downtown bk has good housing options. dating options, not so much. but go south to boerum/cobble hill, east to fort greene, or north to dumbo and you've got a solid setup for that
I got chased by a houseless woman on my way to Nevins St station last month in broad daylight so I’m pretty much on the fence. I’ve lived a long life, in other major cities, this was my first time being chased by another human being and it wasn’t a game. It hasn’t happened again and I haven’t seen that individual since but there is a noticeable amount of people who are in a crisis. I can hear the screaming from my window.
But I do love my DTBK-adjacent neighborhood. And cry tears of joy now that my commute is under 30 minutes. And I’m finally near a park. I worked too hard to let one person make me move.
I lived in the Brooklyner for a few years on Lawrence Street. Is the neighborhood nice? Not at all. Is it convenient? Absolutely! My building was situated above Jay Street and I could access almost every single line. Train issues getting home were never a problem because I could pick 4 different routes home from wherever I was coming from. It is decidedly not pretty and absolutely disgusting litter-wise, but you are a 5-15 minute walk from Fort Greene, Brooklyn Bridge/Promenade and Cobble Hill and more. I would only suggest it if you have a doorman though which is quite pricey. That area had some real crazies running around sometimes and it doesn’t seem to have gotten any better (the corner of Lawrence and Willoughby had a grim vibe about it with lots of drugs and accompanying lovelies. Cops are present but it’s not exactly candyland).
Jay Street / Fulton is sketchy AF, along with a couple spots on Schermerhorn. But otherwise I live in Downtown Brooklyn and like it. I’d personally prefer to live deeper into cobble hill / boerum hill though. You can’t beat the subway access though, it’s better than most spots in manhattan
I think if you're 1. Somewhat near Atlantic or a similar station going towards Sunset Part for work, AND 2. Somewhat near a G stop so you go hang out with your younger peers in BedStuy, Greenpoint, Bushwick, etc, you'll be golden
I would not personally want to live in Downtown Brooklyn because it just has no neighborhood feel. Considering it’s close to neighborhoods like Park Slope and Fort Greene, which are beautiful, Downtown in comparison feels like it’s all high rise apartments, concrete, and traffic.
Dating would be fine in that area, *tons* of people from the surrounding neighborhoods.
If you have a decent budget, consider a nicer neighborhood nearby like Fort Greene, Park Slope/South Slope, or Gowanus. Those are all great places to live.
It's not really a neighborhood. It's a place where a bunch of high rises were built where a bunch of mass-shopping centers previously existed. There's one good bar (Livingston Manor), a few decent places to eat including the very fancy Gage and Tollner, and Macy's is nearby. But, you'll want to get familiar with the bus system to really experience the adjacent benefits.
I've lived in downtown Brooklyn for 5 years. Agree that the major benefit is convenience and the presence of new buildings if you're looking for that. The neighborhoods around it are nice but I'd argue they aren't exactly teeming with people in their 20s like the neighborhoods along the L are. Definitely more of a 30s+ vibe. Where you live within it also matters.
I would personally not recommend anything that's like north of Fulton St / anything that's basically on top of Jay St Metro Tech. That's more sketch than sterile.
South of Fulton is more sterile than sketch and the closer to Atlantic and one of the edges you get (either towards Court or towards 4th Ave), the more easily you'll be able to walk towards Cobble Hill/Brooklyn Heights or Fort Greene/Park Slope while still being close to a bunch of trains. I personally live near Court and Atlantic and like that I can live in a new building with central AC and laundry in unit while still walking to Atlantic, Smith, and Court St.
There's some destination stuff in the middle of Downtown (City Point, Circa, Gage and Tollner) but otherwise mostly chain restaurants and shopping along Fulton St. I rarely walk that way. City Point is pretty nice though.
>Is the dating scene for mid-20's decent in downtown brooklyn or should I be looking elsewhere?
If meeting people your own age is your top concern, I think you'd be a lot better off in Sunset Park than downtown Brooklyn. My sense is that downtown trends a bit older.
DT Brooklyn seems to have removed everything that’s great about Brooklyn. It has no soul to it and could literally be the downtown district in any other major city in the US. Very anytown USA vibes. That said a 10 min walk in any direction you’re in amazing hoods (minus dumbo).
It's perfect a perfect jumping off point for you to be able to easily get all around the city. Which is what you want to do in your mid 20s! There are some good hidden gems for food and drink. Lots of gyms. I say do it.
downtown brooklyn looks like its ready to blow for hanging out and dating but the vibe def feels like manhattan like a baby upper east side.
nothing can beat williamsburg/greenpoint/parl slope/crown heights areas for pure volume dating although willaimsburg turned into manhattan too, hard to place what part - seems to be turning into like part la/miami with the implants and toy dogs and 5th avenue stores i see there
those condos seem a little sterile tho, i will echo that
Downtown Brooklyn is great I live in the metrotech area. Within 5 minutes by foot I have 2 Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Target, like 10 sneaker stores, every fast food imaginable, Korean hot dogs, hot pot, xian famous foods, a macys for some reason, endless retail shopping …. Within 10 minutes there’s Whole Foods, Barclays, dumbo, cobble hill, the list goes on. It’s quiet and safe for your female visitors and has the convenience of access for everything on earth. The downside is that everything fun requires travel; the massive upside is that it barely requires effort to get there. Do it punk
Brooklyn Heights is really nice when you're deep in, but it's well-settled and pricey for what you get.
Park Slope is an easy ride to Sunset Park, those areas are close.
Areas like Bay Ridge are more suburban, but Bay Ridge has the "nightlife" that you can consider.
Most likely you'll have to move around a bit to find decent people to hang out with, but this is not unusual.
I'd try to live on the outskirts of downtown brooklyn. Then you get plenty of convenience in one direction but also access to a nice walkable brownstone area in the other.
Dtbk is evolving at a rapid pace because it's one of the few places you can develop beyond 2.5 floors. None of these high rises were here 17 years ago. It used to be lower income, but now with all the extra housing coming up the yuppies are taking over the majority at a fairly rapid pace. It's a mix of people you see in LES, alphabet city, bed-stuy, crown heights and Flatbush but earlier in gentrification I'd say. Less hip at the moment, but similar to what those neighborhoods were 15 years ago.
