BROOKLYN

Park Slope Neighborhood Guide

Park Slope is a quaint, upscale neighborhood in the heart of Brooklyn known for its organic food markets, nightlife, and picturesque walkways. Residents can be found taking their kids to the park, walking their dogs, or going on runs. If you’re looking to grab a bite, Fifth Avenue offers a variety of delicious restaurants. Close to the neighborhood, you’ll find Prospect Park, the Litchfield Villa, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch, and the William B. Cronyn House. Prospect Park provides residents with over 500 acres of recreational space including several sporting facilities. The Park Slope Historic District lies next to the park and contains about 1,800 preserved two to three story townhouses that were constructed between 1862 and 1920. Residents of this idyllic Brooklyn neighborhood love the laid-back and unpretentious vibe, as well as the strong community spirit.

Park Slope Real Estate Stats

MEDIAN SALE PRICE

$1,700,000

MEDIAN RENT PRICE

$3,150

An Abbreviated History of Park Slope

The land of Park Slope was once occupied by the Carnasee Native Americans, one of the several indigenous Lenape people who lived in wigwams and farmed and hunted on the land. The first European settlement was in the late 1630s when the Dutch West India Company purchased almost all of the Brooklyn and Queens land. It remained farmland for the next two centuries until it served as the backdrop for the beginning of the battle of Long Island during the American Revolutionary War. The historic marker of the battle pass is now preserved in the form of a boulder and plaque in Prospect Park. The first development in the neighborhood began in 1847 when Colonel Daniel Richards requested permission from the Brooklyn common council to develop eighth ward’s streets. By the 1870s, four large parks were constructed, and many wealthy New Yorkers came in with horse-drawn railcars running to the park and the ferry. In the 1880s and 1890s, many large Victorian mansions of Prospect Park were built to take advantage of the park views, and by the time the Brooklyn Bridge was built, it became the richest community in the US. While Park Slope went through a series of changes in the mid-20th century that involved wealthier residents moving out and working-class immigrants coming to the neighborhood, remnants of rich history and beautiful architecture in Park Slope can be found today as it continues to be a beautiful, posh, and family-oriented neighborhood.

NEIGHBORHOOD BOUNDARIES

  • 4th Avenue on the West
  • Flatbush Avenue on the North
  • Prospect Park on the East
  • Prospect Expressway on the South
Ind Culver F G
IRT Eastern Parkway 2 3 4 5
BMT Fourth Avenue D N R W
Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center D N Q R W
BMT Brighton B Q

Residents Love This Neighborhood Because

  • Community oriented vibe
  • Pet friendly
  • Lots of restaurants, nail salons, and grocery stores
  • Beautiful brownstones and townhouses
  • Picturesque, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks
  • Organic food markets

What to expect

Cafés

+25

Hospitals

5

Community Gardens

3

Dog Runs

3

Libraries

2

Parks

4

Playgrounds

5

Restaurants

+50

Yoga Studios

15

park slope street

Park Slope Landmarks and Cultural Institutions

A NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR

Get to know the neighborhood by visiting its most notable landmarks and sites. From museums and sculptures, to parks, markets, and hidden neighborhood gems, you’ll find everything you need to know about the neighborhood’s most unique and historical attractions.

Prospect Park

The flagship park of Brooklyn was constructed between 1865 and 1895 by the masterminds behind Central Park, Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux. Within the 526 acres of Prospect Park lies the Prospect Park Zoo, the Boathouse, Concert Grove, Prospect Park Bandshell, as well as sporting facilities like a tennis center, basketball courts, baseball fields, and soccer fields.

Litchfield Villa

In 1830, New York City banned coffin burials because of yellow fever outbreaks, which led to underground vault burials. Perkins Nichols seized the opportunity and installed 156 marble vaults about ten feet underground in order to accommodate the new mandate. Because of the unfamiliarity of this tactic, many famous and wealthy families immediately bought the vaults, later becoming the New York Marble Cemetery. The popularity of this cemetery was so great that another cemetery, The New York City Marble Cemetery, was built just around the corner. The New York Marble Cemetery is open at least once a month, April through October for tours

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch

At Grand Army Plaza is the remarkable structure that was dedicated in 1886 to the men who fought in the union forces in the Civil War. On the eastern end of this triumphal arch is a stairway to the observation deck and crowning sculpture. To reflect the Union’s victory in the Civil War, the crowning sculpture depicts the winged goddess of victory, along with several winged attendants removing horses for use in times of peace. 

Old Stone House of Brooklyn

This building is a reconstruction of a 1699 Vechte-Cortelyou house that was built after the land was taken from the Lenape Indians. The Old Stone House of Brooklyn also marks the area where the culminating engagement of the Battle of Brooklyn took place in 1776. Today, it is part of the Historic House Trust of New York City and commemorates the birthplace of the Brooklyn Dodgers, as their original clubhouse.

William B. Cronyn House

Also known as the house on 271 Ninth Street, this historic home was built in 1856 by William B. Cronyn, a Wall Street merchant. The three-story Second Empire style dwelling stands out for its baby-blue color and mansard roof, and is an important piece of pre-civil war Park Slope architecture. Today, it is home to musicians Vita and Charles Sibrisky, who also operate a music school in the neighborhood called Slope Music.

Park Slope Food Coop

The Park Slope Food Coop, started in 1973, is a community-oriented, member-owned and operated food store that sells goods at the lowest possible prices. Since only members can shop at the coop, responsibilities for keeping the store active and running fall equally on all members. The shop sells a variety of products with an emphasis on minimally processed, organic, healthy foods. The coop also prides itself on its environmentally friendly focus, primarily buying foods from locally produced, earth-friendly vendors. 

Architecture In Park Slope

Italiante

French Second Empire

Greek Revival

Beaux-Arts

Victorian

Queen Anne

Renaissance Revival

Notable New Yorkers

Who Have Lived in Park Slope

Daniel Radcliffe - East Village

PAUL BETTANY

Actor

Michael Jordan

STEVE BUSCEMI

Actor, Filmmaker

LAURENCE FISHBURNE

Actor, Producer

TALIB KWELI

Rapper, Entrepreneur

ANGELIQUE KIDJO

Singer-songwriter

PATRICK STEWART

Actor

WENTWORTH MILLER

Actor, Screenwriter

SARAH PAULSON

Actress

Popular Food & Drink

Claro

284 3rd Avenue

Bricolage

162 5th Avenue

Miriam

79 5th Avenue

One More Charm

236 7th Avenue

Chela

408 5th Avenue

Scottadito Osteria Toscana

788A Union Street

al di la Trattoria

248 5th Avenue

Piccoli Trattoria

522 6th Avenue

All Notable New Yorker photos courtesy of Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons. Photo of Paul Bettany by Gage Skidmore from Peoria; Photo of Steve Buscemi by Rhododendrites; Photo of Laurence Fishburne by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C; Photo of Talib Kweli by Tuomas Vitikainen; Photo of Angelique Kid Jo by HankBate123; Photo of Patrick Stewart by Gage Skidmore; Photo of Wentworth Miller by Andrew Horovitz; Photo of Sarah Paulson by Gage Skidmore;

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