Help me decide between Cobble Hill and Prospect Heights!

Hi guys – I am new to this forum and (hopefully) will be a new resident of Brooklyn! My wife and I are expecting our first child in the summer and are very excited about the idea of living in Brooklyn. Currently, we are deciding between moving to a beautiful 2 bedroom / 1 bath in Cobble Hill or taking on a renovation project in Prospect Heights which would give us 3 bedrooms / 2 baths.

What are your overall thoughts about a young couple in both of these areas? Is the extra space worth taking on the project and (in my opinion) a neighborhood less geared towards families?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

jalexa1218

in General Discussion 7 years and 4 months ago

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NeoGrec | 7 years and 4 months ago

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I live in Prospect Heights so of course like it very well. The closeness of the park and botanical gardens are a huge plus. Great amenities too: subways, food shopping, bars, restaurants, etc. Very diverse and friendly residents. Cobble Hill is great too: arguably the architecture and streetscapes are superior; it’s closer to Manhattan for less expensive cabs home if/when you take them; subway rides are shorter though the walk to the subway may be longer; perhaps more snooty? But the bottom line is the amount of space you’re considering: there’s no contest, surely, between a 3 bed/2 bath home and a 2 bed/1 bath? Unless the neighborhoods are as different as Hunts Point and the West Village, which in this case they most certainly are not!

randolph | 7 years and 4 months ago

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this is a strange question.

slopefarm | 7 years and 4 months ago

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How long are you planning to stay? at least until kindergarten starts? if so, look into the zoned school and school choices for each location.

Guest User | 7 years and 4 months ago

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depends on the scope of the renovation of the prospect heights place. both neighborhoods are nice. but if you’re thinking of doing a full renovation of an apartment while living in it with a newborn baby, you’re braver than most.

Guest User | 7 years and 4 months ago

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depends on the scope of the renovation of the prospect heights place. both neighborhoods are nice. but if you’re thinking of doing a full renovation of an apartment while living in it with a newborn baby, you’re braver than most.

EJR | 7 years and 4 months ago

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Agree this is very difficult to crowd source. Brooklyn as a general matter is “family friendly”, certainly all of the neighborhoods you hear people buzzing about. Cobble Hill and Prospect Heights each have a different feel, but it’s not possible to say that one is better than the other. Do you value access to Prospect Park? If so, then Prospect Heights is closer. Do you plan to use the public school system? If so, check out your options on https://insideschools.org/. Other than that you really need to see which neighborhood you prefer. Personally, I like Cobble Hill better. I grew up in Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill was part of my old stomping ground. That should mean nothing to you personally, however.

This is probably not what you want to hear, but your best option since you seem to not know Brooklyn well is to rent, not buy, for a year or two, and spend time enjoying the differences that various Brooklyn neighborhoods have to offer. Then you can make an informed decision on where you want to live.

jalexa1218

in General Discussion 7 years and 4 months ago

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Thanks for your reply! We have to make a decision pretty soon, and I really do believe in the wisdom of the collective. Thanks for your feedback.

jalexa1218

in General Discussion 7 years and 4 months ago

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Thanks for your reply! We have to make a decision pretty soon, and I really do believe in the wisdom of the collective. Thanks for your feedback.

resident2 | 7 years and 4 months ago

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Why on earth would you take opinions from total strangers about such a personal lifestyle choice?
In my opinion you need to walk the streets of both neighborhoods some more; both are “geared towards families”. Some might think different kinds of families but generations of families have lived in both for well over a Century… one has more cultural institutions than the other; parks, museums, gardens & sports facilities all geared to “families” than the other. The other you see more chauffeur driven cars…