Sterling between Brooklyn and Kingston.....?

The first part of crowchai's reply pretty much sums up the block. It is a generally quiet block. A lot of people with 20+ years there, so it has it's own little flavor. I know a lot of people on that block.
Early morning and late night there is mix of friendly dogs out for runs in Brower Park. I'm sure yours will make a few friends.
As far as I know the museum is still open, but I could be wrong.

hey...i'm 29 years old and was born an raised on bergen between brooklyn & kingston and i still live in the neighborhood...me and my brothers grew up and went to brooklyn public schools and managed to go to and graduate from morehouse, ithaca college and M.I.T respectively....we turned out okay..

long story short..my parents did all that back when this neighborhood was considered to be "unlivable". and even tho there were robberies and crime in the neighborhood back then, my parents managed to be concerned parents who i'm sure spent many night praying that their kids would come home safely from wherever..but made a concerted effort to be involved in the block associations and the public schools (my mom is a retired elementary school principal)..and we grew up playing in brower park, and in the children's museum and going to st. john rec center...it's all about making relationships with your neighbors, making a commitment to invest in your neighborhood and loving your neighborhood.

if you want to make it work, and be a person who is committed to a NEIGHBORHOOD than come on in..if you want to move in and suck the neighborhood dry for all you can get for your and your family alone..then move somewhere else.

if this post seems harsh, i sincerely apologize to anyone. it was not my intent to offend, but to just be real.

peace.

How does one suck a neighborhood dry? Even if someone moves into a neighborhood, and does not actively participate in community groups or patronizes local parks and establishment, does that mean they're "sucking the neighborhood dry"?
Theres always uneccesary hostility by the locals, towards people moving into the hood. Why can't we live and let live? No one was hatched into Crown Heights, we were all newbies at one time. The neighborhood is getting better and better everyday; but it takes new blood to help revitalize a once very beautiful yet neglected community!

almosthome wrote: Well yes...CLAYFILMS...it does sound a little harsh.... but I think understand where you're are coming from.....

Not that I have to justify my existence to you...BUT....I too went to public schools and I too am the child of a retired public school principal....and NO...I am am not intending to suck the life out of your community....I'm just trying to make the best decisions I can and base those decisions on research and what I can learn from many sources including this one..

The questions I ask are out of concern and do diligence for the safety and future of my family. You say you are 29...maybe you do not have kids yet and can't understand the feeling of immense vulnerability that comes with the responsibility for a little life......

Not to mention....buying ANYTHING anywhere represents my putting on the line everything we have in the world...financially and physically. So back off with the judgment....you don't know a thing about me.....yet. Maybe someday we will be neighbors and then you can hate me or not....:)

I am all about building relationships in my community and working together to make the place we live the best it can be. THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTIONS I DID! And all of the responses except yours made me feel like I was heading in the right direction.

peace

As one with two teenage sons in Crown Heights now five years, I have to say that life was not easy for them even when we lived in Park Slope.

There was a group of kids down the block who harrassed them there, the shoe repair owner on the corner was murdered by a couple of druggies from the n'hood for the money is his pockets, etc. The idea that one's kids will be free from harm, while a nice ideal, rarely in my experience, plays out in reality. Even the wealthiest of suburbs have lots of juvenile delinquents who do drugs, overdose, steal cars, get pregnant, etc. etc.
The good news to me about being a parent in Crown Heights is that my kids get exposed to a more diverse group of folks than they would in Park Slope and let's them out of the middle class, kind of artificial bubble that exists there. Viva la difference!

I live nearby and there are LOTS of kids around, most of whom are polite and friendly. (They usually greet me with "Hi Neighbor!") As far as hostility towards newbies goes, I haven't experienced it. At all. A few times I got glares, but this happens so infrequently that it really could be that the person glaring at me was having a bad day and that it had nothing to do with me. This is really an area where you get back what you put in. If you are polite, friendly and approachable, you will soon have new allies to help you navigate the neighborhood.

Also, the fact that you are planning to live WEST of Kingston is a good idea. I find points east a tad sketchy. Parking may be an issue, so I would try to park between Nostrand and Kingston if I could. I was thinking of having a party for my friends at my house, and if I do, I'm telling them to come by subway, because I think they would be safer than if they end up parking on a bad block.

I know it seems a bit scary, but this is an area that watches your back, particularly if you go out of your way to meet your neighbors. There was one guy on here who got mugged in the middle of the night and this lady chased the mugger down the street IN HER PAJAMAS. (Gee, if I put out a line of ladies' sleepwear with the legend CROWN HEIGHTS CRIME PATROL, do you think it'll sell? )

I totally get where Capt. Planet is coming from. I grew up in a suburb of Boston, a town that is supposedly the safest in the nation, and I had more problem with crime (mostly because the police turned a blind eye, "it's just kids" and didn't include it in crime stats) there than I have had here. Of course, no longer being a teenager certainly helps. There's something about being a teenager that's like wearing a "COMMIT CRIMES AGAINST ME" sign on your back.

I realize this post is a little late in coming, and you may have made your decision already, but here's my two cents.
First of all, between the dog and the toddler, you'll know your neighbors in no time. I have a dog that will be twelve in March, and I'd love to meet another senior mutt in the park. There are loads of kids in the neighborhood and thanks to Brower Park, the museum and Eastern Parkway, where plenty of people take their kids and sit on the benches, this neighborhood will afford you ample opportunity to meet them. As far as parking goes, I haven't had nearly as much trouble parking in CH as I did when I lived in Bed-Stuy. One suggestion is to ask your other half to drop you and your son at your door after a night out and let them park the car. Parking tends to be available, even late at night, but usually on the wrong side of the street once people have returned home for the day. Generally though, the earliest you'll have to move your car the next day is 8ish, and that's not too bad. Also, there's loads of parking on Park Place next to Brower Park.
I've walked home from my car at all hours and haven't found Crown Heights threatening. Knowing your neighbors, your local bodega owners, etc., is key, but as I said, this should happen for you quickly; kids and dogs are great conversation starters.
It sounds to me like Crown Heights would be ideal for you, with lots of running room for the dog and playing room for the boy. I love hanging out with my dog in the park and never fail to meet a new face or continue a conversation with a familiar one. There aren't many neighborhoods in New York with as pretty and well kept and large a local park as Brower. Move in and enjoy!