Park Slope

Location: North-western Brooklyn.

Character: Park Slope is very residential, especially in its Eastern portion adjecent to the park. Nevertheless, Fifth Avenue has many restaurants and other commercial establishments. On Seventh Avenue you will find smaller, family-owned bookstores and coffee shops. Fourth Avenue, where most new developement occurs, has relatively heavy traffic (it's a major truck route).

Apartments & Real Estate

Rent stabilized apartments are relatively common (and rents on comparable apartments can sometimes be drastically different - think 200% difference), but don't expect to find one - they are usually occupied by the same tenant for years.

Price-wise, the closer to Prospect Park, the more expensive the apartments get.

In 2003, the city rezoned 110 blocks, protecting the neighborhood's low-rise brownstones but allowing for buildings of up to 12 stories on the Park Slope section of Fourth Avenue. You will notice that most new developments are happening in this area - previously home only to auto shops and similar establishments.

Selected Rental Buildings

• 1683 8th Avenue (Park Slope)
  A low-rise walk-up building.
• 243 13th Street (Park Slope)
  A low-rise walk-up building.
• 252 12th Street (Park Slope)
  A low-rise walk-up building.
• 280 14th Street (Park Slope)
  A low-rise walk-up building.
• 300 12th Street (Park Slope)
  A low-rise walk-up building.

See all Park Slope Rental Apartment Buildings (7 buildings)

Condo & Co-op Buildings

• City View Gardens (308-318 2nd Street, Park Slope)
  A low-rise condo building (46 condos, completed in 2004) with a high-rise extension ("the Crest", 2007, 68 new condos)
• Novo Park Slope (343 Fourth Avenue, Park Slope)
  A modern mid-rise concierge elevator building.
• Park Slope Gardens (356-358 2nd Street, Park Slope)
  A modern low-rise building.

See all Park Slope Condo Apartment Buildings (4 buildings)

Historical Notes

Through the 1950's, as the middle class was heading for the suburbs, previously prestigious Park Slope began to deteriorate. Gradually, it became a poorer, working-class, predominantly Italian and Irish neighborhood.

In the late 1970's, buildings around Fifth Avenue were routinely abandoned. However, this is also when the seeds of revitalization were sawn. Resident families and a community newly settled feminists (including many lesbians) began renovating abandoned brownstone buildings.

During the 1980's, an influx of immigrant families changed the neighborhood again. In the 1990's, Park Slope became one of the favorite neighborhoods of Manhattan refugies who were fleeing spiraling rents on the island. As always the renewed push for gentrification was a mixed bag with many old residents decrying the rising prices ex-Manhattanites were seemingly bringing with them.