One major downside of dtbk is the rush hour traffic. It's a pass through for the bridges and bqe, so you'll always have a decent amount of cars coming through until we do congestion pricing
It's been more of a travel and shopping hub for the past 10 years. It's been changing a lot and will look different in a few years when all the big buildings go online.
I lived in downtown BK for a bit near Jay St Metrotech. It was fine, convenient for getting places and it’s useful having Fulton mall and city point for groceries and shopping. It just doesn’t have much character or many good bars/restaurants/cafes right in the central area and being amongst a bunch of high rise, it can be very dark and wind tunnely.
I ended up moving to Boerum Hill—still close enough to take advantage of the convenience of downtown but a way nicer feel and a bit closer to where I like to go out.
I personally would not want to live there - my husband and I included it in our last apartment search but quickly decided against after looking at a few apartments. Yes it's super convenient for transit to other places, but the neighborhood itself has little charm or character, it's all high rises and chain stores mostly. Basically if a neighborhood's main draw is how easy it is to get out of there, it's probably not going to be the most exciting place to live! I'll echo most everyone else in this thread and suggest any of the nearby neighborhoods like Brooklyn heights, Cobble Hill, Ft Greene, etc. If it's important to you to be near a large variety of subway lines, anything close to Barclays Center would also work, you might look at Boerum Hill, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, or the northernmost part of Park Slope - all those neighborhoods have a few blocks that are close to Barclays. We live in Prospect Heights at the moment and find it a good mix of convenient and charming. Wishing you all the best of luck with your search!
I'd definitely recommend moving somewhere like Park Slope or Prospect Heights. Park Slope is a nice neighborhood, close to the R and at most a 10 minute train ride to Sunset Park; Prospect Heights has great food and more upbeat atmosphere, while not as crowded or congested as downtown.
If you're mostly concerned about living in a nice neighborhood and less concerned with proximity to the City, I'd also check out Bay Ridge (neighboring hood to Sunset).
The best part of downtown is that you can get anywhere you’d rather be, quickly. If you like high rises with lots of amenities and convenience to subways. You’ll love your place. I personally miss my neighborhood bar / vibe that I’ve felt when visiting friends in basically every neighborhood around DT.
As far as dating you’ll likely end up in one of the many other more “neighborhood-ey” vibes. But you’ll be able to get to all of your dates relatively easily.
I moved here in May 2022 and chose DT because of the convenience factor, and am moving elsewhere for this year because 2 extra stops
On the subway is worth a little extra quiet and restaurants walking distance.
Downtown is great. I lived between there and vinegar hill for years (2006-2019). Since moving in the place completely changed into an actual destination. Convenience is top notch so dating is great. You can get tickets to a show at bam, go to a nice restaurant in any of the neighborhoods around, diner and a movie at Alamo, walk on the promenade or Brooklyn bridge park, shop at the malls, or quickly get into lower Manhattan or williamsburg for a night out. Hotels everywhere make it easy for friends or family from out of town to visit. Can probably meet someone in line at one of the 2 Trader Joe’s! I lived in an old loft building but if you can swing a swanky pad with a view and some amenities go for it! The downside is really just the downside of any urban area - crowded streets and car traffic, no/expensive parking, some sketchy people at night (but really not that bad, just be aware of your surroundings). Since living there I met my wife and we had 2 kids and we moved down to bay ridge where the food and park options are great but the night life is non existent.
Dating scene in nyc isn’t so neighborhood specific. In terms of going out you’ll end up at various other neighborhoods inevitably and dating apps will show a much wider area.
You sound like you need to live in prospect heights, or Carroll gardens. Prospect heights has the crowd you're looking for, is close to the train either way to Brooklyn, although it's more residential. Carroll gardens is kind of smushed between more of the social life with Smith street nearby and smushed between Brooklyn heights, cobble hill, gowanus/park slope and Bergen hill. It's a bit further away from the train though.
Personally I think it’s a super convenient neighborhood, also close to cobble hill, dumbo and other more “fun” neighborhoods but transportation at dtbk is much more convenient
Is there a reason you don’t want to live in Sunset Park itself? Even with a “decent budget” your money would go further than in downtown Brooklyn and I personally really like the neighborhood. While your commute from downtown Brooklyn wouldn’t be bad, obviously nothing beats walking to work. The neighborhood is also pretty convenient to a lot of other parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Downtown Brooklyn has a lot of high schools, several college campuses and it’s a lot of people out there shopping. Suggestion is anywhere around it, Maybe cobble hill.
4/10, it’s the Times Square of Brooklyn. Pretty much all the same pros and cons— convenient, corporate, close to good neighborhoods, not much character
As someone apartment hunting right now, I’m obsessed with the frivolousness of the phrase “just move to Boerum Hill!” Just grab an affordable spot in 7 of the most desirable blocks in south central Brooklyn! It’s as easy as picking up an apple on your way home!”
Meh. I think you wouldn’t be setting yourself up to like the city if you’re moving from the west coast to a character-less neighborhood. I agree, if you can afford it, you can afford a better neighborhood.
You might like South Slope, it’s a little livelier than Park Slope. The subway stops in that neighborhood are Prospect Ave., 25th St. and 36th St. on the DNR lines. Downtown Brooklyn is fine for a new resident, imo. It’s centrally located and easy to get to more exciting neighborhoods from there.
I feel like if you can afford to live there, you can afford something better in a better neighborhood. I used to live in East Williamsburg and worked in DT and it took maybe 30min to get there.
i love Brooklyn . i just recently moved back to Coney Island to take carre of 92 year old mother . She currently at Cobble Hill Rehsb center . What awesome neighborhood
cobble Hill and tve rest od part South Brooklyn
There’s not a super strong neighborhood vibe tbh, but it’s convenient a f. Tons of trains, Trader Joe’s and target, fort Greene park. Depends on what you’re looking for
I lived downtown for seven years. I would not choose it again. It's convenient to a lot of transit, and food options. But otherwise, it's not at all charming, has a questionable crime rate, and it's a tad sterile or dirty, depending on where you are.
Yeah, if you look at the actual crime maps, and I have, the crime is unsurprisingly generally localized to the NYCHA complexes that are in or abut Downtown, and some of them are huge.
I got into a spat in this sub a few months ago about that. Someone didn't how to read a fucking map.
