No offense, but how can getting priced out of a neighborhood be a positive and the key sign that an area has come around, as you say? A lot of great middle income people got priced out of dtjc in the past few years. I lived there since 1995 & hated to leave last summer for another area due to the extreme over pricing. I find a lot of the development in dtjc to be out of control and not smart urban planning in terms of the exponential added density. I also find the diversity fading a bit too much for my taste.

This is a very interesting and helpful discussion. I live downtown and have been here since 1999, although I left for a few years when I got married, returning only in June of this year. Lots has changed ,but I recall asking a lot of the same questions when I was looking to move here in 1999. Hard as it may seem to believe, back then, there wasn't a lot of hope that downtown was going to finally turn itself around, and there weren't a lot of 20-something single women living here. There were folks that had been here for 20+ years, young immigrant families from Central and South America, and a lot of poor artists. I had faith that downtown JC would find its footing, and since people are actually talking about being priced out of the neighborhood--I guess it's happened.

I have never been further east of Grand on Communipaw, and I had no idea where any of this was. I have driven around Lincoln Park in the past and admired some of the homes and a lot of the interesting architecture, but I have never, ever strayed south from Communipaw and I am happy to know so much is going on. I looked at the area on google maps and I think this weekend I will take my dogs and drive over to the park and check out this neighborhood that sounds terrific.

You have to believe and hang on. It took about seven years for things to really take root and begin to boom here downtown from when I got here, and that process was underway since the mid-1990s. With the price of housing in the boroughs and Manhattan, it is only a matter of time before more people see the light and move out to where you are. It sounds like those of you out there already are well positioned to reap the benefits that will surely come, and from a personal standpoint, I can tell you that there is a certain amount of satisfaction knowing how much of a return on your investment you can get after the area takes off.

We almost moved to Lafayette last year. For us, the few transportation options didn't work for us as my boyfriend works until 10:30, getting back to JC after 11pm nightly. Otherwise, we liked it.

Off Communipaw, just up the hill from Lafayette:

Nice post, Susan_N. I agree with everything you said, the way you said it, and am coming from the same perspective as a female living in B-L for the past 6 years.

I've weighed in a few times before about B-L, so won't say much more here, but I wanted to reiterate that many of us love B-L. Obviously, not everyone will, but as a woman who has lived here for almost five years and who often goes jogging or walking solo, I don't buy the super-scary warnings. I suggest spending some time wandering the streets here, and see how you feel. I suspect that at least some people will fall for the good location, beautiful housing stock, and friendly vibe.

And if you don't, no judgment from me.

- Susan

No prob.

Thanks Qui001. I found your observations spot on. No overhyping (BL is not the next Bed-Stuy) nor is it worse than Newark or Camden.

Many thanks to all for your feedback. Will look through some of the other threads and pass on the information. Was not able to make it to this evening's captain's meeting but will look to make the next one (Are they usually held on the 4thTuesday?).

Quote:
The Heights used to be a lot scarier than Bergen Lafayette ever was. Pacific Ave is gooooorgeous. It's also much, much cleaner than the Heights.

I've been living in Astor Place for about a year and a half and no regrets here, the neighbors are friendly and it really feels like a community. My wife and I both work in NY and the commute is convenient about 45 min from door step, stop @starbucks to Midtown. We do need more places to eat around here R.I.P MAE.
There are a couple of projects that will really change the area Whitlock Cordage, the renovation of an old rope factory into condos and apartments been going since 2003 but recently there has been a lot of progress and literally a block away Berry Lane park 17 acres of unused land being transformed into a recreational area in phases first phase to be completed this year. If you drive by the area you can see the immensity of these projects, go down Grand St. turn on Communipaw towards LSP make a left on Manning ave to Whitlock or a right on Woodward St to Berry Lane park.

Quote:

Hi Sam112,

This is a topic that comes up somewhat regularly. I've lived in the vicinity of Pacific & Johnston for 4+ years, after living in Manhattan, DTJC and other places on the spectrum from literal war zones to sedate to refined. This is among my favorites; though Lafayette, and this specific section, is not for everyone.

Some folks on JClist prioritize crime or the threat of crime, and that's cool and understandable. No one wants to deal with crime. This is not a neighborhood where fate is likely to smile as kindly on those who walk around impaired at 2am than the LES and DTJC. If one wants to have those nights, it takes a tiny bit of common sense and planning, but it's easy to manage (and coming home after work up 'til 8 is fine). And I've never had an issue in 4 years other than one stolen hubcap.

If one wants to have the occasional night of hanging out in a local before heading home, this neighborhood doesn't currently offer a consistently walkable option. We had a great one last year (MAE) that disintegrated in a management feud despite being very popular locally, which gives us hope for the future. Instead, we go out in the city or DTJC and catch a $6 cab back from Grove, which is pretty painless. Rent/mortgage is so much cheaper here than in DTJC, let alone in the city, that one still comes out way ahead.

