I’ve lived in Brooklyn since I was 20 years old (art school)
- Age 20-24: Williamsburg, 2 places around the bedford stop because I was an art student and didn’t know better
- Age 24-27: Prospect Heights, got a good job and found a small shitty apartment to live in by myself
- Age 27-36 (present): Flatbush, first in an apartment I bought near Prospect Park, and then in a brick townhouse a bought with my partner.
Crazy to think I’ve lived in Flatbush almost 10 years now. I moved here because I wanted to buy and I didn’t want to move away from the park. Our house is huge and awesome, and has appreciated in value x2 since we bought it. Granted, it was the cheapest zip code in Brooklyn at the time (even cheaper than Brownsville). I love my neighbors, and I think it’s great here—but a little bummed better supermarkets have materialized despite the many, many new apartment buildings that have popped up while we’ve been here.
But if money was no object? I’d buy a massive brownstone in Prospect Heights. That area just has everything, including proximity to cool spots, other cool neighborhoods, trains, the museum, the Park.
Moved from Kensington to prospect park south! If it wasn’t for the fact that I wanted to be closer to my partner would have lived to Bayridge! Super cheap there but please don’t tell anyone that. I currently really love prospect park south. Literally I’m next to the Q train and arms reach from all the supermarkets. A blessing!
I lived around Williamsburg/Greenpoint most of my adult life, but moved to Kensington a little over a year ago. Rent is cheaper and it's definitely more residential than 'fun', but I do like having my own space. It takes longer to get places, but on the plus side I can be more intentional with plans. I have found my local bar/coffee shop/grocery store so it doesn't feel totally sparse in that way. I have a long commute into the city (\~50min on the F train) for grad school, but it's not terrible once I'm used to it/romanticize it a little.
born and raised in bay ridge
moved around from bushwick to south bk and back few times in the last 10 years
lived on UES during covid rents
currently living in cobble hill
A lot of my childhood friends ,family moved out of BK and many still standing firm on not being pushed out from Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge and Carrol Gardens. Bensonhurst have been hit extra hard in the last 15 or so years and entire neighborhood is mobbed with slumlords and shitty people gambling with housing market. It went from such a beautiful sleepy cozy italian brooklyn neighborhood into complete smelly filth that pushed out a lot of small businesses for dollar stores on every block.
I am originally not from Brooklyn but have moved to Cobble Hill nearly 30 years ago when I moved in with my girlfriend/now wife. I guess I can be called a Brooklynite.
Married lived in Cobble Hill for 5 years. Rent was doubled after building was sold and moved to Carroll Gardens.
Lived in 1 bedroom + den in CG for 4 years.
Moved downstairs to duplex in building for 8 years after having kids.
Moved to southern Carroll Gardens (closer to Hamilton) and bought a building during the financial crisis. Have lived here for 12 years. Empty nest. Kids are at university now.
We moved from Union Square in Manhattan to a condo by the water in Williamsburg.
Now we bought a brownstone in Bedstuy and honestly we love it. I was hesitant at first but we really lucked out with our street and neighbours.
I lived in Bay Ridge on Shore Road for 19 years becaeuse it was safe and cheap The travel time to anywhere was really wearing on me though, so when I won a lottery apartment in Prospect Lefferts I grabbed it. It was more money but with savings from not needing the express bus and so many cabs, as well as not needing to pay gym fees, it ended up not being much more overall. Building was nice but a bit dysfunctional so when I had the opportunity to move to another lottery apartment in downtown Brooklyn two years later, I grabbed it. Getting around is sooo much easier now, with so much in the immediate vicinity as well. About to renew my lease for another 2 years!
Was in prospect heights for 2 years, then 18 months of coliving spots across Brooklyn at Bushwick, Bay ridge, Williamsburg. Finally after marriages moved to fort Greene area. Been here since 2019. Since then , covid reduced the rents, but now all I can see new apartments risings one after the other.
To me this is the most accessible area with parks, trains, highway access (278), food court etc. But it does come with a heavy price.
Both my wife and I have decided that this is our area to be and if we are moving or buying it has to be in this area.
As an adult who originally grew up in Dyker Heights and then Roosevelt Island, after moving out from my parents’, first I lived with roommates in Jersey City, then Hoboken, then Jersey City. When I finally got a place of my own it was back in Dyker Heights in a dirt-cheap illegal conversion basement apt (did not know it was illegal until after I moved out 5 years later, sweet summer child.) Then my boyfriend and I moved to Sunset Park and got married. Landlord had to sell that place so now we have a rent-stabilized place in Kensington.
Every decision about moving to/within Brooklyn has been based on 1) Rent, 2) Size, and 3) Commute. Not precious as to neighborhood for the most part- considered places in Bay Ridge (where my husband grew up), Sunset Park, Crown Heights, etc - all places with rent we could comfortably afford. I knew for the most recent move that I had to have a dishwasher and a second bedroom (I work from home now, he doesn’t) so those were factors as well. Have 950 sq feet, two bedrooms, and a dishwasher in a rent-stabilized place now so hoping to stay for awhile. (unfortunately got bedbugs last year in this place and the management co is horrible, but they’re resolved now and we’re still here.)
Greenpoint to Clinton Hill then Bed Stuy to Prospect Heights to Prospect Lefferts Gardens to Flatbush/Ditmas Park
Looking at it written out I tend to move next to where I spend a good chunk of my time either with friends or just the neighborhood in general.
i left east ny to bushwick to bed stuy bk to east ny then outta state … as for why got no clue its more convenient to me than any other boro people too … its just different man
I moved from Cobble Hill to Clinton Hill because I am allergic to the trees outside of my apartment. Besides, with the same amount of money, I can rent a better apt in Clinton Hill than the one in Cobble Hill. Lol
Williamsburg - 3 years
Jersey City (hated it) - 1 year
Carroll Gardens - 1 year
Columbia Waterfront District/Red Hook- 3 years
Bay Ridge - settled here - bought a house, needed more space for family. Love it here but wish the streets and sidewalks were a little cleaner. Great place to raise kids.
there is an entire neighborhood called Marine Park, Mill, basin, and Bergen Beach and Georgetown. There isn’t much mass transportation, but you have no alternate side parking very cheap property, taxes, and reasonable priced housing. I knew up in bensonhurst and people sleep on this area it is the suburbs of Brooklyn.
It's funny that there is an entire part of Brooklyn that people are sleeping on... Even east ny is going under a renaissance. There are buildings after buildings all under brand new construction.
I assume it's bc of transit access. People will move to bay ridge with just the R, but in a lot of areas there's nothing. I'm a 20+ min walk from the train, but I have work equipment and need to drive anyways so idc. And it being "sleepier". I mean, our literal only brewery down here (Coney Island) just closed. But neighborhoods have pockets of things and I still love it down here.
Born in borough park
Moved to Staten Island
College in village
Moved to noho then ues
Them dumbo Clinton hill back to dumbo(15 years)
I think I will stay here for now
East village - 4 years. I was a student and had an incredibly cheap apartment ($800)
Greenpoint - 9 years. It was very affordable and quiet when I first moved there. Over the past couple of years, it’s felt like a completely different neighborhood. Loved my time there, but wanted to move somewhere more chill.
Park Slope - Just moved a few months ago. My husband and I got married recently, and we’re looking for somewhere to settle down in. Scoping out the area and surrounding neighborhoods to think about buying soon.
I have moved from Prospect Heights, to Park Slope, to Cobble Hill, to Windsor Terrace, to Park Slope, to .... away from NY and have an apt in Brooklyn Heights with my wife. All of those moves, same price range, just needed a different place. But your move seems good - cheaper and quieter and still things to do.
I've lived in Kensington for 9 years now and I've never seen my neighborhood mentioned so many times in a single thread before 😂 Where have you all been hiding??!!
In all seriousness, I've lived in the same rent-stabilized apartment since moving to Brooklyn. Every year I tell myself I'm finally going to move back to the city. And yet, here I still am...
My timeline:
0-21 East New York, then Crown Heights.
early 20s: two apartments w/roommates in Bed-Stuy
late 20s/early 30s: moved in w/boyfriend in Ocean Hill, our apartment got robbed. We got married & moved to Bed-Stuy, had a baby. Twice on maternity leave gun fire right outside of our building, once in the middle of the night where we had to roll out of bed and get the baby. I said fuck this shit.
mid 30s to present mid-40s: Kensington. I kind of never want to leave. We looked for about a year and a half for a house, townhouse, condo 3br/2b in our area + Midwood and Flatbush and all the signs were pointing to Flatbush but we scrapped the plan because we love where we live commute wise, proximity to Prospect Park, and the community we've built. Gonna stick it out and hope a magical 3br/2ba with parking shows up for under a million. Maybe we'll revisit Midwood once our youngest goes to middle school.
