Best and Safest Places to Live in New York

[paris29]

List your favorite places to live New York and why. If you could also rate the area on safety, good schools, transportation, etc would be great.

 

[decodelighted]

City or State?

 

[missy]

I love Park Slope Brooklyn. It is a fantastic place to live. Like Greenwich Village without the noise, pollution and crime IMO.
People are friendly and warm and the neighborhood offers so much. There is 7th ave which is the main drag and then 5th ave which has been coming up in the last decade and can hold its own to 7th ave. The park is right here as well as the museum and botanical gardens and so much more. Great place to live whether you are single or married, have kids or not.

There is great transportation in Park Slope- all the major trains are right here.
Schools are great as well depending where you live.

I lived in Manhattan for over 10 years and have been living in Park Slope since 1992 and there is no where else I would prefer to live.

 

[AGBF]

City or State?

You had better answer deco's question! Missy answered as if she assumed that the question referred to New York City. I had assumed that the question referred to New York State! But actually I think I was going to ask for more information. I think I was going to ask why you wanted to know. If you had a job in Syracuse, it wouldn't help that other people told you that Rochester was the best place to live, after all!

Deb/AGBF

 

[davi_el_mejor]

State - Amherst (near Buffalo)
City - Greenwich CT

 

[AGBF]

State - Amherst (near Buffalo)
City - Greenwich CT

davi-It is downright scary that I was thinking the same thing. Not about Amherst, New York ( a place about which I have never heard), but about Greenwich (where I live). I had been thinking of recommending it as a place to live in New York! Honestly!!! Are we communicating in some crazy, telepathic way?

Deb/AGBF

 

[purselover]

City- hands down the upper west side, it's completely safe, great schools and a few major subway lines. It also has some great restuarants, shops and culture. (including Lincoln Center and American Museum of Natural History)

State- southern Westchester (which is where I live), it has AMAZING pulic schools, fantastic restaurants, parks and easy access to the city via highways and metro-north. It is also extremely safe, I has never ever felt uncomfortable where we live.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

State - Amherst (near Buffalo)
City - Greenwich CT

davi-It is downright scary that I was thinking the same thing. Not about Amherst, New York ( a place about which I have never heard), but about Greenwich (where I live). I had been thinking of recommending it as a place to live in New York! Honestly!!! Are we communicating in some crazy, telepathic way?

Deb/AGBF

LOL! CT is NYC's cleanest suburb. At first I was going to say Stamford, but Greenwich is much safer IMO and has a rail station with a shorter commute time (if you can find a seat!)

ETA: Amherst has been voted in the top ten safest places to live in the US many times over the years, plus your money goes very very very far for real estate

 

[paris29]

Either city or state I guess. I don't know much about New York, but I have heard absolutely wonderful things about it from people I know. FH and I would like to move the east coast in a couple years and New York seems like a good state to live. By the time we move we will most likely have a little one so, good school are a must as well as safe neighborhood.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Hi,
For schools you can go to www.greatshools.net (or is it .org) and see the ratings for nearly every school in the US. When you click around, it gives you info scores, demographics, etc. Since I'm in Washington St., the site provides the WASL scores and so I could see how the students tested on reading, math & science. The site also includes average teacher educational levels, class sizes, and so much more.

 

[zoebartlett]

Paris -- You could go to http://www.city-data.com/forum/ and check out their forums for NY. It's a great site for learning about different places.

 

[elrohwen]

Some good advice so far!

It's really a huge state, so I think you need to narrow down whether you want to live near NYC, or in the "upstate" area far away from NYC. They're very different regions and I've lived in and love both of them, but not everybody loves both

What do you and your husband do for work? Upstate NY has been a bit economically depressed in recent years, so if you have very specific jobs you might have issues finding work out there, which is something to consider. However, it's far far FAR cheaper to live out there, and really beautiful.

