Worst Neighborhood in New York City

Hi AJ, Some people think East Harlem is pretty bad. I personally don't think you should be walking near Central Park or Washington Square at night, and any other "shady areas" like that. Also the lower east side can be a bit scary as well at times. HOWEVER To be perfectly honest NYC is a very safe place, especially compared to what it was about 15 years ago. Use your good judgement and don't walk anywhere that looks dirty or rundown and youll be fine :)

Has to be Harlem. While they say it's improving with development it still can be very scary.

I'm going with parts of Pelham Bay, Bronx

Are you talking about NYC or just Manhattan? I would suggest not to venture too far into Harlem. That's definitely one area I always avoid. Crime is at an all time low though.

I haven't visited Harlem since the gentrification happened, with the exception of one venture to see The Dark Knight when it came out, as the theatre there was the only one with any seats left! It seemed pretty average - not particularly scenic, and a bit crowded with too many neon signs/chain stores/etc to be really pleasant, but not unsafe.

I wouldn't go into Harlem or the Bronx. I've been attacked while in the Bronx. And Harlem looks to scary to me.

I would go with Harlem as well but there are parts of Brooklyn which are also a bit dodgy.

What about just Manhattan? Are there any dodgy neighborhoods left or are they all 100% safe? Great to see so many people responding! Many thanks :) AJ

@AJ: I wouldn't be caught dead in Soho - sorry BroadwayBK, just my opinion about it from observation and being there a couple of times. Other people may think differently. I also don't like the area around 1st Ave and 27th, 28th, and 29th Sts. These streets are loaded with homeless people and drug addicts.

Actually Hamilton Heights which is located in Upper Manhattan on the West Side also often has crime issues so I think we should add that to the list as well.

How safe is the area around Columbus Park? (lower end of Chinatown around Civic Center). Last visit I noticed quite a few homeless people and while I cant verify looked like some drug deals being done around the basketball courts.

@JCS: Columbus Park? Bad area. I went by there once and felt the worst vibes. I did see a drug deal go down and I scurried out of there as quickly as I could. I never went back. This was about 9 months ago. I have no idea if the area is better now. That was my experience then.

Wow, creepy, @hhusted! Thanks for the tip. I've been around there once or twice before, and felt a few skeezy vibes, but never had any information to substantiate my gut reaction.

@JVS homeless folk are now a common sight in most NYC neighborhoods nowadays. I have walked by Columbus Park a couple of times usually on my way to J&R World from Chinatown and have never really noticed anything fishy. The park always seems full of elderly Chinese folk who tend to come here to socialize with friends or play mah jong or other such games.

Said it before . . . I'll say it again -- even though it's getting annoying :) . . . Soho! Yuck. Although, the area formerly known as Alphabet City is the creepiest at night. It looks like Carprini Green from Candyman.

@JenMac Wait, am I reading this right? You think Soho's dangerous? What? I agree right around Canal street at night is a little shady, but... @JVS Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised about Columbus Park. The neighboring streets are full of tiny, dark, narrow alleyways, and I remember walking quickly by one night alone and kind of regretting my decision.

@uptowngirl But I think the park is harmless in the daytime when the elderly women are there. I found it uncomfortable to walk there at night, though.

uraniumfish: Noooo! I don't think Soho's dangerous . . .I just can't stand it :) I was saying that I think Alphabet City is super shady at night. It really scares me more than any other neighborhood when it's late.

I hear you, @JenMac. I like Alphabet City during the day, and it's certainly gentrified since the Rent days, but it's still much less gentrified than other neighboring areas

I must say I don't think Soho is dangerous. I've been out a few times at 3am and felt safe. And I must say NYC neighborhoods feel safer than parts of San Francisco, one night I strayed one block from Union Square and felt for sure we would be mugged. But that's a whole new topic!

I always feel really safe in crowded NYC. I remember visiting a friend in the country, in a "safe" suburb. It was so quiet and deserted that I felt for sure a mugger was around the corner - my instinctive NY-er response is "noise = people = safe," "quiet = dark street = bad" But no mugger - just bucolic New England

@ajadedidealist I couldn't agree more, I feel more safe in NYC than anywhere in the suburbs. We have a family friend who lives in a big house in the middle of nowhere in Poughkeepsie in upstate New York. Her husband sometimes goes on hunt trips and then when she is alone in that big house all the creaks and sounds scare her so she locks herself in her bedroom on the first floor and parks her car just below her bedroom window. Just in case someone breaks in and she needs an escape route out of her bed room window. Bizarre but true.. all the beauty of nature in the world wouldn't convince me to live there. I rather live in a cramped , NYC apartment. I need to see and talk to people.