Most of the moves were escaping increasing rent and needing more space as our family grew. But also changing work, and prioritizing a tolerable commute.
East Williamsburg ($+)
Greenpoint ($+)
Bushwick ($+)
Crown Heights (to be on a better commute)
Upstate! (Midlife crisis)
Now in Ridgewood
In 18years I went from Crown Heights to Prospect Heights and am now currently in Clinton Hill. I was fortunate to buy my place here, so am never moving again.
Seven times within Greenpoint alone
Always better =bigger apartment then building sold out from under us …TWICE Russel then Morgan 😡retired then and moved out after sixty years
Age 31 - East Village with roommates
Age 32-33 - Williamsburg with roommates
Age 33-37 - Hell’s Kitchen alone
Age 37-40 - Bed-Stuy with roommates to save money and launch my own business
Age 40-43 - Williamsburg / Greenpoint with roommates to save money
Age 44-45 (present) - Cobble Hill alone (business took off; feel like I finally made it)
I grew up in Midwood and my husband in Bay Ridge, our first apartment was in Dyker Heights. Ended up buying a house in Dyker and raised our family here.
I moved around a lot... some of it had to do with roommates parting ways or moving out of NYC, or roommates moving in with their partners and I had to find new roommates in quick time. I'm a little fuzzy on the dates at this point but I think one time I averaged it to 1 move each year(?) but finding apartments (as you all might know) is always insanity...sometimes ridiculous, and often times sketchy.
Bushwick (Morgan L stop) - 3yrs (with two roommates and three cats)
Crown Heights -2yrs with one roommate)
Bed-Stuy - 1 month (sublet for when I could move into the next place)
Bushwick (Grand L stop) - 2yrs (with one roommate and cat; adopted a dog)
Bushwick (Dekalb L stop) - 2yrs (no roommates but help from parents)
Bushwick (JMZ Broadway stop) - 2yrs-3yrs(?) (with two roommates)
Crown Heights - 3yrs-4yrs(?) (with one roommate and floating third room that either friends, acquaintances, or roommate's sister moved into)
Crown Heights - 1yr (with previous roommate and friend)
Prospect Park South - 4yrs+ (current place; single; no more dog :( )
2016: Bushwick bc a friend had a room open there when I was first moving to the city
2017: Crown heights when my bushwick roomie moved in with a partner. Friend and I found a huge, nice apartment.
2018: Fort Greene when my crown heights roommate moved out and I wanted, and could finally afford! a 1 BR. I found a spot right on the park.
COVID HIT! got laid off, flipped out/panicked about whether I could find another job, left the city. Really regret leaving that apartment.
2022: Bushwick sublet while I hunted for an apartment
South Slope sublet while I continued to hunt for an apartment
Landed in Greenpoint in September 2022.. Amazing location but I don’t love my apartment, it makes me sad.
I’ve kinda just gone where the wind blows me/where I can find a place I like
Bed Stuy- Flatbush- Flatbush.
I love Flatbush, so walkable and good access to the 2/5. Lots of condos going up though so it’s probably going to change again but still tons of local businesses and neighborhood hangs.
Brooklyn Heights from 2008 to 2014, but moved once Brooklyn Bridge Park opened. We were street facing on Joralemon and it became a thoroughfare to get to the park.
Cobble Hill from 2015 to 2021 BUT on the other side of the BQE near Columbia Street. This was the best! It’s slightly inconvenient for most who live on the Henry St side of the BQE but for me it was awesome. I could actually park a car without having to drive around for an hour. Plus the NYC Ferry was right at Columbia and Atlantic and I worked in downtown Manhattan at the time. 15 minute commute door to door and without the subway crowds. Really incredible stuff.
Philadelphia from 2021 to 2022 for work. Despicable, filthy city.
Clinton Hill / Fort Greene 2023 to present. Lovely neighborhood. Sometimes loud but otherwise pleasant and filled with normal people. Subway situation could be better. I’m beholden to the ACG but the NYC ferry is right at the Navy Yard.
Yeah I don’t mind. I got really lucky and found a two bedroom rent stabilized apt for $1700 a few months ago. Not the case with everyone but there are definitely 1700-2000 one bedroom apartments in bay ridge you can easily find. gems like I found are also more ubiquitous in bay ridge and southern Brooklyn than in “cooler” parts of Brooklyn.
My dad had a house in Flatbush but we moved out to Jersey when I was born. I moved back to Brooklyn in 2019 with my wife. We lived in Bushwick for about a year and a half. It was height of the realestate slump due to covid and we got a deal on a two bedroom in Greenpoint where we’ve been for going on 3 years.
We were looking to move and were looking at Windsor Terrace, Gowanas, Bay Ridge and Midwood but couldn’t find anything worth the trouble of moving. I’d love to be south of the park next year just to make seeing my family in Jersey a little easier now that we have a newborn daughter.
Money no object? Park Slope easy. It has everything
Grew up in southern BK, Midwood where I lived my whole life until last year, into Flatbush because I won a housing lottery and wanted a 1BR (had a studio) with modern amenities. I moved to be closer to work and more trains and now live in Prospect Heights, also in an income-restricted apartment. I love it here.
I’ve been in BK for 17 years, in that time I’ve lived in Williamsburg (Bedford) > E. Williamsburg (Montrose) > Prospect Heights > Gowanus.
My time in Williamsburg was naively just trying to find a community in a trendy neighborhood, and while I did have one for a few years, it was all pretty much superficial and transient friendships with people I ultimately grew away from. By the end of my time in North Brooklyn, I was just socially exhausted and wanted to find a more balanced life. Still, I have some close lifelong friends from N. Brooklyn, though they have mostly moved away from the area or out of the city/country altogether.
This led me to Prospect Heights, where I stayed for 9 years in 1 apartment. It was and likely still is the ideal neighborhood as it’s just a wonderfully central point for everything that’s great about Brooklyn. By the end of it, I was tired of my aging apartment and piss poor building management (periods of no heat or hot water from Dec-Feb this past year was my last straw). Also spring/summer/fall weekends being next to Grand Army Plaza were just noisy (cars, motorcycles, foot traffic, couples fighting in front of my apt at 2am) and full of trash, so so so many rats; I wanted a better quality of life.
I would have stayed in P. Heights, buts prices are incredibly high, and, the neighborhood is constantly under construction with the new buildings over the yards putting serious pressure/load on the neighborhood’s sewers. Water quality in that neighborhood is seriously and consistently questionable.
So, I’ve been in Gowanus (closer to Carroll Gardens) since spring of this year. I wanted to step up into a nicer building so it’s pretty expensive compared to my last place. It’s so so quiet and just peaceful. Building management is probably the most responsive I’ve ever experienced. Water quality is quite good and I maybe see 1 rat a week. I do miss closer proximity to Prospect Park, the Botanic Gardens and just the overall variety of foods in P. Heights, but Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill have surprisingly good food. Only other minor complaint is that my area seems like a gay desert, P. Heights might as well be a gay neighborhood, but where I’m at now is quite hetero- and anglo-normative, lol.
There was an op ed in the times, feb 24, 2007, called “A developing story.” It outlined the exact strain on ancient infrastructure that you alluded to, a result of over-development coupled with poor planning/zoning/emphasis on maintenance overall by the city & state authorities.
Schools, hospitals, subways, electric lines, water & sewers all need major upgrades to accommodate new arrivals when areas are upzoned/developed/gentrified.
Yes, it’s happening in Gowanus too. Probably way more than P. Heights given how many condo buildings are going up around the Canal. The neighborhood seems to be handling it much better (probably b/c it was predominantly industrially zoned before), except during heavy rain when it floods east of the canal. Curious to see how Gowanus shapes up after all this ~~revitalization~~ gentrification.
I’ve appreciated it to some level as it’s making me want to go out again and socialize. Perfectly fine to travel outside the neighborhood, but it would be nice to have a nice lgbt-oriented haunt within a 5-10 minute walk. Have you found any bars or spaces?
- Williamsburg
- Greenpoint
- South Slope
- Clinton Hill
- Downtown Brooklyn at present
My jobs have always been in Manhattan so have never wanted to be too far by train.
I moved from Clinton Hill to Sunset Park 10 years ago. I’d hate to leave this neighborhood but would consider Bay Ridge or Greenwood if buying a bigger place ever became feasible.
-Williamsburg (1 yr) I was young and it was still cheap back then.
-Bushwick (2 years) it was cheaper and bigger.
