NeverSleeps

I honestly don't know anyone who lives on Coney Island, though apparently there are quite a few residents in the neighborhood (not an actual island, by the way). Coney Island has seen some massive changes in the past few years, and fun here has morphed into a more family-friendly state-of-the-art kind of carnival thing - but it's still the best place in the city to get a hot dog by most accounts.

Even if many of the old school Coney Island tourist attractions have closed shop, it's still a grand nostalgic sort of place - and a must-see for anyone who has never been to the city. It's quite possibly one of the coolest spots in Brooklyn (though, admittedly not my personal fave).

As a twenty-something resident of New York City (more specifically, of Brooklyn), I would never want to live this far from civilization. There is surprisingly little for a young person to do in this neighborhood, and it's a far journey to get to a neighborhood where there are things to do. That said, rent is pretty affordable out here - so if you don't mind being so far from anything remotely trendy and you don't want to pay crazy NYC rents, this is your spot.

There seem to be lots of people with cars in this area - as well as a number of driveways to park these cars, but street parking seems to be hard to come by all the same.

Besides a few Caribbean restaurants, your typical corner store fare, and the usual American fast food outposts, there isn't much going on down here that isn't residential. But properties here are somewhat affordable, and many have backyards - the holy grail of New York City (but not so uncommon in Brooklyn).

I was wandering around this area recently, desperately searching for the Gowanus Nursery (which I consequently never found), and I have to say there wasn't much going on.

Summit is lined with mostly decent-looking residences, but it's a little close to the waterfront for my taste. (In NYC, waterfront property is vastly overrated. We have too many months of cold weather to live near an icy, windy waterway, thank you very much.) To be completely honest, this street seems sort of dismal to me, even if it is part of the mostly affluent Carroll Gardens neighborhood.

Don't get me wrong, I love Carroll Gardens - there are plenty of cool places to shop and eat - but this street is a bit far from the area's action. That said, it seemed like a family-safe sort of place (in fact, the only people I seemed to see around anywhere were parents with kids or high school-aged kids).

It's not easy to rate Carroll Street because it is so long and transverses some vastly different neighborhoods. The best way to divide it up is by using Prospect Park - basically, the Carroll St on the west side of the park is magnificent, and the Carroll St on the east side of the park is less-than-savory.

On the west side, you have the Carroll Street of Park Slope - or, the Carroll Street that gets four stars. East of the park, you have the less lovable Carroll Street - the one where there isn't much to do and where I personally wouldn't love to live.

East of Prospect Park is the Crown Heights area - a neighborhood that has gotten increasingly less shady over the years, but it's not out of the dark just yet. That said, you can probably land some cheap rent over here. Just don't expect to have a lot of selection when it comes to good takeout or nightlife spots.

In Park Slope Carroll Street is a sloping lane of beautiful brownstones. Where the street intersects with 5th and 7th, there are tons of restaurants and shops. Two blocks north and parallel to the street in question is Union Street, another street literally lined with places to spend your money (suggested places to get acquainted with: Rosewater on the corner of 6th Ave and the Park Slope Food Coop between 6th and 7th Aves).

It seems like brownstones in this area are going on sale often enough, and are usually in the $500,000-to-just-under-a-million range. Lots of rather young parents live here with their rather young children, as you've probably already heard.

Wellllll - there are businesses springing up in this area believe it or not. They're of the sort that can't afford to open up in a less industrial, more expensive area. Gowanus right now is like Williamsburg before any musicians decided to move in to the warehouse spaces on the waterfront. Of course, the Gowanus Canal is way more poisonous than the East River - so move in at your own risk, poor artist types!

I was wandering down this Ave on my way home from Lowes and I think I passed that new music venue that is opening up here - in spite of warnings to all not to walk around such a deserted industrial area at night. Anyway, it's supposed to open in two months on 2nd Ave and 14th Street, and it'll probably be awesome and remind everyone of Williamsburg before there were condos and shops that sold $300 t-shirts.

At the moment it's difficult to rate many of the above Additional Ratings because there just isn't much here besides warehouses and service stations. It's quiet, but ugly. If anyone can find a place to live on 2nd Ave, I can't imagine they'd pay much for it. At least, I hope they'd be wise enough not to.