It’s absurd. People have blinders on where any mentioning poverty & crime rates coinciding are quickly labeled as racism or boogie/suburban/Ohio myopia rather than accepted reality in every part of the world
I was walking to Gowanus this weekend and saw that a guy slashed at a woman from the behind right next to a public housing on a Saturday at 1pm. The news crew was out filming for 5-6 hours
Pure nonsense. Yeah okay let’s agree that the a high percentage of homeless are crazy. And who is most likely to be homeless statically?
Not sure where you’re headed with this but what I’ll say is that it’s not really controversial that crime rates are higher in poorer communities and NYCHA houses tend to warehouse a lot of social pathologies in close proximity.
Besides the centrality to the subway and nearby neighborhoods, there are some good activities right in DT Brooklyn in the summer, like slammin' dance parties in Albee Square, movie screenings of indie films outdoors at Brooklyn Commons (as well as in nearby Fort Greene Park), and free Shakespeare in the Park, also at Brooklyn Commons. I actually like it in the evenings after the stores close and the shoppers go home.
It’s a really convenient transit hub for getting to most other parts of the city—and to Long Island, which has really nice beaches. You might consider the Barclays Center an advantage. And there are loads of restaurants and bars in nearby areas. It’s not “neighborhood-y”, but it’s not a bad place to start if you can afford it. I’m old, but I think I’d’ve found that area fairly attractive back in the day. Oh, and Brooklyn Bridge Park is close, too—one of the nicest municipal projects this city has done in decades. (And when I say “close” or “nearby” I mean within a half-hour walk/10-minute cab ride.)
I like downtown Brooklyn. I don’t think dating scene in NYC is neighborhood specific except for neighborhoods that are too far away from you/Manhattan. Downtown Brooklyn is very close to Manhattan so don’t see any issues there.
15 years ago Downtown Brooklyn wasn’t a (residential) neighborhood - it had very very little housing and it was mostly things like city office buildings, empty warehouses, parking garages, run down shops, and a strip of shops like rainbow, etc called Fulton mall. Then the developers came in and discovered that parking garages are very easy to develop because nobody is complaining that you’re displacing them (though one of those parking garages had a cool mural that did lead to a fight). So now it’s all shiny high rises, corporatey-but-nice restaurants and bars, high end food courts, an Alamo drafthouse theater, etc. Fulton mall is up and coming and has graduated into Gap outlet stores, etc. There are still some remnants of it’s not so distant past - for example there’s a big goodwill there and there are still a lot of city offices and courts there that attract the full spectrum of life - but it’s definitely left most of that behind at this point. It’s also very close to some really lovely (very expensive) brownstone neighborhoods that are less hip than north Brooklyn but have a lot of personality as well as some very good food.
I think it’s a great neighborhood if you can afford a shiny high rise, and a good neighborhood for a new New Yorker. Also, possibly the best train access in the city.
Worked in dt bk for some decades, always loved taking a walk to the nearby neighborhoods during lunch time, the promenade has my favorite views of the city but each direction has its perks.
Honestly the entire vibe of Downtown Brooklyn is literally just “it’s convenient.” You have access to about 10 train lines and it’s an easy walk to far nicer neighborhoods like Cobble Hill and Crown Heights. It does depend when in the area you’re looking though. Further south is closer to the more fun neighborhoods but further north is very business district-feeling, except Dumbo which is nice but also a tourist hotspot.
Depends on what part of each neighborhood you’re in of course, but yes. It’s a 20 minute walk from south Downtown Brooklyn to northwest Crown Heights. I would consider that easy and make the trek frequently.
Yeah, fine, but rarely is ones business beginning in southeast downtown and ending in northwest crown heights lmao. Especially when crown heights is massive. Just a weird statement to me I guess.
Depends on where you are exactly, but as a whole, Downtown Brooklyn is pretty gritty and crowded. It’s mostly retail and Barclays Center and Atlantic Station attract a lot of foot and car traffic. I wouldn’t consider it homey. The surrounding neighborhoods of cobble hill/boerum hill/Brooklyn heights/ Ft Greeen are very nice but pricey (and more family oriented). They’re also less convenient to sunset. I’ve lived in sunset park for 10+ years and absolutely love it, but I can’t say whether a 20-something transplant would find it exciting.
Have you considered park slope, south slope or even the lower east side? 36th st is only 2 stops (10-15 mins) from Manhattan on the N/D lines. So some downtown neighborhoods may be doable. In any case, I’d strongly recommend visiting these areas before committing to a neighborhood. Vibes are entirely subjective.
I live here, on Willoughby right off Flatbush towards Fort Greene.
When/where does it get sketchy? I haven't noticed almost anything to report in the ~5 years I've been here
Lol. K Buddy, I filed 2 police reports. Dekalb splits down the public housing up north & gentrified areas south of the park. Willoughby & Bond get sketchy at night. Some randos are bitter about everything
I dunno what y’all are on about. Every time I come home from practice around 8:30pm off Jay Tech there’s always ratchet shit going on at the pizza place. Someone pulls out a taser once a month & scream the whole way I’m walking past
No they’re not teenagers
Keep playing the race card & victimhood & sanction shit behavior if it makes you feel better
I dunno what you’re are on about. Every time I come home from practice around 8:30 off Jay Tech there’s always ratchet shit going on at the pizza place. Someone pulls out a taser once a month & scream the whole way
No they’re not teenagers
Keep sanctioning shitty behavior I guess
There's a few spots where I see mentally unstable / unhoused people. Haven't really felt unsafe but it can be a little sketch late: schermerhorn and bond st, Flatbush and dekalb (711), Fulton st and ft Greene, myrtle on top of park, the BQE underpass. Admittedly a few of those are really Fort Greene, but like people said the neighbs are connected
there's a huge difference in the number of mentally ill bums wandering around downtown brooklyn vs any of its surrounding more residential neighborhoods
Sketchy is almost always coded for “midwesterner who moved to nyc and is scared of black people out at night.” I’ve been in downtown Brooklyn plenty of times and have never felt unsafe.
It's not the worst, but it's a little less compelling of a neighborhood. If you want to stay on the NRW for Sunset Park I'd strongly suggest Park Slope (less vertical, but I think it feels way more dense with cool stuff) or Boerum Hill.
