July 2005, my wife and I bought a 1 BR for $95,000 (14 Met. Oval). I can tell you that Parkchester is one of the best kept secrets in NYC, especially for so called middle class minorities. It is NOT, no where near, the Projects or even Ghetto as so many reviews try to claim; the population is very diverse in age and race; and you have all you need in shops, services, and transportation.

I have lived in NYC Housing Projects in the North & South Bronx and played & witnessed Ghetto life. Yes, there are drug users, if you know how one looks (ever look at your local Politicians, Judges, Celebrities, etc. many of them use). There are drug users in the building that I work in (minimum price for a Condo there is now $4.5 Million). Bottom line is there are NOT drug dealers, crackheads, prostitues, and gangs all over the neighborhood like the Projects of this city and country. There are NOT shootouts, gang fights, and trash everywhere like the Ghettos.

You can witness during the day elder folks sitting on benches reading or feeding birds and squirrels. In the evening, watch how the buses and #6 train spit out droves of WORKING people. In the night, cars will be around & around looking for parking (#1 con of this community).

What Project or Ghetto you know can contain and MAINTAIN: a movie theater, Macy's, UNO's, ZALES (jewelry/diamonds- in the ghetto, yeah try that!), Starbucks, several Laundry mats/cleaners & Supermarkets, etc. In the summer, concerts and festivals for children and evening music for adults also. In the winter, there are Christmas decorations, comlete with lights and statues (moving reindeer and Santas type of stuff). Again, put that in any of my old Projects (Edenwald, Boston Secor-North BX; Webster ave-South BX) and see if it makes it thru the holiday season.

Listen, there is so much good to Parkchester that anyone that knows anything about this city can see its worth.
Parkchester: Piss in staircase sometimes, call the office a Porter will be there to clean anytime of day. Security 24/7 reacting to any fights or disturbances (I've called a few times to have my neighbor turn down music at 3am). Movie and dinner without leaving neighborhood. Summer Family day festival without a big fight or shootout. Family visited during holidays w/o worry of getting robbed.
Projects: Piss and ---- in elevators and/or staircases all the time, wait for housing maintenance to clean. NYPD patrol and do more harassing than any gangs or thugs (any young black male knows the truth). Your kids can be bullied or influenced by others that have problems at home (projects has a high concentration of unemployed and frustrated men & women without knowledege of how to raise their children with morals and respect, especially because their is a greater influence of negativity the moment you leave your apt.).

I can go on & on, bottom line is people that own their apts will treat their community better, especially because all it has to offer. Parkchester is not Park Ave (lots of drug users over there too) but it is at least a step up from the projects. Working people with families living in a "neighborhood community" is how I see it. Hang out a day in a project and then a day in Parkchester, its that simple and obvious.

Lastly, Parkchester South seems a little better kept because they made a better deal during the whole renovation plans (thats also why the Maintenance fees are lower). Also, the South has the Oval and most stores so less places for any foul play and ghetto indivduals to act up.

Note: My Mtg $580 my Maintencance $413 = $993 per month, who in the hell would pay that for a 1BR in any project in this country. People don't be scared away by some miserable people who no nothing about living in a Ghetto and don't see what they have in this community.
Also, there are in the process of building another, larger community center.

User Responses
From: dmny10462	Date: 12/06/2006
A post by someone who is oblivious to the problems surrounding them.
From: DG25	Date: 06/21/2007
I think you would rather remain oblivious to the problems surrounding me, a BA educated, street smart, young black man in the United Snakes of America. By the way, I'd bet you have no real experience living inner city NY. I've done dirt and witnessed "problems" in the "ghetto", and you? What "problems surrounding" a community nicknamed PUNKchester and No PARKchester are you most concerned? Maybe: the mobs of people shopping on the weekend or the line of kids to see SpiderMan at the movie theater or maybe the mixed crowd dining at UNO's...tell the people on this site, will you?
From: morales9	Date: 06/21/2007
I too grew up in the ghetto (Fox street, Fulton street) My parents wanted a better life for me so we moved to PC in 1969 Now it was my turn...after medical school, I it became my mission to move mom out of there for a better life. You can take the people out of the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out of some of the people. Go check out the circle in front of the West side garage (near Archer st) tell me how many thugs you see. Stop by the East basketball courts (near Odell st) you see a similar pleasant crowd. Give me a break....I just flew into NY for a week and saw how downtroden things have become there in PC. Did I mention the respectable pot smokers who offered me some as I passed them on archer and unionport rd by the bowling alley. Enjoy your real estate!
From: Anonymous	Date: 09/04/2007
Do your own reseach. Contact the local precinct & look at the crime stat. Although there are only two public high school., There are 2 to 3 High School with-in the same building just so the drop out rate does not look so bad. Forget about parking. That pct is also 2 or 3rd in auto theft. If you are 25 years old & an martial art expert,Parkchester is for you. Invest your Money elsewhere.
From: wildflowerbx	Date: 11/02/2007
There is good and bad everywhere you go. People with more money sometimes know how to put up a better front and pretend there's nothing going on. I've lived in and around Parkchester my entire life. I went to Jr High and Elementary there and today live right outside. I have traveled outside of The Bronx, I work in an upscale Manhattan Hotel as an Administrator, My mom is a NYC Teacher owns beautiful property in PA, so don't get anyideas that I am not aware of other communities. Parkchester is no dangerous than any other thriving neighborhood with many stores, traffic and public transportation. It's not an affluent community but it's definitely NOT the Ghetto. I know Ghetto too. I have never been robed, raped, shot or harrassed. Granted yes there is crime and yes there are people who may do or sell drugs and they aren't the type of people I condone, but who am I to judge. That is not my job. Also for the prices on realestate these days, the prices there are great for hard working people & really well worth owning. I agree PC is pretty cool. Besides I don't like the idea of living in a community where evrything seems picture perfect. It's not reality. There are people who suffer, people who need and I like to keep grounded and think that maybe one day I can be part of the solution of keeping our community a good place. If all the "Good People" (whatever that means) move out then that's selling out on a community that is well worth investing in.

Your thoughts? Post a response to this review. Display my response: with my username anonymously Responses appear below reviews and one response per user is permitted.

   Free estimates on moving trucks      Find apartment share/roommates