RoboLincoln

As somebody who works from home, I find Sunset Park to be an ideal place to live. It's close enough to Manhattan (about a 45 minute subway ride) that it's not inconvenient when I have work or other obligations in the city, but it's also removed enough that the rent stays cheap and there's still an old world, friendly neighborhood feeling. I love Sunset Park itself (the park), which serves as the perfect centerpiece for a diverse and fascinating neighborhood. It's the perfect place to fly a kite, eat a picnic, or just lounge with loved ones. The views are spectacular--the New York skyline is sprawled out below you, along with Brooklyn and the harbor. I love that you can see the Statue of Liberty so easily from this neighborhood, a luxury most Manhattanites don't enjoy. But the best aspects of Sunset Park are the amazing architecture (beautiful brownstones like in Park Slope) and the cultural diversity. You can go from Brooklyn's Chinatown on one end to a Hasidic area to an area populated by Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Dominican families. There's no better place in town for Mexican food, in my opinion, and in terms of the Chinatown area, I actually prefer it to Manhattan's Chinatown--the crowds are less overwhelming and the shops and restaurants are more authentic. A great place to live!

I am a fan of all the streets around here, but to be fair, this one and the ones next to it are a little bit drab. Some of the houses are lovely, and the area is very convenient, but you aren't going to find amazing brownstones or anything like that. Regardless, I love that the street is just three blocks from the subway hub at 36th street (and 4th Ave.). Other nearby amenities are a Post Office (on 3rd Avenue), two bars (Uncle Sam's and Brooklyn's Tiki Bar), a number of good pizza and Mexican places, and even a bowling alley (just up on 5th Ave and a little further south). There are plenty of churches in the area, and a new school (middle or high school, I'm not sure) is about to finish construction right around there. That could be a good or bad thing depending on how you feel about rowdy teenagers. Personally I'm dreading it.

I wouldn't say that 32nd st. is the prettiest street in the neighborhood, but it has a lot to recommend it. The express subway station is just 4 blocks away, at 36th st. and 4th avenue, and there is post office just down the street on 3rd Avenue. Green-Wood Cemetery cuts the street off at 5th Avenue, which, unless you're superstitious, is a good thing--it's a beautifully landscaped forest of a place, and generally just gives you the atmosphere of living near a park. Speaking of parks, it's just a quick walk to Sunset Park, which is a great place during the warmer months or anytime. Pick up a taco from one of the nearby Mexican restaurants and lounge on the hill or fly a kite...either way it's a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. There are also a couple of bars nearby right along 4th, including Brooklyn's Tiki Bar, which is a standard neighborhood place but pretty fun.

Livingston St., like a lot of the streets in the Boerum Hill neighborhood, has a few different personalities. Parts of it have a lot to offer--beautiful old houses, interesting new businesses (coffee shops, bars), and nice younger residents (somewhere inbetween the stroller moms in Park Slope and the hipsters in, well, a lot of parts of Brooklyn). But around the Hoyt-Schermerhorn subway station, it can get a little bit sketchy. Sometimes there are rats, and I don't just mean a few...like, stampedes of rats. And some homeless people and druggie types tend to hang out around the station late at night. But the convenience to the Atlantic-Pacific hub, with its transportation and the Atlantic Center mall, makes this a very convenient location.

I've lived a couple of blocks away for years, and I love 31st Street. For one thing, you're surrounded by amenities--a Hess Express (gas station and convenience store) on one side, an On the Run (ditto) on the other, so you can decide which has better prices for things like snacks and beer. I personally prefer the Hess, and spend a little too much of my money on buying beer there. But for those who live in other parts of New York where they only have delis and liquor stores, the prices at convenience stores like this are a shocker. Other great aspects of 31st street...it's located directly between local and express train stations (at 25th and 36th street, respectively), and there's a generally fun and friendly neighborhood vibe. The neighbors throw lots of block parties and barbeques, let's put it that way.

Now, I'm not one to take gossip at face value, but as someone who's lived in the neighborhood for a long time, I've heard some things about this block over the years. I've heard that this block is one of the poorer ones out of the area, due to sometimes rowdy bands of teenagers and rumored criminal activity. It's just a little sketchy, let's put it that way. But that isn't to say that you're asking for trouble if you hang around here or move here. All I know is that people who have lived in the area for longer than me say it's shady, and not in a pleasant, tree-lined way. Regardless, the area is great and you couldn't ask for a more convenient location--the subway station is on 25th street, along with a recently renovated supermarket, and if you're a history buff, the Green-Wood Cemetary entrance is also just down the block. Plus, the Green-Wood parrots live in the trees right around the entrance, so you can do some bird watching if you're so inclined.

