Of course, not everyone can afford a $500,000 home in Park Slope or even a high-rent apartment. But crime isn’t just about location—it can happen anywhere.

I grew up in a wealthy area of Pittsburgh that was usually considered safe, but every so often we would hear about break-ins and other crimes. Thus, while it’s important to think about crime rate while looking for Brooklyn apartments, you also need to think about what you can do to protect yourself and your family.

Although there is some information online, I prefer to speak to actual people when researching a neighborhood. These include potential roommates and landlords, local businesspeople, and friends in the area. This way, I can learn everything about a given neighborhood: how late people are still on the street, which areas are the most and least safe, how many cops patrol the streets, etc. With this information, you should be able to find the perfect part of Brooklyn for you.

FORT WADSWORTH, Staten Island –

Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority Police responded to the Staten Island toll plaza from the Upper Level of the bridge at around 10:30 a.m. Friday morning for a report of a school bus on fire.  The bus was carrying 35 4- and 5-year old students from P.S. 5/Dr. Ronald McNair Elementary), their adult chaperones, and the bus driver.

TBTA Police Lt. Todd Suratt initially spotted the bus on fire and requested assistance from his fellow officers and the FDNY.  As the bus filled with smoke, TBTA officers, along with an off duty NYPD officer, knocked down the bulk of the fire using fire extinguishers.

The students were safely evacuated off of the bus and transported to the bridge’s maintenance facility after being evaluated by FDNY EMS crews.  Bridge management kept the children entertained by teaching them about the history of the bridge while awaiting the arrival of school officials to transport them back to their school.

Afer knocking down the fire, TBTA maintenance crews and the FDNY secured the vehicle and examined the passengers.  Neither the bus driver, the chaperones, nor any students required any further medical treatment.

The Upper Level of the bridge was closed during the incident; normal traffic resumed at around 11:30 a.m. after a staggered lane reopening.  There were no reported traffic impacts on the Lower Level.

Between 12:01 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. between tonight and Friday morning, service on the (2) train will operate as express trains instead of locals between Atlantic Avenue, Prospect Heights, and Crown Heights-Utica Avenue, stopping only at Franklin Avenue Station.  Direct (2) train service to and from Manhattan and The Bronx will operate to Utica Avenue instead of Flatbush Avenue.  A (2) shuttle train with 30 minute headways will operate between Franklin Avenue and Flatbush Avenue…

Additionally, the (4) train will also operate express between Atlantic Avenue and Utica Avenue.

Brooklyn-bound passengers travelling from Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn to Bergen Street, Grand Army Plaza, Eastern Parkway, Nostrand Avenue, and Kingston Avenue stations should get off the Brooklyn-bound trains at Utica Avenue, then board a Manhattan-bound train to reach these stations…

The late-night (G) train service adjustments reported by Brooklyn News last week remain in effect through the rest of this week.  This involves two sections of (G) service – one section will operate between Court Square, Queens, and Bedford-Nostrand, Bed-Stuy, the other between Bedford-Nostrand and Church Avenue, Kensington.  Trains will operate both sections every 30 minutes with passengers required to transfer at Bedford-Nostrand.  This will be in effect between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m…

Riders on the (L) train should be aware of platform boarding changes for late night service.  Brooklyn-bound riders will be required to board on the Manhattan-bound platforms at 3rd Avenue and 1st Avenue stations in Manhattan and at Bedford Avenue Station, Williamsburg, between 12:01 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. through Friday morning…

Manhattan- and Queens-bound riders on the (N) will see service re-routed over the Manhattan Bridge instead of the Montague Tunnel, skipping the Canal Street, Rector Street, and Whitehall Street stations in Manhattan and Court Street and Lawrence Street stations in Brooklyn.  Riders are asked to take the (4) train as an alternative…

And, finally, the (Q) train will be operating in two sections during late night hours.  The (Q) will operate in two sections – one segment will operate between 57th Street/7th Avenue, Manhattan and Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Avenue, Prospect Heights on the 4th Avenue Line (served by the (D), (M), (N), and (R) trains; the other section will operate between the Atlantic Avenue on the Brighton Line (the normal (Q) train station) and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.  Trains will operate every 30 minutes on the Brighton Line between 12:01 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. nightly through Friday.

This is in addition to the ongoing construction on the Brighton Line, causing intermittant delays on the (B) and (Q) trains and local service on the (B) between Prospect Park and Brighton Beach.

For updated service adjustment information, call the NYC Transit information line at (718) 330-1234 or visit www.mta.info.

• Service on the (D) train will operate in local service between 36th Street/4th Avenue, Sunset Park, and DeKalb Street station, Fort Greene.
• Northbound (D) trains will operate over the (N) line (Sea Beach Branch) between Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station and 36th Street/4th Avenue; southbound (D) service between 36th Street and Coney Island is unaffected.  The re-routing is due to track panel installation north of 62nd Street.  The re-routing takes effect at 5:00 a.m. Saturday until 10:00 p.m. Sunday.
• Service on the (F) train will operate into two segments: Between Jamaica-179th Street, Queens, to Jay Street, Brooklyn Heights and between Church Avenue, Kensington to Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.  The re-routing is effective between 11:30 p.m. Friday through 5:00 a.m. Monday.
• (G) train service will operate in two segments: Between Court Square, Long Island City, Queens and Bedford Avenue-Nostrand Avenue, Bedford-Stuyvesant and between Bedford-Nostrand and Hoyt-Schermerhorn station, Brooklyn Heights.
• (N) train service will operate local between 59th Street/4th Avenue, Sunset Park and DeKalb Avenue, Fort Greene, then operate via the Manhattan Bridge instead of the Montague Tunnel.
• (R) train service will operate in two segments: Between 34th Street-Herald Square, Manhattan, and Forest Hills-71st Avenue, Queens and between 36th Street/4th Avenue, Sunset Park and 95th Street-Bay Ridge; no subway service will operate between Canal Street, Lower Manhattan and DeKalb Street, Fort Greene.

A shuttle bus will be implemented between Jay Street and Church Avenue stations, serving Jay Street, Bergen Street, Carroll Street, Smith St/9th Street, 4th Avenue/9th Street, 7th Avenue/9th Street, 15th Street/Prospect Park, Fort Hamilton Parkway, and Church Avenue.

The service changes will be in effect from Friday evening through Monday morning.  The changes are in effect due to ongoing construction on the Culver Viaduct and for maintenance in the Montague Tunnel.  The (N) and (R) train adjustments are due to track work at Cortlandt Street, Manhattan.

For additional information and updates on this service adjustments, please call MTA New York City Transit at (718) 330-1234 or visit the official MTA web site: www.mta.info.

Between 8:30 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, service between the Long Island City-Court Square station, Queens, and the Forest Hills/71st Avenue station, Queens will be suspended.  All (G) train service will operate between Court Square and Church Avenue station, Kensington.

Brooklyn bound passengers will have take the (R) train to Queens Plaza, then transfer to the (E) train at 23rd Street/Ely Avenue station, then connect to the (G) train at Long Island City-Court Square.  For Queens bound passengers, transfer to the (E) at Court Square, then to the (R).

Additionally, between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., (G) train service will operate in two sections – one section will operate between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand station, Bedford-Stuyvesant, the second section between Bedford-Nostrand and Church Avenue stations.  Passengers will be required to transfer at Bedford-Nostrand station.

Service on both segments will operate with 30 minute headways as opposed to the 20 minute headways normally offered.  The service adjustments are expected to last two weeks, ending on November 20.

Weekend service between Forest Hills and Church Avenue are not expected to be affected.

For additional information, visit the MTA New York City Transit web site.