Downtown Brooklyn Is 'Where It's At' In 2019, Study Finds

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN, BROOKLYN — A plethora of new residential units and some noteworthy cultural attractions has made Downtown Brooklyn one of the "NYC Neighborhoods to Watch in 2019," a recent study by real estate experts found.

The neighborhood was one of nine recognized in a report developed by data scientists Localize.city that looked at the best places to move this year. The group of experts looked at the top places across the city that have "shiny new things" coming in 2019.

For Downtown Brooklyn, the plethora of new residential opportunities made it one of the neighborhoods dubbed "where it's at." But new commercial and cultural projects mean the neighborhood will offer even more than just new places to live, the study found.

“Downtown Brooklyn has been awash in new development, and a variety of projects will wrap up construction in 2019,” Localize.city urban planner Alon Goldstein said. "...The new Brooklyn home of the Center for Fiction will include a bookstore, cafe, library, classrooms and a 160-seat auditorium, cementing the borough’s reputation as home to many writers. With the 13-story, 285-room Ace Hotel at 61 Bond St., will the hip brand’s Brooklyn outpost be a game changer like it was for the Flatiron? And a 620,000 square foot office redevelopment atop Macy’s on Fulton Street is angling to fill its space with creative companies.”

The neighborhood currently has 718 units in seven buildings under construction and has a median monthly one-bedroom asking rent at $3,140, the study found.

Some of the noteworthy new residential spots include projects by high-profile architects like Morris Adjmi’s 211 Schermerhorn St. and ODA’s 10 Nevins St.

The incoming Wegmans grocery store, being built in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, is also a huge attraction, Localize.city found. The store is the chain's first in New York City and will be more than 10 times larger than nearby grocers.

Also on Flushing Avenue, incoming residents can expect a walking and cycling path next spring as part of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, an ongoing project to build paths between Greenpoint and Bay Ridge.

Other Brooklyn neighborhoods also made Localize.city's list, including East New York and Greenpoint.

You can check out the full report here.