Northwestern Brooklyn Neighborhoods
Brooklyn Heights: Bounded by Old Fulton Street, Atlantic Avenue, the East River, and Court Street, Brooklyn Heights is a neighborhood in Brooklyn largely composed of picturesque rowhouses and mansions. Architectural styles include brick Greek and Gothic Revivals and Italianate brownstones. Notable residents of this beautiful Brooklyn neighborhood have included W.H. Auden, Paul Bettany, Gabriel Byrne, Truman Capote, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Giamatti, Norman Mailer, Arthur Miller, Mary Tyler Moore, Walt Whitman, and Thomas Wolfe.
Downtown Brooklyn: Downtown Brooklyn is the third-largest business district in New York City, behind only Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan. Historically a commerical and civic center, the district is home to many popular NYC tourist destinations, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the New York Transit Museum.
Dumbo: Located in northwest Brooklyn, Dumbo (short for "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass") is an up-and-coming art district full of for-profit art galleries and non-profit institutions such as St. Ann's Warehouse. The neighborhood is also home to Grimaldi's, the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, and Bargemusic, New York's floating music hall. As property prices continue to rise in Manhattan, Dumbo, like most Brooklyn neighborhoods, is becoming increasingly gentrified.
Fort Greene: Named after an American Revolutionary War-era fort that was built in 1776 under the supervision of General Nathanael Greene, Fort Greene is an historic Brooklyn neighborhood bounded by the Wallabout/Myrtle Avenue to the north, Flatbush Avenue to the west, Washington Avenue to the east, and Atlantic Avenue to the south. The neighborhood has been home to many notable people, including poet Walt Whitman, novelist John Steinbeck, novelist Jennifer Egan, actor Chris Rock, and rapper Mos Def.
Prospect Heights: Bounded by Flatbush Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Eastern Parkway to the south, and Washington Avenue to the east, Prospect Heights is one of the smallest neighborhoods in Brooklyn and, with its tree-lined streets and classic brownstones, also one of the most beautiful. Every year, Prospect Heights hosts the famous West Indian Day Parade, the largest parade in New York City.
South Brooklyn Neighborhoods
Carroll Gardens: Largely composed of family-run stores, cafes, boutiques, and antique shops, Carroll Gardens is one of the most charming neighborhoods in Brooklyn. Unlike most other Brooklyn neighborhoods, Carroll Gardens features brownstones that are set back from the street by 30-40 feet, allowing for small front gardens. The neighborhood is named for Charles Carroll, a revolutionary war veteran and the only Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Cobble Hill: Cobble Hill is a Brooklyn neighborhood bounded by Atlantic Avenue to the north, Hicks Street to the west, Smith Street to the east, and Degraw Street to the south. The neighborhood is adjacent to Carroll Gardens and Brooklyn Heights. Along with Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill is regarded as part of "South Brooklyn," though both neighborhoods are in fact located in the northwest portion of the borough.
Park Slope: Widely regarded as one of New York City's most desirable neighborhoods, Park Slope takes its name from its location on the western slope of Prospect Park. The Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden are its major attractions. The neighborhood is home to many famous actors, including Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Peter Sarsgaard, Julia Stiles, and John Turturro.
Northern Brooklyn Neighborhoods
Greenpoint: Greenpoint is the northernmost neighborhood in Brooklyn, bordered on the southwest by Williamsburg, on the southeast by East Williamsburg, on the north by Newtown Creek, and on the west by the East River. Many films and TV shows have been filmed in Greenpoint, including The Departed, Donnie Brasco, Sleepers, Lie to Me, and Rescue Me. The neighborhood is largely middle-class and features a large population of Polish immigrants.
Williamsburg: Williamsburg is a large and ethnically diverse neighborhood located in northern Brooklyn. The neighborhood, which features large enclaves of Hasidic Jews, Italians, Puerto Ricans, and Dominicans, has recently established a reputation as a hub for indie rock and hipster culture. Its popularity among artists, however, has caused the rent to increase, forcing many residents to move further east.
Bedford-Stuyvesant: For many years, Bedford-Stuyvesant (also known as "Bed-Stuy") has been regarded as the center of black culture in Brooklyn. Itself composed of four neighborhoods - Bedford, Stuyvesant Heights, Ocean Hill, and Weeksville - Bedford-Stuyvesant is bounded by Flushing Avenue to the north, Classon Avenue to the west, Broadway and Van Sinderen Avenue to the east, and Atlantic Avenue to the south. Notable residents of Bed-Stuy have included Aaliyah, Jackie Gleason, Mos Def, Lil' Kim, Jay-Z, Norah Jones, Spike Lee, Frank McCourt, The Notorious B.I.G., and Chris Rock.
Central and Southern Brooklyn Neighborhoods
Bay Ridge: Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in southwestern Brooklyn bounded by Sunset Park on the north, Seventh Avenue on the east, The Narrows Strait on the west, and 86th Street on the south. Largely a middle-class neighborhood, Bay Ridge features a high elderly population, with an estimated 60% of residents over the age of 60. The neighborhood was the setting for the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever.
Bensonhurst: Located in southwestern Brooklyn, with Gravesend to the southeast, Midwood to the east, Borough Park to the north, Dyker Heights to the west, and Bath Beach to the southwest, Bensonhurst is named for Arthur W. Benson, the former president of Brooklyn Gas. Famous past and present residents include Vincent D'Onofrio, Joey Fatone, Harvey Fierstein, John Franco, Elliott Gould, Larry King, Paul Lo Duca, Iggy Pop, Steve Schirripa, and Tony Sirico.
Brighton Beach: Immortalized in the classic Neil Simon play Brighton Beach Memoirs, Brighton Beach is an oceanside neighborhood in southern Brooklyn. Another ethnically diverse Brooklyn neighborhood, Brighton Beach features a large population of Polish, Russian, Armenian, Turkish, and Georgian residents. As of 2000, its population was 75,692.
Coney Island: Known primarily as the site of amusement parks and a major resort, Coney Island is an oceanside neighborhood in Brooklyn located east of Brighton Beach. As its name would imply, Coney Island was once an island, but it became partially connected to the mainland by landfill. The neighborhood is home to MCU Park and the minor league baseball team the Brooklyn Cyclones.
Crown Heights: Crown Heights is a densely populated neighborhood in Central Brooklyn bounded by Washington Avenue, Atlantic Avenue, Howard Avenue, and Empire Boulevard. Its principal thoroughfare is Eastern Parkway. The former home of the Lenape Indians, Crown Heights is now a predominantly Jewish and African-American neighborhood.