The NYC is ridiculously expensive at times, even 1.5-2hrs out of NYC (I'm moving to the Hudson Valley region from the NY/CT border soon and houses aren't cheap, despite being a few counties away from NYC). It's a great area though - really pretty, lots to do, and not too far away for a day trip into the city once in a while. There are also way more jobs out here and the schools are pretty good (though the taxes are high to make up for it). The areas closer to the city, and in the city, are also great and you'll never run out of things to do. I've lived in CT for the last 5 years (which is practically NY) and plan to buy a house in NY and eventually move upstate near Albany/Saratoga - I love this state, especially for its diversity of places to live and things to do.

 

[paris29]

^ I'm in a doctorate program right now for psychology, its a 5 year program but if we do decide to move to New York ill probably do my internship (5th year) there and go from there. My fiance is an anthro major. We plan on ttc in about 2.5-3 years. So we want to be in a very safe neighborhood with good school. We have been looking at the upper west side online, and really like what we have seen. of course we have to visit in person.

 

[Imdanny]

The Upper East Side, preferably on 5th with a nice view of the park.

 

[atroop711]

The Upper East Side, preferably on 5th with a nice view of the park.

but it's so sterile up there..gorgeous blocks, amazing homes, view to die for (the park) but the place has no personality..zip, nada, no sense of life..kind of like a face full of botox

 

[atroop711]

^ I'm in a doctorate program right now for psychology, its a 5 year program but if we do decide to move to New York ill probably do my internship (5th year) there and go from there. My fiance is an anthro major. We plan on ttc in about 2.5-3 years. So we want to be in a very safe neighborhood with good school. We have been looking at the upper west side online, and really like what we have seen. of course we have to visit in person.

I am born and raised in Manhattan (downtown). I also lived on the UWS for about 4-5 yrs in my early 20s. It's a lovely area full of families with children, lots of restaurants, easy access to all transportation. LOVE the UWS but one thing has happened in recent yrs, it's packed up there (many more ppl living there). The traffic is heavy, the parking situation was horrible when I was there (20 yrs ago) so I can't imagine that's any better. If you aren't going to drive...then I don't see a negative with the area. As for the schools, I'm not familiar with the public options there. One of my favorite things to do on the UWS is weekend breakfast or brunch outside.

If you like the vibe of UWS but want something less congested and quieter with good public school options, I'd look at the west village. Love this area too.


I do think you can get more BANG for your BUCK on the UWS
GL!

 

[Novel]

I love Park Slope Brooklyn. It is a fantastic place to live. Like Greenwich Village without the noise, pollution and crime IMO.
People are friendly and warm and the neighborhood offers so much. There is 7th ave which is the main drag and then 5th ave which has been coming up in the last decade and can hold its own to 7th ave. The park is right here as well as the museum and botanical gardens and so much more. Great place to live whether you are single or married, have kids or not.

There is great transportation in Park Slope- all the major trains are right here.
Schools are great as well depending where you live.

I lived in Manhattan for over 10 years and have been living in Park Slope since 1992 and there is no where else I would prefer to live.

Missy, you forgot the best thing about the Slope - http://www.clay-pot.com!

 

[missy]

I love Park Slope Brooklyn. It is a fantastic place to live. Like Greenwich Village without the noise, pollution and crime IMO.
People are friendly and warm and the neighborhood offers so much. There is 7th ave which is the main drag and then 5th ave which has been coming up in the last decade and can hold its own to 7th ave. The park is right here as well as the museum and botanical gardens and so much more. Great place to live whether you are single or married, have kids or not.

There is great transportation in Park Slope- all the major trains are right here.
Schools are great as well depending where you live.

I lived in Manhattan for over 10 years and have been living in Park Slope since 1992 and there is no where else I would prefer to live.

Missy, you forgot the best thing about the Slope - http://www.clay-pot.com!

