Brooklyn Heights

Originally referred to as Brooklyn Village, Brooklyn Heights was developed as a fashionable residential area after the introduction of ferry service to Manhattan in 1814. By the mid-19th century, the area was served by three ferry services as well as the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad, and it was one of New York's premier residential addresses. Some of its streets are named for early real estate developers. The neighborhood is noted for its low-rise architecture and its many brownstone rowhouses, most of them built prior to the Civil War. It also has an abundance of notable churches and other religious institutions. Brooklyn's first art gallery, the Brooklyn Arts Gallery, was opened in Brooklyn Heights in 1958. Much of the neighborhood is part of the Brooklyn Heights Historic District, a city-designated and National Historic Landmark District.