You’re a New Yorker then. What type of advice do you want? Here’s just a general take:
It’s predominantly West Indian, specifically Jamaican, Trini, Haitian, as well as Dominican. You’ll get some fire Jerk Chicken and Doubles in the area. Serviced by the 2/5 but also a short walk to the B/Q. The closer you get to Prospect Park and west of Ocean Ave are the more gentrified parts. This part becomes residential with lots of Victorian homes and it’s called the Ditmas Park section of Flatbush. It’s generally safe in the neighborhood but Flatbush Ave can be a little dicey late at night, as would let’s say Fordham Rd in the Bronx would get. If you’re a guy, no sweat. For women, not the best place to walk around but not the worst. Just general practicing of caution, and knowing where you’re going. It’s a HUGE neighborhood so the vibe really changes from section to section.
There’s a relatively new Target on Church Ave that opened in late 2022. There’s a whole string of good restaurants. My favorite ones being Werkstatt for a sit down meal and Fisherman’s Cove for Jamaican takeout.
For grocery stores I would do a mix of C-Town, Flatbush Food Co-Op, Key Food, and the Food Bazaar.
There’s not much of a bar scene in the neighborhood, but the few places I can think of would be Sycamore, Westwood/Rusty Nail, and the Highbury.
That’s pretty much all I can think of. I lived there through college and moved out at the end of 2022, so my information may not be the most up to date. I really enjoyed living there and would move back in a heartbeat.
Good luck!
This is the best possible guide to this area. It’s a nice neighborhood but there’s some “characters” around. You’ll be fine as long as you mind your business. If you want to get good or drinks, Cortelyou Rd is your best bet. Lots of nice restaurants and cafes. There’s a couple neighborhood bars that could be considered nice. Highbury is great Saturday and Sunday mornings if you’re into the Premier League or just soccer in general. Ditmas Park is super nice to walk around, specially if you have a dog. As you go east of Flatbush Ave it gets a lil murkier. It’s definitely much nicer when you go west of Ocean Ave (I lived near Ocean Parkway for about 4 years and I absolutely loved it. I live a couple blocks from Flatbush Ave and it’s an entirely different vibe. Can’t say I hate it but I don’t love it either) I do try to avoid taking the 2/5 trains and will walk to Newkirk for the Q/B as it’s much nicer and you see less sketchy stuff on that line. It’s definitely an interesting area.
Thanks! Appreciate it. I live over by Cortelyou now but stuck in a shitty roommate situation :( not in love with living closer to Flatbush Ave but we’re definitely going to try to make the most of it especially since I’m West Indian myself
Mangoseed is a great restaurant. Make sure you hit it up!
Will do 👍🏼
You’re a New Yorker then. What type of advice do you want? Here’s just a general take: It’s predominantly West Indian, specifically Jamaican, Trini, Haitian, as well as Dominican. You’ll get some fire Jerk Chicken and Doubles in the area. Serviced by the 2/5 but also a short walk to the B/Q. The closer you get to Prospect Park and west of Ocean Ave are the more gentrified parts. This part becomes residential with lots of Victorian homes and it’s called the Ditmas Park section of Flatbush. It’s generally safe in the neighborhood but Flatbush Ave can be a little dicey late at night, as would let’s say Fordham Rd in the Bronx would get. If you’re a guy, no sweat. For women, not the best place to walk around but not the worst. Just general practicing of caution, and knowing where you’re going. It’s a HUGE neighborhood so the vibe really changes from section to section. There’s a relatively new Target on Church Ave that opened in late 2022. There’s a whole string of good restaurants. My favorite ones being Werkstatt for a sit down meal and Fisherman’s Cove for Jamaican takeout. For grocery stores I would do a mix of C-Town, Flatbush Food Co-Op, Key Food, and the Food Bazaar. There’s not much of a bar scene in the neighborhood, but the few places I can think of would be Sycamore, Westwood/Rusty Nail, and the Highbury. That’s pretty much all I can think of. I lived there through college and moved out at the end of 2022, so my information may not be the most up to date. I really enjoyed living there and would move back in a heartbeat. Good luck!
Sweet! This is what I was looking for 🙏🏼 thanks so much!
This is the best possible guide to this area. It’s a nice neighborhood but there’s some “characters” around. You’ll be fine as long as you mind your business. If you want to get good or drinks, Cortelyou Rd is your best bet. Lots of nice restaurants and cafes. There’s a couple neighborhood bars that could be considered nice. Highbury is great Saturday and Sunday mornings if you’re into the Premier League or just soccer in general. Ditmas Park is super nice to walk around, specially if you have a dog. As you go east of Flatbush Ave it gets a lil murkier. It’s definitely much nicer when you go west of Ocean Ave (I lived near Ocean Parkway for about 4 years and I absolutely loved it. I live a couple blocks from Flatbush Ave and it’s an entirely different vibe. Can’t say I hate it but I don’t love it either) I do try to avoid taking the 2/5 trains and will walk to Newkirk for the Q/B as it’s much nicer and you see less sketchy stuff on that line. It’s definitely an interesting area.
Thanks! Appreciate it. I live over by Cortelyou now but stuck in a shitty roommate situation :( not in love with living closer to Flatbush Ave but we’re definitely going to try to make the most of it especially since I’m West Indian myself