This is around the area where boundaries start to blur: 16th Street isn't Park Slope - at least not by any account I know of - but it isn't Sunset Park either - that's a ways further south. But even though you're not too close to the glamorous Park Slope brownstones and the row houses on 16th just aren't as pretty as those on, say, 3rd St, you're still in good hands with this area.

You're close to the action on 5th and 7th Aves (though admittedly the action is better if you travel north on these streets), but far from the bar noise and the shopping traffic. Sure, it's a long walk to the Park Slope Food Coop from here, but they'll still let you join!

Degraw Street is a sample of why I would love to live in Carroll Gardens (at least if I were on the verge of getting married and settling down): it's calm, quiet and stunning (at least as far as Brooklyn neighborhoods go). The street is lined with beautiful brownstones, and it cuts through an interesting neighborhood and the shop-lined Court and Smith Streets.

The Street gets somewhat too close for comfort to the poisonous Gowanus Canal, and the western end takes you to the not-so-pretty Waterfront District. As long as you stay in Carroll Gardens, you will likely be envious of Degraw Street residents.

There are some downsides to living down here. For instance, the F/G trains aren't the most reliable (and in fact are often referred to as some of the city's worst examples of public transport).

Near the southern border of the Park Slope neighborhood, 14th Street is not as nice as some of the lower-numbered streets closer to the main brownstoner action. That said, it also must be noted that 14th Street is in around where the area stops being full of dollar stores and starts getting real.

Harbor Fitness - a classy joint of a gym - is in the area, and trendy coffee joints keep on popping up on nearby Avenue intersections (the latest being a outpost of Crop to Cup on 4th and 14th). Residents of this street will stay fit and caffeinated, and a number of bars and restaurants are just a short walk from most doorsteps.

Aside from places where one can spend money, the main properties of 14th Street are of the residential variety. Row houses - lots of 'em. As with the rest of the neighborhood, properties closest to Prospect Park tend to be lovelier (at least from the outside) than those near the Gowanus Canal (which is famously brimming with poison).

The scene down around 23rd Street isn't trendy-cool - it's not Meatpacking, it's not even Williamsburg, not even close - but there are some awesomely friendly bars in the area. You know, of the everybody-knows-your-name variety. (718 comes to mind, but there is no shortage of beer houses on 5th Ave.)

I lived in the area for a while, and bartenders weren't the only ones who remembered my name - the guys at my corner store and local coffee shop really knew how to run a friendly business as well. The neighborhood was really welcoming, and there are few neighborhoods left in Brooklyn like it.

If you live on 23rd Street, you're only really close to the action if you live near 5th or 7th Aves - otherwise the street is pretty quiet and very residential. It's not all that cute, to be honest. Lower numbered streets in the neighboring Park Slope area are lined with beautiful brownstones, but down here what you get is a lot of aluminum-sided row houses with the occasional brick one thrown in the mix. But the streets tend to be clean, and it's an affordable area and just a short walk from some decent restaurants and shops in Park Slope.

I considered moving to Prospect Heights, but the problem I found was that the apartments available in the area were not only overpriced, but seriously cramped. I know you're probably thinking that this is merely an NYC phenomenon which can't be avoided, but it's worse here than in other areas! Prospect Heights is on the up-and-coming side of things, but it's not quite there yet - unbeknowst to realtors. I'm sorry, but I don't want to pay $2200 for a crappy two bedroom on a cruddy street just because someone opened a cool bar a few blocks away. To make matters worse, people are actually paying these ridiculous rents to live in Prospect Heights, which I predict will put a damper on the neighborhood's development. (Obviously, if the rents are too high, then the cool but poor start-up businesses will start in other areas - like Gowanus. Or Bushwick. Or even Crown Heights.)

The bright side: Prospect Heights is home to cool things, like the greenmarket in Grand Army Plaza, the main branch of the Brooklyn Library, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens and the Brooklyn Museum. The area in and around Prospect Park is where most of the trendy new cafes and bars are located, as well as some of the better real estate.

