If you've been priced out of Park Slope, the first place you're likely to think about moving is the neighboring area of Windsor Terrace. This is a neighborhood not of lofty brownstones but of more modest two-family houses.
Instead of trendy restaurants, there is an old-fashioned Irish bar, and instead of boutiques sellling upscale baby clothes, you'll find a Hallmark card store.
You'll also find streets that have a small-town feel, with miniature porches, and people who sit on the stoops, passing the time of day with their neighbors while the local kids toss a football in the street. Just how much more Brooklyn can a neighborhood get?
Not much, and the locals like it that way. Windsor Terrace has always turned a cold shoulder toward its fancier, busier neighbor. Although it shares the pleasures of Prospect Park and the Botanical Garden with the gentrifiers in the Slope, it didn't draw them until fairly recently. Instead, it remained a stronghold of the Irish and Italians who had settled here a few generations back: schoolteachers, cops, and firefighters.
To this day, Holy Name Roman Catholic Church is the center of much of the neighborhood's social life.
Although some of those old-timers have held on, the neighborhood began to change a decade or so ago, when property values began to soar. Today, a house in the neighborhood can go for up to $1 million, which effectively puts the neighborhood well beyond the reach of most civil servants.
TO FIND IT:
This neighborhood is bordered by Prospect Park to the north and east, Green-Wood Cemetery on the west, and Caton Avenue to the south.
TO LIVE:
Mostly outfitted with two- and three- family homes, Windsor Terrace, like the rest of Brooklyn, has seen a property value explosion over the past several years. There are scattered co-ops in the area, and they can make for a great deal, if only you can find one.
TO BUY:
According to Peers, expect to pay between $600,000 and $1 million to buy a home in the area. Listing for one-bedroom co-ops mostly go for between $250,000 and $500,000, with two-to-three bedrooms running anywhere from $500,000 - $800,000. (Source: WindsorTerraceInfo.com)
Recent Sales:
--30 Ocean Parkway, one-bedroom, one-bath co-op, 900 square feet, $400,000 (Broker: Robert Frye, Brooklyn Bridge Realty)
--201 Seeley St., two-family, 75-year-old semi-detached brick house, with garage, $1,040,000 (Broker: Warren Lewis Realty)
TO EAT:
Laura's Gourmet Kitchen (1235 Prospect Ave., 718-436-3715) is rumored among the locals to be the best kept Italian secret in the city. Laura's is a family run Italian restaurant, with Laura's mom serving as the main chef.
Da Vincenzo (256 Prospect Park West, 718-369-3590), a recently opened Italian bistro that offers northern, and a little bit of southern Italian cuisine, and a snazzy dessert called the "banana turtle cake."
Terrace Bagels (224 Prospect Park West, 718-768-3943) revered by many as the best bagel joint in all of Brooklyn.
Tookata Thai Grill (268 Prospect Park West, 718-369-2472) This Thai place accepts cash only.
Amin (217 Prospect Park West, 718-832-6229) Good neighborhood place for Indian.
Windsor Cafe (220 Prospect Park West, 718-788-9700) Diner with a pleasant atmosphere.
TO PARTY:
Everybody knows the hottest joint in Windsor Terrace is Farrell's (215 Prospect Park West, 718-788-8779). This one-of-a-kind, old-world bar and grill, -- populated mostly by men who wear badges by day -- hasn't served food in a half-century, but does serve up cold ones in not-so-frosty 32 oz. Styrofoam cups.
TO SHOP:
The main shopping strip in Windsor Terrace can be found along Prospect Park West. Here are a few of the offerings:
United Meat Market (219 Prospect Park West, 718-768-7227) an old-fashioned butcher.
Traditions (240 Prospect Park West, 718-369-2922) a natural foods market.
Windsor Shoes (233 Prospect Park West, 718-369-2192) and one for kids: Windsor Shoes Too (229 Prospect Park West, 718 369 2192)
TO SEE:
Brooklyn's last horse riding stable, Kensington Stables (51 Caton Place, 718-972-4588), can be found in the southwest corner of Prospect Park. Dirt trails, surrounded on all sides by plush green, make for a country getaway in the middle of megatropolis. For youngsters, the stable offers "pony parties." Riding lessons run about $40 an hour.
Beyond the stable, Prospect Park itself has plenty more to offer. There's Wollman ice rink (Parkside/Ocean Avenues entrance or the Lincoln Road/Ocean Avenue entrance, 718 965-8951) an indoor tennis center (corner of Coney Island and Parkside Avenues, 718-436-2500) and film festivals held in the Lefferts Historic House (at the intersection of Flatbush and Ocean Avenues and Empire Boulevard, 718-789-2822).
Q&A
Billy Grillas is the owner of Hot Diggity Dog, a restaurant specializing in hot dogs. The eatery, on Windsor Terrace's commercial strip on Prospect Park West, opened in November 2004.
Why did you choose Windsor Terrace for your restaurant?
"It's a rapidly growing neighborhood. I think it's Brooklyn's best-kept secret. I was born and raised in Brooklyn and never heard about Windsor Terrace until a few years ago. … It's old-school Brooklyn. You see people hanging out on their stoops, playing stoop ball and clothes being hung out in the back yard."
Besides your restaurant, what's your favorite thing about Windsor Terrace?
"The people. They are very down to earth, nice people.
Are people worried about rising real estate prices?
Yes, that's a concern. The prices are really high. You could get lucky, though, and find a family that's owned a house for 60 years and instead of going for $1.5 million, it's selling for $600,000.
THE BASICS:
Crime:
In a neighborhood traditionally populated by many cops, crime is almost nonexistent nowadays. According to statistics from the 72nd Precinct, crime in the area has dropped almost 70% since 1990. There wasn't a single murder or rape, and only two robberies, in the precinct last year. In 1990, there were 24 murders, 22 rapes and 1,035 robberies.
Transportation:
Most people here drive cars. The Prospect Park Expressway is the main thoroughfare, and literally slices the neighborhood into two. There is also easy access to the Gowanus and the BQE. The F Train is the lone subway: 15th Street/ Prospect Park is the main stop. The B68 bus line runs along Coney Island Ave to other parts of Brooklyn.
Schools:
The most well-known schools are the Catholic high school Bishop Ford and PS 154, and Holy Name grammar school.
Post Office:
Prospect Park West Station (225 Prospect Park West)
Banks:
Independence Community Bank (234 Prospect Park West), Commerce Bank (210-212 Prospect Park West)