Living around Fort Tyron Park

I am amazing that anyone can stand to have those things on at all!

I have a few friends who live up there and all LOVE it, but it is not for everyone

I lived in area off 187th street for 8 years and loved the neighborhood. Since I drove it was easy getting in and out for shopping or any other desitination in and out of the city as it is at the nexus of many highways. The 'A' train to 181 or 190 streets is an easy 20 minute commute from/to 59th street/Columbus Circle. There are some shops to meet most needs although can be a bit more expensive as limited. selection of restuarants have improved. Fresh Direct delivers. When I visited before moving I was impressed with how quiet Cabrini and Fort Washington avenues were leading up to the park. Coming up from the subway was like arriving in the suburbs.

Pusti - I've been helping buyers and sellers in the Hudson Heights/Fort George area by Fort Tryon Park for several years now, and it's a great area. The value is uncompromising, and NYC88 is right about that subway to midtown. Financial District will be closer to a 45-50 minute commute, if not a tad longer on the weekends. But so many people do not know about Fort Tryon and The Closters - it's definitely an undiscovered gem park-wise. The best thing to do if you have not explored, is take a Sunday or two to venture out and explore the distinct areas and open houses. I suggest 181st street strip and 187th strip in Hudon Heights, in addition to the area around Bennett and Overlook in the 180's and 190's. You might want to consider the Fort George area around Broadway and 193-194. You are just minutes from the A train and Fort Tryon park, and the value in this area is very good as well. Happy exploring!!

What I find amusing is that the area was featured on Taxi TV (which btw I agree with MAV, I didn't realize anyone left on let alone paid attention to). One thing you are unlikely to do if live up there is see the inside of a cab very often, unless you are prepared to pay the about a half month's rent to get home.

The cab issue is way overblown. People forget how narrow that part of Manhattan is, and pretty much anywhere you live is just a few minutes away from either the Henry Hudson or FDR drive, So cab rides home aren't nearly as bad (from a time perspective) as thought. 30 minutes (and $30) from the West Village or LES is pretty standard- which is a lot- but not that much of an incremental difference from the UWS (or some other "mid-town" area). We almost never use cabs to go places (just to go home, and only very late at night), but if you do want to use one to go downtown you can always use a gypsy cap for much cheaper than standard fare. Like NYC88 seemed to imply, use of the "A" makes getting anywhere on the west side during the week a breeze (I commute to my job by the World Trade Center site in about 40 minutes door to door), but if you're on the east side of town, or trains are running local, getting around can be painful

Areas are all about trade-offs, and in choosing to live in Hudson Heights you are definitely sacrificing having all of the options that other neighborhoods offer. There are about 8-10 decent restaurants or bars within walking distance, as opposed to almost endless array of choices in other neighborhoods. There are plenty of grocery stores, but not much in the way of clothing stores (depending on your taste, I guess). That said, you get tree lined streets, quiet, and lots of space for not a lot of money (relative to the rest of the city).

why don't you venture out during the day and then... during the night. then decide.

i see so many people walking around marginal areas during the day and forget that they come home at night too and have to deal with all of the issues that come up once the sun goes down.

Seaver 69, agreed.

Going downtown from 177th Street to 57th Street by cab is insanely fast -- 10 minutes tops. It's all highway.

@ ab_11218 There is more life at night in the Heights than in many neighborhoods in the city.

This post could not be more timely. I live at 187th and Cabrini, just south of Fort Tryon Park, and almost never take cabs. I was in one last night though and was shocked to see a segment about my nabe. Taking a cab from downtown is not cheap but not crazy expensive either. From 14th street using the west side highway usually runs about 25$.
I'm in my 7th year of living in this neighborhood and it is pretty rapidly chaning (for the better). The number of good restaurants, bars, and shops keep increasing and the green space and river views are great. The Hudson Heights section is such a unique little corner of manhattan.
My spouse and I were just commenting this week that Upper Manhattan as a whole seems to have turned a proverbial corner in the last year or so. It seems like some of the young crowd that is now priced out of brooklyn are turning their sights uptown. I don't see Broadway getting a Gap anytime soon, but maybe I'll be proved wrong.