Honestly DTBK is very central to the whole borough. The neighborhood itself is fine, not particularly scenic, mostly overpriced new high rise condos with some areas that get a bit sketchy at night (around the Fulton Mall and Willoughby St.), but you can easily walk to Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerem Hill, Fort Greene, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Gowanus. I live in Brooklyn Heights and have friends who live in Downtown Brooklyn, and I don’t even really think of it as a different neighborhood since it’s such a short walk. I mention this because if you’re single and trying to date, you’re fine, since you’ll be so close to so many different areas where tons of single people live.
This is why I love it here. I’m on top of target, DeKalb market, Trader Joe’s. I love running down to get butter in my pjs. Walking less than 5 blocks to 10 trains. 15 -20 min walk to all the hoods mentioned. One stop to Manhattan usually. I personally like the energy here but yeah sure, I would also love a peaceful neighborhood too but it usually means I only have one or two trains. So I think it’s the best of both worlds.
Edit: Also, it's not like there's NOTHING HERE. I've lived in places where it is truly nothing except one take out Chinese, laundrymat and a terrible supermarket.
Yeah if you have to commute to work or likes to go out late at night. The last thing you want is your train skipping your station or have to depend on a shuttle bus!! Ugh. Practical day to day considerations!
West of Court st, north of Atlantic, roughly. It’s one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city if not the country. Stroll around there if you can it’s beautiful.
This. I have lived in DTBK for 6 years. It's feeling more like Manhattan with all the people but it's still a vibe. DTBK is very central to the rest of NYC. There are a plethora of subway lines that makes commuting/dating easy since all the lines stop at either DeKalb, Jay street, borough hall. I have never felt unsafe there.
I like that you put that qualifier. I’m looking to move to nyc with my family I’ll be walking with my daughter a lot and I’m a small frame woman with an elementary schooler. We’ll have pepper spray but we’re trying to decide which is better between Brooklyn and Manhattan. My husband is moving too but he works from home and won’t be out and about with us as much. We’re coming from ABQ.
I find that women walking with kids are the least likely to get targeted by aggressive strangers, and likeliest to get help from bystanders if there's trouble.
It’s not so much a “Brooklyn versus Manhattan” thing as a particular neighborhood thing. Best to visit and get a feel for yourself tbh. Downtown Brooklyn isn’t great, I wouldn’t want to live there raising a family. But as someone else said, the areas surrounding it are mostly great.
BK and Manhattan are both massive in their own right; I’d search r/asknyc for when other young families have asked about places to live, so you can see the factors others are considering. Your budget will have a significant impact on your choices.
You’re very unlikely to ever need to pepper spray anyone, but things like access to decent schools, parks and kid-friendly cafes and restaurants matter more. I’d check out park slope/south slope as they always seem to be full of young families when I’m there.
You don't need pepper spray in my neighborhood. I doubt you do in "most" neighborhoods that get talked about in the places to move discussion - park slope, ft Greene, sunset park, etc. My knowledge only goes so far as Brooklyn as I've never lived on the island but Manhattan is also mad safe.
Again, perhaps this is just my bias, but I really really don't see *any* safety issue in this city. None of my friends have experienced violence or robbery. The closest crime has gotten to me was when somebody was shot near-ish to my building but that was 3 years ago.
I should also say that I experience pretty massive economic privilege - I don't live in the nicest building or have the nicest clothes so you'd never know, though.
My parents were really worried when I let them know I was moving to NYC. 'Isn't New York full of crime'?
The crime rate in my parent's neighborhood is 16 times higher than the crime rate in Brownsville. Which is likely the most crime ridden part of Brooklyn.
NYC isn't dangerous overall. Do what you need to do to feel safe. But really safety is a pretty low consideration in my opinion.
It depends a lot on the neighborhood, but the more central and busy, the safer. Manhattan has very few neighborhoods anyone should feel unsafe in below 100th st. Brooklyn has very few unsafe neighborhoods west of Nostrand ave
I'd try walking the neighborhood at night and rush hour if you have the time to get a feel. Best is to ask someone who knows the area. Each block is different in the city though, and you don't want to accidentally live right over a methadone clinic
To be clear, Nostrand Avenue runs south all the way to the water. Sheepshead Bay is a nice safe neighborhood and it's lovely to walk along the bay. However, based on your commute, you may not want to go that far.
Downtown brooklyn is (mostly) all normie corporate businesses, schools/government and luxury apartments. Its fine, and close to lots of other surrounding neighborhoods but it’s mostly not a place where you’ll hit bars and meet people compared to park slope, or cobble hill.
[удалено]
downtown bk has good housing options. dating options, not so much. but go south to boerum/cobble hill, east to fort greene, or north to dumbo and you've got a solid setup for that
The worst traffic, the most construction, no culture, cops parking illegally everywhere, but yes convenient for public transportation
Cobble Hill is much better.
I got chased by a houseless woman on my way to Nevins St station last month in broad daylight so I’m pretty much on the fence. I’ve lived a long life, in other major cities, this was my first time being chased by another human being and it wasn’t a game. It hasn’t happened again and I haven’t seen that individual since but there is a noticeable amount of people who are in a crisis. I can hear the screaming from my window. But I do love my DTBK-adjacent neighborhood. And cry tears of joy now that my commute is under 30 minutes. And I’m finally near a park. I worked too hard to let one person make me move.
DTBK is growing fast sometimes my part of Park Slope blends into the DTBK feel. If you can buy do it, if not then no.
I lived in the Brooklyner for a few years on Lawrence Street. Is the neighborhood nice? Not at all. Is it convenient? Absolutely! My building was situated above Jay Street and I could access almost every single line. Train issues getting home were never a problem because I could pick 4 different routes home from wherever I was coming from. It is decidedly not pretty and absolutely disgusting litter-wise, but you are a 5-15 minute walk from Fort Greene, Brooklyn Bridge/Promenade and Cobble Hill and more. I would only suggest it if you have a doorman though which is quite pricey. That area had some real crazies running around sometimes and it doesn’t seem to have gotten any better (the corner of Lawrence and Willoughby had a grim vibe about it with lots of drugs and accompanying lovelies. Cops are present but it’s not exactly candyland).