I've become familiar with 12th Street mostly around where it ends after Hamilton Place - and that's because I've been frequenting the plant nursery at Lowes (and of course the Pathmark next door, a horrible store for produce but great for buying TP and paper towels in bulk).

The blocks west of 3rd Avenue are no place anyone would want to live - there is a city vehicle maintenance garage in the vicinity and the street is lined with snow plow trucks - but you couldn't move in if you wanted to, as all of these buildings are of the industrial warehouse sort.

Go east of 3rd Ave and you get to the good stuff - the row houses go up in value and beauty as you approach Prospect Park. These six blocks are almost completely lined with brownstones (especially west of 5th Ave), with the occasional corner store of Blockbuster video taking up space where the street intersects with an avenue.

Those that live close to 5th and 7th Aves will be able to enjoy the great deal of amenities that populate these particular streets, but being set away from them will also protect 12 St residents from the bar traffic noise that never seems to die down on any given day.

Notable in Kips Bay are the Bellevue Hospital facilities - which are really incredible, it's sort of like the airport of hospitals. Hopefully no one reading this will ever find themselves there but if you do, you'll find yourself in good hands. Other than Bellevue - a building that is rather historic in itself - there isn't much to be seen in this neighborhood. (Obviously, if the first thing one mentions in a review is a hospital, there isn't much hope for the area.)

Kips Bay is well stocked with drug stores (not surprisingly, see above), and little places to grab a bite. But this little section of Manhattan is a far cry from anything trend-worthy. On the up-side, it's not a far walk to the cooler neighborhoods of Chelsea or the East Village. Heck, you could even cab it to the LES in no time at all.

So the conclusion is this: even if there isn't a lot to do in the immediate blocks that make up Kips Bay, it's not very difficult to get from boring Kips Bay to a more happening area. And then, when you've had your fun for the evening, it wouldn't be so bad to head back to this quiet area and hit the hay.

Sure, you'll never find a parking space on this street (and note that this is an area that sees a lot of film crews taking up valuable street parking as well), but if you're lucky enough to find/afford one of the beautiful brownstones that line 7th St you'll be hit with this street's serene beauty every time you walk out your door. (Another word of caution: if you are planning on doing your real estate on 7th St, beware moving close to any of the Avenues - save 6th and 8th - as they tend to either feature heavy car traffic or heavy bar traffic.)

I find myself on 7th Street quite a lot - on my way to either the Barnes and Noble or the Five Guys at 7th Ave, admittedly - and although it doesn't differ from many of the neighborhood streets (as in those east-west streets that are quite a different scene from the neighborhood's north-west lying Avenues). There are a few downsides to 7th (depending, of course, on how you look at things) - New York Methodist hospital takes up the block between 7th and 8th Aves, and causes quite a traffic jam just about all of the time. Then again, if you ever need the hospital's services, it's right there.

Boerum Hill is one of those Brooklyn neighborhoods that manages to attract quite a variety of outsiders with its endless shops, cafes, and restaurants (admittedly, I mostly head to Boerum for the shopping experience) despite being small in stature.

The past forty years or so have seen this near-Downtown Brooklyn area transformed from a not-so-safe place to one whose tree lined streets practically wink and glitter at you. Brownstones here look much like the ones in Park Slope - that is to say, lovely - but I think the shopping experience may be better than what you find in surrounding neighborhoods. For example, those ladies with designers in mind will find boutiques that cater to exactly their purpose, and those with a more mainstream aesthetic in mind can head to Urban or American Apparel.

It may be important to note that the neighborhood doesn't conform to brownstones like Park Slope seems to - the occasional brick home makes itself known in Boerum Hill. Park life is a little lacking, but it's not far too Fort Greene Park and there are quite a few trees on the neighborhood's residential streets.

It's obvious that the locals love their Boerum Hill neighborhood as the streets are among the city's cleanest, even if people are always on the area's sidewalks in droves. Yards, stoops and private buildings are well-maintained - it's almost like being in one of those gated communities in which people are required to meet certain standards that appeal to the eye. This neighborhood attracts families (though nowadays a family dwelling in this area is likely to cost millions), as it is safe and tends to quiet down pretty early in the evening. Nightlife is limited to restaurant-going - there are a few corner bars, but no clubs that I've really seen.

