Hi, This is not a very bad neighborhood, but can be quite dangerous especially at night. I know NYC is a very expensive city; if I were you I'd go to Queens (cheaper and safer than Manhattan).

Hi. My stepdaughter is getting married in New York next year. What is your opinion of 5th Avenue (Mount Morris Park West) and W123rd please? Some friends who are travelling from the UK with her are thinking of renting a brownstone there for a week. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!!

Who are they renting through, it sounds very weird to be renting out a brownstone for a week? Beware there are a lot of scams with rentals, I would hate to think that they will arrive and find that the property doesn't exist. It has happened to others.

Hi guys,
this is a very interesting forum. I have an offer for an apartment on Convent Avenue between 129th and 130th. I'm a single white woman (30) from Europe, never lived in Manhattan. Should I move there? Where I live, if someone tries to mug you, there are usually no guns involved. That's why I'm asking, would rather not experience anything like that. Appreciate your thoughts!

Im sure some of these people dont mean it in a "omg black people will mug me!".

To try to put you in my shoes, i came to harlem last year to visit. Im from Montreal in Canada, im french canadian, white. I got off at 125th street in east harlem. The first thing that stroke me is how segregated NYC feels. As i made my way uptown from lower manhattan in the subway, i saw white people got off the train progressively, until when i was at the 125th, the subway car had attained that 9/10 black people white people ratio that i saw in harlem.

This was a shock to me not because im afraid of black people, but because in my home town, Montreal, you dont see that kind of segregation. So as an outsider, i was tense the whole time i walked around the blocks, because i dont know how it goes in Harlem. I dont know if whites will get jumped simply for being white. I understand that america is still partly a heavily racist society, and as an outsider, im not sure the chances i have to have some black anger vented on me for simply walking around a black neighboorhood.

Having said that, i was really pleased to have walked in Harlem, and i will be going back this year to eat some soul food. French canadians and african-americans share a similar history, we were both oppressed historically. You might think its funny to hear some white guy say that, and the oppression was of course way milder, but french canadians not so long ago were called "White @#$%&" by english canadians, so we can relate to black oppression and its why i was glad to visit harlem and walk where african-americans resisted it and spawned their own culture. One thing in my favor is i dont really look like a tourist, i look like what the generic european squatter looks like if that rings a bell, black clothing, jean, old sneakers, semi-decrepit state, so i dont really attract attention, beside my porcelain doll complexion.

I am planning to visit bedford-stuyvesant as well on my next visit, wish me luck! hehe

do you know anything about the area where Jazz on Lenox is located. 104 West 128th Street, New York

what about W. 138th St/W. 139th St...the 500 block of LENOX AVENUE.
I might be relocating to NY for a job, and saw a listing for a decent place there.

Also, how long of a commute would that be to the West Village?

I used to live on 178th st. and from my experience main tourists areas along 125th aren't bad however at night time things change. Many students and people looking for cheap housinglive around and below 115th st, in washington heights and inwood so those areas are mixed how ever 120th and up to the heights its predominetly black people and more crime

- new yorker

harlem to west village is probably around 25 min subway ride express @125th st. could be about an hour local subway

I did have a question about 'how safe is Convent Avenue?' in Harlem - But I think I now have the answer thanks to 'Benjiboi's' great summary on the area...and well preconceptions in general actually! - Dude, I'm a white guy from London, if talking locally on a blog I could just say 'I'm a guy' - my color would be totally irrelevant, I'm a bit shocked as to how much emphasis you all put on your color, but I'm not gonna get on my soapbox about that, let's just hope a few more centuries dilutes this insignificant issue... in the grand scheme of things I mean... personal culture, pride and the constant need for acceptance always makes us use the color-card for protection when our chips are low... or when the chip is on our shoulder perhaps!!... anyway...

Having moved around a lot with my job, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, Frankfurt, currently Geneva and now NYC in a few months, i'm use to asking this question of "how safe is..." but at the end of the day I suppose if you live there and take the time to say hello to the neighbors, engage in conversation and support the local shops and businesses, like benjiboi said... then YOU, yourself make the area safe... if you avoid eye contact with the local (perhaps differently colored) teens hanging out on your block or don't respond to the friendly Korean grocer saying hello, or hide from the old Austrian man next door because you think he's an ex-Nazi... then your own hostile actions make the area what it is... So thanks Benjiboi, you sound like a top bloke and have reminded me what I actually already knew... I'm cool with buying the apartment I've seen on Convent Av - I just now need to make sure people in the area don't think of me as a stuck up Limey Brit that probably like cricket... cos guess what, I don't understand the fricking rules either! House warming party at mine coming soon!

See you all in the hood - sounds like my kinda place!

Hi, is West 129th between 5th ave and Lenox safe at night (particularly from 5 to 8pm) for an asian? What's the neighborhood like in this area?

Thanks!

ur safe & ur not safe no matter where u go/ if ur the type of person expecting a black person to attack u at any given moment than chances r u should stick w a white neighborhood. but if ur cool & u treat all people equally until they prove u different than id say u can handle living in harlem. my beautiful & young & extremely naive cousin moved to 116th & malcolm x when she first got to nyc. she was 23 & stop traffic sexy. she never had any problems & in fact it was quite the opposite. she had a crew of guys who looked out for her. i think a lot has to do w how u carry urself. born/bred nyers carry themselves w a dont f w me attitude. even old ladies. if ur not that worldly & prone to paranoia than id say u should look elsewhere. just keep ur wits about u & u shoulld b fine. there is violence anywhere u go if u look.