How safe is the Crown Heights (Brooklyn) area? (New York, Bedford: transplants, real estate)

[dwang3]

Hello! I'll be interning in downtown New York for June and July and am trying to find an inexpensive place. I've found two places in Brooklyn that I'm interested in, a place in Bedford Ave that is five minutes from the Frankin Ave subway stop, and a place near St Johns Place. What are opinions on how safe this area actually is now, especially for a 20 year old girl living by herself and sometimes coming back at a later time at night (maybe 9pm ish?) I've been getting conflicting answers from different sources. Thanks!

[jad2k]

Bedford and what?

[BKSnook]

It depends on the cross streets.

Bedford avenue might be a little too dangerous for a single 20-year old female transplant living by herself and getting home late at night.

[jad2k]

Originally Posted by BKSnook

It depends on the cross streets.

Bedford avenue might be a little too dangerous for a single 20-year old female transplant living by herself and getting home late at night.

Classifying [all of] Bedford ave as dangerous is an egregious statement. It spans a long distance and includes concentrations of heavily hipster to heavily Hasidic populations and everything in-between.

And if you are talking about the Bedford ave that is "5 minutes" from the Franklin Ave C stop as being dangerous for a 20 something transplant woman, then you must be unfamiliar with the area as it is now since you have to plow through hipsters and those new to the nabe while walking down the sidewalk (I'm referring to Bedford Ave north of Fulton- which is in Bed-Stuy not Crown Heights). Some transplant dude just opened up a bike repair shop on Bedford and it's in good company with [new transplant] hotspots like this, this, this, this...by the way, on Franklin, there are more bars, restaurants, and coffee shops popular with "transplants"

If you are coming home around 9 or 10 (which isn't late by any measure in NYC!) the C train will be packed, it always is, even into the early hours of the morning. There will be plenty of people, including woman, getting off at the Franklin stop and walking north to their places.

So yeah, a 20 something female transplant certainly wouldn't be out of the norm in this section of Bedford ave that's "5 minutes from the Franklin ave C". It is not dangerous. However, depending on your comfort level with "city diversity" or an "urban mix"- I'm talking about the mix of hood and hipsters that you'd see in the area, it may not be the place for you.

Also, I was asking for your cross street specifically because South of Fulton there is a men's shelter in the Armory- beautiful building but there are lots of dudes hanging about it during the day (not so much at night) and as a woman, you might be uncomfortable walking by it. I am and avoid it for that reason. Not that they would do anything to harm you, as far as I know there haven't been any incidents, but cat-calling and the like can be uncomfortable when it's unwelcome.

Oh yeah if you can't tell by the detail of my post, I live in this area...

[dwang3]

Ok thanks! I'm not sure the crosstreet, just that it's near the Franklin St subway stop. What about St Johns Place?

[dwang3]

Oops, just read your post jad3k. Thanks for the detailed response, it definitely gives me more flavor into the area. I consider myself a pretty tough person who's not intimidated by the sight of "hood and hipsters" as long as they don't pose a real threat!

[jad2k]

Originally Posted by dwang3

Ok thanks! I'm not sure the crosstreet, just that it's near the Franklin St subway stop. What about St Johns Place?

St Jonn's place is in Crown Heights and that is not my area of familiarity. Hopefully someone else on this board will be able to help you. Also, with both places, be sure to find out the cross streets. Bedford near Atlantic has a very different feel than Bedford near Lexington. In Real Estate speak, both are "near the Franklin subway stop"

[hershey48]

Originally Posted by dwang3

Ok thanks! I'm not sure the crosstreet, just that it's near the Franklin St subway stop. What about St Johns Place?

I agree with jad2k about bedford. 9 pm isn't too late to be traveling. It depends on your level of comfort.

About st john's place. It depends on the cross street. I'm not too fond of st john's around schenectady/utica ave.

[jdm267]

It's the hood.