Brooklyn, New York

Boerum Hill is one of those Brooklyn neighborhoods that manages to attract quite a variety of outsiders with its endless shops, cafes, and restaurants (admittedly, I mostly head to Boerum for the shopping experience) despite being small in stature.

The past forty years or so have seen this near-Downtown Brooklyn area transformed from a not-so-safe place to one whose tree lined streets practically wink and glitter at you. Brownstones here look much like the ones in Park Slope - that is to say, lovely - but I think the shopping experience may be better than what you find in surrounding neighborhoods. For example, those ladies with designers in mind will find boutiques that cater to exactly their purpose, and those with a more mainstream aesthetic in mind can head to Urban or American Apparel.

It may be important to note that the neighborhood doesn't conform to brownstones like Park Slope seems to - the occasional brick home makes itself known in Boerum Hill. Park life is a little lacking, but it's not far too Fort Greene Park and there are quite a few trees on the neighborhood's residential streets.

It's obvious that the locals love their Boerum Hill neighborhood as the streets are among the city's cleanest, even if people are always on the area's sidewalks in droves. Yards, stoops and private buildings are well-maintained - it's almost like being in one of those gated communities in which people are required to meet certain standards that appeal to the eye. This neighborhood attracts families (though nowadays a family dwelling in this area is likely to cost millions), as it is safe and tends to quiet down pretty early in the evening. Nightlife is limited to restaurant-going - there are a few corner bars, but no clubs that I've really seen.

Atlantic Ave is the neighborhood's most happening street - it's lined with places to eat and shop and the traffic is jammed up regularly until after nightfall - but side streets like Court and Smith can be just as interesting to the casual shopper/restaurant goer and are often more populated with sidewalk traffic.

I tried to convince myself, during the 4 months I lived in Bed-Stuy, that it really wasn't that bad... That was until my apartment was broken into while I was sleeping and some kid tried to run off with our laptop and camera. That night the police kindly informed us that Bed-Stuy is a "sh*t hole" and continued to say they were surprised we hadn't been robbed yet...

Unfortunately, this place is exactly what it looks like, dirty, rundown, and sketchy. If you want a CHEAP place to live with a lot of space, make sure you keep your windows locked and watch that no one follows you home from the subway.

During a recent apartment search, I was allowing myself to check out places in Prospect Heights - which is one of those "up-and-coming" neighborhoods that is seeing a lot of trendy bars, restaurants and organic groceries spring into action. However, conniving real estate agents would often list apartments in Bed-Stuy as being located in Prospect Heights. Sure, they are neighboring 'hoods, but they are a world apart (you can usually tell when a listing was really in Bed-Stuy by its low rent).

There are streets in Bed-Stuy that are still known for their gang activity - even if the area has become greatly gentrified in the last decade or so. I read an article recently in which residents were thrilled that they could actually throw a block party and not be scared of insane fights breaking out, which is something that apparently used to happen often here.

Bed-Stuy remains a place for those with modest incomes - it's not that safe, and it has no appeal whatsoever to those who can afford to live outside of it. Clinton Hill (okay, I suppose it might be it's own neighborhood nowadays) is what they're calling the area of Bed-Stuy that has drawn the most gentrification and Pratt students. There is a marked difference, however, as you are traveling west on any street in Bed-Stuy and come upon Clinton Hill - suddenly the streets are cleaner and the buildings better kept.

Rent is cheap in Bed-Stuy, so I can understand the appeal to those students who study close by - or to any student, really. The areas closer to Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights are surely much nicer than those near Bushwick and Williamsburg, where there seems to be much more public housing high rises.

My girlfriend and I just checked out Borough Park this past weekend and our general opinion was that the portion of the community that wasn't Orthodox didn't really have much of a voice and it just felt like there was no diversity. If that's not a big deal, Borough Park is pretty ideal. Good schools, very safe neighborhood, close to Prospect Park, relatively cheap homes, great falafel, etc.