Atlantic Ave is the neighborhood's most happening street - it's lined with places to eat and shop and the traffic is jammed up regularly until after nightfall - but side streets like Court and Smith can be just as interesting to the casual shopper/restaurant goer and are often more populated with sidewalk traffic.

"Dyker Heights" is synonymous with "holiday decor" - so much so that people from all over the city flock to the neighborhood to check out the historic mansions draped in strings of light bulbs. It's rather unexpected that a neighborhood so far from the bustling center of Midtown Manhattan could manage such a draw, but mid December begins to see the commuters stream into this old school Brooklyn area nonetheless. (The attraction of the neighborhood was once spoofed on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, in a segment in which the comedian informed viewers: "Apparently this house can be seen from the space shuttle in orbit. Several astronauts have called it tacky from 15 miles up.") The over-the-top light displays are often professionally assembled, and it is apparent that each house tries to outdo its neighbors with its holiday cheer. (See: http://gonyc.about.com/od/christmassights/ig/Dyker-Heights-Christmas-Lights/)

The population in Dyker Heights is predominantly composed of Italian-Americans, and while residents aren't opposed to having a few new neighbors, they work hard to keep condos from going up in the area. Indeed, if high rises were to be built there the neighborhood would lose much of its charm - this area is packed with sprawling stand-alone homes that offer something most New Yorkers will never know: space. In addition to such amenities, home owners work at keeping their grand-standing homes in excellent condition (which adds to the overall effect of the Dyker Lights displays). Eleventh Avenue is perhaps the highlight of the neighborhood as it features a row of mansions (as opposed to the one- and two-family homes found elsewhere in the area) that are the main attraction each Christmas season.

Being an Italian-American neighborhood, the local amenities involve exactly what one would expect: pizzerias, delis, meat markets, Catholic churches. Dyker Heights is very much an enclosed area - the locals don't see a lot of outsiders except when they have their Christmas lights displays up, and this can not only be attributed to a lack of tourist attractions, but to a lack of subway stops as well. In order to get to Manhattan from Dyker Heights, one has no option but to take a bus.

I live in this neighborhood, and even if I sometimes think it's a bit overrated, it attracts all sorts. I have always been more fond of the areas around Cobble Hill and Boreum Hill for some reason, even if Park Slope is a similar sort of place. Park Slope is certainly known for its beautiful brownstones, and I do recommend taking a stroll down President or Prospect Park West during Brooklyn's green months (or even during the fall), as the combination of architecture and greenery is rather stunning.

Another thing Park Slope is known for is the strollers. I can't blame families for wanting to settle in such a beautiful neighborhood, but I can blame them for getting upset about the noise from the established bar scene (hey, you knew about all those bars on 5th and 7th Aves before you moved in!).

It seems like Park Slope is often home to disputes between its older and younger generations. The latest is about a bike lane that was installed on Prospect Park West to keep cars from speeding down what used to be a three lane highway (it's now two lanes of car traffic, one parking lane, and a bike lane on the park side of the street). The bike lane's protesters are upset that bikers don't ever stop for pedestrians - but facts show that the bike lane has done much to slow down car traffic on the street.

Anyway. Park Slope is full of restaurants (check out Union Street, 5th Ave, 7th Ave) and random shops (Beacon's Closet!), and the neighborhood does draw an early evening crowd. My experience with the bar scene is that it is a little sparse (compared to such happening neighborhoods as Williamsburg), but that bartenders/bar owners get to know their neighbors - which is rarely a bad thing. Personally I think that South Slope is friendlier than Park Slope proper, but that's just me.

There are only two blocks on 15th Street that rate less-than-average - those between Hamilton Place and 3rd Ave. Those blocks are super industrial and crammed with city vehicles (ie, ambulances and street sweeping trucks), as this is where their maintenance garages are located. The rest of 15th Street perks up the closer you get to Prospect Park. Little markets and delis pop up where the street intersects with the neighborhood avenues, but for the most part 15th Street is lined with row houses and shiny new condos (which are either still under construction or standing mostly empty, having just been completed).

