Mott Haven is Seen as an Alternative to Bushwick as L Train Shutdown Looms

With the L-pocalypse just 15 months away as shutdown of the L train creeps closer renters choosing not to hunker down for the 15 month in Williamsburg and Bushwick are already looking for alternatives.

Mott Haven in The Bronx has been listed as a somewhat comparable neighborhood to Bushwick (along with Chinatown and Red Hook) for those seeking relief from lack of subway service for over a year.

Localize.city writes:

Mott Haven
Median one-bedroom price: $1,700

“The South Bronx waterfront, where hip-hop was born, is booming with new construction as thousands of units are expected to come on line in the next years,” Halpern said. “An influx of new residents are expected as are amenities, retail and much-needed city investment in infrastructure and services. No wonder this has been regarded for some time as one of the hottest neighborhoods in New York.”

HOW IT STACKS UP IN OTHER WAYS:

Longer commute.

It takes a bit longer to get Downtown. Theaverage commute time to the Financial District is 56 minutes compared to Bushwick’s average commute time of 43.5 minutes. But that longer commute could score you lower rent.

Fledgling restaurant and bar scene.
Trendy spots along the South Bronx waterfront include the Bruckner Market food hall, a former warehouse that will resemble Chelsea Market with a rooftop beer garden and a variety of takeout and sit-down restaurants. Harlem’s Milk Burger, a gourmet burger joint similar to Shake Shack, opened in late 2016. It joined spots like Filtered Coffee, Charlie’s Bar & Kitchen, Ceetay Sushi, and the Italian restaurant La Grata.

The upscale pub at Port Morris Distillery recently opened on East 133rd Street and the Bruckner Market may also house a microbrewery. Together, with Tirado Distillery and Bronx Brewery, there’s a burgeoning craft beer/distillery scene.
Creative commercial space coming by 2019.
A large new development on the Third Avenue waterfront will include 20,500 square feet of retail space and 1,100 square feet of community facility space. Other commercial developments are aimed at attracting tech and design tenants.

New LGBTQ community center opening in neighboring Melrose.

This center will be one of the few hubs of LGBTQ services and programming in the Bronx. Slated to open shortly in The Hub shopping district, it will offer a wide variety of health and human services and work to address issues like job training, bullying, housing, and arts and culture.

More open space than Bushwick.

Mott Haven got higher marks for access to open space than Bushwick. The neighborhood’s St. Mary’s Park is getting a much-needed overhaul, with construction finishing in late 2019. Its rec center will be reconstructed by mid-2019, and the Parks Department plans to add new programming and activities. A partly vacant playground will get new basketball and tennis courts, play equipment, seating areas, and new landscaping by around the same time.

The L-pocalypse won’t be just harming Brooklyn but will simply help speed up gentrification in the outer boroughs as thousands flee from the shutdown.

Read the full story and see which other neighborhoods made the list over at Localize.city.