GrandStGlitter
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Reviews
Riverdale
"Far Away, but Fancy"
Generally the further away from Manhattan you move in the Bronx, the nicer the neighborhoods become. Riverdale is not an exception, and it is actually an exceptional place in terms of New York City neighborhoods because it is stocked with open spaces (but not the forbidding empty lot sort of empty space). The residents here have a certain pride about their rollicking neighborhood, and often fight against development. The neighborhood is situated on the Hudson River, making it a prime spot for future businesses. There are a lot of houses here that only the rich could afford, however, so if you are on a middle class type of budget you may find your best option to be in another borough completely.
bron1974
or, better yet, in jersey or connecticut.
2yrs+
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Schuylerville
"Not a bad atmosphere, though a bit boring"
This area is home to a huge cemetery, which may be off putting for potential residents. It seems the housing in the neighborhood is kept at a decent distance from it, however – with the housing being mostly a series of run-down looking homes, with a few newer, gabled roofed ones thrown into the mix. Much of this neighborhood resembles suburbia, though perhaps with a bit more street parking and bus routes than are normally present outside of cities. This neighborhood is not especially close to Manhattan and makes for a long commute – beware.
Spuyten Duyvil
"Okay Neighborhood for the South Bronx"
This is actually a part of the Riverdale neighborhood – named after the Spuyten Dyuvil Creek that runs through this section of the neighborhood. There is a park here and a bridge that connects directly to the northern most tip of Manhattan (though it is still a pretty good train ride to downtown Manhattan from here). This is one of those rare New York neighborhoods that seems to have an abundance of parking – some residency buildings have actual parking lots. It looks a bit like a college campus here, with a lot of brick high rises and an assortment of tree lined streets.
ArchieAndrews
Spuyten Duyvil is not the South Bronx. It's in Riverdale in the Northwest part of the Bronx. Very nice area actually.
2yrs+
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Throgs Neck Blvd
"Okay Neighborhood, Lots of Passing Traffic"
This area is more about commute than being a neighborhood – it’s a grassy sort of place where a bridge was built to keep traffic flowing from the Bronx into Queens. There are people who live in the area, however, and these people mostly reside in the sort of homes one would see in any middle class suburb, even if the homes are a bit old and close together spatially. This neighborhood is, obviously, closer to Queens than it is to Manhattan, so anyone (businessman and tourist alike) who would like to travel to Manhattan frequently should be aware that it could take some time to arrive there.
Unionport
"Poorer Residential Area"
This neighborhood isn’t exactly a spot for prime real estate, and it’s South Bronx location makes it unlike to be a candidate for prime real estate any time soon. This is a low income sort of neighborhood that doesn’t feature much in the way of shopping or eating that would appeal to a tourist – it’s mostly residential, and storefronts are hard to come by (unlike empty lots, of which there are more). This isn’t a prime spot for anyone to live – New York City is full of much more exciting, nicer neighborhoods.
roberts26
I live on Zerega, grew up in Pelham Bay and lived in Soundview for 12 years. First off, it's not in the South Bronx, it's the East Bronx and if anything is considered the North Bronx by locals. It is not a low income sort of neighborhood, the houses are mostly small single family and the apartment buildings are decent, a lot are new. Half of the neighborhood is industrial, so it's quiet at night. There is virtually no street crime or homelessness or drug trade. A lot more people have cars than in the South Bronx, many houses have private driveways. It's not gentrified because people are irrationally afraid of Bengali, Puerto Rican and Guyanese Indian people, who are all working hard for their houses and cars. There is plenty of shopping in Parkchester and at the Throggs Neck Shopping Center. Excellent Bengali and Puerto Rican food and the best Mexican restaurant in the Bronx, Estrellita Poblana . Also, Unionport
doesn't exist, it's simply Castle Hill or Zerega, no one would have ever even heard the term Unionport except for the street on the other side of the 6 train going from Castle Hill into Parkchester (which are also stable middle class neighborhoods) Anyone moving here will have zero problems and a decent deal on rent or a single family home.
doesn't exist, it's simply Castle Hill or Zerega, no one would have ever even heard the term Unionport except for the street on the other side of the 6 train going from Castle Hill into Parkchester (which are also stable middle class neighborhoods) Anyone moving here will have zero problems and a decent deal on rent or a single family home.
2yrs+
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Hollers Ave
rating details
Just now
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
"Peaceful, But Far from Manhattan"
This neighborhood represents the absolute last stop on the 6 train, which should let you know that the train is not an easy commute into the city from here. This is a residential neighborhood populated by houses, and much of it looks very suburban. It’s probably a good idea if you absolutely must live up here to get yourself a car, as the neighborhood can represent long walks to public transportation. The park that this neighborhood is located on is actually bigger than Central Park, and it is incredibly peaceful during warmer months – and not nearly as clogged with tourists and weddings as that other park.