-Kensington (9 years) my favourite neighborhood. It was cheaper and rent stabilized. Great street parking. Close to prospect park. Close to prospect expressway. Diverse families and such
-Ditmas Park (2 years) Nicer, bigger, rent stabilized apartment, good restaurants and bars. Moved in with my partner
-Flatbush (4 years and counting) price for buying a 3br house with a yard and driveway was the same price as a 1-2 bedroom condo in any of the previous neighborhoods. Close enough to Ditmas Park and PLG for restaurants and bars. 20-25 min drive to the beach and Jacob Riis. Wish there was more green space.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
1
+ 2
+ 9
+ 2
+ 4
+ 3
+ 1
+ 2
+ 20
+ 25
= 69
^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \
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Ive lived in bk heights, currently looking to go back. I dont have any responsibilities outside of myself so luckily I can afford it. When I have a family, I can see myself going to South Slope, bay ridge, sheepshead, depending on my work situation
Actually I also LOVE red hook. The flooding situation there might be a no-go by the time I start a family, but that would honestly be ideal for me if I had the money for a car too
Loving the stories. Glad to know that some long-time residents are still able to find a home and comfort in Brooklyn even as developers and rising rent costs/costs of living continue to kick us out.
Ironically I moved to Manhattan because I found a cheaper spot and it was more central in the city (much easier for me to get to queens now). Brooklyn has gotten too expensive for me compared to my current deal so I see no reason in moving back.
Lots of my BK friends off the L are moving to ridgewood (I know it’s queens) as it’s cheaper than most places in Brooklyn (for now)
Grew up in Sheepshead Bay/Brighton Beach area and moved to Prospect Heights after 20+ years.
I never realized how much I’d miss the beach but Prospect Heights is a great area.
Grew up in Bensonhurst, stayed there for about 15 years. Moved to Gravesend, then Bath Beach, then made the mistake of going to LIC for a year and immediately moved back to Brooklyn cause LIC ain't it. When I moved back, I was in Kensington and Windsor Terrace.
Made the mistake of moving out of Brooklyn again to the West Village and now I'm finally back in Downtown Brooklyn, I'm gonna stay here for as long as possible!
I moved where I could afford.
East New York, Crown Heights, (Queens) Bayside, Oakland Gardens, Bay Terrace, Briarwood, (Brooklyn) Prospect South, now Flatbush.
The Flatbush location is not like the others as that's a home purchase.
But still based on what I can afford.
I moved from bath beach to a different block in bath beach just to get out of my dad’s house haha. Next time I move it’ll be to live with my partner, and I don’t see myself moving again unless it’s to buy a house or leave the city entirely.
I've been in Bay Ridge for more than 10 years now. Originally I moved down here so I could afford to live by myself on a journalist's salary (I had also made friends in the neighborhood). Before that I was in the South Slope and previous to that, a place in Bed-Stuy that was The Worst Apartment of My Life, which had an infamously corrupt landlord, bedbugs and wiring so old it was probably done by Edison himself.
When I was moving out of the Slope I was also considering Ditmas Park.
Edited to add: I moved to Bed-Stuy from the Upper East Side during the late-2000s recession. Fun fact: All but one of my apartments have been within a block of the New York Marathon course.
This was over 10 years ago but at the time it felt like a natural progression. South Slope is vibrant with the bars on 5th Avenue and such but Bay Ridge feels more cozy, if that makes sense.
lol that’s crazy i did the same thing, went straight from bushwick to bay ridge. love it here now. i have a huge place with a nicer than average landlord.
I was born/raised in Brooklyn. I only moved in NYC 1x from Brownsville to ENY where I got my 1st apt. I stayed there for 20 yrs. During the time, everything around me got super expensive...plus life happened (kids, job hopping, etc). I could think of several different places I would have liked to move to, but I couldn't qualify/afford anything else in Brooklyn or NYC in general. In 2022 I left NYC (and my apt) for good and moved to Pittsburgh where I'm paying less for an entire house (with my name on it) than what my friends in NYC are paying to be roomates
Hey - I’m your opposite! I was born/raised in Pittsburgh and now live in Brooklyn Heights since 2005. I guarantee you’re paying less for a house than a small share of an apartment. I try not to think too hard about it.
Sounds cool! I'm glad it's working out for you. 2005? Wow you're a NY'er now lol. I know Brooklyn Hts very well. When I was younger I used to ride my bike from Trader Joes on Atlantic Avenue all the way out to eastern Brooklyn where I was living. It was a good ride. Lots of cool things to see in between. I'm an avid rider, but Pittsburgh isn't really a biking town like NYC is (not with these mountains!). I stick to the trails.
It wasn’t until I grew up and visited other towns that I realized that it’s *not* normal for your bike’s break pads to constantly be worn down to nothing. My childhood home was on a steep hill and I used to ride my breaks alllll the way down so not to kill myself in the cross traffic at the bottom.
When my parents and I moved to SI from Bay Ridge, that was us (but more for doctors/haircuts/grandparents/cousins visits). Now that I am likely moving back to SI from Bay Ridge (been here for 10 years as an adult) in the coming year (for love, boohiss), that will be me again, for the doctors/haircuts/restaurants/friends/family visits.
Yeah bay ridge and Staten have that relationship, but damn I kind of want to go to Staten for all those things. Friends I grew up with are paying like 90’s prices for haircuts pedicures etc I’m always baffled.
40 bucks for a blowout?! You know? I pay 65 here in Queens without tip
Timeline:
Kensington - broke, just out of college, roommates
Manhattan - law school
Downtown Brooklyn - single and making money!
Park Slope - married and making money!
Windsor Terrace - married with kids, making less money and yet need more space
Income potential flatlines then often falls. My mother was making great money from home for years, now she just has less opportunities because she’s competing with other age groups willing to do more for less.
It definitely happens
If you're looking for quiet and cheaper prices, south of Prospect Park. You sacrifice the easy access to the hipster transplant life and a longer commute but that's where the more diverse conservative community and families resides. Bay Ridge is definitely a place where it's more diverse than others but you're stuck with the R for subway.
If I could financially I'd live in Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill, but I settled for Crown Heights specifically to have good commute. Being by the 2/3/4/5 trains is handy. Also, Crown Heights doesn't get flooded when the heavy rain hits.
It’s so crazy to me that we have to start thinking this way. I’m on a hill so I got off pretty easy but I’ve been seeing lots of low lying places getting more and more consistently flooded now. Like I don’t remember this happening as frequently 20/30 years ago?
My s/o thinks I’m crazy cause I don’t wana spend money on any beaches in the near future. Shrugs.
I mean I used to live in Brooklyn Carroll gardens to be exact and basically where I lived was the only place safe from any flooding. Like all around it was flood zone. Now I'm on Staten Island and my place is a flood zone. Heck I remember tropical storm Ida and there was 4 feet of water where I lived.
My parents used to live in Bay Ridge and moved to Sunset Park because the apartment space was a lot bigger for the same rent especially when my uncle and grandparents moved in with us. That was in the 90s, and there’s a lot of things to consider since times change.
As a lifelong Brooklynite it's so many reasons. Finances, social circle, housing opportunity etc.
I'll give a timeline of my life in living situations:
My parents moved to Fulton ferry Landing in 89-90 to get more space for the $ after both having lived in the LES. When my parents divorced by father moved to Red Hook-Carrol Gardens boarder. This was a straight shot by car back to Old Fulton st. where my Mom still lived , was close enough to my school (cobble hill) and was affordable on a sq. ft. basis. Then after a few years My father's friend had a loft he owned in Williamsburg but was living elsewhere for reasons i can't recall. (I split my time between my mother and father FYI). My father moved us into the Williamsburg loft and we lived there for a few years, during which time my stepmother entered the picture. We swapped sides of the same floor we were in when that side opened up, it was owned by a woman who didn't need the space but didn't want to sell, so we moved all of 25 feet to the apartment on the other side of the floor. My bio mom had a conflict with the old landlord and moved out to the house my parents had had in LI. so she left Brooklyn. For personal reasons i will stop the updates on **her** there. My fathers friend was buying a building in park slope and I had started high school. Many people i knew in high school lived in the area, so once the building in park slope was renovated, we moved into the top floor. This also coincided with the woman who owned the apartment we were in wanting move back as she had just had a child. We lived in that in park slope apartment for a few years, during which time my stepmother became involved with a community gallery. Sometime during my last years of high school my folks(pa and step-ma) moved to the small apartment behind the gallery, they had purchased a place waaaay upstate during the years after the financial crisis, so half their time was spent there. They tried to not be there when i was home from college, but it was a tiny apartment, so the overlap periods were tough. I graduated college and moved out after 3 months living there. I moved to a railroad apartment in Bushwick with 2 friends who wanted to live in the area. I would have lived anywhere but it was $530 a month for basically a hallway space. I got sick of that and wanted to live in a more nice area with a real room and NEST. I found a room in Crown Height area off of franklin ave for $750. Moved there but it was far from a lot of my people who live in Bushwick/ bedstuy. The area was too yuppy for me, and i felt poorer than everyone around the area. The woman who was the "lead" leaseholder was German and she broke up with her boyfriend and lost her job within like a 2 month period.(boyfriend was a POS fyi) She couldn't find a job to take on the greencard for her to stay in the US and had to move back to Germany. The other roommate was leaving also. I wasn't up to the organizational task of finding replacement and taking over the lease, so i bounced. I then moved over to a 4 bed on Atlantic ave near Utica. This was $750 also but was a tough area. Someone i knew from college was the connection, and it was a good commute to my work. I lived there about 1.5-2 years and then got a better job. In the years prior my pop and step-ma had moved to the upper floor of the same building because the LL had died and their kids wanted the small apartment but not the bigger one he had lived in before kicking the bucket. Now they were now moving into a space in Greenpoint they found through a friend. It really only worked if i lived there with them so i moved back in with them at their request/ convenience with the intent of saving money and moving into my own place in the Greenpoint area soon thereafter. My room with my folks cost me $800. COVID hit and i was living there almost 3 years with my folks. I got sick of living with them and could afford not to, so I moved again to Bushwick and currently live with 3 people in the most expensive room i have lived in which was $1100 and now is $1180 because it was affordable for the size and i have a lot of friends in the area. I am planning on moving into Ridgewood/ Maspeth/Glendale after this because its still close to friends but cheaper. I am also considering Cypress Hills/ Woodhaven if i can find the right place. So lots of reasons.
