April 12th, 2010
Carroll Gardens – Brooklyn Neighborhood Profile
Carroll Gardens Overview:
Carroll Gardens, named for Charles Carroll (a revolutionary war veteran and whose signature is on the Declaration of Independence), is a long-standing Italian-American neighborhood full of family-owned stores. One family even purchased a closing candy shop and turned it into a pizza restaurant for fear it would fall to a chain (think Dunk Donuts). It’s convenient to Manhattan with just four stops into the Brooklyn borough, but providing a feeling of being hours away. The neighborhood bustles with boutiques, restaurants and antique shops lining both Court Street and Smith Street, many focusing on Italian specialties. While Carroll Gardens continues to be a hub for Italian life, there is certainly a large outpouring of start-up families and young professionals flocking to this area of Brooklyn as well.
Carroll Gardens Boundaries:
Carroll Gardens borders can sometimes seem a bit blurred, which explains why the nickname for the regions that border each other was named BoCoCa. BoCoCa represents Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. Officially Carroll Gardens begins on the northern border with Cobble Hill at Degraw Street and Boerum Hill at Warren Street. South of Carroll Gardens is Red Hook and if you go west it’s Columbia Street Waterfront District.
Carroll Gardens Transportation:
Carroll Gardens is a 30-35 minute commute from Manhattan on the F train. The subway runs along 6th Avenue, turns east along Houston Street and then heads south toward the Manhattan Bridge to enter into Brooklyn. There are two subway stops off the F train; the first is Carroll Street, which drops you right in the heart of the neighborhood. The second is Smith-9th Street, which is the southernmost tip of Carroll Gardens. There are no direct buses.
The BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway) rides right along the western border of Carroll Gardens and Columbia Street Waterfront District. Exit at Hamilton Avenue (Exit 26).
Public Transportation to LaGuardia Airport can be accessed via the B57 Bus at Smith Street and Union Street and does require a transfer to the Q58 Bus from Fresh Pond Rd and Flushing Avenue Station. As an alternative one could take the G train at Carroll Street and transfer to the 7 Train at Court Square Station.
Carroll Gardens Restaurants, Cafes and Bakeries:
With such a strong Italian influence, there is no shortage of delicious pasta, pizza and of course cannolis to sample. But you won’t be coming for just the Italian food as many new restaurants of all specialties have been springing up in the neighborhood.
Fragole (394 Court Street between 1st Place and Carroll Street) cooks up fresh, homemade pasta at affordable prices in a cozy atmosphere with exposed brick.
Frankies 457 (457 Court Street between 3rd Place and 4th Place) has received such high acclaim and reviews that getting into this restaurant can be tough but the wait is worth it. Everything is homemade and super fresh. Make sure to bring your cash with you, no credit cards accepted.
Lucali (575 Henry Street between Carroll Street and Summit Street) is a pizza shop that exists because owner Mark Locano didn’t want to see the neighborhood candy shop turn into a chain restaurant or store. With pizza this good it’s no surprise that Jay-Z and Beyonce have been spotted sharing a pizza pie.
Jake Walk (282 Smith Street between Degraw Street and Sackett Street) is a wine bar serving up delicious light plates, cheeses and fondue. A joint venture from the owners of Smith & Vine, a local wine shop and Stinky’s Cheese, a local cheese shop, the two came together to make this delicious combination.
Carroll Gardens Shopping:
Carroll Gardens’ shopping district runs along both Smith Street and Court Street, which run parallel to one another. Along both drags you will find a variety of trendy shops mixed in with hip shoe boutiques, cafes and Italian bakeries. Many shops feature environmentally friendly and recycled items as the clientele and residents in this area are very conscientious. Rarely will you find an individual walking down the street without a reusable tote in their possession.
Carroll Gardens Landmarks:
St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church located on Court Street, is a beautiful marble church and the location where Al Capone married his wife Mae Josephine Coughlin.
Old Smith Theatre (375 Smith Street) originally served as a single screen theater. It has since been turned into Lee’s Auto Services and Repairs Inc. but still maintains quite a bit of the theaters original architecture.
Gowanus Canal has recently been designated a Superfund cleanup site. This heavily polluted canal once was a heavily utilized cargo transportation hub but fell to serious environmental problems. The city petitioned to clean up the canal with taxpayer dollars but the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) deemed it a Superfund, which allows them to seek funding from the polluters and will net out to a significantly longer cleanup.
Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Insider:
Famous Residents: Jim Neu (1943-2010), Playwright
Library: The library in Carroll Gardens is operated by the Brooklyn Public Library and is located at 396 Clinton Street at Union Street.
Parking: Each street has designated street cleaning on both sides of the street. Street cleaning occurs once a week, therefore keeping your car parked for a few days is not an issue.
Post Office: 257 Columbia Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231 and 615 Clinton Street, Brooklyn NY 11231
Hospital: Long Island College Hospital (339 Hicks Street, Brooklyn NY 11201)
Movies:
Cobble Hill Cinemas (265 Court Street, Brooklyn NY) is the neighborhood cinema with 4 theaters and shows a majority of feature films as they are released.
Police Station: Brooklyn 76th Precinct Police, 191 Union Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 (718) 834-3211
Schools:
- P.S. 29 John M Harrigan (425 Henry Street, Brooklyn NY 11201)
- P.S. 58 the Carroll
- P.S. 146 (610 Henry Street, Brooklyn NY 11231)
- School for International Studies: High School (248 Baltic Street, Brooklyn NY 11201)
Banking: Local and National banks can be found along Court and Smith Street between 2nd place and Warren Street
Health Club: Body Elite offers classes, personal training and full gym offerings (348 Court Street, Brooklyn NY 11231) Link -
Zip Code: 11231, 11201
Click image to enlarge for neighborhood breakouts
