Boerum Hill

Neighborhood is safe. I would try to stay away from the 3rd Ave area and walk more toward North Park Slope, or alternatively toward Smith St. While parts near the Gowanus/3rd Ave aren't particularly pretty, I've never felt unsafe walking around that area at night. Try putting together a Google map with groceries, etc. and just walking around the area at different times of day or night. You'll get a feeling for the neighborhood, and no matter what people tell you on a RE board, you need to be able to judge for yourself whether are comfortable living in an area.

It's not politically correct to say this, but you'll be a couple blocks from the Gowanus Housing projects. Consider that however you want. I consider it a big negative.
From an Avenue standpoint, 3rd & 4th are probably the worst in the Cobble Hill to Park Slope area (basically, from Hicks to PPW). Going either direction away from those 2 avenues will be nicer, in my opinion.
(I live nearby, so I'm speaking from my experience). I'm sure some people will be quick to disagree.

I appreciate your candor (and would appreciate anyone else's opinion).

We live pretty close by and believe the area is very safe. Never had any issues with regards to safety.
We grocery shop at Pathmark and Target in the Atlantic Centre.
We work out at Crunch on Fulton between Ashland and St Felix - Great gym with many classes, lots of cardio machines and ample of free weights.
For dinners we tend to stick with 5th Avenue, Fulton & Lafayette area, and Dekalb - Many many options and great atmosphere.
We haven't checked out 3rd and 4th avenue as I don't believe they have many restaurants but with the expected arrival of the nets to the Barclay Centre, I am sure you will start seeing more restaurants pop up everywhere in that area.
Good luck.

Hi, we live in Brooklyn heights, a 15 minute walk from this area. Im not so familiar with 3rd and 4th aves, but I can vouge for the other direction. You are a few blocks from smith street, court street and atlantic avenue. There is a lot to offer in this area. Trader Joes, New york sports club, there is a grocery store (key food i think) on atlantic and clinton I believe. There are several smaller markets with nice fruit and veggies. A some bakeries and fresh meat places. 2 movie theatres, a ton of shopping. Dont forget you have Target up the road and many other big chain stores (however annoying sometimes useful).

There are many many new families in this area-- lots of babies and dogs. On the Park front, im not so sure about that one. I will say this, though, brooklyn bridge park just opened a massive playground for kids at the end of Atlantic Avenue at Pier 6. Also in the coming years there will be tons of parks along this waterfront opening. Im very impressed with the ones so far (piers 1 and 6). I have walked by a few smaller parks in cobble hill that look nice. If you walk down to clinton, henry, and hicks streets, and turn in either direction, the streets are just absolutely beautiful. Its fun just to walk around these streets, up to brooklyn heights or to carroll gardens.

Again, Im not sure about the opposite direction, but in all the others; atlantic ave, brooklyn heights,cobble hill and carroll gardens; I find it a very nice place. Hope this helps. Best of luck.

I probably should have mentioned that I think the overall area is great. I'm partial to Cobble Hill, but that's right next to BH. I didn't mean to be quite so negative... I think this section of Brooklyn rivals any part of NYC for enjoyable living.

Hmm. You're getting some input from people about other nabes in Brooklyn, but not a lot that's specficially about Boerum Hill.

I lived a few blocks from Boerum Hill for about a decade, starting in the mid-1990s. I was on the southeastern edge of Cobble Hill, between Court and Smith.

In fact in those days, my block was actually considered Boerum Hill -- the eastern boundary for the neighborhood back then was Court St, not Smith.

Back then, Boerum Hill was considered an edgy, less-expensive strip on the outskirs of (mostly) gentrified Cobble Hill. The big drawback was the projects, the most notorious one was called the Gowanus Houses.

The New York Times did a story many years back -- 10 years at least -- about the horrors of the Gowanus Houses. There was open prostitution on the roof and the halls were infested with drug gangs. It was considered one of the very worst projects in all of New York City. If you search through the Times archives you've find it.

The projects are mostly between Bond and Nevins, I believe, and then if you go one more block to the east you're at Third Avenue.

So if the place you're thinking of buying is near Third Ave., you might be within a a few blocks of the projects.

I gather from friends who are still in Brooklyn that the projects are not as bad as they used to be, but you should be aware that the projects were the reason that Boerum Hill was much slower to gentrify than other neighborhoods, like Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens.

I know that some of the new condo developments that have gone in have been quite near to the projects, and I don't know how well those things have sold, or if the folks who've bought in have had problems.

But the area from Nevins to the southeast through to Fifth Ave. has a long history of crime and of industrial activity. In fact when I lived in Brooklyn, the Gowanus was a place where there was open prostitution on the streets, kids would drive through there for a thrill and heckle the hookers.

I don't think it's that bad anymore. I guess the relevant question for you is, how much of that kind of thing still remains?

If the place you're looking at is going to force you to go thru this area to get to grocery stores or other ordinary kinds of activities, you should really go out on foot and see what's there before you make the decision to buy.

That walk is going to be your daily walk to the grocery store, or the subway, and if you're looking over your shoulder a lot, then you might not want to live there.

It's much better (and more expensive, alas) in Cobble Hill or Park Slope. You might find better blcoks in Fort Greene, too, although I would be dubious about Fort Greene because of the Ratner projects, which are probably going to destroy the character of many Fort Greene blocks.

If you can get far enough away from the Ratner stuff, without going so far that you're in dicey territory again, you'll probably be okay.

Personally I think Windsor Terrace -- especially if you're right by Prospect Park, as many blocks there are -- is a better bet than Boerum Hill, and the same price or slightly cheaper.

I would look in Carroll Gardens...President St. is nice, I still have family living there.

it is a complete waste of time to ask this question on streeteasy.

go to brownstoner.com and ask there.