Olinville
"Long Way from Manhattan"
This neighborhood is barely even in the city, if that tells you anything about the kind of commute a business person would have to make into downtown or even midtown. A tourist may not be especially interested in spending hours on the train just to visit the New York things that tourists are supposed to frequent, either. It’s a residential neighborhood that in some places resembles a suburb (and I believe these areas are up for rezoning, to keep the low-density a part of the landscape). This is not really a grand place to live if you don’t have a car – it’s far from the rest of civilization (unless of course that’s your cup of tea).
Macombs Dam
rating details
Just now
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
"Hasn't been much going on here, upkeep questionable"
There is a park her that has been closed for a few years, as the city went to work building the new Yankees Stadium across from the old one. Obviously, the Macombs Dam Park borders on the baseball stadium, near the Harlem River and the Macombs Dam Bidge. There were plenty of sports fields on the lot, even if they weren’t really kept very well maintained. The park featured basketball courts, football and soccer fields, and baseball and softball diamonds. It was understandably undermanaged, since it was used as extra parking during Yankees games – apparently the city saw no need for the constant upkeep of a park slash parking lot.
Laconia
rating details
Just now
- Neighborly Spirit
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
"Suburbia in the Big City"
This is one of the many Bronx neighborhoods that resemble suburbia so well. I imagine this sort of neighborhood is appealing to anyone who wants to stay in the city but at the same time sort of avoid it. It also may be appealing to anyone with a lack of substantial income, which would be something shared with much of the community here. This sort of neighborhood seems ideal only for car owners – unless taking long walks and sitting on the train for an hour or so just to get to midtown is appealing to you.
Highbridge
"Nice Looking, But not for Me"
This might be the hood right across the Harlem River from Washington Heights and just north of Yankee Stadium, but it isn’t all that bad looking of a neighborhood (most of the time). There are the rolling hills that continue on from the Heights, and a decent amount of foliage so that the streets are pleasantly green in the warmer months. So – it looks okay, but I don’t think I would consider living here. Parts of the neighborhood are for low-income residents, and though there are streets with plenty of shops, the Bronx is just too far from my bar and culture hangouts to make anything they have up there worth the commute.
Eastchester
"It's okay, if you're into suburbia"
It doesn’t get much further from the lively streets of Manhattan than Eastchester Village – not, at least, if you plan on staying in the city limits. There are many Bronx neighborhoods that resemble this one, however, with sparsely treed streets and houses that actually stand apart from one another. Myself, I would own a car if I ever dared to live way up in this Bronx neighborhood. I certainly wouldn’t be alone, either, as many people in this area rely on their cars as a main source of transportation. This neighborhood is like a slice of suburbia in the New York City Bronx borough.
Bronxwood
"Okay area, not much to do"
This Bronx neighborhood (which borders on the Bronx Park, home of the Bronx Zoo and New York Botanical Garden) is home to plenty of high rise apartment buildings, as well as numerous attached homes. Perhaps the strangest thing to see about this neighborhood in respect to the rest of the city are the spaces between these homes and buildings (which is a little seen feat in Manhattan, or even Brooklyn). This neighborhood has a homey kind of feel, at least in places like Allerton Ave, where there are actual hedges that border the homes there.
Bronx Park South
"Beautiful park, tourist attractions"
This park houses the New York Botanical Garden as well as the Bronx Zoo, and to make the layout even better, a river runs through it – the Bronx River. The best thing about this park, for me anyway, are the bike paths, which really can’t be beat, not even by Central Park, where there is just too much street traffic for me. Something about parks and a great number of cars just don’t mix. In any case, this park is gorgeous, though it can be full of tourists visiting the Garden and Zoo, especially during the summer months, which may hinder your bike ride a bit.
St. Albans
"Cool Vibe, Neighborhood Needs Some Work"
This is a great place for music buffs to visit – especially those of a jazz inclination, as many jazz greats have called this neighborhood home, and the remnants of the jazz-infused decade of the forties is still apparent here. The neighborhood has known problems with crime in the past (it was a big deal in the eighties), but during recent years many people starting moving into the neighborhood (as rents went up elsewhere in the city), leaving it a bit overpopulated. Still, the neighborhood struggles on to preserve its own history – perhaps tourists shouldn’t visit here after dark, especially if they don’t really know where they’re going. For people who are thinking of moving in, another thing to be aware of is the fact that the neighborhood is a good train ride into the city.
