Living In The Bronx

[Martin Hash]

My wife, Gwynne, is an old, thin, blond White woman; which is important in the context that old, thin, blond White women are invisible. While we lived in New York City, we had no car, nor did we want one, and Gwynne would walk to Central Park everyday, a multi-hour journey through The Bronx, Harlem and Manhattan, but she never had any problems, not even once. I mean it, Gwynne walks down the sidewalks oblivious to the crowds of young Black males that part to allow her to pass unjostled. In fact, they were as unaware of her presence as she was of theirs, it's a natural forcefield emitted and perceived subconsciously. I would file in behind her to take advantage of her wake. A few times we passed though crowds that were otherwise impassable.

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We lived in the South Bronx. In the evenings, we would make plans to walk through the crowds for famous greasy NY pizza, Gwynne leading. There was an evangelical preacher yelling in Spanish on a loudspeaker in one of the row houses on the way, and he gave away hot-dogs in his front room. Guys sell cigarettes one-at-a-time on the corners. At night, it gets very creepy. People pee in the stairwells even though the place is secured. One night we heard screaming: in the morning, just outside our apartment building door, a bloody t-shirt was laying on the sidewalk surrounded by sloppily hung caution tape. On Mondays, long lines of men wait in front of the Pawn Shops for them to open. They are all holding appliances of some kind: microwaves, tvs, power tools. Apparently, they had just come into possession of these items. Drug dealers waited nearby for them to get their money.

Harlem is being gentrified, it's The Bronx that still remains seedy, racially concentrated, and has problematic safety. I would see mothers walking their children to the fortified public schools every day. The sidewalks have to be covered because apartment dwellers on upper floors would through their trash out the window; graffiti is everywhere, but the atmosphere is changing. If we walked as far as the 3rd St Bridge, there's a trendy sake bar with white people under it. Soon everywhere will be chic and old, thin, blond White women won't be needed for protection.

[brewster]

When was the last time you were there? The Bronx is gentrifying too, the Grand Concourse is a destination. My dad grew up at Barnes and Allerton in a 2 BR and shared a BR with his sister till he was drafted. My Nana would sit in a chair by her ground floor kitchen window kibitzing with the neighbors.

My wife also has that force field. She's a social worker and would do home visits in the Staten Island Projects. Never a problem.

[Smitty-48]

The highest crime rate districts in NYC, are Manhattan North and South precincts, two to three times the number of felonies per 1,000 residents than in the Bronx, so Hell's Kitchen is actually the most crime ridden neighborhood in the city, not the Bronx.

[brewster]

The highest crime rate districts in NYC, are Manhattan North and South precincts, two to three times the number of felonies per 1,000 residents than in the Bronx, so Hell's Kitchen is actually the most crime ridden neighborhood in the city, not the Bronx.

Daredevil needs to stop messing with ninjas and get back to street crime.

[Smitty-48]

In the hood, people don't have much money, and they're tough, so they're much more likely to fight back, if you want to commit crimes in NYC, you go where the money is, and where people are much more likely to hand it over without a fight, ergo; midtown, Hell's Kitchen and around Central Park.

If you try to mug somebody in the Bronx, that could get you killed, at the very least that could get you caught when the cops show up after you get into a struggle, so much easier to go find some tourists to rob, downtown.

If you look like a schmo with no money, and you're walking around like you belong, you just blend in, the marks are the tourists, people driving around in fancy cars, and high end apartments, that's where the money is, that's who attracts the criminal element. Muggings, burglaries, felony assaults, car theft, midtown is the highest concentration of them all.

Midtown South; Times Square, Grand Central, Madison Square, statistically the worst crime district in the whole city, by a considerable margin. Midtown North; Hell's Kitchen, just a few blocks away, that's number two.

[heydaralon]

This may be a question that Milspecs can answer, but aside from Manhattan, which is the best place to live in NYC? I've heard Staten Island is one of the least prestigious, but thats where I'd want to live if I had to pick. Low population density is a win imo.

[Smitty-48]

Bay Ridge looks like the value pick, $635/sq ft average, that's a good price in New York for that sort of neighborhood, great location too, drive in or out on the 278, two subway stops, Brooklyn Army Terminal for ferry and water taxi service. Owls Head Park, Shore Road Park, Dyker Beach Park & Golf Course. Close enough to be in the mix, far enough away from the hustle and bustle, small town living in the big city.

[brewster]

This may be a question that Milspecs can answer, but aside from Manhattan, which is the best place to live in NYC? I've heard Staten Island is one of the least prestigious, but thats where I'd want to live if I had to pick. Low population density is a win imo.

Staten Island is where you live in NYC if you'd really rather live in the suburbs but need a NYC address for a municipal job. It's a weird place, my wife worked there for a long time. I may be biased, but the best place is the 6th borough, Hudson County, home of my town of Jersey City, and I've lived in Tribeca, Chelsea and the Upper West Side. Similar housing to Brooklyn at a fraction the cost, with better access to Manhattan than Bayridge. Property taxes are higher, but there's no city income tax. Whether you prefer brownstones or new hi rises with harbor views, we have it here. Plus the best pizza in NYC is here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/dini ... .html?_r=0

[heydaralon]

This may be a question that Milspecs can answer, but aside from Manhattan, which is the best place to live in NYC? I've heard Staten Island is one of the least prestigious, but thats where I'd want to live if I had to pick. Low population density is a win imo.

Staten Island is where you live in NYC if you'd really rather live in the suburbs but need a NYC address for a municipal job. It's a weird place, my wife worked there for a long time. I may be biased, but the best place is the 6th borough, Hudson County, home of my town of Jersey City. Similar housing to Brooklyn at a fraction the cost, with better access to Manhattan than Bayridge. Property taxes are higher, but there's no city income tax. Whether you prefer brownstones or new hi rises with harbor views, we have it here. Plus the best pizza in NYC is here: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/12/dini ... .html?_r=0

True that. I'm not well suited for big city life, but I would like to visit NYC before I die. Do you still live in Jersey?

[brewster]

Do you still live in Jersey?

Yes. I have no plans to leave, it's a great "retire in place" location. I can hit world class fishing in the morning, walk to an immense variety of ethnic food for lunch and see a Broadway show in the evening.