Centrally located in Brooklyn, Clinton Hill offers the youthful energy of a leafy college town with a laid-back, genteel atmosphere that’s a draw for young families. Snag one of the many coveted brownstones or historic mansions set on the wide avenues and cobblestones streets, and you might never leave.

Founded by the oil baron Charles Pratt in the late 19th century, this neighborhood takes its name from the area’s stately elevation (95 feet), which was once believed to have health benefits. Formerly a working-class enclave, it became home to stunning buildings and mansions in the 1920s, many constructed by famous architect Montrose Morris. The result today is a picturesque urban destination that summons the grandiosity of the past.

 

Thanks to the presence of two schools—Pratt Institute and St. John’s College—Clinton Hill benefits from a rich intellectual and cultural climate. Previous residents include famous writers and artists like Walt Whitman, Patti Smith, and Mos Def. Students, young professionals, and families flock to the growing selection of acclaimed bars and restaurants. Proximity to both Fort Greene Park and Prospect Park means a tree-shaded run or a picnic is never far-off.

 

Walk along the beautiful Clinton Avenue or the main retail corridor, Myrtle Avenue, and you’ll find young parents pushing strollers, artists in paint-splattered clothes, and students enjoying an alfresco meal. One of the borough’s great attractions, the Brooklyn Flea, is located here, offering eclectic vintage clothes and delicious bites on weekend mornings. Take a stroll through the brick walkways of the Pratt Institute and keep an eye out for the “Pratt Cats” — a troupe of famous show felines who go where they please and double as school mascots.

 

Despite the youthful energy of the neighborhood, there’s not much of the noise or hectic energy that come with similarly popular neighborhoods. Locals love the peaceful nature of Clinton Hill, and they aim to preserve it.

 

You’ll find a greater diversity of architectural styles here than elsewhere in Brooklyn: everything from 19th century wood-frame houses to Romanesque revival mansions to modernistic luxury rental buildings. Prices have been creeping up but there are still great deals to be found.

 

No longer a little brother to more desirable neighborhoods, Clinton Hill is a destination in its own right, home to a community full of pride. The air seems full of possibility and down every cobblestone street and around every corner, there’s a discovery waiting to be made. When Walt Whitman wrote of the “beautiful hills of Brooklyn,” he might well have had Clinton Hill in mind.