Downtown Brooklyn is bound by the BQE on the north, to Atlantic Avenue on the south, and Flatbush Avenue on the East, to Cadman Plaza on the West.  With a little section in the SE corner to Hoyt & Fulton Streets for Boerum Hill, Downtown Brooklyn is a crossroads full of retail, art and residences all at the same time. 

This area was originally inhabited by Lenape Native Americans, until the 17th century.  At that time the Dutch arrived, gained control of the land, and called it Breuckelen.  Until 1814, Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights remained sparsely populated.  Robert Fulton’s new steam ferry then began to offer an easy commuting option to and from downtown Manhattan.  It made Brooklyn Heights Manhattan’s first suburb, and put Downtown Brooklyn on its way to becoming a commercial center, and the heart of the City of Brooklyn.

Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City, USA (following Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn.  The neighborhood is known for its office and residential buildings, such as the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and the MetroTech Center office complex, that give the area its own unique skyline.  In the past, downtown Brooklyn was mainly known for being Brooklyn's civil, retail, and business center, but since the rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn in 2004, the area is undergoing a major transformation.  Private investors have spent billions of dollars on developing new apartment complexes and encouraging new businesses to build here as well.  

Downtown Brooklyn includes the Fulton Street Mall, Macy's, the farmer's market in front of Borough Hall, the Metro Tech center, Brooklyn Borough Hall, the Kings County New York State courthouse, the central courthouse for the Federal Eastern District of New York,  Brooklyn Law School, New York City College of Technology and the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.

Residents will also enjoy the new Barclays Center, BAM Cultural District and the YMCA on Atlantic Avenue, as well as a visit to Junior’s for a slice of Junior’s Famous Cheesecake–a neighborhood institution since the 1950s. 

Downtown Brooklyn is a commuter's dream: a dozen subway lines run through downtown Brooklyn. Major stations in the neighborhood are:  Jay Street – MetroTech (A C F N R trains), Court Street – Borough Hall (2 3 4 5 N R trains), DeKalb Avenue (B D N Q R trains), Hoyt–Schermerhorn Streets (A C G trains), Nevins Street (2 3 4 5 trains), Atlantic Avenue – Barclays Center (2 3 4 5 B D N Q R trains).

Nearby: Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Fort Greene