Ditmas Park
Ditmas Park offers the Victorian homes and tree-lined streets of its Brooklyn neighbors, but with a slightly younger attitude. The neighborhood is becoming popular with youthful residents due to an increase in hip amenities (fair trade coffee anyone?), and affordable real estate options. Because it still maintains many stable elements of a residential, established neighborhood, the area appeals to people who seek the benefits of living in an up-and-coming place without being overcome by a sea of baby boutiques. Also, since money and space go farther in Ditmas Park, residents can actually fit a couch in their living room.
Ditmas Park is serviced by the Q & B trains and located between Downtown Brooklyn and Coney Island on those lines. In other words, work and play are both a short ride from the neighborhood. Even still, considering the increasingly good amenities in the hood, it may not be necessary to leave Ditmas Park to have a night out on the town/suburb. The convenience of the neighborhood has led to a definite influx of the young and hip, but the general population of the neighborhood is too diverse to pin down into one or two countries of origin.
The housing stock in Ditmas Park is a fairly equal mix of detached single-family homes, row houses, and large apartment buildings. The housing sale options span a wide price range, and the median sales price of $670K doesn’t fully reflect the scope of possibility. Don’t be daunted by the fact that a Ditmas Park home just sold for a record-breaking amount – if you’re willing to buy a fixer-upper, condo, or co-op, you should be able to find something that is reasonably priced. Apartment rentals are relatively affordable as the median rental price for a studio is about $925/mo and $1200/mo for a 1Br.