The Times Wraps Its Arms Around Fort Greene
“Fort Greene is Brooklyn’s latest culinary mecca, bewitching foodies with hip, minimalist restaurants. Or it’s a bastion of African-American pride and culture, a historic home to a vibrant community of black families. Or the artistic center of the borough, laying claim as it does to the multifaceted Brooklyn Academy of Music (a k a BAM)….
“Fort Greene is Brooklyn’s latest culinary mecca, bewitching foodies with hip, minimalist restaurants. Or it’s a bastion of African-American pride and culture, a historic home to a vibrant community of black families. Or the artistic center of the borough, laying claim as it does to the multifaceted Brooklyn Academy of Music (a k a BAM). Or maybe it’s the new roost of the nouveaux riches, with pricy brownstones and new luxury condominiums dotting its map. What new and old residents have found is that Fort Greene plays all of these roles with grace and aplomb. It is a busy, blooming hybrid whose slate-sidewalk streets somehow retain their serenity. No one is in a hurry — even as newcomers rush in from all corners of the city to live here.” — NY Times
Photo by Tracy Collins
Brooklyn Curious – I think you’re right on the mark. FG is definitely a more desireable neighbrohood now. The housing stock is generally nice, there are more cool shops and restaurants, and FOrt Green Park is one of my faves in the city. Prices are a bit lower in Prospect Heights. Vanderbilt, Underhill and Washington have started to sprout up a cool collection of stores and restaurants, but still have a way to go. Given the current economic climate, I’d say that it’ll take alot longer than I had originally hoped. Depending on where specifically you are in PH or FG subway access could be better in either neighborhood. PLus PH is closer to prospect park. I would say that in 5-8 PH will be were FG is today. By then, FG will fully park slopified. Good luck. There’s no bad choice, they are both great neighborhoods. You might also look at Clinton Hill, which is similar to PH, with less subway access.
Babs, thanks for the correction on Blue Marble. I guess I was stretching the map a little so I could say something nice about PS . . .
Brooklyncurious you’ve made excellent choices with FG & PH. Now we are biased but the missus used to live in PH so we’ve visited enough to say it has nothing on FG. We are not sure what you mean by “growth potential” but if you mean new development or the chance of an increase in population density then FG is hands down ahead.
Remember there is very little new development in all of PH while here we have massive condo projects along the Myrtle Ave corridor i.e. Toren, Avalon, Clermont, etc. These new developments will have difficulty selling in the next few years but will bring in more people and services when they go rental within the next year or so.
Did you mean growth as in long term real estate value? That will be difficult to predict given the economic climate but both neighborhoods are so well established that you probably can’t go wrong if you are thinking long term .i.e. 5 to 10 years….
And I quote:
“In the center of it all is Fort Greene Park, where play structures buzz with children, and trails are well trod by athletes from Brooklyn Technical High School”
An entire article on Fort Greene and not a single mention of my Alma Mater; Brooklyn Tech?
What gives?
How can you miss that giant antenna?
It’s good enough for Nobel Prize winners, Astronauts and Billionaires, it should rate a mention in a NYTimes article.
thanks to the fortgreeners for all their helpful postings! i’m looking to buy this year and have narrowed down my search to fort greene and prospect heights. i’m wondering if anyone has any thoughts on how the two neighborhoods compare? i’m very drawn to fort greene but my sense is that prospect heights might be a better investment because it has more room for growth than fg. am i off the mark?
Blue Marble is on Underhill in Prospect Heights, or on Atlantic in Boerum Hill. Or have they opened a third? In any case, I love them too!
Let’s not forget LouLou, and No. 7, Epoca, Marquet, Night of the Cookers, Scopella, the Austrian place across from BAM, Cafe Lafayette, Pequeno, Kif…Black Iris…One Greene (which was started as Sushi One), Olea…there are more, Cake Man Raven; and more bar/wine based: Mullane’s, Stone Home Wine Bar (more food oriented), Moe’s and Blue Moon for the younger set, and no one mentioned Junior’s…not that it’s right “in” FG or really that exciting now. And…lest we ignore another place that has weathered the changes: Hua Long…for what that’s worth.
I forgot to mention that blocks in FG have won “Greenest Blook in Brooklyn” over the last years.
Again, I have to reiterate that the open house for the 2-bedroom 590,000 apartment was mobbed. I was astounded. Plus, it was a hike up four knee-crunching flights so you really had to want to see the place and make the effort.
Whoops, the jig’s up!