I commute into the city and either walk to Grove (20 mins) or catch a bus with less-than-stellar punctuality (thanks, Healy!). Not great, but I remember walking ~10 minutes in the EV just to get to the L, which is pretty useless for commuting.

The neighborhood has many rewards, though, for those who decide to move here and give it a chance. This is not an up-and-coming neighborhood on the scale or at the pace of, say, many Brooklyn neighborhoods. There's good stuff happening: amazing (and amazingly cheap) housing stock; proximity to LSP (and its light rail station); and most importantly, a lot of really cool people who like where they are - both old-timers and newcomers - and who welcome others with the same spirit. I've made a lot of good friends here, which didn't happen in DTJC.

I encourage you to search this site a bit and find other threads where residents of this part of BL have weighed in (use search term 'Lafayette'). You'll also see posts from my neighbors & me, as well as from folks who riff (with alarm and occasional creative spelling and syntax) on bodegas, houses that look like 'animal cages,' etc. Though there's no way to know how much time those contributors have spent in Lafayette, of course we have some rough edges. It's definitely a good fit for some, though, especially those who combine realistic expectations with a bit of common sense, curiosity, flexibility, and a willingness to try something that isn't universally popular/endorsed.

I love it here - and am excited for everyone else here who's happy with where they decided to live. Good on ya. Having said that, JClist: let the criticism and snark begin!

Happy to answer any specific questions publicly or privately, or to provide any other info or perspective.

Good luck!

"of the crimes "reported" in the past month"
If u don't say nothin when u see somethin, these areas will go unfounded or unknown of any problems!

You or your friend could come to the East District police meeting Tuesday (tomorrow) at the school on bright street at 7pm and look at the crime maps and see the facts of the crimes reported in the past month in Lafayette where your friends are looking vs downtown since we're all in the East District. That way you get a clear pic instead of just opinions (some are clearly more helpful and less sarcastic than others :)

Yea they have the new pool down there in that area, its pretty nice... when its not crowded so id say prob early in the day and its for JC Residents ONLY!
There's a Papa Johns in the area & a bar on the other corner that makes pretty good grilled food outside in the summer.
The bodegas are open pretty late so after the munchies & if u wanna smoke a spliff then hit the liqour store that's also open "after hours" for a 40 or some MadDog.
Then can always hit the next corner for a quick game of C-LO & maybe win big!
Can also hit up Liberty Science Center & catch a 3D movie & feel like your floating.
Yea, its very up & coming!
Check the vid...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exduow ... ture=youtube_gdata_player

Wow. Talk about painting with a broad brush.

I'll bite. Bergen Lafayette might not be the nicest neighborhood, and it may not look like much at first, but it is definitely improving, and it feels pretty safe. The neighbors can be very nice and welcoming; I have randomly met a lot of friendly, neighborly people just by walking around and engaging people in friendly banter.

In addition to close proximity to LSP, there is the LSP Light Rail station and, from the corner of Johnston and Pacific, you are a 15 - 20 minute walk to the Grove PATH station.

The much maligned corner stores (the so-called bodegas) stay open until around 10 PM, so the areas around the south-half of Pacific, and Communipaw, are not desolate and, if you need some basic necessities in a pinch, they are there. In general, most of Pacific is clean and mostly litter free, and there is new development around that area (closest is the new condos a block North of Johnston/Pacific). I see single women, kids and families walking around the area you mention, so it must be safe enough for them. I certainly feel safe, and have walked the area at all times (early mornings, during the day, and late at night.)

I have been in Bergen Lafayette since 2006, and I like the area. And, no, I am not an owner (I rent) so I gain nothing by "lying" or "pumping up" the neighborhood. Other JC Listers live in the area and can chime in. Goetz, in particular, seems to be very supportive of the neighborhood and could provide additional insight. Otherwise, do a search in the site.

Wow, really Sam? Are these "friends" or enemies?
Where in JC do u live?
Haven't u noticed them houses that look like animal cages or jail cells?
Its either from keeping something from coming out or someone or something from going in!
And these 2 females plan or returning after 8PM?
I sure hope they don't plan on walking home to there.
Have u seen them corner stores in that area! O boy.
Need I say more.
Ps. Hope I didn't scare them off.
O wait, here's a nice vid... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exduow ... ture=youtube_gdata_player

Friends of mine are looking at the area around Lafayette Park (Pacific / Johnston). 2 young women who typically work til about 8PM. Any feedback on how safe this area is is appreciated. Any sense if it's on the up-swing? Thanks.

