keznjj

Would appreciate a bit of info on the area Appollo Theatre Harlem, my daughter is going to live there for a couple of months with a freind and as you can imagine being a parent it scares the living wits out of me
Does anyone know the area, how safe is it, is it an area of mixed race.
Would appreciate others points of view.

another bloody yank

Never been there myself, but from what I've read, most of New York is an area of mixed race. Harlem used to be less mixed than other parts, but I believe that is changing. Sort of a second renaissance. But like I said, never been there and I'm sure others can give better info.

rpjs

New York is the safest big city in the US and is incomparably safer than it was a couple of decades ago. Pretty much all of Manhattan is gentrified or gentrifying, and Harlem is much more mixed than it once was. I've not been there much, just passing through or going to the big box stores on 125th St when we were temporarily living on 94th and 3rd. It's much like Brixton is in London in its cultural place in NYC, perhaps still a bit less gentrified than Brixton now is. There are parts of London, like Tottenham or the Elephant that I be less happy to live in myself.

penguinbar

Hi. Harlem is definately gentrifying. 125th street is loaded with stores. It is still iffy in areas though. They built a big shopping complex with Target, Costco and a bunch of other stores on East 117th. If you told me that I would go there alone even 5 years ago I would have said you were crazy but I feel fine going now.I live on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. If you want to PM me with a bit more info maybe I could help you a bit better.

dvalentine

I have a friend who lives 2 blocks from the Apollo. I've visited multiple times over the last few years and the area has definately improved. Several fairly high end condo buildings built recently and 8th Av from 125th down to Central Park has restaurants and bars which are great. Yes it can still be iffy in areas but in general it feels safe to me. I'm not sure about north of 125th - that still feels iffy to me when we have driven through.

keznjj

Thanks Guys, I feel so much better with the positivity, I know there are iffy areas like everywhere, but it sounds not as bad as I thought it would.
23 years old and I still worry sick for her

Jerseygirl

At least she won't encounter the homeless lying all over the sidewalks like you do in T.O. One attacked my daughter's uni friend...one attacked a woman I was walking by on Queen's Quay and one kicked and dented the door of our car whilst parked outside U of T.