From a recent Brooklynian.com exchange:
GUEST: How safe is it to walk from the Dekalb subway to the Clermont Avenue area near the BQE in the late PM and very early AM (1-3 AM) hours for women in their 20's? And are there cabs available outside the subway at those hours?
URBAN COWGIRL: I am a single girl in my middish-twenties and I live in just the area you're referencing. It is somewhat dangerous to walk home late in any neighborhood but, after living in other neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens, I've found this one to be the most disconcerting. Aside from taking a cab home from wherever it is I've been, I've found the least dangerous route home to be the F train to Jay street and then the B54 up Myrtle. The Jay Street area is well lit and usually somewhat crowded and the B54 runs often. Otherwise, if you DO decide to walk home from the train, choose one of the brighter streets (like Clinton Ave and unlike Waverly or Vanderbilt). Do not listen to your ipod or talk on the cell phone. As I say, walk "with purpose". It is very unlikely that you will find a cab, however the myrtle avenue car service is very quick and inexpensive.
I know I sound paranoid, but I had my blackberry stolen and was knocked around a bit at 10 pm one night after coming home from a business trip. I had simply taken it from my pocket to check the time. I love this neighborhood and I do believe that the good outweighs the bad. Just stay alert.
DRKMAN: Using the Jay Street stop on the F train and then catching the B54 is the best route to go. If you have to utilize the DeKalb Avenue stop you can usually catch a cab on either Flatbush or Fulton by waving one down any time of the night. Walking late at night is not overly dangerous but you will have to be alert and I would not walk the same route on a consistent basis.
4 comments:
You may want to get yourself a personal alarm or start taking a class on self defence, they have great DVD's for you at home. A women walking home alone is a walking target. Find a friend to walk with. Its ok to sound paranoid it keeps you alert. Find a friend who goes home at the same time. It is a great place to live.
Safe & Secure http://www.guardyourselfnow.com
Just fyi, you can also take the B61 bus from Jay St., making it even more convenient. B54 comes down Jay going south, B61 comes up going north and travels a loop by the Navy Yard and follows Park Av right under the BQE, dropping you right at Park/Clermont.
A self defense class is very likely to get you killed if you run into someone who really knows how to fight and can take a punch.
I used to live on clermont ave on the corner of myrtle. I walked around there every night including in the early am and never had an incident. However, there's no guarantee. Myrtle avenue is well lit and though there are shady people hanging around, there are also plenty of police cars and cabs, as well as all night bodegas open. I walked down dekalb avenue from the station, down clermont, many nights and did not run into anything, but you also always have to stay alert, look behind you at intervals, and be aware of people crossing the street in a diagonal to come toward you (that's how they usually attack). sadly, things have happened here. When I lived on skillman street, near the bedford nostrand stop on the g train, that was a different story. I was assaulted once, and followed home or had someone attempt to follow me on innumerable occasions. It's an excellent neighborhood, but this is NYC and you have to be careful.
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