We have been keeping a blog about our search for a home, so if you want to read our full report on Borough Park, you can check it out here:
http://iwantawalkup.tumblr.com/post/1156549342/review-borough-park-brooklyn?ref=4

Sure, the hipsters have cased out Williamsburg and it's now brimming with shops and restaurants that cater to their set - but Cobble Hill just can't be reckoned with when it comes to having the better eating experience and the trendier shopping outlets. In fact, you don't even have to want to shop or eat to enjoy your time here, because unlike Williamsburg, Cobble Hill is stunningly beautiful. Walking around here, I always feel like I'm living in a fashion ad (in fact, Ralph Lauren shot the commercial for this year's fall collection there).

Undoubtedly it's a fair penny to own one of the brownstones that line these streets, as well as to simply rent one. But, it's one of Brooklyn's best neighborhoods, so what else do you expect? If you do move in to Cobble Hill, be prepared to enjoy a number of neighborhood bars and book shops. Up on Atlantic Ave there are quite a few shops owned by immigrants from the Middle East, with Arabic writing on the awning and quite a variety of things for sale. This is also where the Brooklyn Urban Outfitters and Trader Joe's locations live, so you can expect to see a lot of foot traffic (as well as car traffic - the neighborhood is right off the BQE) at all hours.

If I were going to compare Cobble Hill with any Manhattan neighborhood (certainly a dangerous undertaking), I would pick the West Village. It's quaint and attracts quite a few people who like to eat out, but it's not exactly the biggest night spot. Of course there are bars in the area, but it's not the neighborhood you head to when you're going all out for a night on the town.

Just like any outer borough - or even like Manhattan itself - Brooklyn has its bright spots (Park Slope, Cobble Hill, Williamsburg), and it also is home to neighborhoods that no one should have to reside in (Brownsville, East New York). But it was once its own city, and walking around Brooklyn today that much is still apparent; Brooklyn remains very much a unique flavor, and each neighborhood is a variation on that flavor.

Sure, there are more middle class, non-trendy neighborhoods than anything else - but those have a vibe that can't be matched by Manhattan neighborhoods, and you can usually bet that there is a family-owned pizzeria nearby that serves up a mean slice. There are some unexpected niches in some of these middle class neighborhoods as well, like the virtual Chinatown in Sunset Park, where you can get fabulous dim sum at places like Pacificana.

Nicer, more expensive places to live - like Boreum Hill/Cobble Hill and Park Slope - are truly beautiful with their brownstones, numerous cafes and shops, and their leafy green streets. There is a certain moneyed air about neighborhoods like these - it's almost like being in a shorter version of the Upper East Side in Manhattan, but with much younger neighborhoods.

Then of course there are the neighborhoods into which the trendster set has spilled - the hipster neighborhood of Williamsburg. The rents have shot up in Williamsburg in the past few years, so poorer twenty-somethings who want to be close to the action have had to move into Greenpoint and Bushwick, the latter of which is certainly the more affordable - if not the safest - choice. Williamsburg does have some cool bars and some really awesome shopping holes, but overall it's not a beautiful as Park Slope - and McCarren Park is no match for Prospect Park, by far Brooklyn's most awesome park.

A few streets are Nostrand, Utica, and Franklin ave can be particularly dangerous, due to rivaling gangs and robberies. On Nostrand ave (which goes from Crown Heights into Bed-stuy) can be rather dangerous to unfamilars because rastafari can have hot tempers. Drugs was (and still is) a issue, but not as much as before. Franklin is known for Blood gangs, and Utica for robberies.

Closely situated next to Red Hook, this is a safe, clean neighborhood - though it's mostly residential. The homes here are attractive looking and many feature small front yards and driveways. Street parking usually looks packed, which is unfortunate because this is a great neighborhood to have a car as it seems far from amenities like big grocery stores.

This is a nice neighborhood, and unlike its neighbor Red Hook, the rents are relatively pricey. Court Street in Cobble Hill features a number of nightlife spots, and I have heard tell of mob ties to the neighborhood. This is a picturesque and safe Brooklyn neighborhood, however, and I think tourists would appreciate an off-the-beaten-track stroll around it.

I definitely enjoy passing through this neighborhood - it's a lot prettier than my stomping ground in Bushwick - but I can't say that anything about Bed-Stuy really keeps me hanging around. I used to be a member of the YMCA on Bedford, and I have to say that it is probably the best gym in Brooklyn.

