Brooklyn

It depends upon what you are looking for. Park Slope has the park, great restaurants, tons of families, and a longer commute to the city than the others. Boerum Hill/Cobble Hill is a more diverse neighborhood with good bars + restaurants. Brooklyn Heights has very little in the way of nightlife (places to eat/drink), has great subway access, is very close to nyc and has the promenade, of course. I have friends in all three and prefer Boerum/Cobble Hill to the others

18huthill - are you planning on keeping your car, and using it regularly? If so, parking will add to your monthlies more significantly in Brooklyn Heights than in other neighborhoods. And are you planning to commute by car?
In defense of your real estate agent, most people do consider those locations to be "great." She/he may not be as jaded as you think.
Tina
(Brooklyn broker)

Do you have children and intend to rely on public schools? If so, make sure to include school zoning in your deliberations. Also, consider the subway route to work. Some lines have better/ faster access to midtown and downtown Manhattan. Finally, it's a big move. Have you considered renting for a year to make sure this is the right place before you buy?

18huthill, have you looked at Concord Village? It's right between Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and Dumbo. My wife and I have looked at some places there and we can't understand why everything is priced as low as it is (1BRs currently a5 275-330K). It's the 1st stop in Brooklyn on almost every subway line and the apartments are nice inside and some have Manhattan views (and nice roof decks). Maybe prices are so low because while it's a 5 minute walk to the center of those neighborhoods, it really isn't "prime" to any of them? But looks like great bang for your buck if you're looking for a place with a quick commute to Manhattan. good luck with your search

Villager, as a former resident of Brooklyn Heights for 10 years, you nailed it.

Park Slope -- more of a community feel, drop-dead gorgeous, tons of restaurants and stores, pain in the ass commute to Midtown.

Brooklyn Heights -- Park Slope in a party dress. Not so much in the way of restaurants and stores, but steps away from SEVEN subway lines, and one stop away from Wall Street.

Boerum Hill -- pretty much in between.

"have you looked at Concord Village? It's right between Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill and Dumbo. My wife and I have looked at some places there and we can't understand why everything is priced as low as it is (1BRs currently a5 275-330K)."

Because it feels like you live in the projects ... the buildings aren't THAT nice ... apartments feel like shoeboxes ... and you're not really "in" any neighborhood at all.

Thanks to all for taking the time to provide your comments. I'll be keeping a car but still require access to the Tube. Any issues in these neighborhoods with respect to crime,vandalism or riding the underground late at night?

knd

What the hell is The Tube? Is that a new nightclub?

The Tunnel closed years ago, you know. So did Limelight.

Scottsara, Concord Village is technically in Brooklyn Heights, but try walking to the nearest grocery store. It's a nightmare between the huge intersections and long distance. Ceilings are low, the exterior has a Soviet aesthetic - it has none of the typical qualities that buyers are looking for in a Brooklyn Heights building, even apart from being located on the fringe. It's a solid coop with a lot of middle-class professionals, but this is why it is so cheap.

evnyc, they just opened a grocery store right in Concord Village a few months ago called Concord Market so that doesn't seem to be an issue anymore.

Also, since it's on the OTHER side of Adams Street, Concord Village is *technically* not in Brooklyn Heights, but in Downtown Brooklyn.

If you like Park Slope but are worried about transportation, consider the North Slope. If you're near the B/Q in particular you can get to midtown in 20-30 mins.

And for transportation times from various locations in these neighborhoods generally, check out Hopstop; I find that site is usually pretty accurate.

"North Slope".

That's apparently the new name for "Prospect Heights".

No, Matt, though Prospect Heights has some nice areas and doesn't deserve derision. By North Slope people usually mean the named Park Slope streets.

Scottsara, it was empty for a loooong while after Key Foods pulled out of that space. Haven't been to Concord Market or heard of it, but if it isn't a good grocery store you're still stuck with crummy options (I am very picky about grocery stores, so I include Fresh Direct in crummy options). The new market will be a huge improvement, but it doesn't solve the marginal location problem entirely.

Brooklyn Heights just hasn't had a decent grocery store since D'Ag pulled out years ago.

I totally get that there aren't a whole lot of conveniences right on the block, but considering there are 3 great neightborhoods (bk heights, boerum hill, and dumbo) all in short walking distance, the extra five minute walk seems worth it when you're payiong $200K+ less than you would for the same size place in the middle of those neighborhoods. and the A,C,F,2,3,4,5,J,M,Z,R,W trains are all right in the area too which means it's quick and easy to get anywhere. and fulltime doorman, elevator, etc.
I know it's not the greatest place on earth, my point from the beginning is that it seems to be great bang for your buck. Probably a safe investment too because how much can anything really go down from ~$300K for a true 1BR on the fringe of Brooklyn Heights with city views?