BroadwayBK

Greenpoint Avenue is actually the northern most street I've frequented in Brooklyn (okay, with a few exceptions), and when I'm on this street I always feel like I'm pretty far from the action.

You can find quite a few places to shop and eat in the area, but be advised that Greenpoint is one of the noisiest neighborhoods in all of Brooklyn. There are hipsters galore moving into the area, and what do hipsters love more than things that require them to make noise?

Besides all the new-ish barhopping, band-forming residents, there is an established Polish population in the area who also enjoy their share of nightlife spots in the area. And good pierogies are everywhere.

On a personal note, I find Greenpoint to be quiet the hideous neighborhood. But it's close to trendy things like restaurants and shops, so I can understand why people would move in.

Yes, Brooklyn residents also have a park!

Ever since the city gave us the new option of taking the G train down to Prospect Park, I've been visiting much more often - when the weather allows, anyway. I've never made it to the zoo they have in there, but the park provides an amazing getaway from the crowded city with the Prospect Park Lake and the Great Lawn near the 9th Street entrance on the Park Slope side of things.

An ex-boyfriend of mine lived near the park in Lefferts Gardens, and we used to stroll to the greenmarket in Grand Army Plaza to stock up on fresh eggs, milk and aromatherapy product from Lavender by the Bay. In the height of the season, I think the greenmarket here is even better than the one in McCarren Park, which is saying quite a lot.

The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (free entry on Tuesdays and Sunday!) are located here, and are one of my favorite places in all of New York City to visit when the cherry trees are blooming. (Even when the cherry blossoms aren't around, BBG is great - they have summer herb sales, and some breathtaking examples of bonsai.)

On weekends the roadways that cut through the park are closed off - with the exception of Flatbush Ave, which really doesn't ever die down, traffic-wise. Bikers and runners are just about always in Prospect Park, but when roadways are closed off on summer weekends people come out in droves to stroll through the park, so beware the crowds.

I don't know if Carroll Gardens has done everything it can to deserve a place atop the list of Best Brooklyn 'Hoods here on StreetAdvisor, but it's at least a nice place to visit. I'm not sure how great the bar scene is, but there are at least a few restaurants in the area I would recommend visiting, not the least of which is Buttermilk Channel.

Carroll Gardens is a quiet, off-the-cuff area, the streets of which are mostly taken up by expensive brownstone residences. Wealthy residents take care of their little lawns, and a surprising number of people plant evergreens, making Carroll Gardens green all year long (though of course not AS green in winter). There aren't a lot of young people living in the area, because not many could afford it. That said, it's likely that young people would prefer to live in the neighboring areas of Red Hook and Gowanus, as they tend to be populated with bars and inexpensive cafes - as well as other young people.

It'd be a nice place to visit your grandmother, or to shop for antiques along Court or Smith Streets.

Park Avenue can be somewhat unavoidable to a driver trying to make it from Bushwick to Bed-Stuy, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, etc - but there is not much going on otherwise. Mostly residential and featuring the homes of working class and low income residents, this is not the best place to find yourself if you aren't familiar with the area or are alone at night. Certainly, Park Avenue in Brooklyn is nothing like the Park Avenue of Manhattan. Woodhull Hospital ends here - and there are quite a few homeless people sleeping on benches all around here, especially late at night.

Perhaps the best thing - or, only good thing - about Park Ave, the Brooklyn version, is that you can stand on Broadway and look down it and see the Manhattan skyline. But that occasional homeless man using a nearby phone booth as his personal toilet does take quite a bit away from the view.

When the weather begins to turn from frigid icy winter to blooming springtime, Washington Square is flooded with students and New Yorkers who've been longing to feel the sun on their faces once again. Summer will see the fountains turned on - and visitors are free to play in the water and some even wander around barefoot.

The famous arc over the park is worth making a trip to the park, but as far as parks go Washington Square Park isn't the best one around. It makes for a decent jog if you circle around the park quite a few times - which a lot of people come here to do. There is an extensive amount of benches, many of which are filled with homeless people, reading students, and some locals.

