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My wife and I are considering renting an apartment located on 12th Street between 5th Ave and 6th Ave in Park Slope. The unit itself looks pretty good, but I have a lot of questions about the street. I used to live on 6th Street in Park Slope but since moved far, far away (as in, to Georgia!). I spent a little bit of time in South Slope, including on this very particular block actually, but I never was able to get a good read on it. Do any of you have any thoughts on this block?
To be a little more specific, we're kind of wondering what it should tell us (if anything) that there are multiple apartment buildings on this block interspersed between the brownstones. Is that bad sign? To my eye it definitely doesn't look quite as "pretty" as some of the other Park Slope blocks that have nothing but brownstones but if it's just a matter of looks, that's not a big deal to us.
I doubt anyone reading your post is familiar with that particular block. Based on my search on Google street view, it certainly is not something to write home about. But don't just a book by its cover.
Overall, Park Slope is a very safe neighborhood, and I'm not sure why this block would be less safe than others. I suggest you walk the block on a Friday night or Saturday night to get a better feel for it.
"Most of our brownstone neighborhoods have wooden houses somewhere in their borders. They range from the elegant clapboard homes of Brooklyn Heights, to the laborer’s houses of Wallabout, to the tidy cottages of Weeksville. We’ve got large Italianate stand-alone mansions dotted across Brooklyn, and we’ve got blocks and blocks of wood-framed row houses. Some were built as worker’s cottages; others were part of Brooklyn’s growing middle class neighborhoods; clad in wood, just as other homes were built of brick or brownstone."
From what I understand, "South Slope" is generally a little cheaper and not as well-to-do as prime Park Slope. While most of Park Slope is mostly upper middle class families, the southern reaches attract a bit of a younger, more working class vibe.
It's definitely not as attractive as prime Park Slope. But it's still an incredibly safe and convenient neighborhood and you still get all of the amenities of Park Slope. I don't think there's anything to be concerned about.
Rare727, thanks for your reply. Generally speaking I'm familiar with how South Slope varies from the rest of Park Slope, and if this block is just a reflection of those differences, cool. We can handle that.
Gumshoe Lady, thanks so much for the link. That was actually my next tactic: try to find as much written as possible about the other houses on the block. I've already found quite a bit written about 314 12th St which was apparently under renovations for over half a decade. I'll add this to the list of things I've learned about the block.
So thanks to the both of you! Rubygreta, on the other hand...
Quote:
Originally Posted by rubygreta
I doubt anyone reading your post is familiar with that particular block. Based on my search on Google street view, it certainly is not something to write home about. But don't just a book by its cover.
Overall, Park Slope is a very safe neighborhood, and I'm not sure why this block would be less safe than others. I suggest you walk the block on a Friday night or Saturday night to get a better feel for it.
Maybe you didn't read my original post? I live 800+ miles away right now. So the super generic and not very helpful advice of "walk the block at night" is... well, super generic and not very helpful. Thanks anyway though.
I work in Park Slope and have walked the whole nabe several times. I do not recall this block for any reason but I think the area as a whole is very nice. I actually prefer the southern part of the neighborhood because it seems more quiet/peaceful.
We used to live at 12th Street and 7th Avenue (Ansonia Court). It's been a few years (we relocated to Boerum Hill in 1996) but the neighborhood was safe back then and has only gotten better since we left (no connection, I hope!). Generally speaking, the prettiest brownstone blocks are closer to the park and the Center Slope (above 9th Street, especially the named streets) but there is nothing wrong with the South Slope. It was considered a bit dodgy back in 1986 when we moved there but Park Slope real estate has exploded along with the rest of Brownstone Brooklyn. For instance, 5th Avenue used to be a dump but now it's better than 7th Avenue (IMHO) with many cool shops and restaurants.
I don't recall the block even though I walked it many times back in the day. The South Slope has humbler housing stock - wood frame and aluminum siding as opposed to brownstone - but it's a nice, safe neighborhood. If you lived in Park Slope years ago, you will be surprised to find out that the Gowanus neighborhood a few blocks to the west is rapidly gentrifying and homes there are marketed in the $1M range. I would say you have nothing to fear in Park Slope except astronomical rent increases! Good luck.
My wife and I are considering renting an apartment located on 12th Street between 5th Ave and 6th Ave in Park Slope. The unit itself looks pretty good, but I have a lot of questions about the street. I used to live on 6th Street in Park Slope but since moved far, far away (as in, to Georgia!). I spent a little bit of time in South Slope, including on this very particular block actually, but I never was able to get a good read on it. Do any of you have any thoughts on this block?
To be a little more specific, we're kind of wondering what it should tell us (if anything) that there are multiple apartment buildings on this block interspersed between the brownstones. Is that bad sign? To my eye it definitely doesn't look quite as "pretty" as some of the other Park Slope blocks that have nothing but brownstones but if it's just a matter of looks, that's not a big deal to us.
Thanks for your help!
I used to live around that area in park slope. Had a friend living on 12th st between 6th and 7th. That block is fairly quiet. You have 5th ave that has a few shops and diners. That's mostly busy. I think you would enjoy living there.
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