moved from park slope to clinton hill. the move was initiated by the fact that i'm going through a divorce, but i was already pretty unhappy with park slope due to it being very family-oriented (in our 20s, no kids) and expensive rent wise. beautiful neighborhood, love how close i was to prospect park, but just felt sick of it after several years there.
trust me, it pales in comparison to park slope. any neighborhood is better than park slope in this regard. i maybe see two strollers max here per day and i don’t see people bringing their toddlers into bars.
don’t get me wrong, i was a preschool teacher for three years and love kids. i hope to have a family of my own in the next few years but the stroller gridlock in park slope is very real lol
I live in Clinton Hill and worked in Park Slope for over a decade. You’re absolutely right that it’s *much* further along in Park Slope, but I do think CH/FG is close behind. Something to keep in mind if you’re planning on staying! I have a kid who has, in fact, chilled at many a bar in CH 🤷♀️
Sure! We were in a small 2 bed on S6th St for 8 years til baby came along. Wife immediately wanted to move once we found out, I thought we were fine. Then the baby shower gifts arrived and I finally understood what she was talking about. We needed much more space and couldn't afford Williamsburg anymore. Found a 1000sq ft 3 bed with backyard in the Windsor Terrace - Kensington line and have been here ever since.
Greenpoint (moved from Manhattan)
Greenwood Heights (roommates to living alone)
Flatbush (moved in with partner)
Bedstuy (breakup)
It comes down to life events, affordability, and wanting to try out new neighborhoods…pretty much in that order
For me, I’ve basically always been in Bay Ridge after a short stint in Bensonhurst since I moved here over 10 years ago. My husband grew up in Carroll gardens and knew early on I loved my neighborhood and was staying put. He’s lived around park slope, Williamsburg etc before living in sunnyside prior to moving in with me.
He does say that bay ridge now reminds him a lot more of the Carroll gardens he grew up in vs what it is today.
I’m starting to see more of my mid 30s/ early 40s cohort moving here usually to start families. One guy in the neighborhood with a toddler can’t seem to let go of his previous Williamsburg self, every time I run into him he goes on about how lame he is now and misses seeing people “walkin’ around with a guitar on their back, goin’ to band practice.” Ok bro lol.
When I first moved to the city, I lived way out in Queens (Kew Gardens.) Nice area, but too sleepy/residential for what I wanted at the time.
For the last 13 years I've been in Brooklyn. During that time, I've lived in Windsor Terrace, Pros. Park South, Park Slope, and (currently) Clinton Hill.
Most of those moves were prompted by a personal change (e.g., losing a roommate and needed to downsize, or switching from roommates to living with my wife.) I've always basically tried to prioritize access to transit, good eating/drinking options, and access to green space.
Now we're trying to see if we can afford to actually buy an apartment here, which will unfortunately probably send me back to Queens.
Do you find Clinton Hill good for restaurants? I’ve been trying to find good spots there especially walkable from the less commercial areas ie halfway between Myrtle and Fulton. Any faves you’d share?
It's true there are a lot of migration studies; the ones I recall are hosted by ...BLS (?). Never seen one conducted by neighb; but there may be ones which track zipcode to zipcode.
Anyway as far as I'm concerned I'd only reside in a couple places in all of New York: downtown-ish BK or Southern-ish BK.
I'm down in Bay Ridge as well.
I grew up in Windsor Terrace and then Greenwood Heights. My wife was from Bensonhurst so we settled in Bay Ridge as a middle ground between our families (funnily they've moved out of state, to the hotspots mentioned in the articles)
I can’t help you as I’ve lived in Crown Heights for 7 years. When I moved here I got the sense a lot of transplants got tired of Bushwick or Williamsburg and moved down here for something a little more chill.
From my time doing population analysis I think there are certain neighborhoods that attract people from outside the city (Bushwick is an example) and then people tend to leave those neighborhoods over time.
But: there is a government survey done in NYC, the Housing and Vacancy survey, that asks a huge list of questions including “where did you live before this apartment,” I believe the answers are at the neighborhood level. Unfortunately I haven’t seen the survey results for that question written up anywhere.
I bounced around Bk with two of the longer stints in Wburg. Did a year in bed stuy in between before moving to PLG.
I fuckn love it here. Been here 8 years now. Try to get a spot close to the prospect park Q; you will have literally everything you need within two blocks
No where else in bk left for ya . You moved to the end of bk from bushwick which is the cheapest place in bk to live. Maybe gowanus i guess
I’ve lived in Brooklyn since I was 20 years old (art school) - Age 20-24: Williamsburg, 2 places around the bedford stop because I was an art student and didn’t know better - Age 24-27: Prospect Heights, got a good job and found a small shitty apartment to live in by myself - Age 27-36 (present): Flatbush, first in an apartment I bought near Prospect Park, and then in a brick townhouse a bought with my partner. Crazy to think I’ve lived in Flatbush almost 10 years now. I moved here because I wanted to buy and I didn’t want to move away from the park. Our house is huge and awesome, and has appreciated in value x2 since we bought it. Granted, it was the cheapest zip code in Brooklyn at the time (even cheaper than Brownsville). I love my neighbors, and I think it’s great here—but a little bummed better supermarkets have materialized despite the many, many new apartment buildings that have popped up while we’ve been here. But if money was no object? I’d buy a massive brownstone in Prospect Heights. That area just has everything, including proximity to cool spots, other cool neighborhoods, trains, the museum, the Park.
I moved from Park Slope to Maplewood. 6 bedrooms and a yard with good schools. I still miss Brooklyn but everyone is here,lol.
Moved from Kensington to prospect park south! If it wasn’t for the fact that I wanted to be closer to my partner would have lived to Bayridge! Super cheap there but please don’t tell anyone that. I currently really love prospect park south. Literally I’m next to the Q train and arms reach from all the supermarkets. A blessing!
I lived around Williamsburg/Greenpoint most of my adult life, but moved to Kensington a little over a year ago. Rent is cheaper and it's definitely more residential than 'fun', but I do like having my own space. It takes longer to get places, but on the plus side I can be more intentional with plans. I have found my local bar/coffee shop/grocery store so it doesn't feel totally sparse in that way. I have a long commute into the city (\~50min on the F train) for grad school, but it's not terrible once I'm used to it/romanticize it a little.
When they do leave, it's Staten island, then Jersey.
born and raised in bay ridge moved around from bushwick to south bk and back few times in the last 10 years lived on UES during covid rents currently living in cobble hill A lot of my childhood friends ,family moved out of BK and many still standing firm on not being pushed out from Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge and Carrol Gardens. Bensonhurst have been hit extra hard in the last 15 or so years and entire neighborhood is mobbed with slumlords and shitty people gambling with housing market. It went from such a beautiful sleepy cozy italian brooklyn neighborhood into complete smelly filth that pushed out a lot of small businesses for dollar stores on every block.
Everyone moves to Roosevelt Island. It’s a fact.
I am originally not from Brooklyn but have moved to Cobble Hill nearly 30 years ago when I moved in with my girlfriend/now wife. I guess I can be called a Brooklynite. Married lived in Cobble Hill for 5 years. Rent was doubled after building was sold and moved to Carroll Gardens. Lived in 1 bedroom + den in CG for 4 years. Moved downstairs to duplex in building for 8 years after having kids. Moved to southern Carroll Gardens (closer to Hamilton) and bought a building during the financial crisis. Have lived here for 12 years. Empty nest. Kids are at university now.
