St. Johns and Plaza Street East

brooklynbubba

Hello,
We are interested in an apartment right off of Plaza Street East near the Richard Meier building. We've walked there during the day and at night but wanted to get people's opinions on the area. I've looked around at the messages and I think I have a fairly accurate view of the neighborhood. I'm just concerned about being so close to Underhill--noticed on the mugging map that there's been many shootings on Underhill.

How safe do people really feel? Does a woman need to be looking over her shoulder constantly? Or is it mostly impt to be streetwise?

Thanks so much!
Bubs

crcl36

Subject: As Safe as Can Be Expected

I've lived on Plaza St. East for almost 30 years. When I moved there Underhill, St. Johns, and Butler were like the Wild West, and Plaza St. wasn't much better. Now I walk and ride my bike on all these streets and feel as safe as I do anywhere. I wouldn't walk around alone after 9 p.m. but there's usually activity and people watching out.

lincolnannex

I live up on Lincoln and Underhill - going on two years now. Despite the maps notations, there really isn't much to worry about. It can get loud with stereos and the youths running about, but I have never had any problems. My girlfriend walks up Plaza and down St. Johns from the GAP 2/3 at night without fear or issue. It's all a matter of keeping your wits about you - and for petessakes put the ipod/iphone away before you hit the street. Welcome to the neighborhood!

brooklynbubba

Thanks for your reply. Do you think the Richard Meier building will make it more secure in the area? I think they have 24 hour security and I imagine it will be brightly lit.

brooklynbubba

Totally agree about the ipod/iphone. I never walk around with one. I grew up in Flatbush so I'm pretty street aware. I think the mugging map is helpful but it freaked me out.

Thanks so much!

silverager

I live on Lincoln between Underhill and Washington. While there are incidents, it seems the real problem areas are further down Underhill as you move towards Atlantic. If you come home from the GAP station at night always walk on the left side of Plaza Street and not on the side by the wooded area. The main issues I have faced are noise and rudeness. I did have a gun pulled on me on the block you are looking at but that was 14 years ago almost, the whole area has changed a lot since then.

bkchickie

I think that this is a great part of the neighborhood! I live on Butler and feel very safe walking back from the subway at night. I was a little bit surprised at how safe I felt after reading some threads here (like, was I just lucky?). I don't ever wear my iPod or talk on the phone as I'm doing it--I stay alert. But one should do that anywhere.

I have been known to take a brisk walk around GAP after dark, no problems.

sneakyonstmarks

Subject: Meir

Why do all these people who are new buyers around here play so much into fear?? Hey terrorist might strike New York again, maybe you should not move here. Terrosrist will strike London, so i hope people move out of London, there was a mugging in The Lower East Side last night, maybe i should not go to Spitzers corner i might get robbed, there was a mugging on 5th ave maybe i should not go to Blue ribbon, no matter where you go there is always crime and violence. People get their town houses broken into in the Upper eastand West side so what is the difference?? I got robbed at gun point last year, first time in 25 years and let me tell you that i was robbed with a gun pointed at me by 2 thugs, and guess what?? It was in a doorman building, where there was a chump on the ground floor making you sign to get in..So this neighborhood is not any different from any other place, you are just being paranoid about the area because to you it seems like there are a bunch of uneducated, weed, coke, crack selling individuals that will ruin your perfect idea of living in a Glass cage designed by Meir!!!
So welcomed to the hood, don't forget to carry mace, a stun gun, a whistle and maybe a pitbull!!
Good luck

carnivore

Brooklynbubba, are you thinking of taking the 1 bedroom walk-up at 274 St Johns with the newly renovated kitchen? I live on the same block and checked out the apartment with a friend last week. The block and the neighborhood are great, but that apartment seemed a bit overpriced.

ms. brooklyn

I live on this block as well and have not had any issues (I'm a smallish woman and often come home at 9 or 10); there are usually others getting off the subway and going the same way so I rarely even find myself walking alone, although I do try to be aware of my surroundings and I always keep phone/iPod out of sight. It is a great location and hopefully you'll be very happy there if you take the place. GL!

brooklynbubba

Thanks for all your replies! To be honest, I really like the neighborhood and felt totally safe walking around. It was only when I did a little research online and saw the map that I got nervous.