Hi--I moved to Bergen Lafayette from downtown two years ago and am really, really happy. We have a huge house on Pacific just south of Communipaw. I commute to Brooklyn and on a good day with trains and start in alignment it takes 50 minutes door to door. A bad day when I miss one train and then have to wait, etc., I know I need to save an hour and a half.

The neighbors are long-time, very friendly, and it's quiet!

Thanks for the pool info!

Our experience with the pool is the earlier you go the better off you are. It is open I think at 7am in the mornings for lap swimmers, in the beginning of the summer it is insanity on the weekends as you can expect its a great facility, we tend to stay away at peak hours.

This thread is really helpful, especially the updates as things hopefully continue to change for the better.

I am looking to rent, but thanks for the tip!

Getz, that transport info. is very helpful. So is there any independent bus or jitney service over there? How the pool? Is it decent for grownups to swim laps, or are the kids too rowdy for that? That new Lafayette park looks wonderful!

Is this thread still going?
Anyway, we're still living here but now with three kids.

oneskirt, if you are looking at single family homes, there's one here on Pine St. near Communipaw Ave. going for around $99,000. This is a 5 minute walk to the Liberty State Park Light Rail station.

http://www.weichert.com/35699990/

miles

OneSkirt: I work in midtown. I have three ways of commuting (time estimates are via Grove St., ending at 32nd St. PATH station): 1) Walk: 50 minutes 2) No. 4 bus: 40 minutes, assuming a ~5 minute wait 3) Get dropped off by spouse: 35 minutes It's not amazing, but not at all terrible. In the evening I usually arrive at Grove by 7pm, so ~April through October, I'm happy to walk home. The no. 4 is also an option with 3 buses running between ~6:45pm and ~7:30pm. If I get home much later than that, I'll take a $6 cab, which is more than made up for by paying <50% on housing than I used to downtown. I wouldn't walk home at 11 from Grove, but could see myself biking. Whitlock Mills is a wild card. If it were to finally open, it would create a lot of pressure for businesses on Communipaw to open & diversify, and would be likely to have a positive impact on many other quality of life issues. Work on it resumed last summer after years of dormancy, but seems to have slowed or stopped again. I'm certain that it'll happen one day - too much has been done for it to just sit unfinished - but I'm not going to hold my breath. Berry Lane Park, in the same general area, will also make a radical difference - but that, too, is a long way off given the extent of the cleanup required. Both will be very cool additions, but aren't reasons to move to Lafayette today.

Thanks STC, Getz & Greenville Chick! Getz - do you commute to/from the city? How do you get there? How is getting home late at night (like after 11)? My BF works late nights, and gets home around 11-12.

I loved that place on the corner of Van Horne & Lafayette, overlooking the park.

Does anyone know anything about the time frame for the opening of Whitlock Mills?

Quote:

My wife and I have lived in that neighborhood for 3 years; we're not far from where you were looking (on Halladay). We really like our neighborhood and neighbors, and have a lifestyle that sounds similar to your own. We walk a lot (into the evening, but not late night), park a car on the street, and haven't had problems. The neighborhood has its share of issues, but by keeping our eyes open and using common sense, we've never had any bad experiences. Also, we've reached out to our neighbors and have gotten to know many of them quite well, which helps - not to mention improving our overall quality of life. That was not our experience living downtown at Wayne & Grove, where we found that people kept to themselves.

There are annoyances; it can get loud (guys cruising at all hours with stereos cranked), there's more trash than downtown, and the occasional shady character. No restaurant or place to grab a beer at present. The No. 4 bus isn't terribly reliable. But we're happier than we were downtown because we're getting a lot for our money, there's a good neighborhood feel, some really cool old architecture, and for the most part, people are pretty cool and friendly in return if you are too. And being this close to LSP is pretty amazing. Happy to answer any questions you may have!

I live on the last block of Communipaw... we love it in that area, it is pretty quiet near the end of Commuipaw, our neighbors are awesome, everyone in the last I would say 6 blocks of Communipaw is for the most part very nice. Pacific and up going towards Grand if your not used to city life may be a little rough at night there is a private bar on the corner of Halladay that gets crazy on the weekends... but the further down Communipaw you go the quieter there is, the only thing we really lack is some food options that are close no chinese even in the immediate area but several places do deliver, also don't forget the new pool in lafayette park as well.. all in all an awesome area and it seems almost like a hidden gem of JC to me...

I looked at a place on Pine street, but my bank would not loan on it, too bad though it was a great location. Bank passed on it due to the condition of the property, I really love the area.

I've been living at Lafayette and Communipaw for almost a year and I'm happy. I've had no trouble with on street parking and I feel safe walking the street in the evenings. There are active neighborhood associations in the area. You might want to go on Facebook at check out the Lafayette United Neighborhood Association.

Being near Liberty State Park is great.