My sister and her husband are moving to NYC soon and asked me what part of town they should live in. Problem is, it’s been ten years since I lived there, and I know the city has changed a lot, so I’m asking the Dopers for your help.
They are in their mid-thirties, no children, no pets, no intention of acquiring either. Their criteria are as follows:
[ul]
[li]“safe and lively”[/li][li]a good selection of ethnic/vegetarian restaurants, live music and bookshops nearby - within easy walking distance[/li][li]near a subway line that goes to Wall Street[/li][/ul]
They’re willing to consider the boroughs provided all the above apply (“we don’t want a place that feels like the suburbs”), although I think they’d prefer Manhattan. They don’t mind living in a small apartment if they have to, and should be making enough to live in all except the most expensive areas.
They might check out the “sixth boro” – Hoboken, NJ. It’s closer to Wall Street (by PATH) than Brooklyn or Queens. Definitely safe and lively. I’m not sure what the restaurant situation is these days, though.
If they’re making the bucks, I would suggest the Upper West Side. A little less safe, a lot more lively. Tons of bookstores and restaurants. And the IRT takes you straight downtown.
And I think that was answered toward the end of my OP, Alessan, but thanks
Cheers to all for the replies. mala, is the East Village nicer than it was ten years ago? That’s where I lived, but I found it a bit seedier than I think they’d like.
I’m saying Park Slope or Brooklyn Heights. They are the more expensive/desireable neighborhoods of Brooklyn (thus cheaper than 95% of Manhattan). A 10 minute shot to Wall Street on the #2. The Heights offers the Promenade and easy access to Junior’s Cheesecake at all hours. The Slope offers Prospect Park, the Botanical Gardens, and the Brooklyn Museum. Both have plenty of good restaurants, book stores, etc. Both are historic “brownstone” neighborhoods.
They’ll want to live on the more Northerly side of the Slope for easiest access to the 2 (Garfield Pl. and north), or towards Court Street in Brooklyn Heights.
Caroll Gardens is nice, and Williamsburg up n’ coming, but neither are convenient to Wall. St. Only the F stops at Caroll Gardens, and it goes straight to the Lower East Side/Chinatown without stopping in the Wall Street area. From W’burg you have to take the L and change for the 4/5 or 2/3 heading downtown. I get the impression your sis & co. are more than willing to pay for convenience.
I vote for Chelsea. I lived there for 6 years. It’s an easy trip to Wall Street. There’s lots of new building going on there now, it’s a diverse community–straight and gay singles and couples, families–and has great restaurants, art galleries, small theaters. There’s a Whole Foods a block away from where we used to live (on 7th and 24 St). It’s walking distance to Union Square for the Greenmarket, close to 2 Barnes & Nobles, plus independent bookstores, a quick subway ride to Chinatown and the Upper West Side, a quick walk to the West and East Villages. If I hadn’t had a baby, we’d still be living there. It’s an excellent neighborhood.
I don’t know what mala’s opinion would be, but I think the East Village is much less seedier than it was ten years ago, which is just about the time I first visited New York City (which is why I probably don’t like it as much, but that’s neither here nor there). I’ve lived near there for over ten years now, and my brother and sister-in-law live in the heart of it, on Bond St., which if you were familiar with it when you lived there, you’d probably remember a rather empty and desolate street. It’s now filled with storefronts (a few have left recently) and a new apartment building, and similar new buildings have sprung up more to the east. The street traffic has retained a lot of its “color”, but I by no means consider it a seedy neighborhood now.
You’ve got plenty of restaurants in all price ranges, what with Soho nearby, a big Barnes and Noble close by at Union Sq. park, and off of the top of my head I can think of 8 smaller independents within a 10 minute walk, as well as the massive Strand.
For live music, you’re near the Bottom Line, Irving Place (IMO one of the best spots for a wide range of live music in NYC), the Knitting Factory (expanded and at a new location since you lived there), and many smaller clubs in the East and Greenwich Village, again within short walks.
To Wall Street you’ve got the 6 train (transfer to 4 or 5 at City Hall for Wall Street), or the R, both 10-15 min. ride weekdays. Or, if you decided to go due west and live nearby Greenwich Village, you can take the 1 or 9 to Rector or the E to WTC.
Every time I go to the East Village (at least once a year, most recently in September), I am amazed by how much less seedy it is. (NYU Class of '89.) I’m not as familiar with the other neighborhoods mentioned, but I’d feel perfectly safe living in the East Village these days. And you can’t beat the variety, as mentioned!
When I lived in New York it was so hard to get an apartment, people rarely even asked where it was, they just grabbed what they could find - I actually heard of people renting over the phone, sight unseen.
So what is it? More apartments built over the years? Higher prices? How can you just wander into a neighborhood in NYC and find a place? I am duly impressed.
I left NY nine months ago and I wasn’t aware that they moved Bond St. out of NoHo. Where did they put it? If it’s in the heart of the East Village, it must be in Tompkins Sq. Park.
Couldn’t they take the J/M/Z line over the Williamsburg Bridge (Marcy Avenue, etc) to Wall street (right on the corner of the NYSE)? Am I missing something?
They may want to try the Upper West Side in the 100’s to 110’s around Broadway/Riverside. (or even higher). It’s near Columbia University, with lots of what they’re looking for. It’s an area that’s getting better all the time. It’s a bit cheaper that the UWS below 96th Street, though the gap is narrowing.
East Village is pretty cool and covenient to everything. If you can afford it, the West Village is nicer and not as freaky.
Gramarcy Park (20s) is a nice island in the no-mans land between 14th St and Murrey Hill (E30s). (E20s are ok, it’s just kind of sterile IMHO).
Your friends might also try Battery Park City down near the Trade Center.
Chelsea’s a little on the gay side (kind of like how Alphabet City is a little on the East Side).
It’s a little something called ‘The Economy Sucks’. I am constantly running into people who are unemployed (not to mention being constantly unemployed myself - man I wish I had that tuition money back), employed in lower level jobs than they had, or are employed in ‘prestige’ jobs (banking, consulting, etc) where they haven’t seen raises or bonuses in years. Not too many people are willing or able to rush into the city, land a $1600 a month or more appartment and spend money like an Arab teenager. As a matter of fact, my appartment just came off of rent stabalization and I was able to convince them to LOWER the rent by $200.
I found my place in the East Village about 2 years ago through a real estate agent, which costs a small fortune. It only took a few days though.
NY isn’t at all like it was back when I was in high school there (on Delancey Street). You want to talk about seedy? Hah.
My understanding is that Battery Park City has lots of nice condos. Nice views of the harbor, easy travel to Wall St. My sister lives there and seems to love it.
I’m guessing money is no object. If it was, I go for Brooklyn.
I was going to edit in a PS, but the system won’t let me.
In my experience, the DFW area offers better accomodation at about 1/3 of the price of NYC. Salaries (at least in my profession) are about 20% lower than NYC. There’s PLENTY to do here. Texas has no state taxes. You do the math.
