neighborhood info
I’ve been checking out some houses in Brooklyn Heights, and have some questions about the neighborhood. All you residents out there, which areas are considered less desirable? Is it bad to be too close to Atlantic? Is parking really as difficult as people say. I had a realtor tell me you can park on the…
I’ve been checking out some houses in Brooklyn Heights, and have some questions about the neighborhood. All you residents out there, which areas are considered less desirable? Is it bad to be too close to Atlantic? Is parking really as difficult as people say. I had a realtor tell me you can park on the street and only have to move once a week. Is this true? Appreciate any info you care to share.
AS for garages…
… there is the one on State and Willow (although they have been known to drop cars down the elevator, literally). It’s valet and not open 24 hrs.
… I used the big garage on the corner of Atlantic and Court. It’s park yourself and its 24/7 accessible. It’s a bit of a walk, but I only use the car once every other week or so, so I don’t mind it. Plus, it is nice to be underground in the winter, the car was always toasty.
… there is a garage in the building on Hicks St, just north of Pierrepont. But I think it’s hard to get a spot in there, building residents get first dibs. Same with the Cadmen garages on Henry/Pineapple.
As for the touristy, it only feels like that once in a while. No tour buses come through, just once in a while you get big crowds. But not at all what I would consider a “touristy vibe”
Well, to get super-micro on you: a house on garden place off state is great — should have had garden place on my list. Great! I love garden place. The entire neighborhood trick or treats on garden place (get ready!) and gabriel byrne is your neighbor. How can you go wrong?
And literally, right around the corner onto State? I don’t like it nearly as much. It’s a great street, not too busy, and a garage right there (state/willow place). But it’s not really the uber-charming street brooklyn heights is known for. Lovely homes, but not the same thing.
Also, being near the promenade is not living in a touristy area. I know it seems like it should be, but it doesn’t have that feeling.
I honestly don’t think there’s anything special on the market right now in Brooklyn Heights. If you’re looking at properties in the $3+mm range, I dont think there’s anything special on the market now.
Lastly, if you’re in need of a broker, try Kevin Carberry (.com). He’s sort of the old school broker for the rich. Not that I’d know…
How about the corner of Garden Place and State as a micro-neighborhood. I think you can hear traffic in the backyard, but not in the house. I like being close to Trader Joes, and although I love the promenade, I lived in a very touristy area once before and really prefer to avoid having weekends in the city like that. This is all really helpful information. I especially appreciate any parking and garage tips for this area. A car is definitely part of the picture.
Thanks.
Here would be my tip top picks (in no order): fruit streets (closer to columbia heights), columbia heights, willow street, remsen (first 3 blocks off water), pierrepont (first 3 blocks off water), willow place, columbia place, monroe place.
I don’t like the streets closer to atlantic as much and would avoid the busier streets like state, clinton, henry, hicks, livingston, anything in the block off court.
Listen, it’s all good. But are you buying a house? I think I’d need to know the micro-neighborhoods before I did that. Things can differ on a block to block basis.
I park on the street, move it once a week and live to tell the tale.
Anywhere in the Heights is fine (family’s been here 96+ years, so I might be a bit biased… 😉 )
State is really only “noisy and congested” between Clinton and Court. The rest of State isn’t too congested (and in general I wouldn’t consider any part of it too bad).
Clinton, Hicks, and Henry are the main/only N/S streets so places right on those blocks will see a lot of traffic.
Pierrepont is a great block kind of in the middle of everything, not far from the subway, but still pretty quiet. Remsen is much more busy (metered parking and such).
Look at cross streets or the N/S streets between the water and Court (Columbia Heights, Willow, Garden, etc).
And yes, parking is miserable. Ditch the car or be prepared to pay $350+ a month and it might be a 10 minute walk to the garage.
Good luck
I lived on Henry St. and Love Lane for about 4 years. I think the most desirable part of the Heights would be west of Henry between State and, maybe, Cranberry, though Monroe Place is very lovely. I find the low part of Joralemon and Willow interesting and neighborhoody feeling but you may find it too close to the BQE. The parts of Hicks and Henry closing in on the BQE have a less neighborhoody feel. I think that condo on Poplar reinforces this becuase the buildings orient themselves toward their rear parking.
Remember that alot of tourists show up for the Promenade, especially in good weather. I once cound’t get out my front door due to a huge group of hefty middle aged German or Austrian women streming down the sidewalk.
Thanks Johnny. I was looking at a place on State and wondering if that was the case. I understand that it is a very desirable neighborhood, but because I haven’t livex there I wanted to ask the locals what they thought. As you may have noticed, houses there ain’t cheap, so I want to do as much research as possible. Thanks for all the comments.
Love the Heights. But some streets are very noisy and congested at rush hours. Clinton, State, couple of others.
OK, I am not normally one to jump on a forum poster, but is this for real? I can’t imagine anyone short of Truman Capote is worried about living in the “wrong” or “less desirable” part of Brooklyn Heights (Truman had a pretty difficult adjustment to his temporary life on this side of the East River, apparently, and he wrote quite wittily and crankily about it).
Agree with WT. Yes, you only have to move a car once a week. But that is because there is parking only on one side of most streets. Take your typical brownstone neighborhood, add money and density (i.e., more cars) and subtract parking spaces, and the going gets pretty rough. Add a garage to your budget, or zipcar.