Washington Square N is a beautiful little stretch of New York City blocks, lined with brownstones that are surely very pricey. There is usually quite a bit of foot traffic in the area, but the streets aren't too bad when it comes to Manhattan traffic.

Flatbush Ave may be one of the busiest avenues in Brooklyn - which of course makes it an undesirable road to drive down, but also an unavoidable one. The area of the street closest to the bridge is highly populated with foot traffic, shoppers (there are a lot of shops and chain restaurants in the Downtown Brooklyn area) and wall-to-wall traffic. Where Flatbush Ave cuts through Prospect Park the traffic lets up (and speeds up), and here you'll pass the park zoo on one side and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden on the other.

The street starts after you leave the city on the Manhattan Bridge, and runs through Downtown Brooklyn, the Cobble Hill area and Prospect Park before heading into Crown Heights. It doesn't change much, however, before you reach Grand Army Plaza - the street is a long line of shops and restaurants and a lot of stop and go traffic. As far as general shopping and eating is concerned, the area is heavily populated with a range of fun places to spend money - especially in Cobble Hill and Downtown (which is where you'll find such staples as Junior's diner).

This is one of those rare places in the city that no one can really criticize, because what's not to love about Central Park? It's the perfect place for a quiet afternoon alone with a new book, for a first date conversation, or a healthy jog around the reservoir. And it's a must-see tourist destination for certain.

Though it may look completely natural and many of the trees have aged quite a bit, the entirety of the park was imported or man-made, which to me makes it all the more impressive and that much more of a true symbol of the city.

People from every walk of life converge in the park year-round, but it is of course especially beautiful during the spring and summer months, causing more and more park goers to linger throughout the day. It makes for a all-around hot spot because there are so many things to do there - from active things like roller blading or rowing boats across the lake to touristy things like carriage riding to lazy summer things like sunbathing.

Not only that, but Central Park is essential to an island with so much surrounding concrete, and an obvious choice for a much-needed respite from the drama of the city.

Nassau Ave varies greatly - as you near the BQE the street becomes mostly residential, and as you approach McCarren Park Nassau Ave is lined with varying shops. Here there are a lot of groceries, cell phone stores, wine shops, jewelry shops, bars and restaurants. This section of the street is home to a lot of mom-and-pops type businesses, though you will see the occasional Metro PCS joint.

I really like trolling for inexpensive jewelry around here, and there are a lot of cool things to find if you are willing to look a little bit. Nassau Ave is certainly not a shopping Mecca, but it offers a lot of interesting commodities for sure.

I actually looked at a few apartments on this street, but closer to the residential end of Nassau Ave. I recognized one building as having a lot of hipster-ish parties, which was the only reason why I was reluctant to move in. I really love this area - it's very welcoming to those who live there, and although there is a lot of traffic on this street I would still recommend living on it to those who appreciate an active nightlife and need to be surrounded by life's little commodities.

Sure, there isn't a whole lot to do on this street. The street features your typical corner store bodega, but mostly this street is lined with row houses - and not the prettiest ones at that. However, as far as Brooklyn streets go, this is what I would consider a good one.

It's quiet, safe and clean - which makes it, in my book, a good street to live on. It's not going to attract even one tourist (another bullet point that makes it a good street in my book), obviously, but it is close enough to civilization to have appeal for your average twenty-something,and far enough away to have plenty of appeal for families - and that's who mostly resides on Jewel St.

This area is home to a lot of Polish residents as well as a lot of hipsters, so naturally there is a lot of good food Polish food to be found, as well as a lot of trendy bars (see: Manhattan Inn). Therefore, as long as you don't mind walking a bit (and you shouldn't, if you live in New York!), living on this street is perfect for those who enjoy going out, but like to come home to a quiet home.

Parking may be a problem for residents right on Jewel Street - but spaces are often found on the nearby Nassau Ave, or the somewhat deserted area on Jewel near Greenpoint Ave, which is home to some commercial-looking warehouses. I admit I am not a fan of parking near such buildings at night, but I have a friend who often parks there and hasn't had a problem because the neighborhood is so safe.