I was thinking about that 1 bedroom but didn't realize it might be overpriced...good to know!

arches

brooklynbubba wrote: Thanks for all your replies! To be honest, I really like the neighborhood and felt totally safe walking around. It was only when I did a little research online and saw the map that I got nervous.

That's always my fear when adding things to the mugging map...that it will scare otherwise law-abiding people off when they're considering a move to the neighborhood.

A few things to keep in mind...

-Some of the crimes go back as far a year or so. The visual impact of all those dots is certainly disheartening, but the actual volume of crime (compared to the thousands of daily trips around the neighborhood without incident) is relatively small.
-It's mostly maintained by people in the prospect heights/park slope area - I would guess that if everyone in brooklyn added their local crime incidents, places that many people think of as "safe" would look a little more scary.

prospectus

My wife and are were totally excited about the place were looking at, then we went on the internet! What followed was one of the most stressful months of my life as I tried to prove or disprove the idea that Washington Avenue was a vast crack cocaine drive-through… and it's really not.

Don't let the internet give you an ulcer. I keep on getting surprised as people that grew up in Flatbush or lived on Myrtle Avenue get all nervous about moving in.

prospectus

Last August, a 600 square-foot, one-bedroom in 274 Saint Johns sold for $369,000, according to Street Easy. Now, prices went up for most of last fall and winter for existing coops like that.

Another one bedroom (yours?) in that building came on the market at $420,000 in February, then dropped to $409,000 a few weeks ago, and then Street Easy says they took it off the market… today… Quick! Low-ball offer! $400K! You know they'll take it! (If I was bidding, I might even try $380, $395, but the seller might get mad. Depends if your in love with it.)

arches

prospectus wrote: Quick! Low-ball offer! $400K! You know they'll take it! (If I was bidding, I might even try $380, $395, but the seller might get mad. Depends if your in love with it.)

I get the feeling they're talking about this unit...which is a rental, not a purchase...

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fee/598806932.html

That's some flowery language in the description, btw! Is living next to an "infamous" building considered an asset these days? Maybe it's outweighed by living in the "bosom of brooklyn". Who doesn't like bosoms?

prospectus

Here it is, and it is for sale:

http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=1182256

[But about that rental… $2,600 a month? For 700 sf? That's nutty.]

theburgerking

Whats up with _ _ ssoc _ _ted on Franklin and Lincoln? What an eyesore. And Hood chinese restaurant. That says it all. Strange corner.

brooklynbubba

wow! I'm impressed. You guys really know what's going on in the neighborhood. We were thinking of the rental which does seem really high. Is it because of the Richard Meier building that prices are going up so much? Guess I shouldn't be too concerned considering people are paying millions to live in the area.

There's also a two bedroom in the building for sale
http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/detail/657-PH5852B

Wonder why there's so much activity going on in this building?

sneakyonstmarks

Subject: Rent

MAn! That is so crazy 2600 bucks for a 1 bedroom apartment, that is freaking crazy, and i guess there are people willing to pay that! For that one could probably get a 3 bedroom in Park Slope

prospectus

brooklynbubba wrote: Wonder why there's so much activity going on in this building?

I guess apartment owners look next door at that $6 million dollar penthouse and say, "I'm rich!" And they try and cash in, recession or not…

carnivore

TheBurgerking wrote: Whats up with _ _ ssoc _ _ted on Franklin and Lincoln? What an eyesore. And Hood chinese restaurant. That says it all. Strange corner.

If you mean this one,

it's on St Johns and Underhill, not Franklin and Lincoln. The owners are super-nice and they stock an unbelievable variety of stuff in that tiny space (who would have thought you could get Melita coffee filters there). It could use a face-lift, sure, but I'm glad it's there. And Hood Hing is probably the most popular place in the neighborhood. They have customers at all hours, and although the food is not exactly Chinatown level, it's not far off from most of the fancier Park Slope offerings. I sincerely hope that the changes this neighborhood is going through don't put either of these places out of business, and that they can adjust to continue to thrive here.

doctorj

Subject: Re: Meir

sneakyonstmarks wrote: Why do all these people who are new buyers around here play so much into fear?? Hey terrorist might strike New York again, maybe you should not move here. Terrosrist will strike London, so i hope people move out of London, there was a mugging in The Lower East Side last night, maybe i should not go to Spitzers corner i might get robbed, there was a mugging on 5th ave maybe i should not go to Blue ribbon, no matter where you go there is always crime and violence.