Rosedale
"Suburbia in the City"
This is another one of those Queens neighborhoods that is a bit far from civilization (civilization being Manhattan, of course). However, if you are not a banker or a publicity rep, then you may find yourself comfortable way out here in Rosedale – and if you are looking for employment opportunities in Long Island, you’ll find that it is just next door. You may want to be the owner of a car if for some reason you actually want to live way out here – otherwise it’s likely you’ll be taking the bus or the Long Island Rail Road. The lay of the land reads much like suburbia way out here on the outskirts of an overcrowded city.
Rockaway Park Seaside
"Fancy condos, but not exactly a thrilling neighborhood"
This is the neighborhood to come if you’re looking to purchase a high-rise condo, though why anyone would want one here is beyond me – the Hamptons seem like the better choice for swankier living. But still, Seaside has its own quaint sort of appeal, though it is a bit strange to see high rise condos like something out of a Fort Lauderdale beachside retirement community in New York City. The neighborhood is strangely desolate compared to the rest of the city, and it isn’t exactly a happening spot for young people (another reason to buy your swanky condo elsewhere).
Richmond Hill
"Standard Queens fare, some cool celebrity history"
This is a middle class neighborhood that is much what anyone would expect from a visit to the central-southern area of the borough of Queens. There are some commercial spots where residents can get their fill of McDonald’s and the Salvation Army and whatnot, such as on Jamaica Ave and Atlantic Ave. This is not a neighborhood of typical tourist fare, but it does have an interesting history dating back to Revolutionary War battles – so history buffs might find the golf course near where the battlefield was somewhat interesting (okay, maybe not). There is a restaurant out here with some interesting history as well, that of the Triangle Hofbrau, where stars from the twenties and thirties used to hang out (read: Mae West).
wartman
No mention of the HUGE Guyanese community here? The dozens and dozens of roti shops and Guyanese groceries and bakeries along Liberty Avenue? This poster has never been here.
2yrs+
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Rego Park
"Quickly changing landscape - in a good way"
This neighborhood isn’t a bad commute to the city, and though it used to resemble a suburb, it is too close to the city to have stayed that way. It now looks like much of the rest of the city – with streets lined with shops, and living spaces located on top of them. There are plenty of train lines that pass through the neighborhood, and buses if you are one of those rare New Yorkers who doesn’t do much walking. Though there is more going on in this neighborhood than in previous years, it still isn’t exactly a tourist hub. Tourists are likely to not only never visit this neighborhood, but will probably never even hear tell of it (which may be a plus for tourist-dreading residents).
Pomonok
"You may as well be in Long Island"
This neighborhood is a far cry from New York City (even if it is still located in Queens), because it looks more like a suburb brimming with little apartment complexes which feature actual parking lots, which are rarely seen in such spacious abundance, and also because it is literally pretty far from the city. This is a residential area and essentially just a housing development which was built on a former golf course (which it still resembles). Fun fact: the name is a Native American word that formerly referred to eastern Long Island, which the neighborhood borders. From here, it’s more than thirty minutes on the 7 train to get into the city – which isn’t that bad when you consider the distance you are overtaking.
Belle Harbor
"Beachy neighborhood far from Manhattan"
This is a quaint neighborhood with some lovely towering homes (though they aren’t too flashy – this isn’t a tropical island), located near the beach on Rockaway Peninsula. There isn’t much in the way of flashy city lights or incredible shopping or site seeing way out here, but it does offer a different view of the city than the one that most tourists expect (which may or may not be a good thing, depending on the kind of tourist you are). Residents who live out here are advised to have a car – it’s a long way to the city on a train, especially if it’s something you need to do by way of employment.
Maspeth
"Quiet neighborhood that is close to happening areas"
This is a very small Queens neighborhood, but it isn’t a bad spot to be a resident, especially if you are young and want to be close to areas like Williamsburg and what the real estate agents have termed “East Williamsburg” in Brooklyn (meaning the area of Bushwick where artsy types and party animals are moving in for the cheap rent). Just because it is close to so many happening Brooklyn neighborhoods doesn’t mean that Maspeth itself isn’t quiet, though – it is. Much of this neighborhood’s land is actually taken up by cemeteries, which some may find slightly disturbing. They are, however, usually separated from residential buildings.
wartman
I don't believe the poster is talking about Maspeth. Maspeth really isn't that convenient to Williamsburg or much of the city unless you happen to own a car since Maspeth has no subway access. Between Maspeth and East Williamsburg is an industrial no-man's land. For those wanting lower rents and easy access to Williamsburg a much better choice would be either Bushwick or Ridgewood - especially for a younger demographic.
