Dumbo has historically been known by several names, including Gairville, Rapailie, Olympia, and Walentasville. The area was originally a ferry landing, characterized by 19th- and early 20th-century industrial and warehouse buildings, and Belgian block streets. In the 1890s, the western portion of the neighborhood was known as Fulton Landing, after the ferry stop that connected it to Manhattan before the Brooklyn Bridge opened. With the deindustrialization of New York City in the 1970s, Dumbo attracted many artists and other young homesteaders seeking large and inexpensive loft apartment spaces.  The acronym “Dumbo”, which simply stands for [Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) arose in 1978, when fearful new residents coined it in the hope that such an unattractive name would help deter developers. This worked for some time as DUMBO became one of New York’s best arts scenes while maintaining its gritty edge into the late 90s. But eventually a large number of buildings in Dumbo were bought by developer David Walentas and his company Two Trees Management who remade the neighborhood into an upscale residential and commercial community—first becoming a haven for art galleries, and currently a center for technology startups. Dumbo eventually earned the nickname “the center of the Brooklyn Tech Triangle”. DUMBO has also become Brooklyn’s most affluent neighborhood and the fourth-wealthiest community in New York City. Just east of DUMBO lies the remains of the historic Vinegar Hill neighborhood named after the Battle of Vinegar Hill in an attempt to attract Irish Immigrants By the early 19th century large numbers of Irish families settled here to be close to jobs at the Brooklyn Dockyards and other nearby factories. Most of the neighborhood’s rowhouses were built out by the mid-19th century in the  Federal Style and Greek Revival styles. Much of Vinegar Hill was removed by the construction of  the Manhattan Bridge in the 1900s. This likely led to the decline of the neighborhood’s Irish population and by 1930 75% of the neighborhood were Lithuanian Immigrants. Before the construction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in the 1950s Vinegar Hill extended south to the area now called Bridge Plaza. This sits on the edge of Dwtn Brooklyn and still hosts many mid-19th century rowhouses.

DUMBO/Vinegar Hill are amenity rich walkable communities with incredible convenient access to Dwtn Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan, and Midtown. There are also great park amenities, decent access to walkable schools and solid bike amenities. The biggest downside is a lack of economic diversity and affordable housing options. Unlike other Brooklyn neighborhoods few apartments are rent stabilized not allowing the gentrification of the neighborhood to coincide with a decent working & middle class presence. When the neighborhood redeveloped in the early 2000s, affordable housing preservation was not top of mind for civic and community leaders.

Click here for my DUMBO Album & here for my Vinegar Hill Album on Flickr

URBAN STRENGTHS:

* Solid density especially for a post industrial area.
* Great access to CBDs being just north of Dwtn Brooklyn, 1.5 miles across the river from Lower Manhattan, and a 20 min subway ride to Midtown.
* Plenty of dedicated bike stations. Bike lane connections to Manhattan on both the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges. Only a couple bike lane connections outside of the neighborhood to Brooklyn.
* Generally good sidewalks and most intersections have modern ADA curb cuts.
* Great urban architecture overall including tons of tastefully converted warehouses, quality urban infill, and cobble stone streets. Some unattractive Industrial use in spots and a bland mid-century public housing complex.
* Lots of pedestrians especially in DUMBO. Crowed in the more touristy spots.
* While this is some grit in spots, especially the eastern edge of Vinegar Hill, this is a very safe area.
* Solid access to schools including a couple public elementary schools, several smaller private and charter schools, and several specialized high schools in Dwtn Brooklyn.
* Solid park access including a public beach and several waterfront parks along the East River. Also a nice recreational trail running along the river connecting Dumbo to the Pier parks below Brooklyn Heights and several other small pocket parks and plazas.
* Excellent cultural amenities including a ton of restaurants, a food hall,  bars, cafes, and art galleries, a couple local museums, several night clubs, a couple music venues, lots of event venues, and a performing arts enters. Dumbo certainly hosts more amenities than Vinegar Hill. Also convenient access to all the cultural amenities Dwtn.
* Good retail amenities including several supermarkets, a couple drug stores, a hardware store, tons of boutiques/clothing stores, home good/gift shops , antiques/furniture stores. a couple bookstores & toystore, plenty of gyms and dessert joints, Also a the Brooklyn Flee Market is open on the weekends.

URBAN WEAKNESSES:

* Some racial diversity but the neighborhood is filled with high earning young professionals with little else.
* No churches in the neighborhood but plenty nearby. Also not hospital located here but a fair amount of doctor’s offices. No department stores but Macy’s and other departments stores concentrated on Fulton Street are only a mile walk.
* Good amount of rentals but very expensive and Dumbo/Vinegar Hill have maybe 15-20% of their housing as rental stabilized, which is low for Brooklyn. Studios lease in the 3Ks, 1-beds lease btwn 4-5K, 2-beds btwn 6-7K, and a few 3-beds for 7-9K.
* For sale options are also very pricey. Decent amount of 1-bed condos that sell btwn 750K- 2.1M, 2-beds btwn 1.3M-2.7M, 3-beds btwn 2M-4.5M.