Harbor Fitness is here, and at 6th Ave the street hits a beautiful community garden, complete with tomatoes residents can freely pick, a weeping willow and tiny fish pond.

During a recent apartment search, I was allowing myself to check out places in Prospect Heights - which is one of those "up-and-coming" neighborhoods that is seeing a lot of trendy bars, restaurants and organic groceries spring into action. However, conniving real estate agents would often list apartments in Bed-Stuy as being located in Prospect Heights. Sure, they are neighboring 'hoods, but they are a world apart (you can usually tell when a listing was really in Bed-Stuy by its low rent).

There are streets in Bed-Stuy that are still known for their gang activity - even if the area has become greatly gentrified in the last decade or so. I read an article recently in which residents were thrilled that they could actually throw a block party and not be scared of insane fights breaking out, which is something that apparently used to happen often here.

Bed-Stuy remains a place for those with modest incomes - it's not that safe, and it has no appeal whatsoever to those who can afford to live outside of it. Clinton Hill (okay, I suppose it might be it's own neighborhood nowadays) is what they're calling the area of Bed-Stuy that has drawn the most gentrification and Pratt students. There is a marked difference, however, as you are traveling west on any street in Bed-Stuy and come upon Clinton Hill - suddenly the streets are cleaner and the buildings better kept.

Rent is cheap in Bed-Stuy, so I can understand the appeal to those students who study close by - or to any student, really. The areas closer to Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights are surely much nicer than those near Bushwick and Williamsburg, where there seems to be much more public housing high rises.

Because Bushwick is slowly being gentrified by hipster kids who can't afford to live in Greenpoint and Williamsburg - likely because they work in the service industry and spend all their extra cash on Ray-Bans and angular haircuts, this means that there are cool bars and restaurants that cater to this crowd springing up all over the hood. One spot known around BK for being awesome is Gotham City off Myrtle Ave. However, beware the rat population in this area late at night. As one can see, going out in Bushwick is not for the faint of heart.

Besides providing shelter for much of the city's rat population, Bushwick is home to its share of crime (especially in the summer months, like most neighborhoods prone to such activity). There are a few low-income housing projects peppering the neighborhood, and there are plenty in the neighboring Bed-Stuy, giving the area a low chance of ever truly being gentrified. Keep this in mind when your hipster cousin invites you to come live in the extra room in his Bushwick apartment and he tells you: "In five years this place is going to be the new Williamsburg!"

Of course there is always speculation as to which neighborhood will be the next big trend monster - and if you're looking to get into the bar business, it won't hurt to set up in the area of Bushwick that borders Williamsburg. Already bars like Wreck Room and Kings County are doing pretty good business in the area. But I disagree that Bushwick has any real potential to drive out the low income natives and see condos rise from the ashes. Sorry, hipsters.

This neighborhood has become very gentrified in the past few years, thanks in part to neighboring Pratt. The Brooklyn flea is in this neighborhood on Saturdays, and on weekends the area around Atlantic Ave is busy with shoppers and brunch goers. This neighborhood is much nicer in the areas that border Prospect Heights and Fort Greene - over by Bed-Stuy is not where I would want to be living or hanging out.

I checked out this neighborhood in my recent search for a new apartment and found that there were a lot of newly renovated apartments on slightly questionable blocks. These apartments tended to be overpriced - after all, this neighborhood is still being gentrified. While there are a lot of trendy restaurants opening up in Clinton Hill, the neighborhood still shows signs of its old wear-and-tear.

Of course, there are exceptions - real estate closer to Atlantic Ave, especially in the western portion of the neighborhood is much nicer and perhaps worth paying higher mortgages and rents. In addition to having prettier apartment buildings, the nicer part of Clinton Hill is lined with tall trees and close to some really cool places on Atlantic Ave.

Highlights of Clinton Hill proper include Urban Vintage, a coffee shop with a really unique atmosphere, and Pilar Cuban Eatery, an inexpensive cafe offering some real deal Cuban cuisine.