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A pup and their owner wait for the start of an outdoor yoga class in Prospect Park.
NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE

A guide to local favorites in Prospect Heights

A pup and their owner wait for the start of an outdoor yoga class in Prospect Park.
  • By Alexander-Julian Gibbson
  • Photos by Lauren Crothers
Neighborhoods
Prospect Heights
Brooklyn
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Prospect Heights is the perfect melding of historical and modern Brooklyn. It’s characterized by its placement between the cultural jewels of the borough: the Brooklyn Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Central Library and Barclays Center. In between these equally important monuments is a neighborhood filled with family-owned restaurants and shops and a thriving bar scene. You also can’t forget Brooklyn’s 585-acre Prospect Park, known for outdoor concerts, on-the-lawn movie screenings and almost everything else under the sun.

Meet Alexander-Julian Gibbson

Alexander-Julian is a Nigerian-born, Houston-raised, Brooklyn-based writer who specializes in travel, style and culture. He’s spent the past four years living in Bedford-Stuyvesant after graduating from Howard University. He loves exploring the culture and people of the borough and avoids “the city” (Manhattan) at all costs.

alexanderjulian

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Email bytheway@washpost.com
Read more about Alexander-Julian

Prospect Heights

Farmers market at Grand Army Plaza
This beautiful architectural structure once known as Prospect Park Plaza is technically considered the entrance to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. Originally erected to memorialize the Battle of Long Island, the plaza now hosts one of the biggest farmers markets in New York every Saturday.
Grand Army Plaza, Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238
Morgan’s Barbecue
Morgan’s Barbecue is the sweet marriage of Texas technique with upscale NYC steakhouse knowledge. It’s served out of a casual neighborhood spot on the edge of Prospect Heights. Grab some bourbon and try anything smoked by the restaurant’s pitmaster, Houston native Eric Springer.
267 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11217
Temporarily closed
Barboncino Pizza
The brick-oven Neapolitan pizza from Barboncino has been called “the best pizza in the city” by notably biased Prospect Heights locals. While the validity of this statement is still debated by pizza scholars, the objectively great pizza and tasty cocktails make this shop the perfect neighborhood date-night spot.
781 Franklin Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238
Cafe Rue Dix/Marche Rue Dix
Cafe Rue Dix is an amazing French/Senegalese restaurant attached to a trendy African concept store called Marche Rue Dix. Both the cafe, with its fresh ingredients and bold spices, and Marche Rue Dix, with authentic African trinkets, home goods and fashion, are a nice bit of the motherland in the borough.
1451 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11216
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a stunning 52-acre garden next to the Brooklyn Museum. You can buy an “Art & Garden” ticket and visit both the museum and garden for $16 for seniors/students or $25 for adults.
990 Washington Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11225
Brooklyn Central Library
The beautiful, streamlined Beaux Arts-style library designed by Raymond F. Almirall is an architectural feat first and library second. If you don’t necessarily have the time to delve into the 1 million-plus books, magazines and multimedia materials the library has, visit just to take in its impressive design.
10 Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238
Ode to Babel
Ode to Babel is a neighborhood favorite for Prospect Heights, Bed-Stuy and Crown Height locals. The cocktail bar and lounge has become a home to artists from surrounding neighborhoods, and the bar has become a place to showcase their work. Enjoy tasty small bites, live music and a vibey DJ from time to time.
772 Dean St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11238
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Alexander-Julian Gibbson
Alexander-Julian is a Nigerian-born, Houston-raised, Brooklyn-based writer who specializes in travel, style and culture. He’s spent the past four years living in Bedford-Stuyvesant after graduating from Howard University. He loves exploring the culture and people of the borough and avoids “the city” (Manhattan) at all costs.
alexanderjulian
Lauren Crothers
Lauren is a contributing photographer for The Washington Post born and raised in Hong Kong, now settled in Brooklyn after a long stint in Cambodia. She’s a year-round biker and loves doing loops in the quiet of Prospect Park, particularly in the autumn.
laurencro

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