Ditmas Park is a smaller suburbia of the larger Flatbush community in central Brooklyn, and is one of the oldest neighborhoods New York City.
Ditmas Park is bordered by Ocean Avenue and greater Flatbush to the east, Dorchester Road and Prospect Park South to the north, Coney Island Avenue and Kensington to the west and Newkirk Avenue to the south.
Named after the Ditmas Family, which owned the rural land on which the area was built, the neighborhood has been popular since the 1890s. After the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge and Prospect Park, the neighborhood has since propelled Brooklyn to greater popularity among New Yorkers.
Ditmas Park's quiet suburban living, good public schools, free-standing Victorian homes and low crime rates still make it a sought-after neighborhood for families looking to buy or rent. According to StreetEasy, the median sale price of a home as of May 2024 is $865,000, while median rent is about $2,535. The stately single-family homes are usually sold between $1.5 million and $3 million.
The borough's subway lines connecting Brooklyn to NYC attracted New Yorkers seeking to relocate or visit the borough. Residents and visitors easily access the Newkirk Plaza and Cortelyou Road subway stations, which are served by the Q and B lines, providing convenient and fast transportation options for residents.
Ditmas Park homes were built in Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival historical styles by realty developer Lewis H. Pounds in 1902, a history which saw the neighborhood become a designated Historic District in 1981 by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, according to the Ditmas Historic District.
This designation has been instrumental in preserving the architectural character you see in the area today.
The housing infrastructure is diverse for owners and renters who either occupy apartment buildings or free-standing Victorian-style homes, which makes it a picturesque juxtaposition against the city's tall buildings and fast-paced life.
Cortelyou Road, one of the main commercial streets in Ditmas Park, has many restaurants and shops and, over the past two decades, has blossomed into a major retail corridor.
Considering the city's current housing crisis, it is clear why Ditmas Park is ideal for families and is every Brooklynite's dream- porches, gardens and green lawns are a homeowner's or renter's dream.
King's Theatre, Prospect Park, Brooklyn Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are less than 2.5 miles from Ditmas Park.
Other activities include weekly farmer's markets and community gardens. The small, tight-knight Ditmas Park community preserves its closeness through its website, Ditmas Park Corner, through which residents can post once-off or recurring events to the local calendar to boost attendance and advertise local business.
During the pandemic, neighbors organized porch concerts, where struggling artists played music from a volunteer host's house, or porch. Area residents showed up with lawn chairs and their own food and drink to enjoy music, and raised money for the musicians or for other causes. The concerts still happen today.
There is also a Flickr group where locals add pictures, and bloggers who wish to expand their readership share their websites. They have newsletters and Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest groups.