Where to live in a New York - A Guide from Keith and The Girl

[Paul]

Well she asked for it shes got it, write!!

[The Girl]

Thank you Paul.

It's hard to tell people where to live when they ask for advice about their move here. I'm hoping people will contribute their ideas here.

I'll start.

1) make sure you're close to a train. (ex. if you get to far west in manhattan you need to get on a bus to get to the train)
2) don't move to staten island
3) google your potential roommate
4) If there's a Starbucks or a Tasti-D-Lite a block away, you're probably in a safer neighborhood.

hope that helps

[teerts]

First, spend some time at:
http://www.nyc.gov

More specifically:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hpd/html/for...t-hotline.html
Check for any apartment maintenance complaints in the building you
want to move into.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/lucds/cdstart.shtml
Check out the District Profiles. For example Births, Deaths,
# of people on Public Assistance...
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/sub...esources.shtml
More reference info like neighborhood maps, address translator, census info.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/data/data.shtm
community health profiles (how many people with the hiv, how many
emotionally distressed people, etc...)

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/ah/ah-condoms.shtml
order free condoms from the dept of health.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/home.html
NYPD website lets you check out crime statistics by precinct. precincts and
districts are geographically the same, but have different number.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dof/html/jump/acris.shtml
If you plan on purchasing property in new york (send me a finders fee, moneybags!), use this to get property records.

http://www.nyc.gov/portal/index.jsp?...2fa24601c789a0
Read up on this before you become a hobo so you'll have a place to stay.


There's more to come. I'm having trouble finding a website that has a clickable map that shows you neighborhood info like health info and welfare info and crime info (like what types of crime and how often) and compares each district to the whole city.

Hope this is helpful!

Additions:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/programs/cert.html
Office of Emergency Management. Is your GO BAG ready?

http://www.mta.info
Subway maps/schedules, Bus Maps/schedules, Service Advisories, etc.

http://gis.nyc.gov/doitt/mp/Portal.do
Every building in the city is shown here. Hot map action.
Will show you: Cultural Centers, Schools, Hospitals, Universities, Police, FireStations, Rec Centers, Senior Centers, Post Offices, Subways, Daycares,
and Afterschool programs.

http://gis.nyc.gov/dcp/pa/address.jsp
Census FactFinder. ENter an address, learn about the neighborhood.

http://gis.nyc.gov/ops/mmr/address.jsp?app=MMR
Banginest neighborhood stats page eVER. Enter an address or intersection
and you'll have a map with Community Boards, Police Precincts, School
Regions. And then you can get info about the current Board/Precinct/Region
like: 311 Stats, Deaths due to drug abuse, Health complaints for restaurants,
percent of kids finishing highschool, landmarks, clean sidewalks, asbestos
complaints, noise complaints, tons of garbage hauled away, Average fire
fatalities, diff types of crime breakdown(burglary, assault, larceny, robbery),
Average response time to critical crimes in progress...

[Keith]

Don't move into a house that's been built over ancient Indian grounds. Chances are horrific murders once took place there and everyone hasn't made peace with it.


Something else: I always wanted to make a map of NYC but I don't know how to draw. It would show the city, then each section of it would be labeled with icons and on the key you'd see a doo-rag means gangs, a knife means murders, a purse with a NOT sign means robberies, a needle means crack/AIDS...

[LD]

Originally Posted by Keith

Something else: I always wanted to make a map of NYC but I don't know how to draw. It would show the city, then each section of it would be labeled with icons and on the key you'd see a doo-rag means gangs, a knife means murders, a purse with a NOT sign means robberies, a needle means crack/AIDS...

Sounds like a job for Google! You could use the Google maps software to create a Google mash-up (latest internet 15 minute catchphrase thing). Using Google maps you can then place an icon over specific locations and add the details in a mouseover.

Like this one for pizza places, or this one for kosher restaurants and this one for pot holes.

In fact that's such a good idea I'm surprised nobody has done it yet. Probably because it's a lot of work and you wouldn't be able to type fast enough to keep up.

[teerts]

Originally Posted by LD

Sounds like a job for Google! You could use the Google maps software to create a Google mash-up (latest internet 15 minute catchphrase thing). Using Google maps you can then place an icon over specific locations and add the details in a mouseover.

Like this one for pizza places, or this one for kosher restaurants and this one for pot holes.

In fact that's such a good idea I'm surprised nobody has done it yet. Probably because it's a lot of work and you wouldn't be able to type fast enough to keep up.

That Google API is f'n awesome. That pothole map is great.

[spooky]

i just moved to brooklyn, i found a great place on the edge of park slope, on the far side of the graveyard. rents 1100 all inclusive, 700+ square feet, 14 foot ceilings, 30 yards to the subway, im sorta sandwiched between the good and the bad (if sunset park is bad), not to sound racist, but i feel alot safer sandwiched next to a latino area than maybe some others. i have a nice view of the statue of liberty and manhattan skyline from my place too, its wonderful. just make sure to talk to the neighbors! i found alot of potentially good places, but talked to the neighbors who were just waiting for the lease to expire. my place sounded shady as hell at first, huge studio with stainless steel kitchen, washer and dryer in the apt, they didnt need me to sign a lease, a credit check, or job info, or even a deposit, just 1st months rent and youre in. if you dont like it, move out anytime. i dismissed it, but i talked to a couple people who were walking into the building, had nothing but good to say about the building, most had lived here over a decade with no plans of ever leaving. came back later to talk to more, just to make sure those werent "actors" or something. everyone loves it here, so i laid down some cash and moved in. its great. (im convinced the landlord is in the mob, he even loaned me some cronies to move my heavy stuff in) just be weary of too good to be true deals like this though, im sure i was just lucky(so far, anyways), i hear horror stories of people getting scammed, there are people scamming on craigslist, you gotta be careful. being next to subway rules though, im 1 stop down from maybe the "whitest" area of brooklyn, theres a barnes and noble, starbucks, the works, lol

chad!

oh, and thanks for the words of advice about moving up here, chemda, it helped alot, and im glad keith likes his optimus prime, i just hated the thought of something that cool ending up in anyones hands but keiths

[william]

Originally Posted by spooky

... rents 1100 all inclusive, 700+ square feet, 14 foot ceilings, 30 yards to the subway...

Wow! That's a bargain! Consider yourself lucky!

[Keith]

I know that place. I think it was built on an old cemetary.

[tranzorz]

Keith Malley: Strange fetishes with robots and ancient burial grounds. Me thinks you ought to dedicate an entire week to "Keith's Paranoia"