2yrs+
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Kew Gardens
"Like a suburb, only not quite"
Kew Gardens is a unique Queens neighborhood in that it strangely lacks the bustle of inner city life and instead offers a sort of peaceful tranquility. This is not a place to move if you are looking to live some kind of New York City high rolling life – it just won’t happen here (unless you are content to travel outside of your neighborhood each and every time you want a night on the town), and I’m sure the residents here wouldn’t appreciate a partier moving into their gates, either. The most striking difference between this and other New York City neighborhoods is the plethora of green (during the warmer months), a presence of grass that you just don’t normally see in the city.
Jackson Heights
"Not too far from the city, features lovely garden apts"
This neighborhood isn’t too close to the city, but it’s not too far either (I can think of plenty of neighborhoods that would make for a longer commute into Manhattan). The train ride into the city takes about twenty minutes or so (that is, once you actually get on a train). There are a lot of immigrants from Asia and South America who call this area home, and there are also some really nice amenities, like the garden community apartments. The neighborhood’s historic district is home to those garden co-ops in question, a place about which books have been written.
Long Island City
"It's not the Lower East Side, but it'll do"
This Queens neighborhood is just across the East River from midtown Manhattan – a perfect commute for those who work in the area (which, I assume, is quite a large number of people). This is a neighborhood of a region in Queens that is referred to as Long Island City (I point this out because I found it a bit confusing when I first relocated to New York). It’s highly residential, and not exactly a draw for young crowds or tourists – but it’s a nice quiet neighborhood to come home to after a long day at work or a night of partying (though that may involve an interesting commute).
wartman
One or two stops from Manhattan into Queens on the 7 train counts as an interesting commute? I don't believe this poster has ever been to New York.
2yrs+
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Rockaway Beach
"Seaside, but far from the city"
This is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula, between Arvene and Rockaway Park Seaside. The A train goes way out here, but it’s a far ride back into Manhattan, even if residents do bask in the benefits of being on the seaside. This Queens neighborhood may be a bit far from even the rest of its own borough, but it still resembles what you’d expect from a residential neighborhood there. The neighborhood buzzes the most around Beach Channel Drive (fun fact: this street is where the first transatlantic flight took off). Visitors can get a good look at Jamaica Bay from the street.
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
"Something for EVERYONE"
The park is one of Queens’ gems – it’s absolutely huge, and trust me, after being surrounded in concrete for any amount of time anything green becomes immensely appealing. Tourists flock here because this is the location of both Shea Stadium and the USTA National Tennis Center. It’s kid-friendly, not only because of the baseball stadium, but because the New York Hall of Science is here, as well as a swimming pool and an ice skating rink. The park also houses some aspects of arts – the Queens Theater as well as an art museum, making the area a perfectly well rounded cultural hub.
wartman
Shea Stadium was demolished in 2008-2009 and was replaced by Citifield beginning in the spring of 2009. I don't believe this poster has ever lived in or even been to New York.
2yrs+
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Far Rockaway
"Unique personality, but far from the rest of the New York world"
This is the neighborhood on the eastern most part of the Rockaway Peninsula, and being so far from the rest of the city (it’s across the bay from Brooklyn, and it pretty much doesn’t get any further away from Manhattan that Far Rockaway) and so close to the beach, the neighborhood has a commuter and beach town (albeit without any tropical feel) sort of personality. Add then the element of urbanity, and what you have is this neighborhood. This neighborhood borders on the New York City limits, so beware if you’re planning on staying or living here but need to get into Manhattan daily – it might not be pretty, and it is sure to be a time consuming journey back and forth. Tourists do show up here to take historical tours.
East Flushing
"Self -Sufficient Communtiy"
This is a highly populated area in Queens, at least when compared to the neighboring Flushing. This neighborhood is populated with pub-type bars, but these aren’t anything that anyone would travel out of their way to go to. This is mainly a residential neighborhood – for commuters, seeing as there isn’t much in the way of employment way out here. It’s one of those rare neighborhoods, though, where stand-alone houses can be found (as opposed to rowhouses and high rises). If for some reason you find yourself way out here, local favorite restaurants include Daro’s Pizza, Sheehan’s, and East Manor.
Ditmars | Steinway
"If you move here, bring your car"
This Astoria, Queens neighborhood has long been known for its Greek population, but currently there is an incredibly diverse European population residing in the area. This is a safe place, and the elevated train will get you to midtown in a matter of twenty minutes or so, so it’s perfect for young people who don’t want to pay much rent but don’t want to be too far from the big city life, or from their corporate jobs. There are restaurants and happenings here that reflect the neighborhood’s diversity – such as the Beer Garden and the Bohemian Hall, and the streets tend to be lined with row houses and neatly trimmed hedges.