LOL you are right!!
I love the Clay Pot

Also, the OP may find some helpful info in this article:
http://nymag.com/realestate/neighborhoods/2010/65374/index1.html
Read the whole article as it discusses all the highly rated neighborhoods in NYC but here's an excerpt about Park Slope (rated #1 in this article)

But any way you slice it, Park Slope is the very definition of a well-rounded neighborhood. Of the dozen categories we tallied, it falls just slightly below average in two: affordability (the average two-bedroom rental is $2,275) and diversity. In all other areas, it’s somewhere between above grade and superlative: It’s blessed with excellent public schools, low crime, vast stretches of green space, scores of restaurants and bars, a diverse retail sector, and a population of more artists and creatives than even its reputation for comfortable bohemianism might suggest (more, in fact, than younger, trendier Williamsburg). It might not be everyone’s idea of a perfect neighborhood, but statistically speaking (by a hair), there’s nowhere better.

 

[Bliss]

I second the UWS - especially Lincoln Center. Tons of great places to eat, VERY safe. The neighborhood pays for police and Lincoln Center security patrol - and lots of families. Beautiful places to live. You're a couple of blocks away from Central Park and the scenic Hudson River walk on the other side. It's fantastic. Lots to do there, too. All you see are strollers, though. So you may have to dodge a few as you walk from block to block! Columbus Circle (though not the UWS) is also a nice place to live - and you've got Whole Foods right there!

The UES is clean as well, but I agree that it is sterile. Everything closes early in the evening and there's not much to do, eat or see. That's where all my doctor/dentist offices are and whenever I go there, I have to walk blocks just to find a coffee/tea place after the appointment. And that's rare for NY because every corner has a cute little cafe or two (sorry, to lazy to find the accent over the e)! Very residential and quiet, though! A lot of the buildings there are much older and there are nice places to live there as well.

If I had a big family, I wouldn't mind Brooklyn... Park Slope and Dumbo have some new and pretty condos and older but beautiful brownstones. I have a few friends who live there. Lots of space and more residential but I'm not quite there yet. There are areas that are not safe there, still. And there are nice areas surrounded by not-so-nice areas. Lots of the neighborhoods are transitional, but gosh - many of the neighborhoods have serious character/diversity and awesome restaurants!!! I would definitely live here if I had a big family and drove lots of places. I don't like the train ride to Brooklyn (the handful of times I've gone visiting with a friend) because sometimes it doesn't feel as safe, even if it is super close and convenient. I love the trees and buildings there, though! People who love Brooklyn LOOOOOVE Brooklyn so maybe once you live there you really fall in love with it. Good eats!

For some reason, a lot of people here like Tribeca. I've lived there and though it is super trendy, I found it to be far away and inconvenient to get anywhere. You aren't able to hop on a train or grab a cab as easily and I paid a ton for car service to and from various places when I went out at night because of this. I had a car my first two years in NY and the poor thing got so abused in the parking garage. I was horrified to see that the parking valets leave the windows to your car OPEN all day whether it is raining or snowing - so that they can JUMP in through the windows. That's how closely they park cars - no room to open the doors for them to get in! If you have a nice car with nice leather, it definitely takes its toll over the seasons. And they park cars right on top of each other! Practically vertically! Plus, parking alone is hundreds of dollars (avg $600 a month) in NY and you also have to tip every time they bring you your car. And call ahead. And if there's a line, you're going to be late wherever you're going! My BMW looked like a hoopty at the end of 2 years (complete with footprints on the driver's side seat) so I gave it to my mom in the end. It was a lot less stress for me!

So if you want to drive, I would live in Brooklyn. You have parking right in front of your home in many cases! It also depends how old you are. I feel like I'm too old to live and rough it in certain places - and safety with doormen run buildings in secure neighborhoods is a high priority for us. If I were in my twenties, maybe I could (but probably not) live in an exciting hopping place like Chelsea. I don't know. I like my neighborhoods to look really nice, feel really clean and that's rare in NY. I'm sure if we weren't old farts we'd find the grungier or hipper areas more exciting. Ahhh, the young have so much fun!!!

 

[argylemarionette]

The Upper East Side, preferably on 5th with a nice view of the park.

Totally agree. As to Park Slope it's become nothing more than a den of breeders. It's a city wide joke at this point.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

The Upper East Side, preferably on 5th with a nice view of the park.

Totally agree. As to Park Slope it's become nothing more than a den of breeders. It's a city wide joke at this point.