I used to live on a quiet sleepy street in a gentrifying neighborhood in a rich egalitarian country known to be incredibly safe and secure by world standards, with nothing like the social and crime problems in New York. Today, a 16-year-old paper boy died of head trauma after being clubbed in broad daylight with a baseball bat at random by 3 youths (allegedly for being an immigrant) on the corner of my old block, across from the subway I took each day to work. So it goes.

kick rocks!!!!

Carnivore wrote: [quote=TheBurgerking]Whats up with _ _ ssoc _ _ted on Franklin and Lincoln? What an eyesore. And Hood chinese restaurant. That says it all. Strange corner.

If you mean this one,

it's on St Johns and Underhill, not Franklin and Lincoln. The owners are super-nice and they stock an unbelievable variety of stuff in that tiny space (who would have thought you could get Melita coffee filters there). It could use a face-lift, sure, but I'm glad it's there. And Hood Hing is probably the most popular place in the neighborhood. They have customers at all hours, and although the food is not exactly Chinatown level, it's not far off from most of the fancier Park Slope offerings. I sincerely hope that the changes this neighborhood is going through don't put either of these places out of business, and that they can adjust to continue to thrive here.


The owners of these establishments own the buildings they are locate in, so there isn't much chance of them going out of business.

Sammy and Charlie keep telling everyone that they are going to renovate the Associated and turn it into an organic market. Last I heard, they were saying it would be done by this January. We'll see.

daver

kick rocks!!!! wrote: The owners of these establishments own the buildings they are locate in, so there isn't much chance of them going out of business.

Eh. It just puts them that much closer to the blade if the property taxes get jacked.

chrispy

Two and a half years in the neighborhood and if I didn't read this board I wouldn't have thought there was any crime in the neighborhood at all. Walk on whatever side of plaza you want, listen to your ipod and live your life.

As far as Associated and Hood Hing - they're both shi#%holes. Associated is a total eyesore and it smells like kitty litter that hasn't been changed in months. I can't imagine consuming anything that's passed through its doors. Hood Hing serves food from behind bulletproof glass which I object to on principal in anything other than a bank and is unforgivable for any kind of restaurant which is supposed to exude a sense of hospitality and welcome (yes even a takeout joint).

brooklynbubba

thanks, I agree. Things happen everywhere and you have to live your life. The thing I have noticed is that everyone I've talked to and on these message boards seems to really love Prospect Heights, which is not true of many other neighborhoods.

blkaddr

Perhaps I'm immune to it, but quite frankly I've never noticed the smell of kitty litter there, unless I was in the kitty litter isle in the back, and NEVER dirty (but now don't get me started about the Key Foods...).

I really like Charlie and Sammie and all the stuff they carry. If you're looking for something specific and they don't have it, but you think it might sell well, just ask and they'll order a couple (beers, food, etc. etc.).

C&S own the building, and probably three or four more on that section of Underhill (betw. St Johns & Sterling). They also own the Hood Hing building.

Have been hearing stories of planned renovations for about 3-4 years now. Supposedly the latest reason for the delay is that they're having custom coolers built, etc. Previously it was that they were hoping take over the Hood Hing space and increase their floorspace, but apparently negotiations failed and they can't get them out otherwise...

I've never had Hood Hing food. Something about that place scares me, and it's not just the clientele. By the way, has it been mentioned on these boards yet that Red Hot no longer delivers to the block/hood?

Re: safety
Never had any real problems in the hood. Just respect the people on the street and they will respect you right back (no they will not become your friends). I am a little scared that the 'rich' element due to arrive in the 'richard meier' building will attract not only greatly exaggerated rent increases, but some of the bad element too.