Court St, Brooklyn Heights

Court Street is one of the main streets that traverses Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Downtown Brooklyn. It's a really lively streets, and many parts of it are really beautiful. It's very quaint and has a lot of old beautiful brownstones. Because it's a major street, it doesn't have quite the greenery or suburban kind of feel that a lot of its off shoots have, but as far as major streets go, Court is really lovely. It reminds me of one of the bigger streets in the West Village -- even though there are a lot of people on it all the time and a lot of businesses, it's still really quaint.
Some of the best restaurants in the city can be found on Court Street. Buttermilk Channel has been written up in almost every foodie blog and magazine article around. I heard of that place before I even moved to New York and it is definitely worth the praise. One of my favorite restaurants in New York, Frankie's, has a Brooklyn offshoot on Court not too far from Buttermilk. Prime Meats is another foodie destination also just a hop, skip and a jump from the aforementioned restaurants. There are so many outstanding places to eat on this street, it's almost impossible to choose!
And, the shopping on Court is nothing to scoff at either. The shops run the gamut of boutiques similar to 5th Ave in Park Slope to American Apparel and Urban. It's almost like being in an outdoor mall. Except for, of course, there are much better shops, scenery and restaurants on Court than in a mall.
And, after you have spent a week trying to get through the eating and shopping, you have just as many drinking and socializing options to boot. Abelines and Last Exit are two great bars right on Court. And, The Bell House, one of the most popular bars in south Brooklyn is just off of Court. There's a great energy at these places but there really aren't any tourists so the social scene is much more local and friendly than any place you can find in Manhattan.
Court Street is a great street and if it weren't for the fact that it's in Brooklyn, I would be there all the time. It's really not that far outside of the city as far as time, but it can be a bit of a pain to go there when you live in Manhattan. If you like to live in a more tranquil part of New York that has a neighborhood feel (and trees) but still has a bustle, Court is definitely a good bet.

If you find yourself on Court Street in the Brooklyn Heights/Downtown area, you may feel like you haven't actually left Manhattan. But even though Court Street has all the standard big chains - Starbucks, Barnes and Noble, Trader Joe's - it also is home to quaint shops and privately owned restaurants, and is one of my favorite places to shop. I think there is even a Checkers on Court Street - not exactly a common sight in New York City. But even if you aren't a fan of southern fast food chains, I think the average shopper/ tourist would really enjoy this area of Court Street. The smaller stores are more prominent where Court Street runs through the neighborhood of Boreum Hill, and once you cross Atlantic Ave you begin to find the big name chains (American Apparel and such). Court Street runs all the way down to Red Hook, and is the street you take to get you most of the way to IKEA - another popular Brooklyn go-to spot.

What's great about Court Street: it's like living on Main Street in a small town. The people here are hip and young, for the most part. Mixed in with some eccentric old-timers, like my crazy Peruvian upstairs neighbors. The shops are great: trader Joe's on one corner, Barnes and Noble, a ton of little specialty shops. What's not so great: my building's old and the rent is way way too high. The area is beautiful and attracts yuppies, so I don't think rents are going low any time soon.

What is Court Street becoming? A small times square? I revisited Court Street last year. It has completely changed! It is a haven for hipsters I guess. With the new barnes and noble and american apparel, this place is going somewhere. And I think I like it. I'm not a hipster, but I'm glad to see this street catering toward a younger crowd now.

Court St. is conveniently located to the growing restaurant explosion on Smith St., and is slowly becoming a Cobble HIll foodie mecca of it's own. It's convenient to the subway, right off the F/G lines and closer to downtown Brooklyn the 2/3, 4/5 and M/R lines as well. The B75 bus runs down Court as well from Downtown Brookyn to Park Slope. Court is central between the beautiful brownstones & pastoral vibe on Clinton & Henry streets and the growing artistic community in Red Hook as well. If on Court, check out Brooklyn Bread for brick oven bagels, destination dining at Frankie's 457 and Buttermilk Channel, and late night happy hour at Abilene.

A few years ago we visited friends who lived in Brooklyn. They took us to an eatery called Miriam for breakfast. The street was a very relaxed atmosphere with many things to do! There were many people waving and stopping to chat with one another. Our friends told us they enjoy coming to Court Street because everyone is very friendly. Miriam was a great place to eat at!

Court Street is great to go to, or to live on if you are young and active. There is a lot of stuff to do there, movie theaters, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, all that kind of stuff. If you follow it all the way to the end, it ends in a dead end at the upper bay and before you get to that point it borders red hook recreational area which is a really pretty park with hand ball courts, baseball diamonds, picnic tables.

Court St. has it all -- independent book stores, indie movie theater, bistros and cafes, all the way on up to the big store shopping and chain restaurants, depending on exactly what part of the street you walk. I prefer the Cobble Hill section, home to beautiful classic brownstone architecture and somewhat cleaner streets. Yes, it's a little snooty over there -- not too many of us can afford to live in this area -- but I love to visit for dinner, a movie, or a little shopping and walking around. And although it's certainly upper-middle class at the very least, it's a lot cooler than the more upscale neighborhoods of Manhattan.

Court Street in the downtown section of Brooklyn, has just recently become an entertainment attraction for many Brooklynites. With the introduction of a 14 screen movie theater and 2-floor Barnes and Noble Booksellers, there has been some sort of a night life brought to this street.

There has also been condominiums and retail space built across the street from the movie theater.
Adjacent to the theater there is an American Apparel clothing store.

One can also go for their normal fast food run, with McDonald's, Starbucks, and Popeyes all in the area. This is also a few pizza shops located on Court Street if your in the mood for a Brooklyn slice.

If you are planning to take a visit, the area is very accessible by subway. The 2,3,4,5,M,R trains all make stops there at Brooklyn Borough Hall. Not near those stops? You can also take the A,C, or F train to Jay St. and walk towards Court Street, which is literately only 2 blocks away.

Have fun reading or watching your favorite movie!