@JVS: I have to disagree with you. I went to San Fran for a week and felt such a loving vibe there. If I had a chance I would move to the place. It is 100 times better and safer than NYC in my book. At least that is from observation and the vibes i felt. I actually talked to many people in San Fran who moved there from NYC and said the move was the best thing they could have done.

@Uptowngirl: She's a scaredy cat. :) :) Ha. Ha. If I had a chance to live in her area, I would grab it. I went to visit a friend who lives in the area, just like your family friend. When I went to visit, I felt such peace there. I heard noises at night, but because I was raised in such an environment, those kind of things didn't and still don't bother me.

@hhusted I grew up in a big, bustling city and really cant imagine living in the wilderness however pretty it is. I would go stark raving mad.. though I must admit I do like living near the water.

@Uptowngirl;That is the difference between people. You grew up in a city and I grew up in the country and suburbia. So what I can tolerate you can't and vice versa. That is also what makes us unique.

@hhusted very true!! well said.

HAHAAH ! If yall think Manhattan is bad, you wouldn't last a day in parts of Brooklyn, the Bronx, and South Jamaica Queens. Maybe it's because you're not used to it or maybe people look at you funny cause you look like tourists . But all i know is that yall cannot survive in Crown Heights, Bedstuy, Brownsville, East New York, South Bronx, Flatbush, Bushwick, South Jamaica Queens, Parts of Harlem, Washington Heights, etc. So stop thinking your hard because you walked through Lower Manhattan at night haha .

Apparently I have never commented on this forum before so I don't really feel the need to stick up for myself so much but: I live in Bushwick. And I frequent Crown Heights, because of friends down there. Uhhh...not the safest places but I guess I would prefer to be in lower Manhattan in the early hours of the morning. But, duh, crime happens anywhere, and the kind-of-good thing about the Bushwick/Bed-Stuy border where I live is that there are always a bunch of people roaming around at all hours - including cops. Not so much in lower Manhattan, which can be really creepy late at night.

Friend of mine was taking pictures at Canal Street some time ago and a guy came up to him and ripped the film out of his camera, and made him understand under no uncertain terms that he was not to be taking any photos that day. Now, I don't know what kind of tough-guy-mafia stuff was going on to make the guy so paranoid, but I'd be a little shaken from that and move on out of there as fast as I could go. I know there are seriously dangerous neighborhoods in Brooklyn and the Bronx, but parts of Manhattan can be shady too.

@Uraniumfish maybe that guy was a counterfeiter? Canal Street seems to be crawling with vendors of fake bags and the like who are now being raided by the authorities so maybe he thought you were taking a pic to show the cops. I experienced a similair situation when I tried to take a pic of a streetside food vendor . He became paranoid and asked if I was from the inspection department , apparently someone had taken a pic of him once and submitted it to the authorities who then came out and slapped fines on him for various violations. Poor guy , he was petrified that I was going to do the same.

@uptowngirl That made me laugh, now remembering last summer when I was in a tiny German town in the mountains, and like a good tourist was snapping pictures of the pretzels and baked goods in a shop window. The bakery lady got all bent out of shape and told me not to take pictures of her product. I thought, "Lighten up lady! They're just baked goods! We're in the middle of nowhere!"

@Everybody: With so much going on right now with terrorist attacks and bomb threats, any time someone does something suspicious or uses a camera to take pictures of something that is normally not taken, people will get scared. It is called paranoia. I agree with Uptowngirl. Canal St is loaded with counterfeiters. That is why I hate going down there. I was told by a cop that if anyone buys anything counterfeit, whether knowingly or unknowingly, will get arrested for possession of counterfeit goods. So stay away from that area.

@hhusted I have a camera with me at all times, I love taking random photos which I often use for my various blog postings and such.

@hhusted So much going on right now? Terrorist attacks? Bomb threats? Wasn't it just one failed subway attempt that didn't make it out of Pakistan? Not to lessen the implications of this, but come on.

I'm surprised most people are saying Harlem, I heard the Bronx was much worse. I haven't been to the Bronx, but I know that Harlem is now a lot safer with all the gentrification going on.

I don't think anyone is saying that Harlem is worse than the Bronx? And you're right, @elysium, Harlem is much safer these days.