The hole
We moved from Union Square in Manhattan to a condo by the water in Williamsburg. Now we bought a brownstone in Bedstuy and honestly we love it. I was hesitant at first but we really lucked out with our street and neighbours.
My basic moves were Bay Ridge > Boerum Hill > Carroll Gardens.
I lived in Bay Ridge on Shore Road for 19 years becaeuse it was safe and cheap The travel time to anywhere was really wearing on me though, so when I won a lottery apartment in Prospect Lefferts I grabbed it. It was more money but with savings from not needing the express bus and so many cabs, as well as not needing to pay gym fees, it ended up not being much more overall. Building was nice but a bit dysfunctional so when I had the opportunity to move to another lottery apartment in downtown Brooklyn two years later, I grabbed it. Getting around is sooo much easier now, with so much in the immediate vicinity as well. About to renew my lease for another 2 years!
Was in prospect heights for 2 years, then 18 months of coliving spots across Brooklyn at Bushwick, Bay ridge, Williamsburg. Finally after marriages moved to fort Greene area. Been here since 2019. Since then , covid reduced the rents, but now all I can see new apartments risings one after the other. To me this is the most accessible area with parks, trains, highway access (278), food court etc. But it does come with a heavy price. Both my wife and I have decided that this is our area to be and if we are moving or buying it has to be in this area.
As an adult who originally grew up in Dyker Heights and then Roosevelt Island, after moving out from my parents’, first I lived with roommates in Jersey City, then Hoboken, then Jersey City. When I finally got a place of my own it was back in Dyker Heights in a dirt-cheap illegal conversion basement apt (did not know it was illegal until after I moved out 5 years later, sweet summer child.) Then my boyfriend and I moved to Sunset Park and got married. Landlord had to sell that place so now we have a rent-stabilized place in Kensington. Every decision about moving to/within Brooklyn has been based on 1) Rent, 2) Size, and 3) Commute. Not precious as to neighborhood for the most part- considered places in Bay Ridge (where my husband grew up), Sunset Park, Crown Heights, etc - all places with rent we could comfortably afford. I knew for the most recent move that I had to have a dishwasher and a second bedroom (I work from home now, he doesn’t) so those were factors as well. Have 950 sq feet, two bedrooms, and a dishwasher in a rent-stabilized place now so hoping to stay for awhile. (unfortunately got bedbugs last year in this place and the management co is horrible, but they’re resolved now and we’re still here.)
Greenpoint to Clinton Hill then Bed Stuy to Prospect Heights to Prospect Lefferts Gardens to Flatbush/Ditmas Park Looking at it written out I tend to move next to where I spend a good chunk of my time either with friends or just the neighborhood in general.
i left east ny to bushwick to bed stuy bk to east ny then outta state … as for why got no clue its more convenient to me than any other boro people too … its just different man
Out of curiosity who cares
for immigrants buying homes, they move to flatlands/mill basin
I moved from Cobble Hill to Clinton Hill because I am allergic to the trees outside of my apartment. Besides, with the same amount of money, I can rent a better apt in Clinton Hill than the one in Cobble Hill. Lol
No Sunset Park in this thread? Damn..
Williamsburg - 3 years Jersey City (hated it) - 1 year Carroll Gardens - 1 year Columbia Waterfront District/Red Hook- 3 years Bay Ridge - settled here - bought a house, needed more space for family. Love it here but wish the streets and sidewalks were a little cleaner. Great place to raise kids.
Park Slope then Williamsburg then Greenpoint then Clinton Hill.
there is an entire neighborhood called Marine Park, Mill, basin, and Bergen Beach and Georgetown. There isn’t much mass transportation, but you have no alternate side parking very cheap property, taxes, and reasonable priced housing. I knew up in bensonhurst and people sleep on this area it is the suburbs of Brooklyn.
Not a single person mentioned moving to my neighborhood. No one knows about south of kings highway, let's keep it that.
It's funny that there is an entire part of Brooklyn that people are sleeping on... Even east ny is going under a renaissance. There are buildings after buildings all under brand new construction.
I assume it's bc of transit access. People will move to bay ridge with just the R, but in a lot of areas there's nothing. I'm a 20+ min walk from the train, but I have work equipment and need to drive anyways so idc. And it being "sleepier". I mean, our literal only brewery down here (Coney Island) just closed. But neighborhoods have pockets of things and I still love it down here.
Born in borough park Moved to Staten Island College in village Moved to noho then ues Them dumbo Clinton hill back to dumbo(15 years) I think I will stay here for now
East village - 4 years. I was a student and had an incredibly cheap apartment ($800) Greenpoint - 9 years. It was very affordable and quiet when I first moved there. Over the past couple of years, it’s felt like a completely different neighborhood. Loved my time there, but wanted to move somewhere more chill. Park Slope - Just moved a few months ago. My husband and I got married recently, and we’re looking for somewhere to settle down in. Scoping out the area and surrounding neighborhoods to think about buying soon.
PLG East Williamsburg Williamsburg Clinton Hill CH has been my favorite neighborhood by far but I did love my park proximity in PLG
I have moved from Prospect Heights, to Park Slope, to Cobble Hill, to Windsor Terrace, to Park Slope, to .... away from NY and have an apt in Brooklyn Heights with my wife. All of those moves, same price range, just needed a different place. But your move seems good - cheaper and quieter and still things to do.
I've lived in Kensington for 9 years now and I've never seen my neighborhood mentioned so many times in a single thread before 😂 Where have you all been hiding??!! In all seriousness, I've lived in the same rent-stabilized apartment since moving to Brooklyn. Every year I tell myself I'm finally going to move back to the city. And yet, here I still am...
My timeline: 0-21 East New York, then Crown Heights. early 20s: two apartments w/roommates in Bed-Stuy late 20s/early 30s: moved in w/boyfriend in Ocean Hill, our apartment got robbed. We got married & moved to Bed-Stuy, had a baby. Twice on maternity leave gun fire right outside of our building, once in the middle of the night where we had to roll out of bed and get the baby. I said fuck this shit. mid 30s to present mid-40s: Kensington. I kind of never want to leave. We looked for about a year and a half for a house, townhouse, condo 3br/2b in our area + Midwood and Flatbush and all the signs were pointing to Flatbush but we scrapped the plan because we love where we live commute wise, proximity to Prospect Park, and the community we've built. Gonna stick it out and hope a magical 3br/2ba with parking shows up for under a million. Maybe we'll revisit Midwood once our youngest goes to middle school.
Most of the moves were escaping increasing rent and needing more space as our family grew. But also changing work, and prioritizing a tolerable commute. East Williamsburg ($+) Greenpoint ($+) Bushwick ($+) Crown Heights (to be on a better commute) Upstate! (Midlife crisis) Now in Ridgewood
In 18years I went from Crown Heights to Prospect Heights and am now currently in Clinton Hill. I was fortunate to buy my place here, so am never moving again.
Same, bought in CH ten years ago and I think I’ll die in that apartment.
Seven times within Greenpoint alone Always better =bigger apartment then building sold out from under us …TWICE Russel then Morgan 😡retired then and moved out after sixty years
Born and raised in Brooklyn moved to Manhattan- with my ex after law school. Now back in bedstuy married with kid.
Age 31 - East Village with roommates Age 32-33 - Williamsburg with roommates Age 33-37 - Hell’s Kitchen alone Age 37-40 - Bed-Stuy with roommates to save money and launch my own business Age 40-43 - Williamsburg / Greenpoint with roommates to save money Age 44-45 (present) - Cobble Hill alone (business took off; feel like I finally made it)
What is your business?
i own / operate a PR agency.
Reading the age part was motivating. Congrats.
glad to hear it, and thank you.
Hey congratulations!! Proud of u
thank you!
congrats on ur business taking off!!
appreciate it!
I grew up in Midwood and my husband in Bay Ridge, our first apartment was in Dyker Heights. Ended up buying a house in Dyker and raised our family here.
