If your heart skips a beat when you hear the Avett Brothers sing, “Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in,” you may be one of the hundreds of thousands of people who consider moving to New York’s hippest borough each year. Whether you’re new to New York City in general or a longtime resident, searching out the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn in which to live, play, work, and commute is an exciting task. Luckily, there’s plenty of research, opinion pieces, and census data available to help you make your choice.
To lessen the burden a bit, we’ve collected info on the top Brooklyn neighborhoods to check out for a permanent move – or even just a day exploring. Given there are more than 30 amazing neighborhoods to choose from in Brooklyn – each with thousands of unique attributes – we may have missed a few in this list!
1. Williamsburg
Coming from Manhattan, Williamsburg is the first stop in Brooklyn on the L subway train. This densely populated area has a rich cultural, ethnic, and artistic heritage, with high-end galleries bordering bodegas, multi-million-dollar apartments next to factories, and everything in between. Williamsburg’s proximity to other desirable locations, like Greenpoint and Bushwick, also make it a winner. Arguably one of the best places in Brooklyn by many standards, Williamsburg’s popularity and visibility have translated into some of the highest rents in New York, with one-bedroom apartments averaging about $4,350 a month. Suppose you do find housing that fits your budget though. In that case, you’ll find yourself living in an awesomely vibrant, extremely walkable, and stylish area of the city guaranteed to make your friends envious for years to come.
2. Carroll Gardens
If a historic showcase of a neighborhood is what you’re looking for, look no further than beautiful Carroll Gardens, the heart of “Brownstone Brooklyn.” With a mix of both historic and modern architectural styles, a top-notch culinary scene, and loads of fashionable boutiques, bars, and yoga studios, Carroll Gardens is widely known as one of the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn for trendy families and young professionals alike. A relatively short commute to Manhattan Carroll Gardens is also super kid-friendly – which is important to know whether or not you have kids. The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment is about $2,400 per month. If you like the vibe of Carroll Gardens, be sure to check out its neighbors Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill which are both very similar in feel (and price) and make up an area sometimes referred to as BoCoCa. Try saying that ten times fast.
3. Bay Ridge
Looking for a nice neighborhood in Brooklyn filled with generations of families, affordable waterfront access, and sizable Irish, Norwegian, Greek, Italian, and Middle Eastern populations? You’ll find it in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn: the last stop on the R train and the home of Tony Manero (John Travolta) in Saturday Night Fever. Bay Ridge boasts a strong community of longtime residents who fiercely protect the overdevelopment of their unique neighborhood, meaning the highest structures are only a handful of stories tall. Bay Ridge is widely considered a great place to buy an older single- or multi-family home, settle down, and raise a family in an area that specializes in them (the median listing home price is $547K). Though the neighborhood is located fairly far from Manhattan in the southwest corner of Brooklyn, transit options have improved with the addition of the South Brooklyn NYC ferry route. There is also the R train (which takes about an hour to get to midtown Manhattan), as well as some rapid transit buses.
4. Prospect Heights
Smack in between the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) and the Brooklyn Museum, Prospect Heights is known as a solidly middleclass, reasonably affordable part of Brooklyn with great transportation options and a young, fairly casual vibe. However, it’s important to know that the area is in the midst of massive development with the $4.9 billion, 22-acre Pacific Park Brooklyn construction project (and all the related traffic) already having a huge impact well before its 2025 completion date. But with the benefits of being a stone’s throw from Prospect Park (“the flagship park of Brooklyn”) and the Barclays Center (home to the New Jersey Nets and the New York Islanders), along with blocks of quality dining and retail options, Prospect Heights is still considered to be one of the best Brooklyn neighborhoods – just one that’s also going through a big change at the moment. But that big change might mean a big opportunity for you! Rent prices range from about $4,000 for a one-bedroom and about $5,900 for a two-bedroom apartment. Local trains include the B, C, and Q trains.
5. Brooklyn Heights
No listing of the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn can go without mentioning Brooklyn Heights, the cozy, charming, and tremendously affluent neighborhood directly across the East River from lower Manhattan. As the first neighborhood included in New York City’s 1965 Landmarks Preservation Law, Brooklyn Heights is one of the few that can still boast cobblestone streets, blocks of beautifully restored rowhouses, and limited high-rise buildings. Not to mention its unique and historic waterfront promenade, which plays host to thousands of visitors a day walking, reading, and enjoying the views. While prices are pretty darned steep (median rent for a one-bedroom is $4,000), the neighborhood still has its fair share of middle-class commuters rubbing elbows with celebrities who call Brooklyn Heights home. Brooklyn Heights is also in very close proximity to the Brooklyn Bridge and the DUMBO (Down Under Manhattan Bridge Overpass) neighborhood and walking distance to the shops and restaurants in Carroll Gardens. Nearby subway trains include the 5, C, and R trains.
6. Downtown Brooklyn
Downtown Brooklyn is its own animal. The third largest central business district in New York City isn’t just known for commerce. Enjoy the landmarks and food, just as you would in other neighborhoods. Catch some culture at the Brooklyn Museum, sip coffee at the Brooklyn Cat Café, and check out the whiskey flights at Kings County Distillery. Then don’t forget to grab a piece of cheesecake at Junior’s, where they’ve been slinging fresh, small-batch cheesecake for over 70 years. If you’re shopping around for a rental, this area is no different than most in Brooklyn, with most one-bedroom apartments median rent averaging $4,145 a month.
Everyone has different opinions about the best neighborhoods in Brooklyn to live because everyone has different needs and wants. If you’re thinking about living in Brooklyn, the best advice we can offer is to do your research, pick a few neighborhoods for your shortlist, and then go spend time there. Don’t limit it to a specific time or day. Instead try to vary your visits to get a true understanding of what the neighborhood feels like during the commute, during weekends, early morning, etc.
And trust your instincts! Even if every article you’ve read says one of your choices is the safest neighborhood in Brooklyn, trust your inner voice and look for the right spot. Wherever you choose to live, CubeSmart has a self-storage facility nearby to help with your storage needs!
