moving to CH

Sure go ahead. Just be sure to factor in the cost of a bullet-proof vest, a chastity belt, and a daily police escort to your front door.

I prefer lascivious photos to those depicting addictive substances

Seriously, that area is not safe. It's directly across the street from a large housing project and a good 12-15 minute walk to the nearest subway. You'd be much better off moving to Ditmas Park or Prospect Heights.

There is a newly renovated building across the street from us on St Johns. I think the studios are going for between $750 and $800 (even though they are being advertised as 850). We feel perfectly safe on our block. It's between Nostrand and New York and two blocks from the subway. It's being rented by Corcoran if you are interested. There are photos on their website.

I just remembered that I knew a girl in Brooklyn that moved to amherst

tamara wrote: I wouldn't.. I lived for almost two years on Atlantic between Troy and Albany.
First off, you have two pretty bad PJ's there. Albany Houses and Weeksville. I don't know that I've ever felt threatened or unsafe there, but if you're concerned.. you know the drill if you've read thru the posts.

Second, it's kind of desolate, gray and depressive over there. The subway walk isn't at all that bad, I'd say 5-7 mins to Utica Ave at fulton St on the A, or 10 mins to Utica Ave on the 3, 4. you can also take the bus on Bergen Street and it'll take you Downtown BK. But in the winter the wind is horrible there. I don't know why, and I might be way off here but maybe the tall buildings and wide avenues.
No good grocery stores, unless you feel like trecking to Fulton at New York. If you want to choose "better" places in BK, you can either go down the hill to Bed Stuy, there are some great brownstones there, many rent out floors, or upp to Utica at Empire, or Kingston Ave, perhaps. A little greener. I like where I live right now on Eastern Pkwy bet Franklin and Classon, but when I moved in it was different from now, too. I gotta say I felt a whole lot better once I was outta there.

During what two year period did you live there?

I've lived at Nostrand and Park since 2002 and the difference is remarkable in the past six months, let alone the past 4 years.

If I were considering living on that block, I'd be more interested in the opinion of someone who is now living there.

spent a couple of years in amherst & now my mom is probably going to move there...

if you are used to the resources that the pioneer valley offers, living a few blocks further west than troy might be a good idea
and honestly, i think that would be a tough area to come into cold

greg wrote: [quote=solamami]Yes, by all means, let's have a resident of Weeksville or Albany Houses weigh in here...

I tend to agree with Tamara's points (again! ), and the dates are irrelevant. No offense, Greg, but there's a big difference between Nostrand and Troy --the main one being the proximity to the PJs. I'm between Kingston & Albany, and I'm thankful I'm not 5 houses further east, let alone 5 blocks. When I was moving here several months ago, a former Brooklyn cop told me personally that those Albany Houses are notorious. I heed that warning seriously.

Why an out-of-towner--again, I'm presuming yet another single, white female, but race notwithstanding--would consider signing a lease sight unseen is really troubling to me. Fine for millionaires moving to Park Avenue in Manhattan. But Park Place and Troy deep in da hood? Really?? Do some more research if safety is your number-one concern. Know your lifestyle and your comfort zone and have some common sense. Don't be seduced by cheap rent. This is New York Fucking City, after all.

The first tenant in my last house was born and raised in the Albany projects. He was the sweetest guy I've ever rented to, once you got to know him, but the way he dressed, he could pretty near clear out an entire subway car just by sitting down in it.

I could have easily have continued to live in Park Slope, where I'd been for 25 years, but I came to Crown Heights because it was a lot more interesting. Somtimes interesting also means scary. But it can also means getting to know people you would never have met otherwise. And then you realize how full of shit a lot of those old racist stereotypes are. And you also find out what kind of folks actually live in the "PJs" as you like to call them.

A friend of mine grew up in the worst projects in San Franciso. His mother was a crack addict and he has been living on the street since he was 5 years old. Now he owns a house in Bed Stuy and is a successful real estate broker. He points out to me that in the ghetto you make no assumptions about people. One guy could look like the guy next door and be a cold stone killer and another could like a stone cold killer (like by tenant) and actually be a real pussycat.

So I'm saying, don't let everyones hype scare you away. It didn't scare me away and now I'm happy with the decision I made. So be it.

But as a first stop in NY from a college town in Western Mass?? Please.

I agree with all the posters who say its probably not a good fit for your first place. Get here and get to know NY first and then decide if you want to be out that far in the hood.

Yep, I have.

Sounds like our guest took our advice and moved on... so why you felt the need to get one last dig in two days later on a dead thread is beyond me.

Please, just let sleeping dogs lie.

Oh forgot to say.. I also have family [my kids' grandma'] on Park Pl. between Troy & Scenectady, if that helps..