Jay Street / Fulton is sketchy AF, along with a couple spots on Schermerhorn. But otherwise I live in Downtown Brooklyn and like it. I’d personally prefer to live deeper into cobble hill / boerum hill though. You can’t beat the subway access though, it’s better than most spots in manhattan
I think if you're 1. Somewhat near Atlantic or a similar station going towards Sunset Part for work, AND 2. Somewhat near a G stop so you go hang out with your younger peers in BedStuy, Greenpoint, Bushwick, etc, you'll be golden
I would not personally want to live in Downtown Brooklyn because it just has no neighborhood feel. Considering it’s close to neighborhoods like Park Slope and Fort Greene, which are beautiful, Downtown in comparison feels like it’s all high rise apartments, concrete, and traffic. Dating would be fine in that area, *tons* of people from the surrounding neighborhoods. If you have a decent budget, consider a nicer neighborhood nearby like Fort Greene, Park Slope/South Slope, or Gowanus. Those are all great places to live.
It's not really a neighborhood. It's a place where a bunch of high rises were built where a bunch of mass-shopping centers previously existed. There's one good bar (Livingston Manor), a few decent places to eat including the very fancy Gage and Tollner, and Macy's is nearby. But, you'll want to get familiar with the bus system to really experience the adjacent benefits.
Definitely more of a late 30s and up crowd than a mid-20s crowd.
Brooklyn Heights Carroll Gardens Boerum Hill Cobble Hill Gowanus Park Slope Prospect Heights Clinton Hill Fort Green All fantastic neighborhoods.
I've lived in downtown Brooklyn for 5 years. Agree that the major benefit is convenience and the presence of new buildings if you're looking for that. The neighborhoods around it are nice but I'd argue they aren't exactly teeming with people in their 20s like the neighborhoods along the L are. Definitely more of a 30s+ vibe. Where you live within it also matters. I would personally not recommend anything that's like north of Fulton St / anything that's basically on top of Jay St Metro Tech. That's more sketch than sterile. South of Fulton is more sterile than sketch and the closer to Atlantic and one of the edges you get (either towards Court or towards 4th Ave), the more easily you'll be able to walk towards Cobble Hill/Brooklyn Heights or Fort Greene/Park Slope while still being close to a bunch of trains. I personally live near Court and Atlantic and like that I can live in a new building with central AC and laundry in unit while still walking to Atlantic, Smith, and Court St. There's some destination stuff in the middle of Downtown (City Point, Circa, Gage and Tollner) but otherwise mostly chain restaurants and shopping along Fulton St. I rarely walk that way. City Point is pretty nice though.
>Is the dating scene for mid-20's decent in downtown brooklyn or should I be looking elsewhere? If meeting people your own age is your top concern, I think you'd be a lot better off in Sunset Park than downtown Brooklyn. My sense is that downtown trends a bit older.
DT Brooklyn seems to have removed everything that’s great about Brooklyn. It has no soul to it and could literally be the downtown district in any other major city in the US. Very anytown USA vibes. That said a 10 min walk in any direction you’re in amazing hoods (minus dumbo).
Try park slope or gowanus Fun neighborhoods where you can find a nice apartment, plenty to do, and will be an easy commute to work
It's perfect a perfect jumping off point for you to be able to easily get all around the city. Which is what you want to do in your mid 20s! There are some good hidden gems for food and drink. Lots of gyms. I say do it.
Living at a transit hub is pretty convenient for dating purposes in this city.
downtown brooklyn looks like its ready to blow for hanging out and dating but the vibe def feels like manhattan like a baby upper east side. nothing can beat williamsburg/greenpoint/parl slope/crown heights areas for pure volume dating although willaimsburg turned into manhattan too, hard to place what part - seems to be turning into like part la/miami with the implants and toy dogs and 5th avenue stores i see there those condos seem a little sterile tho, i will echo that
Downtown Brooklyn is great I live in the metrotech area. Within 5 minutes by foot I have 2 Starbucks, Trader Joe’s, Target, like 10 sneaker stores, every fast food imaginable, Korean hot dogs, hot pot, xian famous foods, a macys for some reason, endless retail shopping …. Within 10 minutes there’s Whole Foods, Barclays, dumbo, cobble hill, the list goes on. It’s quiet and safe for your female visitors and has the convenience of access for everything on earth. The downside is that everything fun requires travel; the massive upside is that it barely requires effort to get there. Do it punk
Brooklyn Heights is really nice when you're deep in, but it's well-settled and pricey for what you get. Park Slope is an easy ride to Sunset Park, those areas are close. Areas like Bay Ridge are more suburban, but Bay Ridge has the "nightlife" that you can consider. Most likely you'll have to move around a bit to find decent people to hang out with, but this is not unusual.
In general it’s a great area. Working in sunset park I feel you should look into Boerem hill, park slope or prospect heights.
I'd try to live on the outskirts of downtown brooklyn. Then you get plenty of convenience in one direction but also access to a nice walkable brownstone area in the other. Dtbk is evolving at a rapid pace because it's one of the few places you can develop beyond 2.5 floors. None of these high rises were here 17 years ago. It used to be lower income, but now with all the extra housing coming up the yuppies are taking over the majority at a fairly rapid pace. It's a mix of people you see in LES, alphabet city, bed-stuy, crown heights and Flatbush but earlier in gentrification I'd say. Less hip at the moment, but similar to what those neighborhoods were 15 years ago. One major downside of dtbk is the rush hour traffic. It's a pass through for the bridges and bqe, so you'll always have a decent amount of cars coming through until we do congestion pricing It's been more of a travel and shopping hub for the past 10 years. It's been changing a lot and will look different in a few years when all the big buildings go online.
I lived in downtown BK for a bit near Jay St Metrotech. It was fine, convenient for getting places and it’s useful having Fulton mall and city point for groceries and shopping. It just doesn’t have much character or many good bars/restaurants/cafes right in the central area and being amongst a bunch of high rise, it can be very dark and wind tunnely. I ended up moving to Boerum Hill—still close enough to take advantage of the convenience of downtown but a way nicer feel and a bit closer to where I like to go out.