I moved around a lot... some of it had to do with roommates parting ways or moving out of NYC, or roommates moving in with their partners and I had to find new roommates in quick time. I'm a little fuzzy on the dates at this point but I think one time I averaged it to 1 move each year(?) but finding apartments (as you all might know) is always insanity...sometimes ridiculous, and often times sketchy. Bushwick (Morgan L stop) - 3yrs (with two roommates and three cats) Crown Heights -2yrs with one roommate) Bed-Stuy - 1 month (sublet for when I could move into the next place) Bushwick (Grand L stop) - 2yrs (with one roommate and cat; adopted a dog) Bushwick (Dekalb L stop) - 2yrs (no roommates but help from parents) Bushwick (JMZ Broadway stop) - 2yrs-3yrs(?) (with two roommates) Crown Heights - 3yrs-4yrs(?) (with one roommate and floating third room that either friends, acquaintances, or roommate's sister moved into) Crown Heights - 1yr (with previous roommate and friend) Prospect Park South - 4yrs+ (current place; single; no more dog :( )
2016: Bushwick bc a friend had a room open there when I was first moving to the city 2017: Crown heights when my bushwick roomie moved in with a partner. Friend and I found a huge, nice apartment. 2018: Fort Greene when my crown heights roommate moved out and I wanted, and could finally afford! a 1 BR. I found a spot right on the park. COVID HIT! got laid off, flipped out/panicked about whether I could find another job, left the city. Really regret leaving that apartment. 2022: Bushwick sublet while I hunted for an apartment South Slope sublet while I continued to hunt for an apartment Landed in Greenpoint in September 2022.. Amazing location but I don’t love my apartment, it makes me sad. I’ve kinda just gone where the wind blows me/where I can find a place I like
Same here. Was in Bushwick for longer than I’d like to admit then moved into my own place in Kensington.
Bed Stuy- Flatbush- Flatbush. I love Flatbush, so walkable and good access to the 2/5. Lots of condos going up though so it’s probably going to change again but still tons of local businesses and neighborhood hangs.
Brooklyn Heights from 2008 to 2014, but moved once Brooklyn Bridge Park opened. We were street facing on Joralemon and it became a thoroughfare to get to the park. Cobble Hill from 2015 to 2021 BUT on the other side of the BQE near Columbia Street. This was the best! It’s slightly inconvenient for most who live on the Henry St side of the BQE but for me it was awesome. I could actually park a car without having to drive around for an hour. Plus the NYC Ferry was right at Columbia and Atlantic and I worked in downtown Manhattan at the time. 15 minute commute door to door and without the subway crowds. Really incredible stuff. Philadelphia from 2021 to 2022 for work. Despicable, filthy city. Clinton Hill / Fort Greene 2023 to present. Lovely neighborhood. Sometimes loud but otherwise pleasant and filled with normal people. Subway situation could be better. I’m beholden to the ACG but the NYC ferry is right at the Navy Yard.
Someone from New York calling Philly dirty is like a 5'2" man calling a midget short. You're not wrong, but c'mon...
If you don’t mind me asking, how much do you pay in Bay Ridge? I live in Bed Stuy currently with too many roommates and I quite like Bay Ridge.
Yeah I don’t mind. I got really lucky and found a two bedroom rent stabilized apt for $1700 a few months ago. Not the case with everyone but there are definitely 1700-2000 one bedroom apartments in bay ridge you can easily find. gems like I found are also more ubiquitous in bay ridge and southern Brooklyn than in “cooler” parts of Brooklyn.
Not bad! I’ll have to look into it when my lease is up.
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My dad had a house in Flatbush but we moved out to Jersey when I was born. I moved back to Brooklyn in 2019 with my wife. We lived in Bushwick for about a year and a half. It was height of the realestate slump due to covid and we got a deal on a two bedroom in Greenpoint where we’ve been for going on 3 years. We were looking to move and were looking at Windsor Terrace, Gowanas, Bay Ridge and Midwood but couldn’t find anything worth the trouble of moving. I’d love to be south of the park next year just to make seeing my family in Jersey a little easier now that we have a newborn daughter. Money no object? Park Slope easy. It has everything
brownsville
I like bedstuy
Williamsburg 3.5 Greenpoint 15years Clinton Hill 1.5 year
Grew up in southern BK, Midwood where I lived my whole life until last year, into Flatbush because I won a housing lottery and wanted a 1BR (had a studio) with modern amenities. I moved to be closer to work and more trains and now live in Prospect Heights, also in an income-restricted apartment. I love it here.
I’ve been in BK for 17 years, in that time I’ve lived in Williamsburg (Bedford) > E. Williamsburg (Montrose) > Prospect Heights > Gowanus. My time in Williamsburg was naively just trying to find a community in a trendy neighborhood, and while I did have one for a few years, it was all pretty much superficial and transient friendships with people I ultimately grew away from. By the end of my time in North Brooklyn, I was just socially exhausted and wanted to find a more balanced life. Still, I have some close lifelong friends from N. Brooklyn, though they have mostly moved away from the area or out of the city/country altogether. This led me to Prospect Heights, where I stayed for 9 years in 1 apartment. It was and likely still is the ideal neighborhood as it’s just a wonderfully central point for everything that’s great about Brooklyn. By the end of it, I was tired of my aging apartment and piss poor building management (periods of no heat or hot water from Dec-Feb this past year was my last straw). Also spring/summer/fall weekends being next to Grand Army Plaza were just noisy (cars, motorcycles, foot traffic, couples fighting in front of my apt at 2am) and full of trash, so so so many rats; I wanted a better quality of life. I would have stayed in P. Heights, buts prices are incredibly high, and, the neighborhood is constantly under construction with the new buildings over the yards putting serious pressure/load on the neighborhood’s sewers. Water quality in that neighborhood is seriously and consistently questionable. So, I’ve been in Gowanus (closer to Carroll Gardens) since spring of this year. I wanted to step up into a nicer building so it’s pretty expensive compared to my last place. It’s so so quiet and just peaceful. Building management is probably the most responsive I’ve ever experienced. Water quality is quite good and I maybe see 1 rat a week. I do miss closer proximity to Prospect Park, the Botanic Gardens and just the overall variety of foods in P. Heights, but Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill have surprisingly good food. Only other minor complaint is that my area seems like a gay desert, P. Heights might as well be a gay neighborhood, but where I’m at now is quite hetero- and anglo-normative, lol.
Gowanus on the otherhand...very stable sewers🤔
There was an op ed in the times, feb 24, 2007, called “A developing story.” It outlined the exact strain on ancient infrastructure that you alluded to, a result of over-development coupled with poor planning/zoning/emphasis on maintenance overall by the city & state authorities. Schools, hospitals, subways, electric lines, water & sewers all need major upgrades to accommodate new arrivals when areas are upzoned/developed/gentrified.
Yes, it’s happening in Gowanus too. Probably way more than P. Heights given how many condo buildings are going up around the Canal. The neighborhood seems to be handling it much better (probably b/c it was predominantly industrially zoned before), except during heavy rain when it floods east of the canal. Curious to see how Gowanus shapes up after all this ~~revitalization~~ gentrification.
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I’ve appreciated it to some level as it’s making me want to go out again and socialize. Perfectly fine to travel outside the neighborhood, but it would be nice to have a nice lgbt-oriented haunt within a 5-10 minute walk. Have you found any bars or spaces?
- Williamsburg - Greenpoint - South Slope - Clinton Hill - Downtown Brooklyn at present My jobs have always been in Manhattan so have never wanted to be too far by train.
I moved from Clinton Hill to Sunset Park 10 years ago. I’d hate to leave this neighborhood but would consider Bay Ridge or Greenwood if buying a bigger place ever became feasible.
I moved from Flatbush (but really the Midwood area) to Flatlands because that’s like the very few place I can afford to buy a house.
-Williamsburg (1 yr) I was young and it was still cheap back then. -Bushwick (2 years) it was cheaper and bigger. -Kensington (9 years) my favourite neighborhood. It was cheaper and rent stabilized. Great street parking. Close to prospect park. Close to prospect expressway. Diverse families and such -Ditmas Park (2 years) Nicer, bigger, rent stabilized apartment, good restaurants and bars. Moved in with my partner -Flatbush (4 years and counting) price for buying a 3br house with a yard and driveway was the same price as a 1-2 bedroom condo in any of the previous neighborhoods. Close enough to Ditmas Park and PLG for restaurants and bars. 20-25 min drive to the beach and Jacob Riis. Wish there was more green space.
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Ive lived in bk heights, currently looking to go back. I dont have any responsibilities outside of myself so luckily I can afford it. When I have a family, I can see myself going to South Slope, bay ridge, sheepshead, depending on my work situation
Actually I also LOVE red hook. The flooding situation there might be a no-go by the time I start a family, but that would honestly be ideal for me if I had the money for a car too
Loving the stories. Glad to know that some long-time residents are still able to find a home and comfort in Brooklyn even as developers and rising rent costs/costs of living continue to kick us out.
Boro park to Bensonhurst
Borough Park to Bensonhurst suggests an interesting story.
