Prospect Lefferts Gardens Apartments

Prospect Lefferts Gardens comprises a portion of Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood bordering Crown Heights. This ethnically diverse neighborhood is becoming one of Brooklyn's most gentrified areas with many people migrating there from parts of Manhattan and nearby Park Slope.

Originally the land of a Dutch family named the Lefferts, the patriarch James Lefferts divided his estate into 600 lots and sold it off to developers. He observed the building of these lots, referred to as Lefferts Manor, from the Lefferts homestead, now a museum in Prospect Park. Lefferts had specific standards for the new developments, requiring each home to be a single family residence of at least two stories and constructed of brick or stone. The Lefferts Manor Historic District was designated a landmark district in 1979.

Today, the neighborhood is a growing residential area, with many enticing cafes and shops and a strong Caribbean influence. A growing number of younger residents are moving into the area, attracted to its lower prices and easy access to popular neighborhoods like Park Slope and Downtown Brooklyn.

Prospect Lefferts Gardens boasts a diverse architectural aesthetic, with original Tudors, limestone townhouses and Victorians neighboring large apartment complexes and bodegas.

There are four public schools within the neighborhood, including the Lefferts Garden Charter School, an elementary program that focuses on environmental science.

With a strong sense of community, the neighborhood boasts several important community-based organizations such as PLG Community Supported Agriculture, which provides fresh produce to residents via a farm in Connecticut; and the Lefferts Community Food Cooperative, dedicated to selling healthy and socially responsible food.

As a primarily residential neighborhood, Prospect Lefferts Gardens is not known as a dining destination. However, bodegas sell West Indian herbs and fresh fruit, while cute cafes sell baked goods and delicious coffee. Some popular Mexican restaurants include Lincoln Park Tavern and Chavela's. Meanwhile, Caribbean places like Culpepper's and Gloria's are also neighborhood favorites.

This side of Prospect Park is home to the Prospect Park Zoo, the Carousel and the Brooklyn Museum. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's annual cherry blossom festival, Sakura Matsuri, is a popular spring event.