 

[missy]

The Upper East Side, preferably on 5th with a nice view of the park.

Totally agree. As to Park Slope it's become nothing more than a den of breeders. It's a city wide joke at this point.

No problem Argylemarionette. Different strokes for different folks.
We love it here and in fact have no kids. Unless you count our furbabies that is.

 

[Imdanny]

The Upper East Side, preferably on 5th with a nice view of the park.

but it's so sterile up there..gorgeous blocks, amazing homes, view to die for (the park) but the place has no personality..zip, nada, no sense of life..kind of like a face full of botox

I couldn't afford to live there but whenever I'm in NY (and during the very brief period I lived there) I've always thought it would be the best place. It's quiet, tranquil, and safe.

 

[iLander]

Why would you own a car in NYC? That's what Zipcars are for!

We love the zipcars, you rent it for a couple of hours, go to costco in Queens (Queens! ) and then come back. The zipcars are everywhere, parked all over the city, so there's always one within a couple of blocks. You just sign up, get your card, and then you can pick them up anytime. It's better to reserve in advance on the weekends, though.

I prefer the Columbus Circle, central park south area, myself. It's a bit touristy, but all the subway lines are right there, and the park is a continuous spectacle. Love the restaurants, Whole Foods (Tuesday nights, or it's TOO crowded!).

I think anywhere in NYC is good as long as it's near the park, above 55th, below 89th, between 3rd and 9th.

I think you have to find a place that fits your personality, the neighborhoods are all very different in feel. I don't actually like the West Village (don't hurt me!), I actually prefer tall giant buildings over the shorter brownstones. I know, I'm freaky . . .

 

[Bella_mezzo]

If you want safe and a little suburban vibe and have money for it, then yep UWS I think is your best bet; but honestly, NYC is so big and has so many neighborhoods that you should visit the city and see what you like. I live way Uptown in Manhattan, beyond 89th, beyond 125th, beyond 168th even and I love it. I love my neighborhood, my neighbors, my farmers market, my CSA, my 4+ huge gorgeous parks...it's all mine and we own our 2 br co-op with a courtyard and decent views for about what it would cost to rent a small studio in a not so great building on the UWS. We're two very close to the train, my commute is about 20 minutes (30 minutes door to door) and there's also great school in my neighborhood as well as several fantastic new charter and unzoned schools, some schools in the nieghborhood suck, so there's definitely some nail biting during school application season for pre-K/K.

I love the UWS too, for different reasons, and if I could buy a brownstone there I'd be on that like white on rice, but everything in NYC is a tradeoff between money, space, character, vibe, location, commute, and a host of other factors...you should really visit to see what you like. It's quite subjective and personal.

Some people hate the UWS, it's "boring and suburban and full of big box stores with no character", some people hate my neighborhood b/c it's "diverse and dangerous and the schools aren't super well recognized and there's only one Starbucks" you get my point Some people only want to live in brownstones, some in doorman buildings, some in buildings with certain architectural details, some in the 10021 zipcode, some near good private schools...

There's something in NYC for everyone, but "best" and "safest" are all relative. Yesterday, one of my friends who is a school dean and works with stats for the city a lot said when you factor out domestic and gang violence (both of which have pretty specific targets usually and don't effect the average person) crime statics are pretty much the same for all of Manhattan. So really, I think safety is a perception more than an actuality and it's more about what kinds of situations you feel more comfortable in...

I spend a lot of time on the UWS, the West Village, and way Uptown, as well as a decent amount of time in Chinatown, the UES, and exploring other parts of the city (in Manhattan and the outer boroughs) there are pluses and minuses to each neighborhood. I really, really would set a budget, decide which other factors are most important (space, view, type of schools, type of building, etc) and then visit the city and work with a good realtor.

oh, and we have a car that we street park. If we had a nice car we'd garage it. There are garages all over the city, so it's not hard to do, but it is expensive. We got the car when DH was working b/c it shaved an hour each way off his commute. I had a car my first few years in NYC too, I parked it at my grandmother's in NJ most of the time Moving it for street cleaning is horrible if you aren't driving every day.