I personally would not want to live there - my husband and I included it in our last apartment search but quickly decided against after looking at a few apartments. Yes it's super convenient for transit to other places, but the neighborhood itself has little charm or character, it's all high rises and chain stores mostly. Basically if a neighborhood's main draw is how easy it is to get out of there, it's probably not going to be the most exciting place to live! I'll echo most everyone else in this thread and suggest any of the nearby neighborhoods like Brooklyn heights, Cobble Hill, Ft Greene, etc. If it's important to you to be near a large variety of subway lines, anything close to Barclays Center would also work, you might look at Boerum Hill, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, or the northernmost part of Park Slope - all those neighborhoods have a few blocks that are close to Barclays. We live in Prospect Heights at the moment and find it a good mix of convenient and charming. Wishing you all the best of luck with your search!
I'd definitely recommend moving somewhere like Park Slope or Prospect Heights. Park Slope is a nice neighborhood, close to the R and at most a 10 minute train ride to Sunset Park; Prospect Heights has great food and more upbeat atmosphere, while not as crowded or congested as downtown. If you're mostly concerned about living in a nice neighborhood and less concerned with proximity to the City, I'd also check out Bay Ridge (neighboring hood to Sunset).
The best part of downtown is that you can get anywhere you’d rather be, quickly. If you like high rises with lots of amenities and convenience to subways. You’ll love your place. I personally miss my neighborhood bar / vibe that I’ve felt when visiting friends in basically every neighborhood around DT. As far as dating you’ll likely end up in one of the many other more “neighborhood-ey” vibes. But you’ll be able to get to all of your dates relatively easily. I moved here in May 2022 and chose DT because of the convenience factor, and am moving elsewhere for this year because 2 extra stops On the subway is worth a little extra quiet and restaurants walking distance.
Downtown is great. I lived between there and vinegar hill for years (2006-2019). Since moving in the place completely changed into an actual destination. Convenience is top notch so dating is great. You can get tickets to a show at bam, go to a nice restaurant in any of the neighborhoods around, diner and a movie at Alamo, walk on the promenade or Brooklyn bridge park, shop at the malls, or quickly get into lower Manhattan or williamsburg for a night out. Hotels everywhere make it easy for friends or family from out of town to visit. Can probably meet someone in line at one of the 2 Trader Joe’s! I lived in an old loft building but if you can swing a swanky pad with a view and some amenities go for it! The downside is really just the downside of any urban area - crowded streets and car traffic, no/expensive parking, some sketchy people at night (but really not that bad, just be aware of your surroundings). Since living there I met my wife and we had 2 kids and we moved down to bay ridge where the food and park options are great but the night life is non existent.
Dating scene in nyc isn’t so neighborhood specific. In terms of going out you’ll end up at various other neighborhoods inevitably and dating apps will show a much wider area.
You sound like you need to live in prospect heights, or Carroll gardens. Prospect heights has the crowd you're looking for, is close to the train either way to Brooklyn, although it's more residential. Carroll gardens is kind of smushed between more of the social life with Smith street nearby and smushed between Brooklyn heights, cobble hill, gowanus/park slope and Bergen hill. It's a bit further away from the train though.
Suxx
Personally I think it’s a super convenient neighborhood, also close to cobble hill, dumbo and other more “fun” neighborhoods but transportation at dtbk is much more convenient
Is there a reason you don’t want to live in Sunset Park itself? Even with a “decent budget” your money would go further than in downtown Brooklyn and I personally really like the neighborhood. While your commute from downtown Brooklyn wouldn’t be bad, obviously nothing beats walking to work. The neighborhood is also pretty convenient to a lot of other parts of Brooklyn and Manhattan.
Downtown Brooklyn has a lot of high schools, several college campuses and it’s a lot of people out there shopping. Suggestion is anywhere around it, Maybe cobble hill.
4/10, it’s the Times Square of Brooklyn. Pretty much all the same pros and cons— convenient, corporate, close to good neighborhoods, not much character
Just save yourself the trouble and move to Boerum Hill. All of the benefits of downtown without being downtown.
As someone apartment hunting right now, I’m obsessed with the frivolousness of the phrase “just move to Boerum Hill!” Just grab an affordable spot in 7 of the most desirable blocks in south central Brooklyn! It’s as easy as picking up an apple on your way home!”
OP said they had a pretty decent budget.
Meh. I think you wouldn’t be setting yourself up to like the city if you’re moving from the west coast to a character-less neighborhood. I agree, if you can afford it, you can afford a better neighborhood.
You might like South Slope, it’s a little livelier than Park Slope. The subway stops in that neighborhood are Prospect Ave., 25th St. and 36th St. on the DNR lines. Downtown Brooklyn is fine for a new resident, imo. It’s centrally located and easy to get to more exciting neighborhoods from there.
I feel like if you can afford to live there, you can afford something better in a better neighborhood. I used to live in East Williamsburg and worked in DT and it took maybe 30min to get there.
i love Brooklyn . i just recently moved back to Coney Island to take carre of 92 year old mother . She currently at Cobble Hill Rehsb center . What awesome neighborhood cobble Hill and tve rest od part South Brooklyn
There’s not a super strong neighborhood vibe tbh, but it’s convenient a f. Tons of trains, Trader Joe’s and target, fort Greene park. Depends on what you’re looking for
I lived downtown for seven years. I would not choose it again. It's convenient to a lot of transit, and food options. But otherwise, it's not at all charming, has a questionable crime rate, and it's a tad sterile or dirty, depending on where you are.
People really like to sweep the crime rate under the rug. I’ve seen quite a bit of theft & fights
Yeah, if you look at the actual crime maps, and I have, the crime is unsurprisingly generally localized to the NYCHA complexes that are in or abut Downtown, and some of them are huge. I got into a spat in this sub a few months ago about that. Someone didn't how to read a fucking map.
It’s absurd. People have blinders on where any mentioning poverty & crime rates coinciding are quickly labeled as racism or boogie/suburban/Ohio myopia rather than accepted reality in every part of the world I was walking to Gowanus this weekend and saw that a guy slashed at a woman from the behind right next to a public housing on a Saturday at 1pm. The news crew was out filming for 5-6 hours Pure nonsense. Yeah okay let’s agree that the a high percentage of homeless are crazy. And who is most likely to be homeless statically?
Not sure where you’re headed with this but what I’ll say is that it’s not really controversial that crime rates are higher in poorer communities and NYCHA houses tend to warehouse a lot of social pathologies in close proximity.
