murican wrote:
After 10pm, I usually get off at either the Grove or Hoboken Path stations and take a taxi.

Maybe not necessary, but does wonders for my "peace of mind".

KNOWITALL wrote:
pardon the cliche but better safe than sorry..not so worried what happens in the mall but right outside...

robt wrote:
The Mall isn't open 24/7...dunno where you get that. Coming back from the city to Hamilton park very late (>12am) aint the best of things about this neighbourhood. I actually have started going to WTC and walking from grove rather than the (very overcrowded) train from 33rd st.
The maill is closed after 11 most nights, so you have to walk around.
That said, there's not been too many creeps around and even if the streets look bleak going around the mall, they are pretty safe

moxiebaby wrote:
Hi,
I'm about to move to Hamilton Park. Is the mall access to the PATH open 24/7? Do creeps + weirdos hang out in the mall parking garage late night?
Thanks.

kribopple wrote:
whoever said my price range was undoable for hp is WRONG. i just came back from two awesome awesome places a block from hp - both under 1300. and i'm going to see another one tomorrow that sounds wonderful so HA!

being persistent in the search does and will pay off. so people, cross your fingers, you may have a new neighbor moving in

if my first pick and second pick fall through, i'll be sure to call cruz furniture.

kribopple wrote:

i am curious about these rent stablized apartments in hp. anyone know anything else about it?

kribopple wrote:

so i walked around after seeing an apt in the cove. not bad esp for the price but for some reason i'm still iffy. i did take your advice and walk to van vorst, and yes i am in love.

*sigh* however, during my stroll around town i did not see one "for rent" sign. maybe i didn't walk down the right streets? where do you see them? the ones i did see were all for properties going through an agency.

oh i did walk by the infamous park and yes, i could see how it's a nuisance. there were older women out there with some men and even the women had something to say to me. lovely. whatever, i'm born and bred in ny so it doesnt really bother me but it does take away from the neighborhood.

the tip about a1 agency: their website is not updated. i called becuase the request option on the site does not work and the guy laughed when i asked if it was updated. but he was helpful and was able to tell me what was avail in my range.

i'm gonna keep trying!

radryan03 wrote:
I have lived in Hamilton Park for about 6 months - I like the area a lot and think it will only get better. The development of the old hospital is supposed to bring a wine shop and a nicer bar. There is also Hamilton Park Ale house - one of my favorite places to sit and have beer with friends.

I prefer walking to Grove Path over NP Path. Walking through the mall has its place during bad weather.

alb wrote:
Quote:

kribopple wrote:

call me naive, but hey i'm an optimist.

Are you Catholic, or could you fake it? (I don't really know how Catholic churches work, so I'm not sure how easy or hard it is just to go to a church and start praying there on Sundays.)

Anyhow, if you're Catholic, I think the best way to get an affordable apartment would be to attend mass at St. Anthony's of Padua (around Sixth and Brunswick, I think), or maybe the Catholic church on the north side of Hamilton Park.

I have a feeling that some of the older people who bought two-family homes decades around Hamilton Park years ago are still in the neighborhood, and that you find them by going to mass and playing bingo at St. Anthony's.

This could be totally wrong, but, knowing how my grandmother operates (in a different city), I suspect that a lot of elderly people leave second apartments vacant because they don't really need the money and don't want the hassle of having to deal with bad tenants. If you could show that you're a nice person who would look after an elderly person a bit and maybe help a bit with shopping and that sort of thing, maybe you could get an apartment in a two-family west of Hamilton Park for pretty cheap, or even for free.

(Note: if someone here attends St. Anthony's and really knows what the older parishioners do with their second apartments, I'd love to hear your thoughts.)

kribopple wrote:

call me naive, but hey i'm an optimist.

ianmac47 wrote:

Asking and getting are different things entirely. Also, at 1,000 square feet, that is a huge apartment. Its probably possible to find a 400 to 600 square foot apartment in the $1200 range.

MarkCore wrote:
Less than $1300 in Hamilton Park is nearly impossible.

I live in a beautiful 1050 sq/ft apartment in Hamilton Park and pay about 1750 now after the years of 4% increases in rent. I'm moving to London later this month for work and know that the landlord is going to be asking $2000 for the place.

UrbanRenewal wrote:

This time of year the park is SPECTACULAR with the fountains, flowers, trees and all of the meticulous landscaping. And there's a summer outdoor film series.

I am guessing you will fall in love with the park and Mercer Street east of Jersey Avenue (because it's easy to do -- think West Village NYC), but also walk up and down Montgomery Street and York Street east of Jersey Avenue and look for "For Rent" signs in the windows -- I see them often. I would also check out Barrow Street between Mercer Street and York Street.

If you can't find anything east of Jersey Avenue, you could also explore the area to the west, though as you proceed further and further to the west toward the NJ Turnpike Extension, a number of the blocks tend to get rougher around the edges.

Also, you have to walk along Grove Street from Christopher Columbus Drive to Grand Street! It will give you an idea of all of the shopping and dining options you have.

You may get lucky in your Van Vorst Park hunt (I sure did price-wise!), but if you feel like you may be priced out of the neighborhood, you could try Wayne Street between Marin Blvd. and Barrow Street. It's a bit rougher around the edges than many of the other Van Vorst Park blocks, but you may get a better deal as a result.

I'd avoid my block, which is Wayne Street between Jersey Avenue and Barrow Street, just because there's a playground on the south side of the street where local teens and others tend to loiter. Residents tend to not be harassed, but the loiterers are mostly just a nuisance (especially in the summer). That said, there are some reasonably-priced apartments in the Hampton Court building on the south side of my block to the right of the church you may want to at least take a look at.

Another block to avoid would be Christopher Columbus Drive between Barrow Street and Jersey Avenue. Again, I've never had any problems, but the loitering (especially in the summer) can be a bit unsettling.

kribopple wrote:
good lord you are a wealth of information and i mean that in a nice way!

price range, 1000-1300 for a studio or 1br. i know its low but i've been seeing stuff out there. they just happen to get snatched up really quickly.