Originally known as Brooklyn Village, Brooklyn Heights’ stroll-friendly streets and bluff-side waterfront location created its reputation as one of the most idyllic neighborhoods in New York. While neighboring areas such as Dumbo and Downtown Brooklyn continue to evolve with industry and population shifts, Brooklyn Heights’ leafy streets have remained frozen in time.
City-renowned public and private schools top the list of why parents (and those from close-by Dumbo and Cobble Hill) go to great lengths to enroll their kids in the Brooklyn Heights system. The abundance of quiet streets, public green spaces, and playgrounds make it a welcome area. Despite the posh suburban perks, city-bound professionals find that their work commutes rival those of most residents living and working in Manhattan, which is only a twenty to thirty minute commute by train or ferry, and even faster than that in a car.
The area’s proximity to downtown Brooklyn makes for bustling stretches along shop-filled Montague Avenue and restaurant patio-packed Hicks Street, and a sense of small-town charm tucked within a big city. Venture just a few steps from the main drags, and Brooklyn Heights’ seaside-meets-city charm becomes clear. Rapidly developing Brooklyn Bridge Park is an emerging city landmark; scenic piers, iconic Jane’s Carousel, and seasonal attractions from movie screenings to free ferry rides keep the fun going year-round. Come weekends, food, fitness, and fun options also center around the waterfront, from runs along Brooklyn Promenade to cult-loved Ample Hills Creamery’s newly opened Pier 5 outpost.
Brooklyn Heights apartments styles are as diverse as they are pricey. Since most buildings were converted from single family units and rowhouses, doorman buildings are rare, but beautifully maintained or recently restored units are the norm. Tucked away courtyards, archways, and side street gardens at nearly every turn only add to the courtly charm.
Quiet streetscapes, historic architecture, and overall sense of establishment add up to a neighborhood that can feel worlds removed from New York’s typical hustle and bustle, while remaining convenient to all of the city’s most exciting perks. For this reason and more, locals will agree that there’s nothing quite like coming home to Brooklyn Heights.
The Pucker | Heinlein Team consults and services individual buyers, sellers, real estate investors and developers across the city and offers partnerships throughout the country to service clients’ real estate needs.