Some people visiting Brooklyn stay in short-term apartments, via AirBnB or other services. (Before New York City cracked down in AirBnB, there were even more.)
I understand the impulse (and have followed it myself): you can save money over a hotel, even if quality may be uneven. And you might be able to stay in a "real neighborhood," unlike the relatively limited locations for hotels. (See my advice on hotels here.)
However, I've found that visitors often underestimate the sheer size of neighborhoods in Brooklyn. There can be significant differences--in proximity to transit, retail, traffic, and trees--within large neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, and Park Slope. I lead tours in all of those neighborhoods, though it's impossible to be comprehensive.
And there can be significant differences in safety. (Well, less so in Park Slope.)
So simply getting a place within a well-known neighborhood may not be terribly meaningful. The location matters--and the person/company marketing the space may not care about fully informing you. This is true not just for visitors but those choosing apartments.
I've had clients planning a move to Brooklyn who'd like Park Slope, because of access to Prospect Park, only to learn that the apartment listing they've chosen is a nearly 20-minute walk, uphill, to the park.
I understand the impulse (and have followed it myself): you can save money over a hotel, even if quality may be uneven. And you might be able to stay in a "real neighborhood," unlike the relatively limited locations for hotels. (See my advice on hotels here.)
However, I've found that visitors often underestimate the sheer size of neighborhoods in Brooklyn. There can be significant differences--in proximity to transit, retail, traffic, and trees--within large neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, and Park Slope. I lead tours in all of those neighborhoods, though it's impossible to be comprehensive.
And there can be significant differences in safety. (Well, less so in Park Slope.)
So simply getting a place within a well-known neighborhood may not be terribly meaningful. The location matters--and the person/company marketing the space may not care about fully informing you. This is true not just for visitors but those choosing apartments.
I've had clients planning a move to Brooklyn who'd like Park Slope, because of access to Prospect Park, only to learn that the apartment listing they've chosen is a nearly 20-minute walk, uphill, to the park.
From The Trace
About safety
An Atlas of Gun Violence, from The Trace, shows that gun violence is concentrated in a few neighborhoods in east/northeast Brooklyn. (Also see the NYC Crime Map.)
That doesn't mean you shouldn't visit or consider living in some of those neighborhoods. After all, risks are higher at certain times (late night) and on certain blocks.
But it does mean that if you're considering an apartment over the short or longer term, you should consider the issue of both gun violence and crime. (You can also do an Internet search on "crime" and the nearest intersection.)
Also, you should figure out how close it is to the subway (or bus), even if you plan to take Uber/Lyft; how much traffic and trees/pollution are nearby; and where you might be able to shop, eat, or get a cup of coffee.
If a client wants my advice, I'll ask: please tell me the specific location, not the neighborhood. Then I'll try to address those issues.
There's a "bot" post on Reddit that is posted any time someone asks about safety in NYC neighborhoods. It points out that many people wrongly believe the city's a war zone, and that different people--based, for example, on race and sex--may feel different about safety.
The bot notes that areas in the "immediate vicinity of large low-income housing projects" are considered to be more dangerous, but "thousands of people live, work, and play in these neighborhoods without feeling unsafe."
That's true. It's also worth noting that, on the map at right, some anomalous clusters--for example, bottom left in Coney Island, center left in Red Hook--are near such housing projects, often clustered without access to jobs and services.
An Atlas of Gun Violence, from The Trace, shows that gun violence is concentrated in a few neighborhoods in east/northeast Brooklyn. (Also see the NYC Crime Map.)
That doesn't mean you shouldn't visit or consider living in some of those neighborhoods. After all, risks are higher at certain times (late night) and on certain blocks.
But it does mean that if you're considering an apartment over the short or longer term, you should consider the issue of both gun violence and crime. (You can also do an Internet search on "crime" and the nearest intersection.)
Also, you should figure out how close it is to the subway (or bus), even if you plan to take Uber/Lyft; how much traffic and trees/pollution are nearby; and where you might be able to shop, eat, or get a cup of coffee.
If a client wants my advice, I'll ask: please tell me the specific location, not the neighborhood. Then I'll try to address those issues.
There's a "bot" post on Reddit that is posted any time someone asks about safety in NYC neighborhoods. It points out that many people wrongly believe the city's a war zone, and that different people--based, for example, on race and sex--may feel different about safety.
The bot notes that areas in the "immediate vicinity of large low-income housing projects" are considered to be more dangerous, but "thousands of people live, work, and play in these neighborhoods without feeling unsafe."
That's true. It's also worth noting that, on the map at right, some anomalous clusters--for example, bottom left in Coney Island, center left in Red Hook--are near such housing projects, often clustered without access to jobs and services.