Living in Flatbush

The first question people ask themselves when moving to New York is where to accommodate. Places for a living are varied regarding so many specificities of each borough, neighborhood, and district. Well, even though most people are initially not that confident about a particular neighborhood, most prefer Brooklyn. It is a historic part of the city full of unique, interesting, and fascinating places, with developed infrastructure and transport connections. One of the neighborhoods best for living, where all the aspects are balanced is the Flatbush area in Brooklyn. 

What is it like living in Flatbush, what are the peculiarities and unique features that no other region has, and how is it connected with the other nicest parts of Brooklyn? We aim to guide you through these and many other questions in this article. 

Welcome to Flatbush – Why to Consider This Historical Region as a Living Place

The Flatbush neighborhood was founded in the middle of the 17th century and is one of the oldest areas in Brooklyn. The territories were initially a village sitting next to quiet farmlands where people were living and working calmly. That explains a lot about the type of residential buildings embellishing the neighborhood streets. But with the appearance of the Brooklyn Bridge and the opening of Prospect Park with lots of entertainment available here, the Flatbush popularity for constant living skyrocketed. 

Since then, the Flatbush neighborhood became a desirable destination for living and attracted many various people. By saying various we mean indeed multifaceted ethnic and racial communities that were mostly migrants. It explains the existence of such districts as Little Caribbean or Little Haiti located in the East of the neighborhood. Due to such manifold residents living then, today, the neighborhood remains one of the most diverse yet sympathetic towards other people’s circumstances.

What Options Does the Market Offer and for Which Price

The Flatbush neighborhood quarters are predominantly residential, and in contrast to northern or eastern parts of Brooklyn where the brownstones are the main characteristic feature, here, the living places are widely represented by single or two-family houses. The same brownstones or multi-apartment buildings also appear, but they’re significantly younger compared to the pre-war or Victorian-style homes.

When it’s about finding a living place in Flatbush, it doesn’t really matter what type of building you’ve found, but more – the part of the neighborhood you are looking for. According to the maps, the Flatbush neighborhood borders the Kensington neighborhood from the West and takes the middle of the Little Caribbean and Little Haiti on the East where the ethnic communities were living. The fact is when you look for an apartment, they consider Flatbush extending to the East to Canarsie and Brownsville – this is called East Flatbush. 

This long introduction was to explain the difference in pricing through the neighborhood, which can be significant depending on how distanced the living destination is. Thus, if you look for an apartment somewhere on New York Avenue, the price can begin at $1000 per month. At the same time, the closer it is to bustling roads like Flatbush Ave or Rogers Ave, the higher the pricing is. To extract the main idea, note that living around the vivid areas of the neighborhood with comfortable transport links and diverse entertainment zones is about $2300 to $4300 per month. 

Consider also the rooms for living in Flatbush, which are located nearby the routes where the life is boiling, and cost significantly less. For instance, you can find available rooms for living in the Flatbush neighborhood for rent starting from $790 to $2140 depending on the comfort level and the rental period.

Is Living in Flatbush Opening New Work Prospects

Living in Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York is not as convenient for job seekers as Manhattan or Fort Greene. You can find many shops, grocery stores, many private practice services, and other features that are characteristic of most residential neighborhoods, where people come home to have a rest after work. 

Most offers you can see here are part-time, so the jobs in Flatbush are more appropriate for people like students living nearby or those who need an additional income source within a neighborhood. However, if you’re about to start your business here, the platform and environment are pretty favorable for developing a small business. Locals appreciate outdoor markets and find it exciting to spend another hour chatting at the doorsteps where they’re living, so some casual coffee shop would also be apt. 

Flatbush Ave which carries the name of the neighborhood, closer to Prospect Park, is a fertile space to start something more substantial than just a small business, but here, many finesses are for you to consider. 

Not to Leave the Neighborhood After a Busy Day

Wondering about the places to visit in the neighborhood when returning from work or to spend a holiday, you have quite a diversity no matter where you’re living. Those are Flatbush Ave, Church Ave, the crossing of Coney Island Ave and Cortelyou Road (bordering with Kensington), and some others. Other cafes and restaurants also appear in the Flatbush neighborhood, but they are a little bit fewer. 

To start your day, you can visit the IHOP restaurant on 2244 Church Ave if living nearby – breakfasts are their specialization, so you’ll find your match for a perfect first meal in the day. If you wanna find a venue near the living place visit the magnificent La Cabaña Rodríguez offering a variety of meals of Dominican cuisine. Another recommendation is Golden Blue Bar & Restaurant. The food here is worth admiring, and unpretentious at the first sight, this place turns into a vibrant relaxation hub in the evenings when live music wafts through the streets. 

Ways to Spend a Weekend 

If you’re new to the Flatbush neighborhood, and you wanna look through all the attractions first, start with King’s Theatre It’s right in front of Taco Bell Cantina (a restaurant for Mexican fast food). You can easily notice this fancy building by its outstanding front entrance with majestic art-like patterns and a general architectural impression that leaves an impression of something too artsy yet unrepeatably charming. 

Another noticeable venue to visit if living in the neighborhood is the Kent Theatre, where many performances take place. Even though it is considered a cinema, other events are arranged here regularly. Its feature is that the theatre was launched in Flatbush about 120 years ago and works consistently since then.

Draw your attention to Our Lady of Refuge Church. It’s not really large, but its architecture and interior are astonishing for both people living in the neighborhood and the travelers passing by. The inside of the church reminds the European Gothic architecture, and night lighting makes it look even more stately. 

Living in Flatbush, you can also enjoy the Halloween Decorations Extravaganza on Albemarle Road in the neighborhood is one of the most fancily decorated houses in preparation for Halloween. Plenty of indoor and outdoor decorations can make you scream, laugh, or get inspired. 

Another point of destination worth visiting is Parade Ground (if living at walking distance) – a park on the North of Flatbush, New York – where you can get involved in sports or just relax in the fresh air. 

Flatbush Neighborhood Unique Features

Except for a very particular blend of architectural styles, restaurants, and shops sprinkled through the streets of this historically rich neighborhood and a living place, Flatbush distinguishes itself by its people. As we mentioned, at the time the area attracted many different people from around the world to settle here for a living and it caused a singular vibe.

As people here are rather friendly though they belong to various cultures, the community of the neighborhood is unified by one single specificity – most of them want to make other people’s lives better. That’s why in Flatbush like nowhere else in New York the volunteer organizations work for entirely different purposes. 

If it makes you think of safety issues about living here, let’s take the neighborhood rates calculated and presented by the NYC Police Department in 2021. According to their data, in Flatbush New York crime constitutes two marks: property crime and violent crime rates. The first has a percentage of 5.2 per thousand residents. The second one is 3.3 per the same amount of residents. 

Commuting – Issues and Pitfalls in Flatbush New York

Living in and commuting from Flatbush will most likely not evoke any problems because of the neighborhood’s proximity to the main subway stations and roads. 

• To talk more precisely, you can reach the Ocean Parkway that leads to Hugh L. Carey Tunnel, and other main roads, through Kensington. 
• As for the metro, you can use the B and Q lines which go under the west-central Flatbush. They allow reaching the southern neighborhoods of Brooklyn and almost all of Manhattan. 
• To use 2 or 5 lines, you’ll need to go to Little Caribbean or Little Haiti districts from where you’re living – these routes allow you to reach the Bronx.

Well, is Flatbush a good neighborhood? You decide. The fact is it’s full of magnificent places, charming people, and a particular atmosphere you can meet nowhere else. Consider the aspects of living carefully, and choose the best option for yourself.