-including in the park- I know where the 'deals are made' (wink wink) there, and just mind my own business.

We have had NOTHING but positive experiences here. The only drugs I see are "green" (and that's fine with me- I never me a dangerous pot-head)and the people are colorful (literally and figuratively,) and we love our neighbors and neighborhood.

My ONLY issue has been that kids (25 or so and under,) drop trash as they walk like it's gonna disappear before is hits the ground. You see "moms" and "grandmas" sweeping their asses off every morning trying to keep our bolck clean, only for bottles, paper, and (THE WORST) broken glass to reappear by evening.

I hope you have the same experience as us coming here- the rent can't be beat, subways close, etc.
Good luck to you!!!!

Dawn

lilbangladesh · October 2007

Yeah, I don't get that with the littering. I mean, it's one thing if you don't pick up after yourself in your apartment, but every day when I come home, there's candy and food wrappers in the stairwell. I know it's the young kids doing it, too.

That really has been the only real nuisance I've had in moving here.

Advice - moving?

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