flatbush area knowledge

amother

Tue, Dec 18 2012, 9:00 am

I am struggling because every other house in our price range is so small that I would feel cramped immediately, not much better than my small apartment, so why are we spending an exhorbitant amount of money to BUY it?

this is this house's chisaron ( in addition to the massive work needed which my husband has connections to do well and for far cheaper than the norm, which is why it still makes financial sense , otherwise, it too would be too expensive). I will iyH live in a normal house, without feeling cramped HALF A BLOCK from Jewish neighbors. Is that so bad? I don't know. Does anyone else have experience like this? Because like my dh says, this is a life decision, not to make lightly.

amother

Tue, Dec 18 2012, 10:22 am

Once kids have to cross an ave/street it becomes a hassle to an adult. You may be willing to take your child across the street so s/he can play with friends but if those kids have friends to play with without crossing the street then both them and their parents will prefer they not cross. Its just a matter of convenience. They won't need you so won't cross, you'll need them so you will cross. You'll be spenidng alot more time there than they will by you.
You will allow your kids to play outside in front of your house at a younger age than you will allow them to go across the street. That might make a difference. If you have food in the oven that you need to check every so often its alot easier to run inside when your child is in front of the house than when s/he is across the street and you either have to convince them to go with you or find an adult to watch them for a few minutes.
I too am looking for a house in that area and I am specifically for a block where my kids will have friends.

Queen18

Tue, Dec 18 2012, 10:27 am

I live on New York Ave between J&K. My block does have some non-Jews on it but the majority seems to be frum and walking around on shabbos it feels like a frum neighborhood. There are about 18 families on New York Ave bet I&J. I counted sukkahs and mezzuzahs before I bought my house. On 34th between J&K there are definitely frum families and I believe there is a little basement shteible. There are some houses that are not too nice on that block that may take more time to "change over" but it does seem like nearly everyone who buys in the neighborhood is frum, it is just a matter of the houses going up for sale. If you are thinking of I&J and 34th, that block is not too nice and you should investigate it more carefully. But I have walked there during the day and have seen frum people on that block too.

I too looked in Marine Park and you get more value for your money in the 30's. Also, while there are some frum blocks in Marine Park, there are plenty of blocks where there are very few frum families if any. The difference is that the surrounding population in Marine Park is somewhat higher class than the surrounding population in the 30's. There are some apartment buildings on Avenue I for example that will probably not attract frum people for years to come.

If you like the bones of the house and it's in your price range you can look at this as a bit of a bet on the neighborhood. You will likely be rewarded with good property appreciation down the line. I would point out that if you drive up and down the blocks in the 30's people are investing big $ in their houses and the neighborhood is here to stay and certainly growing.

To Bookie:

Quote:

bookie wrote:
The one thing I will add is if you will move there expecting other people to join that's a mistake. My sil lives on 36th between M and Flatlands. Her block is mostly non jews which upsets her. All the blocks surrounding her are mostly frum. She has been living there for 12 years. As like others said around the corner in Brooklyn means nothing, it's your block that counts.

This block is actually Marine Park not the 30's and is an unfortunate block where the houses have just not sold like some of the others. Right near it though there are blocks that are fully frum.

It is important in Flatbush to have frum neighbors as individual blocks seem to turn into their own community. When you go out to play as a kid you tend to gravitate toward your neighbors. You should visit the house on a Sunday and knock on some of the doors with mezzuzahs. Tell them you are thinking of buying on the block and ask them what it's like. This should give you comfort before you make this massive investment. I think you will be pleasantly surprised that there are plenty of frum families and playmates for your children.

amother

Tue, Dec 18 2012, 10:30 am

I live in the thirties on a off block. The only way I would tell you to buy the house is if you meet the neighbors on the block beforehand and talk to them. There are quite a few frum families on that block. I would say find out who they are, how old are their kids and see if you can get along with them. If you are okay with the neighbors I would buy the house. I bought a house on a block that my kids have nobody to play with. If they want a playdate they have to make a call to a friend. And I find in the 30's if you live on an off block I don't think people know if you are alive or dead. I think each block is their own community. On some blocks people do the world for their neighbors after they had a child, making a simcha or g-d forbid going thru an illness. And on some blocks you don't have it. Some people like blocks where its quiet and nobody knows what's going on in your lives but with this you pay a price tag of your kids not having friends constantly around them.
Do your research on the block and see who these neighbors are behind the closed doors and see if you can make it work. But don't buy the house until you meet these neighbors because otherwise you might be sorry like me. Don't buy the house by saying that in a few years the block will be all frum. Alot of the off blocks in the neighborhood don't move that quickly. The non jews have to want to sell.

amother

Tue, Dec 18 2012, 9:49 pm

As a resident of East 34th J&K, I will point at that close to 50% of the block is frum, and it is a really nice mix of people on the block. I don't know which unsavory people you are referring to. The people on the block who are not Jewish have loud parties on summer weekends, but other than that, we all get along.

East 34th between J & Flatbush has 1 nice frum family but that's it. Houses on that block are significantly cheaper since it is right off of Flatbush and only 1 side of the street has private homes - the other side is the side or back of apt buildings and garages. Even on that block though, I haven't come across unsavory people.

Ashrei

Tue, Dec 18 2012, 11:37 pm

I have a friend, not in the 30's but in a different area of Flatbush that's mostly frum except for her little block. she knew that moving in, and would love for it to become frum, but it doesn't look like it's even headed that way. Meanwhile, she's close to great shopping and tons of amazing frum families are a block or 2 away. She's raised k'a quite a few children there and they're all great, and have lots of friends.

Hashem should give you some direction in your decision making... and make your block frum, too.

Hatzlacha Smile

amother

Tue, Dec 25 2012, 4:04 pm

Because then someone has to watch them walk around the corner not just watching from the door as kids go down the block. Because people have really busy lives in New York and don't have time to meet people that they don't see everyday. It also depends on your personality if you are the outgoing type and will bake fresh cookies for the neighborhood kids and put out great nosh and keep extending invites and invite other families for shabbos meals then yes it will be a success if your not that type or will be too tired yourself to walk around the corner then no it's not going to to happen. Some parts of Brooklyn are cliquey some are not. It all depends on you and how outgoing you can be.
Marine Park is growing lots of families with young kids it's a great neighborhood and there is tons of shopping pizza and whatever else you need in the area.