Brooklyn: Redefining Luxury in New York City
Brooklyn is one of the best places to live, visit, and explore in New York City. As the city’s most populous and fastest growing borough, Brooklyn has endless excitement to offer, including an evolving luxury scene that gives nearby Manhattan a run for its money.
Located on the westernmost end of Long Island, Brooklyn encapsulates much of what makes the Big Apple so great, providing a hub of cultural diversity and entrepreneurial spirit all in 70 square miles of stunning city blocks. Learn all about it below, and discover what makes Brooklyn a favorite of New Yorkers and tourists alike.
History of Brooklyn
Brooklyn as we know it first came into being in the early 1600s as a Dutch settlement under the name of New Netherland. Like much of the city, it saw major expansion during the immigrant boom of the 18th and 19th centuries, with 1898 marking the year that Brooklyn went from being a city all its own to an official borough of New York City.
The transition from small independent settlement to burgeoning borough may have taken time, but it’s hard to imagine a modern New York without Brooklyn. Today, the borough is home to 70 distinct neighborhoods and more than 2.6 million residents, making it not just the most populous area in NYC but the third largest “city” in the country – larger than Atlanta, Boston, and Washington D.C. combined. It also holds the title of New York’s first Designated Historic District, a testament to Brooklyn’s renowned history and central role in New York urban development.
Popular Brooklyn
Neighborhoods
Located along Brooklyn’s tree-lined streets are dozens of vibrant neighborhoods, including immigrant enclaves and some of the most high-end zip codes in the nation. Its neighborhoods include:
- Williamsburg
- Greenpoint
- Carroll Gardens
- Dumbo
- Park Slope
- Sunset Park
- Prospect Heights
- Brooklyn Heights
- Bushwick
- Flatbush
- Brighton Beach
- Cobble Hill
- Sheepshead Bay
Depending on what neighborhood you visit, you’ll find everything from world-class shopping and dining to tiny artisanal marketplaces and a scope of ethnic cuisine rivaling the city at large. There really is something for everyone, and depending on where you’re staying, it usually won’t cost you more than a $3 subway ride to get there.
Brooklyn Demographics
Among New York’s five boroughs, Brooklyn ranks fourth in size and first in number of residents. These residents are as diverse as the neighborhoods they reside in, with one in three coming from another country and 50% of Brooklyn households speaking a language other than English at home.
The median household income in Brooklyn is $78,548, which is just below the national median household income of $80,610. This explains in part why roughly two-thirds of Brooklyn’s residents are renters instead of homeowners, since the average price for a single family home in the borough hovers right around a million dollars.
Brooklyn Education and Top Schools
There are twelve school districts serving Brooklyn’s 32,000+ K-12 students. The borough also boasts several renowned private institutions and universities, as well as some of New York’s most prestigious specialty schools.
Top schools in Brooklyn include:
- Brooklyn Technical High School, a highly competitive public school with a STEM focus
- Berkeley Carroll School, ranked among the best private schools in the city
- Brooklyn Latin School, a pubic high school with a mere 3.9% acceptance rate
- Poly Prep Country Day School, a respected private institution for kindergarten through high school
For older students, Brooklyn is also the site of several celebrated collegiate institutions, including Fordham University, Brooklyn College, Hofstra University, and the Pratt Institute.
Public Transportation in Brooklyn
It may only border land on one side, but Brooklyn is well connected to the city’s other boroughs thanks to ample public transportation overseen by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
You can find buses, trains, and taxis operating 24/7 in Brooklyn, with the 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 lines of the NYC subway providing affordable transport in and out of the borough. To get there by other means, most people rely on the thoroughfares connecting Brooklyn to Queens or ferry service via the NYC Ferry or NY Waterway.
Brooklyn Activities
and Landmarks
Whether you’re looking for luxury or off-the-beaten-path experiences, Brooklyn has it all. While you’re there, be sure to set aside time for the borough’s most famous landmarks, such as:
- Brooklyn Bridge
- Brooklyn Museum
- Grand Army Plaza
- Barclays Center
- Coney Island
For natural beauty in the heart of New York City, head to:
- Prospect Park
- Green-Wood Cemetery
- Brooklyn Heights Promenade
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden
- Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Domino Park
Still have time to spare? How about a trip to:
- Prospect Park Zoo
- New York Transit Museum
- Brooklyn Children’s Museum
- Brooklyn Flea Market
- Brooklyn Academy of Music
Explore Luxury Assets Near Brooklyn
New York’s Diamond District may be located further north in Manhattan, but you’ll find your fair share of sparkling jewelry shops and diamond dealers in Brooklyn, too.
Of course, if you’ve got luxury assets to sell or borrow against, Manhattan is still the place to go. Our office is located in the Diamond District at 50 W 47th Street, Suite 319, New York, NY 10036, just steps away from the Rockefeller Center subway station. Let us know you’re coming, and we’ll be happy to set up a private valuation.
At Qollateral, you can sell or borrow against a wide range of luxury assets, including:
- High-end watches
- Designer and heirloom jewelry
- Designer handbags
- Rare collectibles
- Gold and precious metals
- Collectible art
- Loose diamonds and gemstones
You can reach us easily via the B, D, F, and M trains. Please note: the B and M lines operate on weekdays only, while the F train runs during rush hours in the peak direction.
If you’re driving, a parking lot is available just around the corner at 55 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036.
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