Long-time residents and prewar architecture on tree-lined streets
If you’re willing to live in a New York City neighborhood without a subway stop, you can pay about a quarter less for housing. Flatlands is a large community in southeast Brooklyn with reasonable prices on condos, co-ops, and townhouses. Former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s “Million Trees” initiative benefitted Flatlands with new saplings grown into cherry, Ginkgo and oak trees on sidewalk cutouts along these streets. Much of the neighborhood has prewar architecture, but a few postwar high-rises exist. New construction goes up here and there as the neighborhood gains residents. “Flatlands remains a largely residential neighborhood with tree-lined streets and many long-time residents,” says Troy Gaskin, real estate agent at Corcoran with over two decades of experience selling in New York’s five boroughs. “Gentrification hasn’t impacted this area as much as others, like Bed-Stuy, Bushwick or Crown Heights. The lack of subway lines has kept it under the radar and more affordable than other Brooklyn locales.”
Affordable condos and townhouses with off-street parking
Flatlands is largely a community of homeowners and few renters. The median price range for co-ops and condos is $170,000 to $500,000. For townhouses, the range is from $750,000 to around $900,000 for one and two-family homes in a variety of styles, some brick and some wood-frame. Prewar buildings with 40-plus units tend to have larger apartments but fewer amenities. New developments often have fewer units and space but more amenities, such as common outdoor spaces and an in-unit washer/dryer. Most properties in Flatlands have off-street parking as many residents own cars. “Flatlands are a buyers’ market,” says Gaskin. “Days on the market averages around 90 days, and most sales are priced less than asking.”
Local gems and big-box retailers, including Floridian Plaza Diner
The restaurant scene here is as eclectic as this dynamic neighborhood’s demographics. Old-school diners like Floridian Plaza Diner sell burgers, shakes and everything else to denizens cozying up over a newspaper or a conversation in deep vinyl booths. Saigon Grill and Bar is one of the most popular spots in Flatlands, both for takeout and dining in. Four main supermarkets - ALDI, Food Bazaar, C-Town and Target - serve all kinds of household needs. Utica Avenue is the main commercial strip in Flatlands, where residents can find everything from hardware stores to banks to auto parts.
A-rated Niche public schools, including Midwood High School
There are Catholic, Jewish and Islamic schools in Flatlands, as well as public and charter schools. PS 119 Amersfort Elementary received perfect scores from the New York City Department of Education for its family-community ties and a B rating from Niche for being one of the most diverse schools. Midwood High School at Brooklyn College has an A rating on Niche and is number 5 in New York’s standout high schools. J.H.S. 234 Middle School boasts an A Niche rating with excellent test scores and racial and economic diversity.
Ample public and private green space, including Marine Park
Marine Park, the largest in Brooklyn, features a stunning salt marsh and 118-acre Paerdegat Basin Park, which surrounds an inlet of Jamaica Bay for fishing and kayaking, bordering the neighborhood on the southwest and the southeast, respectively. Aside from these and a couple of pocket parks with fields and playgrounds, Amersfort Park is the only green space of note. The 3.5-acre park has blooming trees and meandering paths and shows weekly outdoor movies throughout the summer. Unlike many other neighborhoods, in Flatlands, many houses provide green spaces of their own – called backyards.
Without a single subway stop, buses come to the rescue
Several bus lines service the neighborhood, stopping at nearby subway stations like Brooklyn College/Flatbush Ave 2 and 5. However, residents say this necessity tacks an extra twenty minutes to their commute. Many residents drive for this reason and because many homes have their own driveways. Either way, Flatlands may not be a transportation desert for long. New York Governor Kathy Hochul recently greenlit a Metropolitan Transit Authority plan to build a 14-mile light rail connecting South Brooklyn to Queens. Construction could begin as soon as 2026, in which case Flatlanders would finally have their subway. Expect the Flatlands neighborhood to become much more popular when that happens.