This is a great residential street that is also home to the local (also highly recommended) YMCA branch, a police station and Cafe Grumpy.

Though I have managed to find parking on this street more than once, the police station and their numerous vehicles tend to take up a lot of space. Therefore if you are a car owner it may be best not to live on this street unless you somehow score your own driveway. Greenpoint is one of those Brooklyn neighborhoods in which everyone seems to have a car and there is hardly any parking.

A lot of Polish can be heard spoken on this street - especially in the YMCA, which features amazing facilities including a huge indoor basketball court. The Y is across the street from Klub Europa of Brooklyn, the most popular Polish-American nightclub in the entire borough.

Since Leonard Street extends from Greenpoint all the way down to where Williamsburg meets Bed-Stuy, this street features somewhat of a range of street life. At its southernmost point, Leonard St is home to city-run housing projects, but as you go further north a few blocks you suddenly find yourself in gentrified Williamsburg and surrounded by wine and food shops, bars, and restaurants.

Bushwick Country Club is located on Grand where it meets Leonard St, and though it sounds fancy it's actually just a local hipster bar - worth a look if you're into that sort of thing. The further north you go on this street the less hipster-fied the neighborhood gets. Though Greenpoint is home to a lot of hip twenty-somethings, there is still a huge Polish population that resides there and Leonard St in Greenpoint reflects this diverse crowd.

Seigel Street is located in an area of Williamsburg (an area very close to the neighborhood of Bushwick) that is still undergoing the effects of gentrification. There are a range of residential buildings located along this street, ranging from the loft city near the L train to the city-run housing projects at the west end of the street. Obviously, the income of people on this street ranges from low to average.

Seigel features a number of neighborhood hotspots (read: places that are attractive to residents but aren't worth going out of your way for) such as King's County bar between White St and Bogart, Brooklyn's Natural 24-hour organic store and sandwich shop (the hours are convenient and their stock plentiful for a small place, but they are rather expensive) and the local library on Bushwick Ave and Seigel.

Beware of parking in this area, as I often see the remnants of smashed car windows on the side streets between Seigel and McKibben, and Seigel and Moore. I wouldn't leave my car in front of an industrial building (this area is home to many) or in front of a brick fence.

Flatbush is one of those main drags in Brooklyn that cuts through various neighborhoods of descending quality, but there are generally a number of shops and restaurants on just about every block of this street, except for where it cuts through Prospect Park.

Up where this street intersects with Atlantic Ave, a tourist would find plenty to consume by way of dining experiences. Flatbush continues north until it becomes the Manhattan Bridge, and in this area a tourist might feel as if they were in a shorter version of Manhattan's midtown. There are a lot of great tourist stops in this neighborhood, including Junior's of cheesecake fame.

This street is busy just about all of the time as it is one of the major roadways in Brooklyn.

If Dekalb has a lot of mixed reviews, it's because the street is a long one and goes through neighborhoods of varying safety and attractiveness. Where the street cuts through Fort Greene, there are a lot of shops and quaint little cafes - the all-natural beauty supply shop Carol's Daughter comes to mind - and the street runs along Fort Greene Park. This area is a great one for tourists to visit; the street ends near the Heights and Downtown, neighborhoods that resemble Manhattan's Midtown.

However, if you're cruising north of Fort Greene into Bed Stuy and Bushwick on Myrtle you will notice a marked difference. If you aren't familiar with these areas then it's best to stay out of them. Though crime has gone down a lot in recent years, it's still not a place any tourist would want to end up - especially on foot. There are a lot of residential options here that offer low rents, but keep in mind the neighborhood isn't the greatest.

If Myrtle Ave has a lot of mixed reviews, it's because the street is a long one and goes through neighborhoods of varying safety and attractiveness. Where the street cuts through Fort Greene, there are a lot of shops and quaint little cafes and the street runs along Fort Greene Park. This area is a great one for tourists to visit; the street ends near the Heights and Downtown, neighborhoods that resemble Manhattan's Midtown.

