Welcome to Nort West Brooklyn
Family-friendly neighborhoods surrounding a sprawling park
Prospect Park is one of Brooklyn’s largest and most historic public greenspaces. The park opened in 1867 and was landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, who also helped create Manhattan’s iconic Central Park. This beautifully designed park has a central waterway running through it and features the only lake in Brooklyn, along with other amenities including a zoo and ice skating rink.
Prospect Park is bordered by the highly desirable residential neighborhoods of Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush, and Windsor Terrace. Housing options within these neighborhoods include classic brownstone rowhouses and apartments as well as luxurious contemporary condominium buildings.
What to Love
- Prospect Park amenities
- Varied restaurants
- Historic homes
- Family-friendly vibe
People & Lifestyle
With the gorgeous greenspace of Prospect Park at their center, neighborhoods in this area are some of New York City’s most inviting and family-friendly communities. These neighborhoods offer a great mix of access to outdoor recreation spots, international restaurants, and convenient transportation to other New York City areas.
Dining, Entertainment & Shopping
There are places to grab a meal year-round at Prospect Park, with hot dog carts, snack bars, and spots for a more substantial sit-down meal. King David Tacos at the park’s northern end serves Austin-style breakfast tacos that were described by Eater New York as one of the best breakfast options in NYC. Bluestone Café at the LeFrak Center offers a seasonal menu of sandwiches, salad bowls, and burgers. Between April and October, Smorgasburg features over 100 vendors offering a wide range of food from some of Brooklyn’s best restaurants.
Nearby neighborhoods have many more dining options. James in Prospect Heights is a rustic spot for delicious farm-to-table seasonal cuisine. Other Prospect Heights highlights include Neapolitan brick-oven pizzas at Barboncino and flavorful Caribbean cocktails and cooking at Glady’s. Many consider Katsuei in Park Slope to be Brooklyn’s best sushi spot, with chefs adding a creative twist to traditional Edo-mae techniques.
Other Park Slope favorites include gourmet café food at Gather and Krupa Grocery. In Crown Heights, head to Gueros for excellent Tex-Mex or Dutch Boy for outstanding burgers. There are many shops and upscale grocery stores in neighborhoods surrounding the park, along with a Greenmarket open on Saturdays at the park all-year-round.
Things to Do
Prospect Park is one of New York City’s most attractive outdoor spaces, and it has plenty of things to see and do. The park has fields for baseball, softball, football, and soccer on the Parade Ground’s state-of-the-art turf field, fishing and boating on the lake, a tennis center with hard and clay courts, volleyball courts, and miles of trails for biking, running, and horseback riding. The LeFrak Center at Lakeside has a large ice rink open for skating, curling, and hockey during the winter.
The 18th century Lefferts House invites visitors to experience historic farming activities and play with traditional tools and toys. Prospect Park Zoo has more than 400 animals from over 100 different species, including Pallas’s cats, tamarins, baboons, and sea lions. Prospect Park’s original 1912 carousel is one of the most enduringly popular attractions.
The BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival takes place between June and August, with many free concerts taking place at Prospect Park. Other performances and events take place at the nearby Barclays Center, which is home to the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets and NHL’s New York Islanders.
Schools
Public schools in the area are part of the New York City Public School District. There are also several excellent public schools, including:
- Berkeley Carroll School, Private (Coeducational, College Preparatory), K-12
- St. Savior High School, Private (Roman Catholic, All Girls), 9-12