Neighborhood: Brooklyn Heights
Population Density: 19,754 people; population density 61,825 people per square mile (city-wide: 26,798 people per square mile; Brooklyn-wide: 34,917 people per square mile)
Adjacent Neighborhoods: DUMBO, Fulton Ferry, Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Columbia Street Waterfront, Boerum Hill
Public Transit: 2/3 (Clark St.), A/C (High St.), 2/3/4/5/R* (Court St.-Borough Hall)
*The R is undergoing Hurricane Sandy repair work until October 2014. Only Brooklyn-bound weekday service is available.
What’s Here?: Walking through Brooklyn Heights is like stepping into the city’s past. Among the most well-preserved neighborhoods in all of New York, its streets are lined with an elegant assortment of architectural styles, from wood townhouses to Victorian mansions to prewar apartment buildings to classic brownstones. One of this neighborhood’s treasures is the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, where walkers and joggers are treated to majestic views of the Manhattan skyline (as well as of the multimillion dollar homes that line the east side of the promenade.)
The growing Brooklyn Bridge Park is quickly becoming a beloved institution; check out the whimsical playgrounds, commandeer one of the grills in the “picnic peninsula,” and indulge in a cone of Salted Crack Carmel ice cream from Ample Hills Creamery or a General Tso sandwich from No.7 Sub.
Flat or Tall?: Brooklyn Heights was designated a historic district in 1965 and was the very first area of the city to be protected by the Landmark Preservation Law. The result is a neighborhood brimming with old-fashioned charm, thanks to a housing stock that mostly dates to the 19th century. High-rises are few, and mostly limited to commercial streets like Montague and Court.
History: Often called “America’s First Suburb,” Brooklyn Heights got its start as a commuter town in the 19th century, when wealthy families established themselves here (and traveled to Manhattan via steamboat.)
Brooklyn Heights also has a rich literary history: Walt Whitman, Arthur Miller, and Norman Mailer all called the neighborhood home once, and Truman Capote wrote In Cold Blood while renting a basement apartment on Willow Street.
Activities: Sip espresso at rustic-chic cafes like Vineapple and Iris, bar-hop your way down Atlantic Avenue, and grab a number at Sahadi, a massive specialty shop that is paradise for food-lovers.
Check it out: The Syfy Movies With a View series runs all summer long in Brooklyn Bridge Park, where you can also take a dip in Pier 2’s Pop-up Pool. The Atlantic Antic street fair in September draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
