7.3 out of 10

Prospect Heights

Ranked 14th best neighborhood in Brooklyn
40.6774320060857 -73.9680300972659
Great for
  • Internet Access
  • Public Transport
  • Parks & Recreation
  • Clean & Green
  • Eating Out
Not great for
  • Parking
  • Schools
  •  
  •  
  •  
Who lives here?
  • Families with kids
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Retirees
  • Hipsters

Reviews

4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 2/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"One of my favorite areas in Brooklyn"

Located in northwestern Brooklyn, Prospect Heights offers an interesting and unique mix of old and new. The neighborhood has a convenient location, close to some of the best and most popular Brooklyn attractions, including Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Public Library, and the Underhill Playground. Prospect Heights will become even more well known once the Barclays Center opens next year and the Nets begin to play there. This town has become somewhat of a hotspot in Brooklyn, as developers invest more money and more retailers move here. Another point of pride for residents here is the fact that the crime rate has dropped amazingly, giving more people confidence to move here. Housing options are plentiful, and range from well preserved brownstones to town houses, co-ops, and apartment complexes. The pricing here varies; there are affordable low end homes and homes with prices that are comparable to Manhattan prices. The busiest streets in Prospect Heights are on Washington and Vanderbilt. There are lots of shops and restaurants. Access to public transportation is amazing. There are nine subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road, and a number of buses. The commute to Manhattan takes about 30-40 minutes. In my opinion, the major problem with living in Prospect Heights is the school district. The schools here are mediocre; one is doing so badly that the city is thinking of getting rid of it altogether.
Pros
  • Will soon be the home of the Nets
  • Interesting mix of old and new
  • Huge improvement in crime rate
  • lots to do and see - Botanical Gardens, etc
  • up-and-coming bar scene
  • year-round greenmarket at Grand Army
Cons
  • Mediocre schools
  • far from Manhattan, but rent prices don't reflect it
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 2/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 3/5
2yrs+

"A 'hood that hasn't reached the finish line, but doesn't know"

I considered moving to Prospect Heights, but the problem I found was that the apartments available in the area were not only overpriced, but seriously cramped. I know you're probably thinking that this is merely an NYC phenomenon which can't be avoided, but it's worse here than in other areas! Prospect Heights is on the up-and-coming side of things, but it's not quite there yet - unbeknowst to realtors. I'm sorry, but I don't want to pay $2200 for a crappy two bedroom on a cruddy street just because someone opened a cool bar a few blocks away. To make matters worse, people are actually paying these ridiculous rents to live in Prospect Heights, which I predict will put a damper on the neighborhood's development. (Obviously, if the rents are too high, then the cool but poor start-up businesses will start in other areas - like Gowanus. Or Bushwick. Or even Crown Heights.)

The bright side: Prospect Heights is home to cool things, like the greenmarket in Grand Army Plaza, the main branch of the Brooklyn Library, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and the Brooklyn Museum. The area in and around Prospect Park is where most of the trendy new cafes and bars are located, as well as some of the better real estate.
Pros
  • lots to do and see - Botanical Gardens, etc
  • year-round greenmarket at Grand Army
  • up-and-coming bar scene
Cons
  • kinda cruddy, rundown area
  • far from Manhattan, but rent prices don't reflect it
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Hipsters
4/5
2yrs+

"A great Brooklyn neighborhood"

Prospect Heights is a well known neighborhood for its Caribbean culture. It is located in northwestern Brooklyn and lies along the northern edge of Prospect Park. This is a brownstone neighborhood that is home to many historic treasures and attractions. The Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, the Brooklyn Public Library, and Grand Army Plaza are all located within the community of Prospect Heights.

The attractions in Prospect Heights combined with the grand homes and 19th century opulence make this neighborhood quite attractive in spite of its increasing real estate and rental prices. The most expensive properties are found along the Eastern Parkway and on the neighborhood’s south end between Carlton and Vanderbilt.

Grand Army Plaza hosts a farmer’s market on Saturdays, and the Nkiru Center for Education and Culture includes the oldest African American bookstore in Brooklyn. Here there are literacy programs, workshops, storytelling, and lectures. Caribbean presence drives even more culture to the area.

Transportation to and from the area includes the 1 and 2 trains that stop at Bergen, Grand Army Plaza, and Eastern Parkway.

Most restaurants, shops, and café’s can be found along Vanderbilt Avenue and provide treats and wares for every palette. You will find a lot of diversity in Prospect Heights when it comes to retail shops.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
5/5
2yrs+

"Prospect Heights - fantastic place to live, not cheap."

If ever a picture of Brooklyn was instilled in psyche of Americans across the country, Prospect Heights is that picture come to life. Beautiful brownstones on a real live Park Place, tree-lined streets, and sophistication are in each step of this immaculate and upscale neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York.

Prospect Heights is a diverse neighborhood located in the expansive Prospect Park neighborhood. Prospect Park, known for its free live concerts during the summer months, as well as a vast array of artistic performances, ice skating rink, and beautiful scenery. This is the heartbeat of this neighborhood, and of downtown Brooklyn. Prospect Heights is renown for its affluent population of mainly Caucasian and African-American descent. It is one of the few neighborhoods that displays such an equal cross-section of people.

Real Estate in this neighborhood is great, but does not come inexpensively. Condos and Coops sell for at least $400,000, while renting and subletting can be done for $1500 or more.

Entertainment and dining in the neighborhood is fluid, especially on Vanderbilt Avenue. There are several restaurants, shops, and stores in this neighborhood, all reflecting the diversity and affluence of the neighborhood. This street is a frequent haunt of people from all over the city looking for unique eats and unique treats.

Transportation to the neighborhood of Prospect Heights is simple with the B and Q train on Flatbush Avenue as well as several buses connecting this area with other areas of Brooklyn and the rest of the city.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
4/5
2yrs+

"Nice neighborhood for residents with money"

There is a variation of residents here – people of a mixture of ethnicities live in the rowhouses on these tree-lined streets. The actual neighborhood is relatively small, and you can have your pick of 1890s brownstones or shiny new luxury apartments if you can afford the rents. Though Prospect Heights borders on some not-so-nice spots, there are actually some pretty cool places to go here, like Flatbush Farm. Local farms supply this restaurant with organic ingredients, which is always reassuring, and even if the restaurant has the word ‘farm’ in the title, this space is actually chic and chill. Oh, and the food is great, too!
Recommended for
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees

Travelling to Prospect Heights?

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Best Streets in Prospect Heights

1

Plaza St East

3.5/5
"An unexpected gem!"
40.6755132005124 -73.9703952663618
2

Grand Ave

3.5/5
"another great place for family"
40.6777205276569 -73.9623890145498
3

St Johns Pl

3.5/5
"great neighborhood to start a family"
40.6737066988405 -73.9635218910095
"I Love it here!"
40.6756421706434 -73.9633484962731

Unranked Streets in Prospect Heights

Carlton Ave

3.5/5
"Busy in Park Slope, Relaxing in Fort Greene"
40.6796353436309 -73.9715565268744

Pacific St

3.5/5
"On Pacific Street"
40.6808316715275 -73.9670818392805
"Crowded together, high traffic"
40.6769603737583 -73.9655010406482

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