Flatbush Ave, Flatbush

I've looked at some really awesome apartments in Ditmas - but there are a few reasons I didn't move into this neighborhood. For one, it seems to be mostly populated by the older generation and a few Jehovah's witnesses (who are ever sitting outside their apartments, passing out flyers). And another - it's far away from anything cool and trendy, and let's face it: part of the reason twenty-somethings move to the city is to be near things that are cool and trendy.

That said, I would recommend this neighborhood to anyone looking to settle down a bit (or a lot). I think it's traditionally a working class sort of 'hood, and that's why you can get a huge apartment for a reasonable price.

There are a lot of one family homes here with gorgeous lawns, and there are some pretty cool pre-war brick buildings that have yet to be gut renovated and made into the tiny boxes enjoyed by the rest of the city. Cortelyou Road offers a few cool places to eat, as well as some cafes.