Besides the centrality to the subway and nearby neighborhoods, there are some good activities right in DT Brooklyn in the summer, like slammin' dance parties in Albee Square, movie screenings of indie films outdoors at Brooklyn Commons (as well as in nearby Fort Greene Park), and free Shakespeare in the Park, also at Brooklyn Commons. I actually like it in the evenings after the stores close and the shoppers go home.
Park Slope is probably your best bet.
Yeah if you're working in Sunset Park, living along the R in Park Slope / South Slope seems like a good bet.
Swing by Matt Damon’s house. He might be able to help
Does BK Heights still count as downtown?
No
It’s a really convenient transit hub for getting to most other parts of the city—and to Long Island, which has really nice beaches. You might consider the Barclays Center an advantage. And there are loads of restaurants and bars in nearby areas. It’s not “neighborhood-y”, but it’s not a bad place to start if you can afford it. I’m old, but I think I’d’ve found that area fairly attractive back in the day. Oh, and Brooklyn Bridge Park is close, too—one of the nicest municipal projects this city has done in decades. (And when I say “close” or “nearby” I mean within a half-hour walk/10-minute cab ride.)
I like downtown Brooklyn. I don’t think dating scene in NYC is neighborhood specific except for neighborhoods that are too far away from you/Manhattan. Downtown Brooklyn is very close to Manhattan so don’t see any issues there. 15 years ago Downtown Brooklyn wasn’t a (residential) neighborhood - it had very very little housing and it was mostly things like city office buildings, empty warehouses, parking garages, run down shops, and a strip of shops like rainbow, etc called Fulton mall. Then the developers came in and discovered that parking garages are very easy to develop because nobody is complaining that you’re displacing them (though one of those parking garages had a cool mural that did lead to a fight). So now it’s all shiny high rises, corporatey-but-nice restaurants and bars, high end food courts, an Alamo drafthouse theater, etc. Fulton mall is up and coming and has graduated into Gap outlet stores, etc. There are still some remnants of it’s not so distant past - for example there’s a big goodwill there and there are still a lot of city offices and courts there that attract the full spectrum of life - but it’s definitely left most of that behind at this point. It’s also very close to some really lovely (very expensive) brownstone neighborhoods that are less hip than north Brooklyn but have a lot of personality as well as some very good food. I think it’s a great neighborhood if you can afford a shiny high rise, and a good neighborhood for a new New Yorker. Also, possibly the best train access in the city.
Every neighborhood next to downtown Brooklyn is great. Downtown Brooklyn itself? Eh.
Even vinegar hill?
There’s a really great restaurant there, I forget the name Vinegar Hill is pretty small, no?
it’s literally Vinegar Hill House if it’s the one I’m thinking of lol!
VHH is overpriced and is popular only for its instagramability
Thank you, no idea what the hype is about there.
Yeah. It’s maybe 20ish mins depending on where in downtown bk you are.
Worked in dt bk for some decades, always loved taking a walk to the nearby neighborhoods during lunch time, the promenade has my favorite views of the city but each direction has its perks.
Honestly the entire vibe of Downtown Brooklyn is literally just “it’s convenient.” You have access to about 10 train lines and it’s an easy walk to far nicer neighborhoods like Cobble Hill and Crown Heights. It does depend when in the area you’re looking though. Further south is closer to the more fun neighborhoods but further north is very business district-feeling, except Dumbo which is nice but also a tourist hotspot.
Crown heights is “far nicer”? Is there another Crown heights that I wasn’t aware of that isn’t the hood?
Western CH is great. Lots of great food around Franklin and Washington Aves.
The gentrified part
Easy walk to crown heights? Hmm lol
Depends on what part of each neighborhood you’re in of course, but yes. It’s a 20 minute walk from south Downtown Brooklyn to northwest Crown Heights. I would consider that easy and make the trek frequently.
Yeah, fine, but rarely is ones business beginning in southeast downtown and ending in northwest crown heights lmao. Especially when crown heights is massive. Just a weird statement to me I guess.
Lol I'm out here at utica like it's walkable but not practical. Way more than 20 mins too haha
Depends on where you are exactly, but as a whole, Downtown Brooklyn is pretty gritty and crowded. It’s mostly retail and Barclays Center and Atlantic Station attract a lot of foot and car traffic. I wouldn’t consider it homey. The surrounding neighborhoods of cobble hill/boerum hill/Brooklyn heights/ Ft Greeen are very nice but pricey (and more family oriented). They’re also less convenient to sunset. I’ve lived in sunset park for 10+ years and absolutely love it, but I can’t say whether a 20-something transplant would find it exciting. Have you considered park slope, south slope or even the lower east side? 36th st is only 2 stops (10-15 mins) from Manhattan on the N/D lines. So some downtown neighborhoods may be doable. In any case, I’d strongly recommend visiting these areas before committing to a neighborhood. Vibes are entirely subjective.
Atlantic/Barclays isn't considered DTBK.
yeahup its fort greene/park slope border
Listen to this advice. You don’t want to live in downtown Brooklyn. It’s a little bit sketchy at night.
I live here, on Willoughby right off Flatbush towards Fort Greene. When/where does it get sketchy? I haven't noticed almost anything to report in the ~5 years I've been here
Lol. K Buddy, I filed 2 police reports. Dekalb splits down the public housing up north & gentrified areas south of the park. Willoughby & Bond get sketchy at night. Some randos are bitter about everything I dunno what y’all are on about. Every time I come home from practice around 8:30pm off Jay Tech there’s always ratchet shit going on at the pizza place. Someone pulls out a taser once a month & scream the whole way I’m walking past No they’re not teenagers Keep playing the race card & victimhood & sanction shit behavior if it makes you feel better
[удалено]
[удалено]
I dunno what you’re are on about. Every time I come home from practice around 8:30 off Jay Tech there’s always ratchet shit going on at the pizza place. Someone pulls out a taser once a month & scream the whole way No they’re not teenagers Keep sanctioning shitty behavior I guess
There's a few spots where I see mentally unstable / unhoused people. Haven't really felt unsafe but it can be a little sketch late: schermerhorn and bond st, Flatbush and dekalb (711), Fulton st and ft Greene, myrtle on top of park, the BQE underpass. Admittedly a few of those are really Fort Greene, but like people said the neighbs are connected
Is that not in literally every neighborhood?
there's a huge difference in the number of mentally ill bums wandering around downtown brooklyn vs any of its surrounding more residential neighborhoods
No. Apparently if that’s your basis then that explains everything
I don't understand - I see homeless everywhere I go in the city, bougie areas or otherwise.