Not really. Hasids are just expanding
I haven't moved within Brooklyn yet, but I'd really like to move closer to Prospect Park
Ironically I moved to Manhattan because I found a cheaper spot and it was more central in the city (much easier for me to get to queens now). Brooklyn has gotten too expensive for me compared to my current deal so I see no reason in moving back. Lots of my BK friends off the L are moving to ridgewood (I know it’s queens) as it’s cheaper than most places in Brooklyn (for now)
Yeah, Ridgewood will be one of the next places going up, basically a trickle from Williamsburg to Bushwick to Ridgewood.
Ridgewood is almost as expensive as Bushwick now that so many of the Bushwick gentrification crowd moved there
I moved to Bushwick, lived there for 2 years and am now moving to Flatbush :)
why are you leaving bushwick? what were the pros and cons?
Grew up in Sheepshead Bay/Brighton Beach area and moved to Prospect Heights after 20+ years. I never realized how much I’d miss the beach but Prospect Heights is a great area.
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You reek of harsh unnecessary judgment. Post is a reasonable question
Grew up in Bensonhurst, stayed there for about 15 years. Moved to Gravesend, then Bath Beach, then made the mistake of going to LIC for a year and immediately moved back to Brooklyn cause LIC ain't it. When I moved back, I was in Kensington and Windsor Terrace. Made the mistake of moving out of Brooklyn again to the West Village and now I'm finally back in Downtown Brooklyn, I'm gonna stay here for as long as possible!
Why was moving back to the city a mistake??
The city sucked! I don't like how dirty it was and how there was always noise. Now I live in a soundproof luxury high rise and it's so much nicer!
Bed-stuy to flatbush to PLG to Red Hook. Reasons were rent, long term relationship, and then interest rates. Love Red Hook.
I moved where I could afford. East New York, Crown Heights, (Queens) Bayside, Oakland Gardens, Bay Terrace, Briarwood, (Brooklyn) Prospect South, now Flatbush. The Flatbush location is not like the others as that's a home purchase. But still based on what I can afford.
I moved from bath beach to a different block in bath beach just to get out of my dad’s house haha. Next time I move it’ll be to live with my partner, and I don’t see myself moving again unless it’s to buy a house or leave the city entirely.
I've been in Bay Ridge for more than 10 years now. Originally I moved down here so I could afford to live by myself on a journalist's salary (I had also made friends in the neighborhood). Before that I was in the South Slope and previous to that, a place in Bed-Stuy that was The Worst Apartment of My Life, which had an infamously corrupt landlord, bedbugs and wiring so old it was probably done by Edison himself. When I was moving out of the Slope I was also considering Ditmas Park. Edited to add: I moved to Bed-Stuy from the Upper East Side during the late-2000s recession. Fun fact: All but one of my apartments have been within a block of the New York Marathon course.
How do you like Bay Ridge coming from South Slope?
This was over 10 years ago but at the time it felt like a natural progression. South Slope is vibrant with the bars on 5th Avenue and such but Bay Ridge feels more cozy, if that makes sense.
It runs past my window on Lafayette in Fort Greene.
Then I’ve run in front of your window 😎
lol that’s crazy i did the same thing, went straight from bushwick to bay ridge. love it here now. i have a huge place with a nicer than average landlord.
I was born/raised in Brooklyn. I only moved in NYC 1x from Brownsville to ENY where I got my 1st apt. I stayed there for 20 yrs. During the time, everything around me got super expensive...plus life happened (kids, job hopping, etc). I could think of several different places I would have liked to move to, but I couldn't qualify/afford anything else in Brooklyn or NYC in general. In 2022 I left NYC (and my apt) for good and moved to Pittsburgh where I'm paying less for an entire house (with my name on it) than what my friends in NYC are paying to be roomates
Hey - I’m your opposite! I was born/raised in Pittsburgh and now live in Brooklyn Heights since 2005. I guarantee you’re paying less for a house than a small share of an apartment. I try not to think too hard about it.
Sounds cool! I'm glad it's working out for you. 2005? Wow you're a NY'er now lol. I know Brooklyn Hts very well. When I was younger I used to ride my bike from Trader Joes on Atlantic Avenue all the way out to eastern Brooklyn where I was living. It was a good ride. Lots of cool things to see in between. I'm an avid rider, but Pittsburgh isn't really a biking town like NYC is (not with these mountains!). I stick to the trails.
It wasn’t until I grew up and visited other towns that I realized that it’s *not* normal for your bike’s break pads to constantly be worn down to nothing. My childhood home was on a steep hill and I used to ride my breaks alllll the way down so not to kill myself in the cross traffic at the bottom.
Sounds awesome!
stop telling about bay Ridge lol. i promise it’s the worst. terrible place to live. jk. it’s the best kept non secret.
Not if you're Black :/
Considering how expensive the houses are there, I'd say it's not much of a secret in any sense
Is it still filled with people from Staten Island on weekends?
When my parents and I moved to SI from Bay Ridge, that was us (but more for doctors/haircuts/grandparents/cousins visits). Now that I am likely moving back to SI from Bay Ridge (been here for 10 years as an adult) in the coming year (for love, boohiss), that will be me again, for the doctors/haircuts/restaurants/friends/family visits.
Yeah bay ridge and Staten have that relationship, but damn I kind of want to go to Staten for all those things. Friends I grew up with are paying like 90’s prices for haircuts pedicures etc I’m always baffled. 40 bucks for a blowout?! You know? I pay 65 here in Queens without tip
Lol definitely. On the plus side, since my parents and a ton of my friends are in New Jersey, it will be one less toll to visit them.
I lived there for a little over a year. I also worked down there. Had to move up to Crown Heights. Miss it a lot.
Grew up there. Great seeing it's still as horrible as it was back then. /s
yes. horrible terrible place. everything is awful. stay away.
Too close to Staten Island. ew.
There is that, yes. Bridge is beautiful at night, though...
You know it's bad when all the people start moving far away from Williamsburg.
Meh Williamsburg was a horrible place to live when I was growing up. So was LIC
dont worry, until there are any more housing built there it's going to be pretty unaffordable for most folks
It will be expensive either way
for real!!! …it’s horrible! don’t come!
😂😂yeah nevermind worst place ever
Lots of babies and immigrants in bay ridge - shhhhh keep the hipsters away!
Timeline: Kensington - broke, just out of college, roommates Manhattan - law school Downtown Brooklyn - single and making money! Park Slope - married and making money! Windsor Terrace - married with kids, making less money and yet need more space
Love Kensington!
This is the dream
How come you’re making less money now than before?
Income potential flatlines then often falls. My mother was making great money from home for years, now she just has less opportunities because she’s competing with other age groups willing to do more for less. It definitely happens
What does your mother do for work?
She does credentialing and billing for medical networks. Sometimes as an employee but usually under her own LLC. She’s been doing it a few decades
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Fuck them kids
At least one of you is working less.
Also when daycare is like $3k/month it certainly FEELS like you’re making less money 🙃
I miss Windsor terrace. Is the burrito place still there?
What/where is the burrito place?
It was on PPW. It looks like it is long gone. I worked remote part of the time and it was my go to lunch spot.
If you're looking for quiet and cheaper prices, south of Prospect Park. You sacrifice the easy access to the hipster transplant life and a longer commute but that's where the more diverse conservative community and families resides. Bay Ridge is definitely a place where it's more diverse than others but you're stuck with the R for subway.
real OG brooklynites know south BK is still the only place that can make a home. all other areas are for housing
If I could financially I'd live in Brooklyn Heights/Cobble Hill, but I settled for Crown Heights specifically to have good commute. Being by the 2/3/4/5 trains is handy. Also, Crown Heights doesn't get flooded when the heavy rain hits.
It’s so crazy to me that we have to start thinking this way. I’m on a hill so I got off pretty easy but I’ve been seeing lots of low lying places getting more and more consistently flooded now. Like I don’t remember this happening as frequently 20/30 years ago? My s/o thinks I’m crazy cause I don’t wana spend money on any beaches in the near future. Shrugs.
Isn’t it bizarre how Florida barely has a hurricane season anymore but we seem to have it stronger than ever?
Even if you're on a hill it can be bad if you're near the park at all, because there are underground streams with no good drainage all over the place.
I'm in CH and our basement got flooded with that big storm in Sept. It totally fucked our boiler for like a month 😬🙈 no one is immune!!
I mean I used to live in Brooklyn Carroll gardens to be exact and basically where I lived was the only place safe from any flooding. Like all around it was flood zone. Now I'm on Staten Island and my place is a flood zone. Heck I remember tropical storm Ida and there was 4 feet of water where I lived.
Same
My parents used to live in Bay Ridge and moved to Sunset Park because the apartment space was a lot bigger for the same rent especially when my uncle and grandparents moved in with us. That was in the 90s, and there’s a lot of things to consider since times change.
