Bay Ridge
Moving to a big city like New York is quite different from moving to a more rural area. That’s because each borough, and each neighborhood, in the city has its own character and distinctive features, yet is still a component of the overarching whole. For this reason, it’s very important to select the right borough and neighborhood in order to have the optimal living experience. What makes a neighborhood right is a matter of personal preference, so looking at each one is a good idea when considering moving in.
The Bay Ridge neighborhood is part of Brooklyn, which in turn is part of New York City. Thanks to its position as part of the city, it has public transit connections to the rest of the metropolis. However, its position in Brooklyn puts it at quite a distance from Manhattan, which is a popular destination spot. One train serves four stations, and it’s about a 40-minute ride downtown.
Bay Ridge Real Estate – The Basics
Because of this fairly long commute, it’s possible to get good prices on Bay Ridge Real Estate. Rent averages about $1,200 for a 2-bedroom apartment, and the prices to buy are similarly lower than one might expect for New York housing. That said, the price of rent shouldn’t be the only determining factor if your finances allow other priorities to come to the fore. Instead, you should look at what else the neighborhood has to offer. Fortunately, Bay Ridge has plenty of these things.
One aspect that is immediately apparent is its clean good looks. Well-kept stores line the streets in commercial areas, while excellently-maintained multi-family dwellings are common in residential zones. This is true despite the fact that these structures have been here for quite some time.
Several local landmarks exist, some of which can be used by the general public and others that are more interesting for their historical values. The Harbor Defense Museum is open to the public and is located at nearby Fort Hamilton. This fort is an active military base. Owl’s Head Park, once part of the private estate of the Bliss Family, is now open to the public as well. Some of the most notable landmarks are the neighborhood’s steppe streets – roads made entirely of steep steps. They were originally built where it was too steep to build a road for cars. Now, a couple of blocks of them remain open only to pedestrian traffic.
Bay Ridge Real Estate – Neighborhood Demographics
Demographically, this area is highly diverse thanks to several waves of immigration over the last 200 or so years. Some families have been here for up to four generations. Back then, the area was mostly populated by Norwegian, Italian, Lebanese and Irish people. Now, the current multi-generational presence is mostly Norwegian, and today, they add flavor to the area with the Norwegian Constitution Day Parade as well as through visual assets like a statue of Norway’s Leif Ericsson. A large Irish and Greek population is also present.
Around the 1990s, a wave of Russian, Lebanese, Chinese, and Polish immigrants came to Bay Ridge, and now, Middle Eastern and other Arab-Americans are coming to south and southwest Brooklyn. All of this immigration has worked out well for the area. Thanks to it, you can find a huge array of ethnic cuisine, culture-based entertainment and festivals, and other cosmopolitan aspects.
The demographics aren’t the only things that change in Bay Ridge. The Bay Ridge Real Estate landscape is also always on the move. Many of the old two-story homes that once defined the area have been torn down, and this trend continues today. In their places, you can find condominiums the locals call “Fedder homes.” This seemingly-odd name comes from the brand of air conditioners attached to the new houses.
Those who like old houses certainly aren’t out of luck. Plenty of them remain, and in fact, This Old House has said that Bay Ridge is one of the best places to buy an older home.
All in all, Bay Ridge Real Estate offers plenty of benefits for newcomers. It combines multiple cultures, a long history, and new construction with reasonable real estate prices for both buyers and renters. To find out about all of the current Bay Ridge Real Estate options currently open, be sure to check the Brooklyn MLS. There is no source that is as complete or authoritative on exactly what is available for bay Ridge Real Estate at any given time.