Choosing a neighborhood around New Haven

I am hoping for some help from folks who live in Ne Haven. I recently accepted a faculty position at Yale SoM so my husband and I (36y) will be relocating in September from Milwaukee to New Haven. We mostly have lived in big cities (e.g., Milwaukee, Chicago) so are already a little nervous about the size difference. The best two apartments we found will require a compromise in some way and hoping folks can steer us one way or another.

One is on Mansfield in Prospect Hill. Pretty apartment with a large balcony, which I love and it’s closer commute for me. However, it has window units, odd layout, and some say it’s a sketchy area whatever that means. The other apartment is in Spring Glen and is definitely nicer with in unit laundry and central AC. However it only has a tiny one person balcony, suburbs, and farther commute (i take transit).

Any locals care to weigh in? I feel we are sacrificing something with either.