Downtown Brooklyn: 2015 Neighborhood Guide

Downtown Brooklyn extends from the BQE in the north towards Schermerhorn Street in the south. Cadman Plaza and Navy Street form its eastern and western borders. A newer neighborhood, Downtown Brooklyn was zoned for expansion just over a decade ago in 2004. For this reason, Downtown Brooklyn feels more commercial than it does hipster. Think high-rise luxury buildings, large, established shopping areas, and crowded city intersections.

Accessibility: Perhaps the most accessible of all the Brooklyn neighborhoods, Downtown Brooklyn enables easy commutes via the A, C, F, 2, 3, N, R, G, 4, and 5 trains. Cabs to lower Manhattan will take mere minutes, as the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges less than a mile from the neighbor’s center. Add a quick trip up the FDR for midtown travel, or hop one of the five buses running constantly through the neighborhood. In Downtown Brooklyn, you’ll feel more connected to NYC than you would in parts of Manhattan.

Lifestyle: Thanks to the high populations of corporate workers and college students in the area, Downtown Brooklyn residents tend to live a fairly active lifestyle. In nice weather, people tend to head towards MetroTech Commons for a picnic lunch or music festival. For bigger concerts or maybe a basketball game, the world-famous Barclay’s Center is right in the middle of the neighborhood. You’ll also find all the retail outposts you’ll ever need around the area–Banana Republic, Macy’s, American Eagle, Nordstrom, and Uniqlo are just a few of its offerings.

Restaurants and bars: Dining and drinking in Downtown Brooklyn is not a pretentious scene, but it’s a nice one. Have some of the best barbeque north of Texas at Hill Country BBQ on Adams Street. Enjoy some mouthwatering cheesecake at Junior’s on Flatbush Avenue. And don’t forget about cocktails at Jose O’Shea’s, an eclectic bar where you’ll find both Irish and Mexican cuisines. The options are endless€¦

Cost of living: By NYC standards, the costs of living in Downtown Brooklyn are fairly reasonable. The median sale price for the area is $800,000. The median rental cost hovers around $2,600 per month.  Most of the sales and rentals of the area are modern condos, but there are some old school style townhouses available as well.  For the most part, you’ll get a lot for your money in this business meets personal neighborhood.