I live a couple of blocks away from here, but I visit the street often, and I'm very fond of it. The great thing about the blocks in the early to mid 20s around here is that the rent has continuously remained low over the years. I've been living in the area for around five years, and in that time the neighborhood rents have remained steady at around $1000 for a one bedroom and $1400 for a 2 bedroom, more or less. But the other great thing is that, unlike a lot of other neighborhoods, the apartments here are usually pretty similarly sized. Aside from a few larger apartment complexes, here you generally see 2 story houses broken up into 3 or 4 units, so you get a lot of spacious living rooms and dining rooms, and generally more space than you'd find elsewhere. Recommended!

I live a block away so I'm often on this street and know people who live here (in the area between 5th and 4th Aves.), and I would definitely recommend it. Now it's nothing fancy--no amazing brownstones, fancy stores or restaurants, or even a whole lot of action going on most of the time--but what it lacks in razzle-dazzle it makes up for in friendliness. People on the block are definitely friendlier than your average neighbors (that goes for the whole general neighborhood), and even though the traffic on 4th Avenue can be a little much at times, it's generally a very quiet place. In addition, there are lots of schools nearby, and they just renovated the C-Town supermarket on 25th st. and 4th (same block as the subway station), all pluses.

Unlike the previous miscategorized review, mine is for 42nd street in Brooklyn. I absolutely adore the area around Sunset Park, and this street is no exception. All the best taquerias in the city are right along 5th Avenue nearby, and a quick jaunt takes you up to Brooklyn's Chinatown...bubble tea, fresh groceries, and delicious Dim Sum await. But what astounds me more than anything about this neighborhood is how affordable it is to live in. The cost of living itself is low, but the property, even more so. The brownstones along these blocks (in the 40s and 50s, west of 6th or 7th avenue) are absolutely beautiful, and look just like the ones in Park Slope, but cost about half as much (well, maybe I'm exaggerating, but the rent is a lot cheaper, anyway). A lot of the neighborhood residents aren't going to speak your language, but if that doesn't bother you, you'll discover an extremely warm and welcoming community.

Sunset Park, which extends from about 36th Street to the late 50s or so in Brooklyn, is a great neighborhood...if you don't want a whole lot of action and excitement. The thing is, it can take a long time to get to Manhattan from the area (not to mention somewhere in North Brooklyn like Williamsburg), although Park Slope isn't too much of a jaunt. But additionally, the modern businesses you see trickling into Park Slope South haven't quite reached Sunset Park yet, so everything is still on a pretty localized basis...local stores, local restaurants, nary a chain to be found. And to me that's a wonderful thing...I love nothing more than exploring the area's tacquerias and Chinese bakeries. This street has excellent transportation as well.

I live a little bit south of this street, so I always cross it on my way into Park Slope proper. And while I think walking across overpasses is rather pleasant, I wouldn't want to live along this block. Until the expressway diverges, Prospect Ave. runs alongside it for a good while, and I can't imagine what the noise would be like. Plus, the traffic can be a little bit dangerous, so it wouldn't be a good place to raise young children. However, sometimes flaws like these can make the apartments on the street cheaper, which is a plus to young singles who don't spend a lot of time home anyway and are just looking to save a bit of money on rent. Needless to say, the area is filled with businesses of all kinds, from excellent restaurants and bars to locally-run stores selling just about everything. Very convenient to transportation (subway stops on Prospect).

I have lived on this street for five years (on the prime strip between 4th and 5th Ave...it's a little less nice the further west of 4th Ave. you go), and I absolutely love it. There is a gifted elementary school at the corner and a police station across from that, so it is a very safe neighborhood. Very little crime, if any, especially compared to other parts of the neighborhood, like along the more industrial 3rd Avenue. The families along the block all know each other by name, and they'll look out for you. On a warm day everyone is out on their stoops chatting. The Green-Wood Cemetery forms the end of the block at 5th Avenue, and since all you can see from this area is a lush green forest, basically, all that means is that you get super-fresh air and beautiful views. Nearby Sunset Park is a lovely place to visit, with one of the best views in the city, and there is a ton of good Mexican food nearby.