Quick Profile
Prospect Heights is a small residential neighborhood surrounded by big attractions. It’s rich in culture and offers the perfect blend of old Brooklyn charm and modern-day hipness.
Residents of this tight-knit community include young professionals, families and long-time residents. It’s a walkers paradise - just steps from Prospect Park and a short walking distance to neighborhoods like Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Green and Clinton. You’re close to culture too. Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Library, Brooklyn Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Barclays Center are all nearby.
Prospect Heights is bordered by Flatbush Avenue to the west, Washington Avenue to the east, Atlantic Avenue and Dean Street to the north and Eastern Parkway to the south.
Prospect Heights, like many areas of New York City, was first inhabited by indigenous tribes and eventually settled by the Dutch and turned into farmland.
A significant part of the Revolutionary War was fought in Prospect Heights and the surrounding areas. Known as the Battle of Brooklyn, it was the first military engagement following the Declaration of Independence. Things didn’t go so well for American forces so they retreated and the British occupied Manhattan for several years after the Battle of Brooklyn.
In 1867, the opening of Prospect Park caused major housing growth in Prospect Heights. The middle-class neighborhood was soon populated by Jewish, Italian, and Irish workers. Many of which were shop-owners or employed as laborers in nearby factories.
Housing in Prospect Heights includes single-family row houses, historic townhouses, co-ops, and new luxury condos. The median listed price for a 1-bedroom in Prospect Heights is $680,000 with an average price per square foot is $944.
The neighborhood's commercial artery runs along Vanderbilt Avenue and Washington Avenue. The variety of businesses adds to the charm of the neighborhood. They include bars, pubs, restaurants and mom-and-pop stores of all types. The shops and eateries are a perfect alternative to the big-name attractions that bracket the neighborhood. It's a little bit of everything in this neighborhood.
Subways are plentiful in Prospect Heights. Its proximity to Manhattan is another perk of the neighborhood. It's about a half-hour train ride. The B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4 and 5 subway lines all serve the Atlantic Avenue/Barclays Center station. 2, 3, 4, B and Q trains cover the neighborhood and the A and C trains are nearby too.
Destination Spots
Milk Bar - Serves delicious and healthy fare. They offer everything from pastries to sandwiches. The cozy corner setting is a favorite spot among the locals.
Chavela’s – You can’t pass through Prospect Heights without stopping by this mainstay. The spot offers Mexican food with a twist and it's definitely worth the trip. Chef Arturo Leonar makes delicious riffs on some classic Mexican favorites.
Unnamable Books – Book lovers may never leave. It's Cluttered (in the best possible sense) with books. Rare, obscure, and mainstream, you name it, it's here.
What You Might See
Green spaces and architecture. Of course, there is much to see in Prospect Heights but open parks and architecture stick out. Small green spaces like Dean Park, Lowery Triangle and Prospect Heights Community Farm are perfect getaways. If you’re looking for something bigger try Grand Army Plaza, the grounds at Brooklyn Museum or Prospect Park.
If it's architecture you are after, you’ve come to the right neighborhood. Prospect Heights Historic District is quite large. Prospect Heights was built in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries you’ll see everything from Italianate, neo-Greco, and Romanesque Revival styles of architecture.
What You Don’t Know
What’s up with those diagonal buildings? Have you ever wondered why many of the buildings in Prospect Heights are built on a 45-degree angle from the rest of the neighborhood's grid? They’re actually left over from an old grid system used in the early 1800’s. The old grid system caused the buildings to adhere to the triangle shape lots.
What’s in the Future
Arts and culture in Prospect Heights will soon benefit from a recently passed New York City budget. The Brooklyn’s Children Museum will receive $1 million. The Jewish Children’s Museum will receive $170,000 and the Brooklyn Museum will receive $1.25 million for African galleries.
Houses, Co-ops, and Condos for Sale and Rent in Prospect Heights
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