Added Saturday: Living in Flatbush. The Times is stealing my thunder!
Ok, so Ditmas is no longer that affordable. Let’s face it, none of Brooklyn is. But at least you get what you pay for here. The historic housing stock is nothing short of spectacular and the quiet tree lined streets within 20 minutes to Manhattan are the reasons this neighborhood is so desirable.
Ditmas Park is part of Victorian Flatbush. I grew up in nearby Midwood and didn’t really pay attention to what neighborhoods were called. So forgive my ignorance if I’m about to screw up boundary lines between Ditmas Park and Ditmas Park West and Beverly Square East. Honey, it was all Flatbush to me back then. Good map here, though.
My BFF lives in Ditmas, so I just asked her to contribute her thoughts on the area. Here they are:
Ditmas is wildly diverse. If you walk from one end of Cortelyou (the main commercial strip) to the other, you will meet a person from any and every country around the world. Even Sufjan Stevens says so, so it must be true.
There are two very good public schools in the area: PS 139 and PS 217. It’s a family oriented neighborhood complete with playgrounds, daycare services and mommies groups.
The Q train ranked #5 out of 22 lines in 2006 by Straphangers.org.
The Flatbush Food Coop, around since 1976, is not a fascist regime like the Park Slope Food Coop.
Cortelyou Road has seen many new restaurants popping up within the last few years, including the leftie cafe Vox Pop , The Farm and Picket Fence.
Lots of new blood coming into the neighborhood. This can be good or bad depending upon how you look at it. My BFF and I couldn’t figure out what Yuppies are called in the oughts, but that’s who is moving in. We call them “Park Slope types” (no offense meant) but when we were youngins “PS types” meant crunchy bohemian artsy lefties like us.
With the newcomers come higher prices, a Connecticut Muffin and coming soon….stroller wars. Stay tuned!
Ditmas Park Blogspot
Living in Victorian Flatbush
Flatbush Gardener
Sustainable Flatbush
6 Affordable Neighborhoods
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I’ve lived in Ditmas for almost six years and think its the best nabe(if you’re not counting Carroll Gardens)in bklyn! I just hope it stays diverse.
Comment by brooklynrocks — November 30, 2007 @ 9:54 am
Carroll Gardens was over the day Red Rose shifted gears.
Comment by Anonymous — November 30, 2007 @ 12:17 pm
What’s a BFF?
Comment by Anonymous — November 30, 2007 @ 3:24 pm
12:17, I prefer old Red Rose too!
3:24, BFF=best friend forever.
Comment by RH — November 30, 2007 @ 5:10 pm
In what way is the Park Slope Food Coop a fascist regime?
Comment by anonymous — December 3, 2007 @ 10:53 pm
Tough question to answer at 4:42 am when I’m rushing to catch a flight. (See vacation post above…I’m not trying to make excuses!). We twice went to orientation to join and decided against it both times because there were too many rules. Perhaps they’ve changed now since they expanded, but one thing I noticed was the arrows on the floor showing you which way you had to walk. Also didn’t like the fact that every member of the household needs to join whether they’re eating the food or not. Then the lines…I had to stand on 3 or 4 different lines to check out and get out of there! Ok, gotta go on vacation now. Hope this answers your questions.
Comment by RH — December 4, 2007 @ 4:40 am
rh- I don’t have a problem with the fact that the Park Slope Coop is not for you. Rule-bound and quirky I understand, but fascist regime seems a little much.
Comment by anonymous — December 4, 2007 @ 10:30 pm
10:30pm, I was being sarcastic. I thought people in NYC understand humor and sarcasm. Get out of the coop so you can laugh at life alittle more! You’ve been drinking too much of that organic Kool Aid.
Comment by RH — December 5, 2007 @ 7:28 am
I do understand humor and sarcasm. You’re still not funny.
Comment by anonymous — December 5, 2007 @ 9:40 pm
well, i thought it was funny, and i’m a member! might jump ship when the flatbush food co-op moves into the new location, though…
Comment by anne — December 14, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
[...] ethnic neighborhoods: Brighton Beach for its Russian population, Richmond Hill for its Guyanese and Ditmas Park for its [...]
Pingback by reclaimedhome.com » New York’s Ethnic Neighborhoods — December 17, 2007 @ 5:03 am