Brooklyn

Population	2621793 (2014)
Area	71.5 sq m
Rental listings	63 no-fee, 13 fee ads
Median rent	$4,087

The borough of Brooklyn used to be a separate city until the creation of the City of New York in 1898 transformed it into one of the newborn city's boroughs. More than a century on, it sometimes feels like it's still somewhat apart: Brooklyn has its own "Downtown", for example (Downtown Brooklyn) and a few other features (e.g. Prospect Park) that seem more befitting of a city rather than a mere district.

To be sure, if Brooklyn decided to go its own way today (not that it's likely or particularly desirable), the ex-borough would immediately become one of the top five US cities by population, while its GDP would leave many a country in the dust, to say nothing of its global image and cultural sway. But let's not get carried away: for many people Brooklyn is New York just as much as – or even more so than – Manhattan.

Apartments and Buildings

Brooklyn is a large borough and apartments in most price segments can be found here. It will probably not come as a surprise that the most expensive areas in Brooklyn tend to be those closest to Manhattan (Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO, Williamsburg) and those near Prospect Park, especially Park Slope (see NORTH-WESTERN BROOKLYN below). For cheaper areas, simply look further afield.

Brooklyn buildings, likewise, come in all shapes and sizes. As the handy diagram above shows, at least half of the borough's residential building stock consists of low-rise buildings (up to 5 stories). Another perhaps third or so is made up of mid-rises (5 to 10 stories). It is the final 10-15% of residential buildings where things get really… interesting. Unlike the low- and mid-rise buildings, many of which are decades old, most of the Brooklyn high-rises were built in the 21st century, with a sizeable portion having been completed in the past 10 years. So, they're both sky-high and brand new. Their apartments themselves are often not much to write home about, but leveraging their scale, many of the buildings have included every imaginable amenity – from gyms and pools to rooftop terraces to shared entertainment facilities and much more. And of course, for those lucky ones whose windows face the north-west, the Manhattan views are simply insane.

To sum up, depending on its year of construction, your Brooklyn building may offer more in terms of layout, ceiling height, and old-world charm (older buildings) or in the way of views and shared amenities (newer ones).

Apartments for Rent in Brooklyn (5 out of 76)

No fee

Posted < 5 hours Yaffa Realty, LLC, Broker

1-Bedroom at 382 Halsey Street

382 Halsey Street (Bedford-Stuyvesant, BK)

$2,900/month

• 1 Bed
• 1.0 Bath

• Low-rise

No fee

Video is available

Posted < 5 hours Gotham Organization, Inc., Manager

1-Bedroom at The Ashland

250 Ashland Place (Fort Greene, BK)

$4,232/month

• 1 Bed
• 1.0 Bath

• Doorman
• High-rise

No fee

Posted < 5 hours EXR, Broker

2-Bedroom at 30 Rogers Avenue

30 Rogers Avenue (Crown Heights, BK)

$3,200/month

• 2 Beds
• 1 Bath

• Low-rise

No fee

Posted < 5 hours EXR, Broker

Loft at 1087 Flushing Avenue

1087 Flushing Avenue (East Williamsburg, BK)

$4,000/month

• Loft
• 1 Bath

• Elevator
• Low-rise

No fee

Posted < 5 hours EXR, Broker

Loft at 1087 Flushing Avenue

1087 Flushing Avenue (East Williamsburg, BK)

$4,200/month

• Loft
• 1 Bath

• Elevator
• Low-rise

NORTH-WESTERN BROOKLYN

Community districts 1, 2, and 6

Classic Brooklyn. The Brooklyn neighborhoods one hears about are, more often than not, located in the north-western section of the borough, which corresponds to community districts 1, 2, and 6. Rents in some of these areas (and especially in Brooklyn Heights, Williamsburg, Park Slope, and DUMBO) approach and even exceed Manhattan levels.

NORTH-CENTRAL BROOKLYN

Community Districts 8, 3 & 4

Here we have edgy Brooklyn. Bushwick is the new frontier of hip in the city, offering relatively cheap rents and abundant (if no longer cheap) industrial loft space, while more traditional (and quickly gentrifying) Bedford-Stuyvesant ("Bed-Stuy") and Crown Heights boast many attractive brownstone row houses with spacious, high-ceilinged apartments.

WESTERN BROOKLYN

Community Districts 7 and 10

Working-class-family Brooklyn. These areas are largely residential and offer rents that are considerably lower than in the more fashionable neighborhoods (see above).

CENTRAL & SOUTHERN BROOKLYN

Community Districts 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 17.

Likewise, family-friendly and residential. Moving further down south, we find Brooklyn neighborhoods that feel more sparse, less densely built-up and sometimes less "urban" in character. This may be painting the picture with too broad of a brush, though: some sections of southern Brooklyn (CDs 9, 11,12, 13, 14, 15, and 17) are still very much high-rise. The presence of first- and (especially) second-generation immigrants – notably from Italy and countries of the former Soviet Union – is felt in many of these areas. Brighton Beach, for example, is largely Russian-speaking.

EASTERN BROOKLYN

Community Districts 5, 16, 18

These somewhat less fashionable and, in places, more economically challenged parts of Brooklyn may also hold some of the borough's best rental deals. Don't discount these neighborhoods out of hand.