New York Living Solutions

Bronx, Borough Historian, Lloyd Ultan, described Wakefield as an “area has a sort of inner suburban air about it.” The well kept neighborhood offers buyers a variety of one to two family homes for purchase, and renters the option of apartment houses. With a large immigrant Caribbean population, along with pockets of Italian, Irish, Eastern European and African American communities, the area is very ethnically and racially diverse. Given its affordable market prices, diversity, suburban appeal, and access to public transportation, the area offers interested buyers/renters a great package deal.

With trendy boutiques, French cafés, and velvet-roped nightspots sprinkled among dry-goods discounters, Latin bodegas, and mom-and-pop shops selling everything from T-shirts to designer fashions and menorahs, the Lower East Side is truly a multicultural blend. The intersection of the Old World customs and New World innovation result in a unique blend found only in NYC.

Once a home base for numerous immigrant ethnic groups, the Lower East side is now magnet for tourists and locals alike; residents, visitors and bargain hunters flock to the Lower East Side for great shopping deals and delicious food. The thriving artistic and nightlife scene also add to neighborhood’s youthful appeal.

The first neighborhood protected by the 1965 Landmarks Preservation Law of New York City, Brooklyn Heights is among the most popular of Brooklyn neighborhoods. With its spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline, Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge, the prominent neighborhood draws an interesting mix of older residents, families, and Jehovah’s Witnesses. As if the breath-taking views were not enough, magnificent brick Greek and Gothic Revival houses, brownstones and mansions are found throughout the historic district. Given the high demand for residency, developers have focused on the addition new condos and apartment complexes in recent years. Surprisingly, despite these developments, the area retains its “small town” charm.

Once another of Brooklyn’s shipping towns, populated by working class Irish, Polish and Norwegian immigrant families, Sunset Park experienced a cultural and commercial rebirth with arrival of Puerto Rican, Dominican and Mexican immigrants during the late 20th century. Chinese immigrants have also created their own pockets of community within Sunset Park, much like in Manhattan’s Chinatown and Flushing. With a focus on family, community development initiatives include the Brooklyn Chinese-American Association and the United Puerto Rican organization of Sunset Park. Free of the impending threat of gentrification, some argue that Sunset Park best embodies New York’s multicultural spirit. With thriving small businesses (a result of the late 1990s real estate boom), the area is still experiencing a quiet commercial revival.

With splendid views of the Verrazano Bridge, it is no wonder why Bay Ridge was once a popular vacation spot for wealthy Manhattanites. The beautifully preserved mansions in the area serve an imprint of a glamorous era during the late 19th century. Now mostly a middle-class area, the neighborhood attracts Italian, Lebanese, Greek and Chinese families; in recent decades, there has also been in influx of Arab and Muslim residents in the area─ a testament to the diversity of New York City. The multicultural influence extends to the international dining experiences along what is now referred to as “Brooklyn’s Gold Coast.” Given the family friendly ambiance, it is not surprising, nor uncommon for multi-generation families to reside in the area.