New York is one of the best and most diverse cities with the highest economic rate. It has five boroughs, with the major ones being Manhattan and Brooklyn.
While most people know about Manhattan and Brooklyn, we have seen so many people moving to the Bronx lately. This is why today we are interested in the Bronx compared to Brooklyn.
If you like a fast-paced life, then New York is going to be your favorite. You will love this city and its boroughs for their vibrancy and activity throughout the day and night. Whether you are just passing by or you want to stay here, you benefit when you know the places well.
The Bronx is one of the boroughs of New York that has the same border as the Bronx County. It’s also a very vibrant and changing borough.
Gone are the days when everyone knew the Bronx for poverty. It has massive developments and even more coming in.
Living in the Bronx
But where is the Bronx
The one thing separating the Bronx from Manhattan is the Harlem River. This is also the one district you have on the mainland. Well, for those in love with rap and hip hop, then the Bronx is familiar.
This is where the best hip-hop jams start from. While it may look small, it’s a prominent place hosting over 75 languages prevalent here, with English and Spanish being the most spoken.
Before you understand this area more, we should say that it also has a shipping and warehousing industry. They mostly venture into textile, machinery, food, and paper industries, but you will also have great residential premises.
The Bronx has two main parts, the Bronx River, which is to the higher section of the west. Nonetheless, it’s flatter to the eastern section. You will then notice a division done by Jerome Avenue.
What will you see?
In the Bronx, I know most of the tourists don’t even go further into the Bronx except for the times they will watch baseball in Yankee stadium.
However, you miss a lot if you don’t visit as they have attractions you could check out. We understand that you may fear for your security though you should go with a native.
The Bronx is known for the familiar Bronx Museum of the arts and the Bronx Zoo. This is not just any zoo as it’s one of the largest metropolitan zoos in America.
It stands out as they make sure it retains the actual animal behavior. This will give Americans a glimpse of what wild animals are like.
They try to make the animals regain their natural habits. Be informed that you will not find the wild animals in cages as you would do in other places. They separate them using natural elements.
The botanical garden: this is what you would want if you like to see a garden of flowers and grass. It’s just one of the best botanical gardens you can have in New York.
Commuting to the Bronx
One thing you will never have a problem with is commuting to different parts of New York. I mean, you have the subway. Even when you don’t have a car, you will find it easier to commute to different places.
Well, you need to know the itinerary of where it goes to at what time. Always make sure you plot your route carefully just because the Bronx is about 109kms.
This subway and train will connect you to the different parts of New York. So, like many other areas of New York, this will make the perfect connecting spaces.
The subways are not there everywhere; you will mostly get the one that extends from Manhattan.
To mention, though, if you’re going to visit the Bronx, there are things you will need to know. The southeast Bronx is not very safe, so people keep off.
Let‘s talk housing
If you are thinking of living in New York or you are already a new yorker, but the prices in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan are way out of your league, then check out the Bronx. There are so many people choosing to live in the Bronx these days.
So, well, there will be factors to consider before you make the conclusive decision to stay. We are going to show you a few of the safest neighborhoods you can stay in.
Remember that you will need to consider the pricing, accessibility, and lifestyle before moving.
Riverdale
This is for you if you want to live in the sprawling estates of the city. It can make your dream to own a home a reality. You will mostly have single-family houses as well as lots.
However, you should know that the housing in this area is mostly co-op houses. Of all places, you should know that you will find much cheaper homes than the ones you see in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. You will have all forms of social amenities.
This is for those looking to attain suburban life without being so far away from the city. Later on, though, most of the people usually move even further away.
- In these areas, if you’re looking to rent a one-bedroom, the average price will be $1900 regardless you will also get a house that goes for $1305.
- So, it’s important to mention that this area is much safer than most other Bronx areas.
- If you have a family, then you want to stay at Riverdale. You will typically even find retirees in this area.
The location: this one you will find around Hudson River, and it is one of the safest places to stay, which is why families and retirees stay there.
It offers you several activities to engage in, and you can go to Riverdale Park for the activities. The good thing though is you will find the different housings of choice. You can also have contemporary modern apartment styles.
If you need to use the subway, you are good to go then. You can find the subway station in the neighborhood still.
