Morningside Heights? Pros/Cons?

Pros: Its cheap

Cons: It sucks.

It's not that cheap.

http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/69761-coop-420-riverside-drive-morningside-heights-new-york

Why your comment it sucks?

riverside Park has a high crime rate

Crime stats attached. Is it really that bad?

http://home2.nyc.gov/html/nypd/pdf/chfdept/cs026pct.pdf

The crime stats don't really matter if you feel unsafe. I would never move there.

Pros: vibrant community, very safe, #6 will never move there, lots of variety of restaurants, limited supply of condos/coops because Columbia owns almost all of it (that skews the supply/demand thing favorably towards sellers)
Cons: public schools, no express subway, everyone's younger than you

what do you mean everyone is younger than you ?

114th and riverside is a perfectly nice area. we live at 100th and riverside and love it. Don't listen to the "high crime rate" people. Go up there yourself during the day and the night, research the crime stats and then make a decision. It's right next to Columbia and thousands of students get a long just fine there.

The crime rate is not high. Some people can't forget the Morningside Heights of the 1980's. Morningside Heights is one of the safest communities in the city.

In NYC, just about every park is unsafe at night, Riverside including. Morningside Park is far worse though.

#9, 14 streets makes a big difference. For example, most of the streets after 114th get worse and worse. I would never live north of 115th.

And Morningside is cheap compared to most of prime Manhattan.

Riverside Park has the highest crime rate of any public park in Manhattan. FACT.

OP here. Wow, there seems to be polar opinions on this. I've heard Morningside Park is rough, but not Riverside Park in the day. The whole area seems to be very community like. Any more thoughts? I'm really curious as to why folks think it's really dangerous. I just don't see it.

#7 - Great post! Yes, all the students are MUCH younger:-) I agree with the pro - #6 will never move there.

Correction--Most crime of the entire City's largest parks.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01102007/news/regionalnews/riverside_rats_regionalnews_stephanie_gaskell.htm

Why am I not shocked to see this in the New York Post, the publication which is known for its literary prowess.

Is Morningside Park really that bad? I'm looking to buy on the Harlem side of Morningside Park. I've been to the park several times, albeit during the day, and it seems pretty nice to me -- clean, kids playing in park, etc. Is there something I don't know?

bid low, bid low, bid low, bid low......

REPEAT

bid low, bid low, bid low, bid low......

#17, you also need to go up there at dusk & early evening, at least, since you're thinking of actually LIVING there. Hang out, go to church, have some supper, go to a film & see how the area feels at all times of the day/week.

Yes, Morningside Park is that bad. It is a very nice park during the day, but I won't walk through it at night -- ever. When there are saftey incidents at Columbia, that is often the place of retreat.

Morningside Park is practically crime-free, always filled with dog-walkers, and besides all that is officially closed from 10pm . . . meaning that you risk getting ticketed for being in the park after that hour. It's well-patrolled, both in slow-moving cruisers and with plainclothes officers.

I've lived on the Harlem side for six years, and have never heard of a problem in the neighborhood, or in the park (except for a homeless man killing another homeless man at 5 am). No muggings, no rapes, no purse-snatchings, no other murders, nothing. And that's a fact. The area's rapidly gentrifying, and the longer-term residents are respectable and respectful -- of themselves and all those around them.

Crime is actually higher in Morningside Heights than in that part of Harlem, but lower in both than most of Manhattan.

#21. Can you read? There certainly have been muggings, rapes and murders in the Park.

Folks, just to clarify, there are 2 parks in the area: Riverside Park, which does get rough above 125th (and the NY Post really cracked me up - Joe Smith 'takes his chances' in the park - give me a break!!) and Morningside Park which boarders Columbia on the East. My sense is this: Riverside Park, no problem. Been out walking dogs etc at night and really is fine. Morningside Park I'm not really sure of...it used to be thought of as drug central...but so did Tompkins Square Park in East Village and now it's fine. #21 sounds like they live right there so would know.

Folks riverside park was once Needle park, Hells kitchen was a crime zone. It doesnt matter what was, but what will be.

Agree.

I was on grand jury duty 2 years ago and there were four or five muggings in broad daylight in Morningside Park that came before us.

I flat-out don't believe #26. I'd believe drug-dealing charges, but not muggings. Perhaps #26 has his/her parks mixed up -- maybe Marcus Garvey Park (aka Mount Morris Park)?