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4.Cobble Hill

Why You Should Move Here

Much of Cobble Hill is a designated historic district, which means that it hasn’t succumbed to overdevelopment the way so many other neighborhoods have in the last decade or two. Twenty-two square blocks, lined with brownstones and row houses, still retain a flavor of the 19th century, when many of them were built. Smith Street, the major commercial strip, has been glutted with trendy bars and restaurants in recent years, but they coexist with traces of the neighborhood’s Italianate mom-and-pop past, represented by traditional spots like Los Paisanos Meat Market and the Smith Street Barber Shop.

What the Future Holds

Alex McCord, a Cobble Hill resident and cast member of The Real Housewives of New York, has reportedly been kicked off the show. That can only be good, right?

Where You’ll Find Us

Enjoying the retro pre-show reel telling us there’s no smoking allowed in the theater, and to please silence our pagers, at Cobble Hill Cinemas, our favorite non-BAM movie theater in the borough. Getting kicked out of Bookcourt under false accusations of shoplifting. Following Martin Amis around. Nursing whiskey-sodas within Camp’s campy summer-camp motif. Trying to sneak onto the secret lower-level platform at the Bergen Street station.

Second Thoughts

Paul Auster lived here—like, 25 years ago! And then he moved to Park Slope, because if you have the money to live in this part of Brooklyn, why wouldn’t you? The park has a powerful appeal. (And we don’t mean Cobble Hill Park, which, FYI, had a rat problem this summer.) Sure, the shopping and nightlife on Smith and Court streets is nice, but Brooklyn isn’t exactly wanting for hip nightlife strips. And while the F train offers access to the rest of the borough and city, you’re kind of cut off in terms of walking. Where you gonna go, Downtown?

How Much

Average rent of a two-bedroom apartment: $2,800