Here‘s what you can do here too
- Seton Park is in your neighborhood where you can take your kids to go out and have fun.
- Take a trip to the famous wake hill public garden as well.
- Other times you could stroll in the bell park towers.
- If you like fresh foods, you can go to the Riverdale market anytime between May and November.
- Those times you like, then you can eat your favorite Mexican foods.
- Let’s say the list of things you can do here is endless.
Morris Park
Another one of the best places you are going to enjoy living in is Morris Park. This one, you will never have to struggle with commuting.
You have several subway stations access. When you live here, you will get access to Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn easily even if you don’t have a car.
If you’re studying or practicing medicine, this is the perfect place to stay, you know. You see, it’s much closer to the Jacob medical center, calvary center hospital, New York children’s center Bronx hospital, and Albert Einstein College of medicine.
- This is an area frequented by young professionals, singles, and families as well.
- Notice that the rent will range from about $1238 for rent.
- It’s generally safer than most areas, so you can find the perfect spot for you still.
Kingsbridge
This is ideal for you if you are on a budget and still want to go to a safe area. You will like this one for being a friendly area for the different sets of people.
This one is much closer to the Manhattan colleges. It will offer affordable apartments, co-ops, single-family houses, and condos.
This area gives you access to the parks, and it is further access to other parts of NY. If you need public transport, then you should be considering staying in Kingsbridge. I like that the Kingsbridge subways are much close by.
You can expect to pay around $1263 for rent too.
And you can never miss an apartment you want. Even if you like those that look like the ones you see in Washington heights, you will have them here too.
Fordham
This one you will find close to Fordham University. This I also mention here because of those interested in the affordable student sections.
It’s also very close to a popular destination like little Italy. Many prewar buildings are what they are renovating to make them affordable for the students to take in.
This is the one place you will find a very diverse neighborhood making it easy to mingle with people of different places.
- For your rent, then you will pay anything from $1619 for a one-bedroom. It’s relatively safe to live here, you know.
Country club
Are you raising a young family, or are you a retiree? This will serve you great. You will mostly find it in the East Bronx. People know it for its perfect green spaces.
Compared to other places in New York, the suburban area will give you more affordable prices in buying houses and renting them.
Of all the places we have checked out, this is the only space you find that will cost you about $933/ month.
It’s generally a safe region to stay in. You will not hear so much about crime.
In a nutshell, you get to understand that there are so many places to live in the Bronx.
Living in Brooklyn
Anyone going to New York knows a lot more about Brooklyn as in the books for all the good reasons. Notice that Brooklyn has a wide range of places you can stay in.
We mean very great places but expect to pay more. It also has a lot of the safest places to stay in.
Williamsburg
It doesn’t matter where you are in the country; you will have already heard about this area. It’s an area much closer to Manhattan.
If you’re from Manhattan, going to Brooklyn, it’s the first stop using a subway train. This is one of the most densely populated areas in Brooklyn.
When you’re looking to stay in areas much more accessible than this, is it. You will be living in a place where you can access any particular space you want in the city. You may not find a place in the area just because, to be honest, it’s going to be pricey.
If you, however, manage to find the right place for you, you will have a more vibrant, accessible, versatile, and perfect environment.
This area, then you will find is useful for millennials but also for anyone who enjoys the nightlife too.
Bay ridge
Of all the spaces in Brooklyn, this happens to be one of the very best areas. It’s a blend of both old and new areas. If you want something not so big, then bay ridge is the best.
The good thing is that the area is more diverse and thriving, yet it gives you the perfect shopping spaces.
The good thing is that it’s much more affordable than the other areas, but you should know that it will take you up to 45 minutes to reach Manhattan.
This is the perfect area if you like to live in the perfect community area. This is the perfect place to go when you intend to have a small family; thus, raise it here. They will grow in a community that is safe for them and still as vibrant.
Carol gardens
This one takes you on time travel, and it will show you the history of the neighborhood. This is situated at the heart of Brooklyn, and it mixes the historic and the modern architectural style. You can be sure to have access to the beautiful scenarios but also the fashionable boutiques.
People like it because it will give you such a short commute between Manhattan and home if you choose to live here.
People further like it because of its super kid-friendly choices. This is the ideal area to go to if you have a small family.
