Brooklyn Dominates NY Mag's Best Nabe List
New York Magazine serves up one of its most link-baity and click-generating issues in recent memory with its list of the 50 most livable neighborhoods in the city. There’s plenty of number crunching (the formula weights Safety at 8 percent and Green Space at 5 percent, for example) and a disclaimer that “it is of…
New York Magazine serves up one of its most link-baity and click-generating issues in recent memory with its list of the 50 most livable neighborhoods in the city. There’s plenty of number crunching (the formula weights Safety at 8 percent and Green Space at 5 percent, for example) and a disclaimer that “it is of course impossible to come up with a completely objective answer.” Still, there can be only one Number One, and this year it’s much-maligned Park Slope, land of the stroller moms and annoying co-op members, some detractors would say. “It’s blessed with excellent public schools, low crime, vast stretches of green space, scores of restaurants and bars, a diverse retail sector, and a population of more artists and creatives than even its reputation for comfortable bohemianism might suggest (more, in fact, than younger, trendier Williamsburg),” says MY Mag. “It might not be everyone’s idea of a perfect neighborhood, but statistically speaking (by a hair), there’s nowhere better.” Amazingly, the Lower East Side comes in at Number 2 (really?), followed by Sunnyside, Queens at Number 3 and Cobble Hill & Boerum Hill lumped together at Number 4. Brooklyn continues to dominate the Top Ten with Greenpoint at Number 5, Brooklyn Heights at Number 6 and another combo, Carroll Gardens & Gowanus, at Number 7 and Prospect Heights at Number 9.
The Most Livable Neighborhoods in New York [NY Mag]
Photo by Pete Biggs
Great…now who cares? You work on Park Avenue…get back to it.
Brownstoner:
Here’s how Brooklyn neighborhoods would be rated during the 1950s and early 1960s when I lived there as a boy:
Brooklyn Heights: shabby genteel
Park Slope (from Flatbush to Third Street, Prospect Park West to 7th Avenue): shabby genteel
Park Slope (beyond rectangle above): slum
Clinton Hill: bohemian/shabby genteel
Prospect Heights (Crown Heights): sliding fast
Fort Greene: slum
Boerum Hill: slum
Cobble Hill + Carroll Gardens + Red Hook (all actually “South Brooklyn”): slum
Williamsburg: slum
Bushwick: slum
Greenpoint: Green-what? Is there such a place?
Nostalgic on Park Avenue
Midtown West is on the 10 ten if money were no option? yuck. High rise between Olive Garden and the Lion King? Is there a grocery store anywhere over there?
I’m starting to feel rather bitchy and full of attitude now that I’ve made a second cup of espresso.
Not sure why anyone would want the greatness of their neighborhood publicized. I would think that would just attract tourist attention and those with the means to price you out of that neighborhood – no doubt both would change the demographics and feel of your beloved hood. Besides, who cares what others think?
I’m certainly ambivalent about how Brooklyn has become a cool place to live. I enjoy not having to go to the city for night life but irked that Brooklyn is becoming a destination. Guess you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Suburban Rochester is also very “livable,” but I don’t know what that gets you. For many of us, “livable” and “best” are often two very different things, although I suppose for the hailing-from-Long-Island-but-aspiring-to-be-Carrie-Bradshaw New York Magazine crowd, the two are more likely to converge.
I’m going to make another one. if i have to stand there while I the two baristas are talking to each other about where they went clubbing over the weekend I’m going to have a hissy fit.
DIBS, is it safe to assume you wouldn’t be a supporter of a Barista’s Union?
BTW: I live in Park Slope, so I guess I should be happy that they rated it #1. Nevertheless, I stand by my comments above. Anyone who takes these surveys seriously should have their heads examined.
Agreed. As the Haitian Prince of PS, I’m happy to see the #1 rating. But it means NOTHING @ the end of the day. I’m more happy to see Bklyn all over the list.