However, if you're cruising north/west of Fort Greene into Bed Stuy and Bushwick on Myrtle you will notice a marked difference. If you aren't familiar with these areas then it's best to stay out of them. Though crime has gone down a lot in recent years, it's still not a place any tourist would want to end up - especially on foot.

This tiny street is located relatively close enough to the hipster loftsville described below, but hipsters and their trendy cafes aren't generally found on Varet Street.

The area is more commercial in that it is lined with cell phone stores, bodegas, and dollar stores that appeal to the masses who come to buy inexpensive clothing and wares on the intersecting Graham Ave (Ave of Puerto Rico) and the subsequent interesting Broadway. There is a Bank of America located on the corner of Varet and Graham - which is incredibly convenient for residents as this isn't exactly an area rich with banks. Where the street intersects with Manhattan Ave there is a huge Food Baazar, a grocery store that stocks a number of specialty items such as entire stalks of sugar cane.

The street and foot traffic on Varet Street is not incredibly bad, but neighboring Graham and Humboldt see quite a bit of both kinds of traffic.

Actually located in the neighborhood of Williamsburg, this tiny street is located very close to the Bushwick border.

Montrose has seen much improvement and rising rents in recent years; nowadays the street is stocked with bakeries, thrift stores and located near trendy cafes (Boulevard on Bushwick Ave) and fancy grocers (Khim's Millenium Market). If you'd live here five years ago you'd make people gasp in horror when you told them where you live. Now when you describe your residence you live on a street that most people recognize as trendy Williamsburg. This street is a gem when taken into consideration with much of the surrounding streets, and if you can find an affordable rent on this street along the L train, then don't hesitate to move in.

The area where Montrose meets Broadway isn't the nicest area, but as one travels farther north the neighborhood blooms with hipsterdom and things to buy/places to eat.

Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill is a quiet, tree-lined street that is great for residents of any age as it is quiet enough for those who've already settled down and close enough to a number of lively spots for those who haven't yet passed their thrill-seeking primes. In this neighborhood, the street is home to both a stop on the (less than savory) G train and the (more reputable) C train. It's a mostly residential street - though where it intersects with Fulton it features a grocery shops and so forth - and quite a beautiful one at that.

The Clinton Hill/ Prospect Heights area of Atlantic Ave features some really great eating spots, and plenty of stores in which to purchase antique furniture. Though there is a lot to do here, the area stays pretty quiet as it avoids being much of a bar scene.

Blue Marble Ice Cream between Bond and Nevins features some of the greatest ice cream I have ever tasted - try the pumpkin or stick o'butter pecan flavors. The shop features an area for kids to play and incorporates every environment friendly tactic you can think of into both the actual ice cream and surrounding bits like cups and napkins.

Nicky's Vietnamese Sandwiches is another spot that makes this street worth visiting; the shop itself is rather cozy and the sandwiches are an inexpensive treat. Both the traditional Vietnamese pork sandwich and the sardine sandwich are delectable; they are served on the most perfectly toasted baguettes imaginable.

This area of the Brooklyn street serves as a fabulous backdrop for a stroll, and it's perfectly safe to wander Clinton Hill's Atlantic Ave after the sun sets, though shops here don't stay open for very long after dark sets in.

I'm not sure how this street managed to garner so many pleasant reviews; as a lengthy main drag that cuts through several Brooklyn neighborhoods, Nostrand is indeed a busy place and is home to inexpensive shops, diners and liquor stores. It cuts through Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights before extending just short of Brighton Beach. The area that goes through Bed-Stuy is not a place you want to be after dark - especially if you aren't familiar with the area. Though crime rates in Bed-Stuy have been on the decline, this neighborhood still has a ways to go.

When driving, I avoid Nostrand because the street features so many potholes in the Bed-Stuy area. As the street emerges from the neighborhood into Crown Heights there is a marked difference in the pavement, however - the street greatly improves.