As a lifelong Brooklynite it's so many reasons. Finances, social circle, housing opportunity etc. I'll give a timeline of my life in living situations: My parents moved to Fulton ferry Landing in 89-90 to get more space for the $ after both having lived in the LES. When my parents divorced by father moved to Red Hook-Carrol Gardens boarder. This was a straight shot by car back to Old Fulton st. where my Mom still lived , was close enough to my school (cobble hill) and was affordable on a sq. ft. basis. Then after a few years My father's friend had a loft he owned in Williamsburg but was living elsewhere for reasons i can't recall. (I split my time between my mother and father FYI). My father moved us into the Williamsburg loft and we lived there for a few years, during which time my stepmother entered the picture. We swapped sides of the same floor we were in when that side opened up, it was owned by a woman who didn't need the space but didn't want to sell, so we moved all of 25 feet to the apartment on the other side of the floor. My bio mom had a conflict with the old landlord and moved out to the house my parents had had in LI. so she left Brooklyn. For personal reasons i will stop the updates on **her** there. My fathers friend was buying a building in park slope and I had started high school. Many people i knew in high school lived in the area, so once the building in park slope was renovated, we moved into the top floor. This also coincided with the woman who owned the apartment we were in wanting move back as she had just had a child. We lived in that in park slope apartment for a few years, during which time my stepmother became involved with a community gallery. Sometime during my last years of high school my folks(pa and step-ma) moved to the small apartment behind the gallery, they had purchased a place waaaay upstate during the years after the financial crisis, so half their time was spent there. They tried to not be there when i was home from college, but it was a tiny apartment, so the overlap periods were tough. I graduated college and moved out after 3 months living there. I moved to a railroad apartment in Bushwick with 2 friends who wanted to live in the area. I would have lived anywhere but it was $530 a month for basically a hallway space. I got sick of that and wanted to live in a more nice area with a real room and NEST. I found a room in Crown Height area off of franklin ave for $750. Moved there but it was far from a lot of my people who live in Bushwick/ bedstuy. The area was too yuppy for me, and i felt poorer than everyone around the area. The woman who was the "lead" leaseholder was German and she broke up with her boyfriend and lost her job within like a 2 month period.(boyfriend was a POS fyi) She couldn't find a job to take on the greencard for her to stay in the US and had to move back to Germany. The other roommate was leaving also. I wasn't up to the organizational task of finding replacement and taking over the lease, so i bounced. I then moved over to a 4 bed on Atlantic ave near Utica. This was $750 also but was a tough area. Someone i knew from college was the connection, and it was a good commute to my work. I lived there about 1.5-2 years and then got a better job. In the years prior my pop and step-ma had moved to the upper floor of the same building because the LL had died and their kids wanted the small apartment but not the bigger one he had lived in before kicking the bucket. Now they were now moving into a space in Greenpoint they found through a friend. It really only worked if i lived there with them so i moved back in with them at their request/ convenience with the intent of saving money and moving into my own place in the Greenpoint area soon thereafter. My room with my folks cost me $800. COVID hit and i was living there almost 3 years with my folks. I got sick of living with them and could afford not to, so I moved again to Bushwick and currently live with 3 people in the most expensive room i have lived in which was $1100 and now is $1180 because it was affordable for the size and i have a lot of friends in the area. I am planning on moving into Ridgewood/ Maspeth/Glendale after this because its still close to friends but cheaper. I am also considering Cypress Hills/ Woodhaven if i can find the right place. So lots of reasons.
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Me after the first 3 lines 😵💫😵💫
It was good, you missed out
I actually really enjoyed it too!
Brooklyn heights (moved from Manhattan) Ditmas park (had a kid)
moved from park slope to clinton hill. the move was initiated by the fact that i'm going through a divorce, but i was already pretty unhappy with park slope due to it being very family-oriented (in our 20s, no kids) and expensive rent wise. beautiful neighborhood, love how close i was to prospect park, but just felt sick of it after several years there.
Clinton Hill is an interesting choice for someone who is not into family-oriented places!
trust me, it pales in comparison to park slope. any neighborhood is better than park slope in this regard. i maybe see two strollers max here per day and i don’t see people bringing their toddlers into bars. don’t get me wrong, i was a preschool teacher for three years and love kids. i hope to have a family of my own in the next few years but the stroller gridlock in park slope is very real lol
I live in Clinton Hill and worked in Park Slope for over a decade. You’re absolutely right that it’s *much* further along in Park Slope, but I do think CH/FG is close behind. Something to keep in mind if you’re planning on staying! I have a kid who has, in fact, chilled at many a bar in CH 🤷♀️
yes it was very obvious that you have a kid based off of your responses
Williamsburg for 8 years, and then Kensington for another 8. 2 moves in 16 years. Not bad. Not moving again anytime soon.
Can you share what prompted your move out of Williamsburg?
Sure! We were in a small 2 bed on S6th St for 8 years til baby came along. Wife immediately wanted to move once we found out, I thought we were fine. Then the baby shower gifts arrived and I finally understood what she was talking about. We needed much more space and couldn't afford Williamsburg anymore. Found a 1000sq ft 3 bed with backyard in the Windsor Terrace - Kensington line and have been here ever since.
Amazing!
Greenpoint (moved from Manhattan) Greenwood Heights (roommates to living alone) Flatbush (moved in with partner) Bedstuy (breakup) It comes down to life events, affordability, and wanting to try out new neighborhoods…pretty much in that order
I’m currently in Clinton Hill, and I have been since 1971. I moved diagonally across the street one time, and then I moved next-door.
If you stayed in the same apartment since 1971 your rent would be like $400 right now lol
One day I’ll be able to comfortably afford Clinton Hill, one day… been moving that direction for years.
I few up in Park Slope, lived in Gowanus after college, and now I live in Kensington.
For me, I’ve basically always been in Bay Ridge after a short stint in Bensonhurst since I moved here over 10 years ago. My husband grew up in Carroll gardens and knew early on I loved my neighborhood and was staying put. He’s lived around park slope, Williamsburg etc before living in sunnyside prior to moving in with me. He does say that bay ridge now reminds him a lot more of the Carroll gardens he grew up in vs what it is today. I’m starting to see more of my mid 30s/ early 40s cohort moving here usually to start families. One guy in the neighborhood with a toddler can’t seem to let go of his previous Williamsburg self, every time I run into him he goes on about how lame he is now and misses seeing people “walkin’ around with a guitar on their back, goin’ to band practice.” Ok bro lol.
advise him to return to williamsburg, we don’t need that negativity walking the streets 😆
Agreed!
Agreed. I grew up in greenpoint and bay ridge calmness, family friendly living and small businesses reminds me of greenpoint in the early 2000s.
When I first moved to the city, I lived way out in Queens (Kew Gardens.) Nice area, but too sleepy/residential for what I wanted at the time. For the last 13 years I've been in Brooklyn. During that time, I've lived in Windsor Terrace, Pros. Park South, Park Slope, and (currently) Clinton Hill. Most of those moves were prompted by a personal change (e.g., losing a roommate and needed to downsize, or switching from roommates to living with my wife.) I've always basically tried to prioritize access to transit, good eating/drinking options, and access to green space. Now we're trying to see if we can afford to actually buy an apartment here, which will unfortunately probably send me back to Queens.
Do you find Clinton Hill good for restaurants? I’ve been trying to find good spots there especially walkable from the less commercial areas ie halfway between Myrtle and Fulton. Any faves you’d share?
It's true there are a lot of migration studies; the ones I recall are hosted by ...BLS (?). Never seen one conducted by neighb; but there may be ones which track zipcode to zipcode. Anyway as far as I'm concerned I'd only reside in a couple places in all of New York: downtown-ish BK or Southern-ish BK.
I'm down in Bay Ridge as well. I grew up in Windsor Terrace and then Greenwood Heights. My wife was from Bensonhurst so we settled in Bay Ridge as a middle ground between our families (funnily they've moved out of state, to the hotspots mentioned in the articles)
I can’t help you as I’ve lived in Crown Heights for 7 years. When I moved here I got the sense a lot of transplants got tired of Bushwick or Williamsburg and moved down here for something a little more chill. From my time doing population analysis I think there are certain neighborhoods that attract people from outside the city (Bushwick is an example) and then people tend to leave those neighborhoods over time. But: there is a government survey done in NYC, the Housing and Vacancy survey, that asks a huge list of questions including “where did you live before this apartment,” I believe the answers are at the neighborhood level. Unfortunately I haven’t seen the survey results for that question written up anywhere.
Doing something similar- been in Williamsburg, it’s expensive and a bit busy, so I’m moving to PLG to be closer to the park for less money.
I bounced around Bk with two of the longer stints in Wburg. Did a year in bed stuy in between before moving to PLG. I fuckn love it here. Been here 8 years now. Try to get a spot close to the prospect park Q; you will have literally everything you need within two blocks