Neighborhood Spotlight: Carroll Gardens
As we mentioned in our previous entry, Awaye Realty will periodically spotlight a Brooklyn neighborhood, and some of our favorite things about it. This week, we’re featuring beautiful Carroll Gardens, which is our backyard.
Neighborhood Spotlight: Carroll Gardens
Carroll Gardens is a Brooklyn neighborhood bounded by Red Hook to the south and west, Cobble and Boerum Hill to the north, and Gowanus and Park Slope to the east. Carroll Gardens is named for Charles Carroll, a revolutionary war veteran who was also the only Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. This is fitting, given that Carroll Gardens is historically an Italian-American neighborhood. Before Italian-Americans settled in the area, Carroll Gardens was settled by the Irish in the early 19th century and later by Norwegian-Americans. The Norwegians founded the Seamans’ Church, which was once visited by the King of Norway, and still stands on the corner of First Place and Clinton Street, although reincarnated as a condo.
Though the demographic landscape is quickly changing, you can still find many long-standing family stores and Italian restaurants. G. Esposito & Sons Pork Store at 357 Court Street has been a neighborhood staple for almost 90 years, and Scotto’s Wine Cellar is Brooklyn’s oldest wine shop. The family-run D’Amico’s Food at 309 Court Street has been providing the neighborhood with fresh pasta and home-roasted coffee for decades. Since the 1930’s, the Aiello Dairy has been supplying fresh mozzarella and cheese products to all of Brooklyn.
Today, Carroll Gardens boasts some of the best, most varied restaurants and boutiques in Brooklyn. The main thoroughfares are Court Street and Smith Street, which is often considered Brooklyn’s Restaurant Row. If you want to grab a drink, our favorite neighborhood standouts include P.J. Hanley’s at 449 Court Street, which is one of Brooklyn’s oldest bars, the always fun tiki-themed Zombie Hut on Smith Street, and the Jake Walk for an incredible whiskey selection and great food. Buttermilk Channel, our neighbors at 524 Court Street, offers spectacular New American fare, while Café Luluc at 214 Court Street offers a fantastic variety of always fresh, healthy, and delicious continental cuisine. Frankie’s Spuntino is a new classic for Italian dining, and Joya offers unparalleled taste and price if you have a hankering for Thai food.
Carroll Gardens isn’t all about being out on the town, though. It is one of Brooklyn’s most family friendly neighborhoods, boasting some of the best public schools in New York City. Zoned for School District 15, P.S.58 has a long history of academic excellence. Beautiful Carroll Park is a block-long area of playgrounds, walkways and sitting areas between Court and Smith Streets. The safe, leafy brownstone streets lend themselves to a great residential feel, perfect for children. Houses of worship, toy stores, and a great amount of young children add to the family appeal.
As both residents of Carroll Gardens and a real estate firm, we at Awaye Realty can’t help but mention the incredible Carroll Gardens real estate sales and rental opportunities. Who wouldn’t want to live in such a vibrant area? Proximity to the F and G Trains and a short commute to Manhattan don’t hurt, either. The charming turn-of-the-century brownstones are not only a picturesque way to live, but offer spectacular returns on investment with their rental incomes. For those with a taste for modernity, there is a variety of new construction and converted condominiums that provide window walls, loft layouts, and the most modern of amenities in this charming old-world area. Awaye Realty is Carroll Garden’s boutique realty. We know the people, the places, and the market.
If you want to deal with a true Carroll Gardens expert, turn to our very own Angela Aiello.
Carroll Gardens Native, Angela Aiello
Here’s what she has to say:
“I’ve lived in Carroll Gardens my whole life. My sisters and I grew up in a building that my grandparents purchased after they married almost 70 years ago, the same home where my grandparents raised my mother and her sisters. Our roots were planted here to stay. My father took over Aiello’s Dairy, a fresh mozzarella business, shortly after my parents married just a few blocks from our house, and still runs it on Hicks Street.
Living in a neighborhood like this makes you really appreciate the little things in life. Having the convenience of the shopping on Court Street without needing to travel miles and having the best of everything right around the corner is something not all neighborhoods have. To be able to sit on the stoop at any time of the day and see someone you’ve known your whole life at every turn is just not something that is so easy to find these days… unless you are in Carroll Gardens.”