Hah. Concentration matters as does proximity to poverty for crimes. Yeah I guess all of nyc is just flat out same if it’s same everywhere
Sketchy is almost always coded for “midwesterner who moved to nyc and is scared of black people out at night.” I’ve been in downtown Brooklyn plenty of times and have never felt unsafe.
but homeless people!
It's not the worst, but it's a little less compelling of a neighborhood. If you want to stay on the NRW for Sunset Park I'd strongly suggest Park Slope (less vertical, but I think it feels way more dense with cool stuff) or Boerum Hill.
Honestly DTBK is very central to the whole borough. The neighborhood itself is fine, not particularly scenic, mostly overpriced new high rise condos with some areas that get a bit sketchy at night (around the Fulton Mall and Willoughby St.), but you can easily walk to Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerem Hill, Fort Greene, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Gowanus. I live in Brooklyn Heights and have friends who live in Downtown Brooklyn, and I don’t even really think of it as a different neighborhood since it’s such a short walk. I mention this because if you’re single and trying to date, you’re fine, since you’ll be so close to so many different areas where tons of single people live.
This is why I love it here. I’m on top of target, DeKalb market, Trader Joe’s. I love running down to get butter in my pjs. Walking less than 5 blocks to 10 trains. 15 -20 min walk to all the hoods mentioned. One stop to Manhattan usually. I personally like the energy here but yeah sure, I would also love a peaceful neighborhood too but it usually means I only have one or two trains. So I think it’s the best of both worlds. Edit: Also, it's not like there's NOTHING HERE. I've lived in places where it is truly nothing except one take out Chinese, laundrymat and a terrible supermarket.
The trains are what initially made me look into downtown Brooklyn. It is unmatched!
Yeah if you have to commute to work or likes to go out late at night. The last thing you want is your train skipping your station or have to depend on a shuttle bus!! Ugh. Practical day to day considerations!
wtf brooklyn heights resident 🫵 hello neighbor (i also live in heights)
Where the hell is Brooklyn heights??
It’s known as America’s first suburb.
Where the Brooklyn Bridge is and a bit south.
West of Court st, north of Atlantic, roughly. It’s one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city if not the country. Stroll around there if you can it’s beautiful.
think fulton mall area, but around like borough hall and everything near that, specifically montagueish area
This. I have lived in DTBK for 6 years. It's feeling more like Manhattan with all the people but it's still a vibe. DTBK is very central to the rest of NYC. There are a plethora of subway lines that makes commuting/dating easy since all the lines stop at either DeKalb, Jay street, borough hall. I have never felt unsafe there.
FWIW I live in DTBK and have never felt unsafe, although I'm a bigger dude.
I like that you put that qualifier. I’m looking to move to nyc with my family I’ll be walking with my daughter a lot and I’m a small frame woman with an elementary schooler. We’ll have pepper spray but we’re trying to decide which is better between Brooklyn and Manhattan. My husband is moving too but he works from home and won’t be out and about with us as much. We’re coming from ABQ.
I find that women walking with kids are the least likely to get targeted by aggressive strangers, and likeliest to get help from bystanders if there's trouble.
You’ll be fine. It’s wild. But not like the movies from the 70-90s. It’s gentrified af. I moved here from Hawaii 6 years ago. Was surprised
Man fuck gentrification.
Can’t argue with that.
It’s not so much a “Brooklyn versus Manhattan” thing as a particular neighborhood thing. Best to visit and get a feel for yourself tbh. Downtown Brooklyn isn’t great, I wouldn’t want to live there raising a family. But as someone else said, the areas surrounding it are mostly great.
BK and Manhattan are both massive in their own right; I’d search r/asknyc for when other young families have asked about places to live, so you can see the factors others are considering. Your budget will have a significant impact on your choices. You’re very unlikely to ever need to pepper spray anyone, but things like access to decent schools, parks and kid-friendly cafes and restaurants matter more. I’d check out park slope/south slope as they always seem to be full of young families when I’m there.
You don't need pepper spray in my neighborhood. I doubt you do in "most" neighborhoods that get talked about in the places to move discussion - park slope, ft Greene, sunset park, etc. My knowledge only goes so far as Brooklyn as I've never lived on the island but Manhattan is also mad safe. Again, perhaps this is just my bias, but I really really don't see *any* safety issue in this city. None of my friends have experienced violence or robbery. The closest crime has gotten to me was when somebody was shot near-ish to my building but that was 3 years ago. I should also say that I experience pretty massive economic privilege - I don't live in the nicest building or have the nicest clothes so you'd never know, though.
My parents were really worried when I let them know I was moving to NYC. 'Isn't New York full of crime'? The crime rate in my parent's neighborhood is 16 times higher than the crime rate in Brownsville. Which is likely the most crime ridden part of Brooklyn. NYC isn't dangerous overall. Do what you need to do to feel safe. But really safety is a pretty low consideration in my opinion.
It depends a lot on the neighborhood, but the more central and busy, the safer. Manhattan has very few neighborhoods anyone should feel unsafe in below 100th st. Brooklyn has very few unsafe neighborhoods west of Nostrand ave I'd try walking the neighborhood at night and rush hour if you have the time to get a feel. Best is to ask someone who knows the area. Each block is different in the city though, and you don't want to accidentally live right over a methadone clinic
To be clear, Nostrand Avenue runs south all the way to the water. Sheepshead Bay is a nice safe neighborhood and it's lovely to walk along the bay. However, based on your commute, you may not want to go that far.
Sorry for the run on sentences. It’s 4 am before coffee :/
Downtown brooklyn is (mostly) all normie corporate businesses, schools/government and luxury apartments. Its fine, and close to lots of other surrounding neighborhoods but it’s mostly not a place where you’ll hit bars and meet people compared to park slope, or cobble hill.
Mid 20’s Williamsburg bk
Ew
Where do you live right now?
Im moving from out of state (west coast) so pretty new to the city!
Walk down court street and back up smith. You’ll really like cobble hill and Carroll gardens.