Upper West Side vs. Wash Heights vs. Riverdale

abby1776

Thu, Jun 14 2012, 8:37 pm

There are a lot of people who live in Riverdale or Washington Heights that send to the Yeshiva Ketana as well as people who live on the UWS. You should contact Rabbi Prager at the Kollel and spend a shabbos there is possible to get a feel for it, then spend a shabbos in Riverdale (I guess contact someone at the Young Israel of Riverdale which I think is the more right wing Shul or the Telse Yeshiva branch) then contat some one from Bruers and stay for shabbos in Washington Heights and figure out what community you like best.

That is what I did when we relocated from Monsey to Baltimore. I got a job in Washington DC and we had to move, I spent shabbos in Silver Spring (Kemp Mill and White Oak), I spent shabbos in Olney, and I spent shabbos in Baltimore (with my two kids at the time who were 2 and 4) and we met people and decided where we wanted to live.

I want to point out DH and I knew NO ONE in these places - we are NYers through and through we asked friends and contacted Rabbis and Roshi Yeshivas who were happy to provide Hachnaos Orchim so we could get to know their community.

shnitzel

Thu, Jun 14 2012, 10:09 pm

amother wrote:

shnitzel wrote:

The UWS kollel people don't live on the UWS.

There are more Yeshivish people on the UWS but there aren't many so you aren't going to find one large shul with a huge chevra. It is something you have to look for and because there aren't many most likely won't be your age. If you have boys who are school age or either boys or girls of preschool you will definitely meet some at Yeshiva ketana. There are a ton of shtiebels around but even the shtiebels often have a more mixed crowd since it is the UWS and primarily MO. It isn't like moving into a Yeshivish community, there are some amazing things about living on the UWS but you aren't likely to find an instant chevra, which you may or may not care about. Rents are currently at an all time high.

There are a lot of frummy couples in Washington Heights. There is a breuers community and also YU. A lot of the YU married couples who live there are very frum but it can be a bit different culturally than living in a Yeshivish community but you will find a lot of people who are extremely committed halachically and hashkafically, often more so than in a Yeshivish community. There are YU couples on both sides of the heights, meaning that a lot of the people are YU or Stern graduates or currently attending.

I have heard mixed things about the Lower East Side. I have heard that there are no young couples there and that there are very MO hipster young couples living there. Not sure which is true but I am pretty certain that most of the community there is quite a bit older.

do you live on the UWS?

A friend suggested that if we got involved with the kollel or one of the shteible's we would be able to connect with a little bit of a more RW crowd. What do you think? We are OOT Yeshivish, not super super yeshivish. DH is a lawyer and I am going to columbia so we are open minded as well. Where does the crowd that sends to yeshivah ketana live? All over? Or is there one area that is more popular.

We have lived here for four years. I honestly don't have many friends but we aren't in the shtieble crowd because DH works for a MO shul. The largest concentration of frum people on the west side are from mid 80's to low 100's I can think of four shtiebles off the top of my head. The crowd that sends to yeshiva ketana is also quite mixed compared to a regular new York yeshiva but it could be more similar to an oot school. I personally hate commuting and if you can afford the uws I would reccomend it based on that lol. There r some amazing things about living here compared to other neighborhoods and less commute means more family time and down time. I wouldn't move without spending a Shabbos because there are things about life here which can be a huge culture shock. The frum community is very different than other places, most notably because most people are single and it can be a lot more modern than MO elsewhere.

While the heights is frummer everything is far and the neighborhood isn't very pretty even though it has gotten a lot better. I lived in the heights for a year answer might be moving back.

amother

Sun, Jun 24 2012, 12:06 pm

shnitzel wrote:

amother wrote:

shnitzel wrote:

I think you summed up the issue! while the heights by breuers might be a better "fit" it is ridiculously inconvenient and I am not sure how I feel about commuting home late at night.... can I pm you?

amother

Sun, Jul 22 2012, 9:22 pm

amother wrote:

I think you summed up the issue! while the heights by breuers might be a better "fit" it is ridiculously inconvenient and I am not sure how I feel about commuting home late at night.... can I pm you?

ridiculously inconvenient? To Columbia? To Midtown? Surely you jest! It's one of the most convenient areas to both, and when you want to get out of town and go to NJ or north, it's THE most convenient part of the city. Not convenient to Staten Island, I grant you, but then nothing is. I wouldn't be happy commuting late at night ANYWHERE in NYC, though it depends on what you call Late. 9 p.m., or midnight? Subways are packed at 9 p.m.