Prospect Heights

Location

Neighborhood in northwestern Brooklyn, lying along the northern edge of Prospect Park and bounded to the north by Atlantic Avenue, to the east by Washington Avenue, to the south by Eastern Parkway (which begins in the neighborhood at Grand Army Plaza) and to the west by Flatbush Avenue.

Description

Compared to other Brooklyn neighborhoods, Prospect Heights is relatively small and is notable for its cultural diversity as well as its quiet, tree-lined streets. Prospect Heights is rapidly changing demographically, and its shifts are exemplified by a mixture of old and new buildings and businesses. The interior portion of the neighborhood consists mostly of brownstone-style residential buildings, some built as early as 1890, although some blocks, such as Lincoln and St. Johns Place between Underhill and Washington Avenues, include multi-unit, pre-war buildings. A number of new condominium complexes are under construction in many parts of the neighborhood.

Prospect Heights is well known for its Caribbean culture. Every year the West Indian Day Parade follows Eastern Parkway, beginning in Crown Heights and ending at Grand Army Plaza. Lately, the neighborhood has seen an influx of young professional and student residents seeking affordable rents. Vanderbilt Avenue features numerous bars and restaurants frequented by this demographic, in contrast to the typically West Indian community on Washington Avenue. Compared to other Brooklyn neighborhoods, Prospect Heights is relatively small and the character of the neighborhood at each of its borders lends credence to its diversity.