The differences
Moving to Brooklyn
When you think of moving to Brooklyn, you should remember it will be the second-largest area in New York.
The thing separating it from Manhattan is usually the east river. Brooklyn connects to Manhattan using three bridges.
This is a residential and industrial area no wonder it has a high population of people who work there.
You will have many schools here and other activities like parks and museums. So generally, Brooklyn is home to growing families as well as young professionals.
Moving to the Bronx
This area comes in the Harlem neighborhoods of Manhattan and Yonkers. So, then the Bronx mixes both suburban and urban areas.
Anyone looking and choosing to live in this area usually does so because they are looking for single housing, not the everyday apartment lifestyle in New York.
By the way, did you know you can live in a two-bedroom house standalone in the Bronx at a cheaper rate than an apartment in Manhattan?
You are also bound to have the diversity you like since it mixes different people from different countries. Anyone who likes the Italian style of meals will find the best ones here.
Cost of living
When you’re going to live in either Bronx or Brooklyn, you need to know the rent prices to pay or even the amount to buy a house.
Before we go into it, though, remember the Bronx will be one of the cheapest areas you can go to live in compared to any borough.
A 1 bedroom is $1400/month. However, if you are going to live in Brooklyn, you can expect it to cost $2600 for a one-bedroom.
It’s vital to mention though that the prices of these housings have since gone down. Of course, they are not the same, though.
Safety
When considering safety, I would say it’s much safer when living in Brooklyn than in the Bronx. Over the years, we have seen that the level of unsafety continues to grow too high.
Notice then that shooting by civilian gangs is something you experience at least once when you live in the Bronx.
Generally, New York is home to massive crime, but the good thing is that violent crimes aren’t common in Brooklyn compared to many other places. This goes to tell you that Brooklyn is well safer than most of the boroughs.
Commute
Proximity to transport is a significant factor of consideration. Of course, it’s all going to be dependent on whatever your priorities are.
Some priorities will mean you stay further from your workplace. But are you willing to sacrifice that? If so, then you will need to know how you are going to reach the workplace.
In such cases you should make sure then where you live is much closer to the train stations. Sometimes you will have to walk a little bit to reach the station, but that should be okay.
Consider staying in areas much closer to the subway. Brooklyn has more access to the subways than the Bronx. But the Bronx has subway lines that extend from Manhattan, and that’s just fine.
Employment
When it comes to working, you will find both areas to fulfill your dreams. The regions offer different jobs of choice.
Brooklyn, though, is growing so much economically. In the recent past, I have noticed so many jobs related to tech.
The jobs you will get here promise you the growth upwards to have those that last years. Whether you’re going to stay in the Bronx or Brooklyn, you will find the best employment.
Attractions to nightlife
If you are one of those who love the nightlife, you want to live in certain areas. If you enjoy the nightlife, better stay in Brooklyn areas just because it’s much safer than the Bronx.
Your priorities
At the end of the day, whether you want to stay in Bronx or Brooklyn, it will always just depend on what you are looking for. Just know that what you want may not be what the other person does want to.
List down what matters to you, then go for the house or place that matches the priorities as that is what will make the place unforgettable or not to you.
- You will need to set a budget.
Before you even go to choose a house, know how much you are making in a month. That will let you know the best house deal. Even when buying the house, know the amount you expect to use before you decide to buy it.
- What’s essential for you to have in a house.
Do you like a quiet place, and you don’t mind being far out of the subways for a commute?
- Are you aware of the security?
Of course, the only place you will feel safe is when you are living in a place where you are secure. Well, check on those pointers too.
- Accessibility is a factor too.
Most people want to know if they can access the stores and malls too. The closer you are to such spaces, the better.
- Do you like apartments or standalone?
Most houses in New York are apartments. So, if you don’t like them, then you may have to go further away.
How far is the Bronx from Brooklyn?
The distance is about 20 miles which in most cases takes about 52 minutes to reach your destination.
If you are going to use the subway to reach your destination then you should know the time it moves.
So, which is the best, Bronx or Brooklyn.
While I know what would work for me in this scenario, I don’t think it’s fair to say it here. What works for me may not necessarily do for you.
Both Bronx and Brooklyn are fabulous. Check out the pointers we suggested here for ideas on what you would use.
