Why Boerum Hill is a great place to live

Boerum Hill is like the movie-set version of Brooklyn. Walking around, you’ll be struck by the gorgeous red brick, historic brownstones and leafy streets. Similar to its sister neighborhoods Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, it’s almost as though the entire neighborhood is slowly exhaling: the area is a quiet, picturesque retreat from the bustle of Manhattan, without being boring.

Photo: Brooklyn Bridge Realty

Boerum Hill was first settled in the 1800s as a family-centric Manhattan suburb (the name coming from the Boerum family, whose farm occupied most of the area). Nowadays, the family vibe remains, but the refurbished townhouses and new options to eat, drink and play has attracted a younger, fashionable crowd. Here’s our insight into why Boerum Hill is a great place to live.

The balance between quiet and busy

Boerum Hill has done a magical thing: it has managed to strike that perfect balance between quiet and busy. This is one of the reasons it’s so popular with Manhattan commuters, particularly those working in Lower Manhattan and Wall Street. Boerum Hill is right in the West of Brooklyn, so the trendy atmosphere of the Lower East Side has made the jump across the Brooklyn Bridge.

At the same time, you’ll be surprised by how quiet the neighborhood is when walking around from our Downtown Brooklyn House, which is located in the heart of the neighborhood. The airy streets are lined with trees and dog walkers in both summer and winter alike and the historic buildings, mostly consisting of three-story row houses built between 1840 and 1870, are some of the most beautiful in the city. It’s not uncommon to see locals lounging on their stoops in the summer sun. Boerum Hill is one of those rare places where you can feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, when really you’re always within a block or two of a restaurant, cafe or bar.

Photo: Brooklyn Bridge Park

We love how Boerum Hill is just a 25 minute walk from the water; stand out on the pier at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5 and marvel at the amazing Manhattan skyline in front of you. It feels like you’ve walked to the edge of the earth, when really you’re just a stone’s throw from home. At the same time, you can walk onto any part of Smith Street or Atlantic Avenue, the two thoroughfares of Boerum Hill, and find rows of people sat outside chatting in the innumerable restaurants and cafes.

The independent vibe

Boerum Hill is full of independent cafes, restaurants and shops -- more so than any other Brooklyn neighborhood -- which makes exploring even more fun than usual. We love bar 61 Local, which holds regular writing workshops and open mic evenings through the Brooklyn Poets Yawp. Little Sweet Cafe is a popular cafe for daytime treats with a relaxed, old-world vibe, while Greenlight Bookstore is one of our favorite independent bookstores in the entire city, with a program of regular talks and events. In fact, the whole of Smith Street is lined with restaurants and bars including Saul, Clover Club and Joya, which has now become a destination spot for Brooklyn foodies, while Atlantic Avenue is a center for boutique shopping. Big names like Jonathan Adler and Nunu Chocolates have their flagship stores here, while specialty stores like Cheryl Kleinman Cakes and Acorn gives this popular street a more intimate feel. Boerum Hill is also home to many artists who own art galleries in the neighborhood, including The Invisible Dog Art Center, Roulette, Issue Project Room, and BAM. All of this combined makes for a carefree atmosphere geared towards browsing, with a small town, outer-borough pace of life in a location just a few stops from Manhattan.

With one amazing exception

Not everything is independent, though. One thing about Boerum Hill which is reason enough to move here on its own is that it has one of only two Trader Joe’s in Brooklyn. Trader Joe’s is a chain supermarket that is basically refrigerated wonderfulness: It’s the best place to get good quality and affordable fruit and vegetables in NYC. There’s also a Wholefoods, so you’ll be spoiled for choice for healthy options if you choose Boerum Hill as your base.

Photo: Airbnb

Did we mention the transport connections?

Boerum Hill is one of the best located Brooklyn neighborhoods, situated on the west side of Brooklyn. Our Downtown Brooklyn House, in the heart of the neighborhood, is just a 34 minute journey to Times Square and a 21 commute to Wall Street. Bergen Street Station, in the middle of the neighborhood, is conveniently located on the F and the G lines, making travelling both into the city and around Brooklyn itself a breeze, while a short walk will bring you to the 2 and the 3 trains at Hoyt Street and the A and C trains at Hoyt-Schermerhorn for easy access to Downtown and Uptown Manhattan.

All in all, we think the location combined with the relaxed vibes makes Boerum Hill an amazing place to live in Brooklyn and t’s easy to see why it’s one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city.

Do you still disagree that Boerum Hill is a fantastic place to live? This region exemplifies balance in all things, and with us you may choose a balanced version of your apartment right now.