I drive through the area a lot on my way to Clinton Hill and I can't say much for the roads - I always know when I've left the neighborhood when Nostrand is suddenly less pot-holy. Some places in Bed-Stuy are pretty run down; for example I once saw a house whose exterior walls were completely caved in or fallen down. The house still retained its furniture.

I know there used to be some major gang problems in the area, but that of late they have been much improved. Like Bushwick, it's a neighborhood that is slowly being gentrified, as the low rents are appealing to the young professional/artistic twenty-something set.

The neighborhood of Brooklyn heights is often likened to Manhattan’s Upper East Side peppered as it with Greek revival and Italianate style red brick and brownstone row houses many of which cost millions. In fact the neighborhood rivals Upper Manhattan not only in prices but also in the beauty and grandeur of the edifices. Brooklyn Heights was in fact one of the fist districts in New York City to be declared as a historical district by the Landmarks Preservation Commission. Some of the area’s most prominent public buildings include the Queen Ann style, Brooklyn Historical society which is located on Pierre Point and Clinton streets and Borough Hall which is an exponent of the Romanesque style as is the US post office building and Court house.

The boundaries of the Brooklyn Heights area extend from Fulton Street near Brooklyn Bridge to Atlantic Avenue in the South and from the East River to Cadman Plaza Park. Some of the area’s most prestigious addresses are located along its most prominent streets like Montague Street, Columbia Heights and Pierre Point Street. Brooklyn Heights also has within its folds the grand Hotel St George which is located on Hicks Street and which once was a 1000 room hotel with a ball room and a salt water swimming pool but which has now been converted into a complex of co-op buildings.

The star attraction in Brooklyn Heights is of course its water-front promenade which has featured in countless Hollywood movies as it affords breath taking vistas of lower Manhattan. In fact some of the most expensive properties in Brooklyn Heights command the price that they do because of the spectacular views that they offer.

Yet another reason which contributes to the Height’s popularity is the excellent schooling facilities that it offers. PS 29(pre-k -5) which is located on Henry Street is a much sought after public school while St Ann’s has its various campuses at Willow, Henry and Pierre Point streets is regarded to be one of the best private schools in the city. Aside from these top ranking schools the area also has other good schools like the Brooklyn Heights Montessori school , the Brooklyn Friends School and the Packer Collegiate as well as the St Francis College which is located on Remsen Street.

I have lived in Brooklyn Heights for four years and it is hard to imagine wanting to live anywhere else. Although it is pricey, as with anything, you get what you pay for. Brooklyn Heights is filled with beautiful tree lined streets with gorgeous, historic brownstones. Brooklyn Heights has the convenience of numerous subways (A,C, F, 2, 3, 4, 5, R, G) either in Brooklyn Heights or right outside the boundaries that are all one or two stops away from downtown Manhattan. It is an easy walk or short subway ride to Atlantic Terminal with all of its shopping, subways, and the LIRR. Brooklyn Heights also has phenomenal restaurants. Henry Street in the North Heights could be considered its own "Restaurant Row" with Henry's End, Noodle, Pudding, Le Petit Marche, Henry St. Ale House, and Iron Chef House. Not to mention the great take-out at Heights Falafel, Fascati, and Great Wall. Brooklyn Heights is also steps from Smith Street--Brooklyn's own restaurant row. There are also the goregous views of downtown Manhattan, the Statute of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge from the promenade--by far my favorite spot in all of New York!

Starting at the great Grand Army Plaza and running all the way through Brooklyn to the Queens border, Eastern Parkway is a wide, busy boulevard that is a prime location for strolling or bike-riding. Filled with elegant brownstones as well as chic and trendy apartment buildings, Eastern Parkway is home to the renowned Brooklyn Museum, which boasts one of the world’s most comprehensive collections of Egyptian art and masterpieces. The Museum also has numerous special exhibits, classes, gallery talks and special events, plus an on-site café and marvelous gift shop. Also on Eastern Parkway is an entrance to the beautiful Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. No visit to Brooklyn is complete without a stop at these two tourist must-sees.