 

[sba771]

I lived in Brooklyn Heights and LOVED it! If we hadn't wanted a yard and more bang for our buck, we would have bought something there. Instead we just bought a home in Suffolk county in Long Island. The school districts are great there. There are also parts of Northern NJ with easy access into the city and amazing schools.

 

[missy]

The Upper East Side, preferably on 5th with a nice view of the park.

but it's so sterile up there..gorgeous blocks, amazing homes, view to die for (the park) but the place has no personality..zip, nada, no sense of life..kind of like a face full of botox

I couldn't afford to live there but whenever I'm in NY (and during the very brief period I lived there) I've always thought it would be the best place. It's quiet, tranquil, and safe.

The UES is nice but as others have said it does depend on your lifestyle and what you are looking for.
My dh lived on the UES for 5 years and he hated aspects of the neighborhood mainly that everyone was so reserved and not that friendly though we appreciated the tranquility and beauty of the neighborhood that you mention Danny.

Both my dh and I also lived on the UWS (before we knew each other) and it offered a lot to us at the time. We were both in our twenties though and at this point in our life it just doesn't suit us. It has changed a lot since we lived there and is much more crowded and as Bella mentioned very generic now. Too crowded and noisy for us now not to mention space is at a premium so if you don't need space and like this neighborhood it might work for you.

My dh also lived in the west village for 7 years and at that time it was perfect for him. It all depends on the stage of life you are in and what your personality and needs are at that time. For us, Park Slope is the perfect home and I don't anticipate that changing. There is a lot of diversity in who lives here and we don't hang out where there are young couples with kids. When you live here you know what places are kid friendly and which are not and ofc we like kids but prefer not to hang out with them. So contrary to what argylemarionette posted our experience is not the same as hers at all.

As Bella wrote there are so many great hoods in NYC and it is best to read about them and visit the ones that interest you. We did not buy our home till we were sure we wanted to live where we do. And we found that out by living in different places before we bought.
That article I posted gives a good summary of the 20+ best neighborhoods so it may be a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with NYC.

 

[paris29]

You guys are the best. My fiance and I feel so much more informed. We have decided on the UWS and are going down over winter vacation hopefully to make sure it is the place for us. Thank you everyone for all your help and comments it has been so helpful.

 

[missy]

You guys are the best. My fiance and I feel so much more informed. We have decided on the UWS and are going down over winter vacation hopefully to make sure it is the place for us. Thank you everyone for all your help and comments it has been so helpful.

How exciting!
Good luck and let us know what you guys end up doing. You really cannot make a mistake as you are renting and it is a great way to try out a neighborhood!

 

[atroop711]

Why would you own a car in NYC? That's what Zipcars are for!

We love the zipcars, you rent it for a couple of hours, go to costco in Queens (Queens! ) and then come back. The zipcars are everywhere, parked all over the city, so there's always one within a couple of blocks. You just sign up, get your card, and then you can pick them up anytime. It's better to reserve in advance on the weekends, though.

I prefer the Columbus Circle, central park south area, myself. It's a bit touristy, but all the subway lines are right there, and the park is a continuous spectacle. Love the restaurants, Whole Foods (Tuesday nights, or it's TOO crowded!).

I think anywhere in NYC is good as long as it's near the park, above 55th, below 89th, between 3rd and 9th.

I think you have to find a place that fits your personality, the neighborhoods are all very different in feel. I don't actually like the West Village (don't hurt me!), I actually prefer tall giant buildings over the shorter brownstones. I know, I'm freaky . . .

why own a car in the city? Many ppl do (as do I) for weekend outing but my husband uses his car every day. He works outside of Manhattan most of the time so his commute is so much better if he drives. I also like having a car at my disposal not have to worry about rentals or reservations.

I won't hurt you for not liking the West Village but I do agree with you...you are freaky I love my city so much but every spot isn't for everyone. You couldn't pay me to live on the UES I love the less touristy and crowded areas (like the East Village area where I'm at) and the quiet streets of the West Village. I LOVE the UWS too (I lived up there for a handful of yrs)