I think this is the most absurd, racially motivated, and revolting commentary on the City of New York! I would not be surprised one bit if everyone who is leaving a vituperative comment has even spent 'quality' time (at least one week or more) in any of the neighborhoods of which they take issue and umbrage. I'm from New York (born and raised) and I would not be surprised if any of you are actually from New York. I have visited a multitude of cities in the United States and I can assure you that Harlem and The Bronx have nowhere near the amount of crime and poverty of other urban and suburban areas in this country. You speak of the homeless problem, but when was the last time you volunteered in a soup kitchen (as I did). You talk of staying away from various neighborhoods. Well, for some strange reason Harlem appears to be good enough for an Ivy League school such as Columbia University. And The Bronx has been and always will be the home of the New York Yankees for 27 World Series wins, mind you. When was the last time you actually sat down in a restaurant in Harlem, such as Sylvia's, and really examined the culinary delights of 40 years of cooking experience? When was the last time you visited the Schomburg Center for more than 10 minutes? If you really want things to change, try re-educating the persons that you are egregiously trying to subjugate. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE stop perpetuating a completely outdated, uninformed, morally sick series of behaviors, attitudes, and statements that border on propaganda! This is the 21st Century; ACT LIKE IT!

@RefinedGold It's fine for you to give your opinion. But telling others what their commentary should and should not be is small-minded. Their opinion is just as valid as yours.

i want to live in NY im from LA CA grew up south side places like watts compton south central all can be dangerous but people do live there lived a little while in east LA and some time in woodland hills CA where its nice and safe i just moved from hollywood blvd where i was paying 1300 for a one bedroom in a gentrifyd area my kids went to hollywood high i moved to iowa by mistake call it tempory insanity im moving back LA because i have no choice i want NY so bad it hurts but i got kids & no job or place to stay in NY can anyone help me get started i would be ur personal slave for a year LOL i a man rising 2 kids & 1 friendly pitbull help PLZ i worked in award show gift lounges did all the labor for them it was cool have meet lots of cool celebs & and a few not so cool i want to work in movies carrying equipment & such dose anyone know any companys or temp agency i should try i can be contacted by ph at 213-344-7551 or by email at joshuavasquez2000@yahoo also looking for a good perfoming arts public highschool for my kids

Hello NYorBust, If you don't mind the commute, I would suggest New Jersey. The rent here is 900 for a studio, 1000-1100 for a One bedroom. That's in my building but that also includes newly renovated apts., 24 hour security, all utilities included; just a thought. Also, there are other areas with less expensive rent but slightly further away from NYC. I'm approx 8 miles outside of town. Also in my area Charter Schools are the best bet for children who want to learn. New Jersey on-the-whole has a relatively low drop-out rate. Now if you really want to live in NYC and want less rent, try the outer boroughs. And BTW Harlem is nowhere near as bad as Movies, Television, and the 6 o'clock news make it out to be. I know looooaaaaaads of six-and-seven-figure salaried individuals who live there; Not-to-mention a certain former President of The United States has his office on 125th St! They work in the industry as well. I don't know what your wallet can take but if you want there's a whole culture of education luminaries in Harlem, starting with Geoffrey Canada from the Waiting for Superman documentary, who can offer your children an excellent education. As for your television endeavors; I would suggest looking in mandy.com. That's where I found something. Hope this was helpful.

thanks for the in by the way my kids & i love waiting for supermar we cryed thanks once again

Hi I'm an Australian who visited New York late last year and visited Harlem, Stayed in East Harlem and visited the Bronx. Compared to Australia it was pretty dodgy but i didn't find any areas unsafe lower and Mid Manhattan was very safe day/night and had no problems. However when went to visited friends we got directions wrong and accidently ended up in two places that me and my two friends actually feared for our safety. The First was Queensbridge, Brooklyn around 40th Avenue and 10th Street (we were supposed to be in manhattan on 10th Avenue and 40th Street) we were there on a Friday night and it was real sketchy for us. The Second was Jamacia, Brooklyn this was also quite sketchy for us 3 and didn't last long there. Please keep in mind were where there only a week however we felt safe in Manhattan even in Harlem but some areas in Brooklyn weren't Great.

Thanks for the update AussieTravller. While I've never been to Brooklyn, I've heard it is a beautiful place. I have however spent a lot of time in Manhattan since I created this post a while back and I can safely say (and agree with you) that most neighbourhoods in Manhattan are safe and sound. Great to hear another aussie's opinion though!