Prospect Heights Apartments

Bordering Clinton Hill, Fort Greene and Park Slope, Prospect Heights is a thriving Brooklyn hotspot and a great location for anyone looking to live in the heart of all the Brooklyn action, while still having easy access to Manhattan.

Formerly known as Gowanus Heights, this ethnically diverse neighborhood has equally diverse architecture to match. With everything from 19th century brownstones to older buildings undergoing construction and luxury condominiums, the area is an attractive destination for residents priced out of nearby Park Slope. Locals include people of Irish, Italian, Jewish, German, Greek and Caribbean backgrounds.

This Brooklyn epicenter has been home to such celebrated figures as Joan Rivers, Paul Rudd and Howard Cosell. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns recently purchased an apartment at Richard Meier's luxury complex On Prospect Park for his daughter and her fiance. The Pritzker Prize-winning architect's 15-story complex is one of Brooklyn's premier residences, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows for unobstructed views of the park, the harbor and the skyline.

Landmarked in 2009, the Prospect Heights Historic District comprises 850 buildings. It is the largest area to designated since the Upper West Side in 1990, and is the fifth largest designation in all of New York City.

A notable landmark in the area is Mount Prospect Park - not to be confused with the much larger Prospect Park - which boasts the second-highest point in Brooklyn. Other significant landmarks in the area include the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Museum and Grand Army Plaza.

One of Brooklyn's most celebrated new additions is the Barclays Center, which is quickly becoming Brooklyn's answer to Madison Square Garden. Many popular dining spots have opened in the area surrounding the arena, further solidifying Prospect Heights as a social hub for tourists and locals alike.

Prospect Height's commercial zone runs along Vanderbilt and Washington Avenue. Saul Bolton's eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant resides in the Brooklyn Museum. But this unpretentious neighborhood isn't just about expensive nightlife. The Way Station Steam Punk Bar offers cheap shows, usually for a suggested donation. For a more educational experience, the Brooklyn Brainery offers classes on everything from physics to desserts.