Ditmas Park

An architecturally distinct part of what is unofficially Brooklyn’s Victorian Flatbush section, and a breathtaking historic district of Queen Anne Victorian, Colonial Revival, Tudor, and Bungalow style wood-frame homes, nestled amongst the high canopies of 100-year-old London Plane trees. This is unlike any other place in the five boroughs and an area that we love, admire, and very actively represent sellers and buyers in. Set upon wide streets and boulevards, its storybook streetscapes are often used as film locations for movies and TV productions. These are typically freestanding, wood Victorian buildings with wrap-around front porches, set back from the street by deep front gardens, with yards, driveways, and garages. The interiors of these fine homes often contain ornate woodwork, wainscoting, and vintage details that feel bright, warm, and inviting. Although Ditmas is primarily comprised of single-family homes, apartment dwellers will find some choices in prewar, and postwar, and even a few new buildings available. You couldn't have a more idyllic neighborhood right outside of your front door.

The main commercial strip is Cortelyou Road, which has seen new businesses, cafés, and restaurants moving in recently, reflecting a new generation discovering the area. Like Park Slope to the north, it has its own Flatbush Food Coop, grassroots block associations, and a strong sense of community with other residents who’ve chosen to be a part of this especially beautiful Brooklyn neighborhood. If you’ve been disappointed with how far your money will go in Brownstone Brooklyn, we'd love to show you Ditmas Park and the greater Victorian Flatbush. Its about a half an hour to Manhattan from the Cortelyou Road Subway Station.

The area was developed on farmland sold by the Ditmas family to developer and future Brooklyn Borough President Louis H. Pounds in 1902, he built up the area from 1902 to 1918, catching the expansion of Brooklyn’s first rise in popularity and population fueled by the opening of Prospect Park and building of the Brooklyn Bridge. Targeting bankers and wealthy merchants seeking a bedroom community away from gritty, overcrowded Manhattan. He subdivided the colonial-era Ditmas farm into individual building lots, added electrical, water, and sewer infrastructure, paved streets, added sidewalks, and planted trees. Then sold off the lots and built between 2000 to 2500 suburban-style homes designed and crafted by local architects and tradesmen, with strict guidelines for design that created Ditmas Park’s cohesive sense of place. The neighborhood’s architectural heritage is preserved by the Ditmas Park and Fisk Terrace Landmarked Historic Districts. The boundaries are Ocean Avenue to Coney Island Avenue and Dorchester Road to Avenue H.