Once Native American farmland, this area was sold to the Dutch in the 1600s and has seen every subsequent wave of immigration to New York City. The rise in importance of the working waterfront led to a boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when many of the existing row houses were built. In the 1940s and elevated highways bisected the neighborhood just as shipping became less essential, leading to an era of decline. Today, new parks and office spaces and rising rents elsewhere in the borough have put this area back on the map.

 

A bustling city within a city, Sunset Park has a waterfront industrial area, low residential streets with a classical look, and even its own Chinatown. Independent businesses still reign, with nearby Industry City slowly ushering in a modern era.

 

 

You get the feeling that Sunset Park hasn’t changed much in the last 50 years and didn’t need to. A divide between busy commercial avenues and residential cross streets makes the area welcoming, liveable and predictable in the best kind of way.

 

 

Many families have been in the area for generations, preserving a great sense of community within the diverse mix of residents. Stoop life thrives as kids bicycle the streets and families walk to always-bustling 4th Ave. to shop.

 

 

The city’s subsidized ferry service is continually expanding, and the Sunset Park stop offers quick access to Wall Street, Red Hook, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and Bay Ridge, with transfers available all along the East River. You’ll also be one stop from Rockaway for quick escapes to the beach.

 

 

In 2009, height restrictions were created to preserve the character of Sunset Park’s residential streets, which are filled with 2 and 3-story rowhouses with wide stoops that date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There’s a mix of single and multi-family setups, and many are still reasonably priced. A few condos and larger apartment buildings are available, generally on the busier thoroughfares.

 

 

It feels as if the entire neighborhood comes together in the park that shares its name. High on a hill, it offers stunning sunset views from a lawn that’s popular for family picnics. On a typical evening, you’ll also find traditional dance lessons, a wide variety of sports, and locals filling the benches to soak up the view.