Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City (following Midtown Manhattan and Downtown Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The numerous office buildings including the Williamsburgh Savings Bank Tower and 4 MetroTech Center in the district give the area its own skyline distinct from Manhattan's.

The area gets its name from having once been the downtown section of the City of Brooklyn, which was an independent city before the consolidation of the five boroughs of New York City in 1898. Today, the area is a newly rezoned and growing commercial district, and it includes Brooklyn Borough Hall, the Kings County New York State courthouse, and the central courthouse for the Federal Eastern District of New York. There are numerous attractions within the area, including the Fulton Street Shopping District, Brooklyn Academy of Music and the New York Transit Museum.

It is connected with Manhattan by the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges and various subway lines.

History

This area was originally inhabited by Lenape Native Americans, until 1600s. At that time the Dutch arrived, gained control of the land, and called it Breuckelen. Until 1814 Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights remained densely populated. This is due Robert Fulton’s new steam ferry, which 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.

The City of New York acquired this land in 1935 and it named it a local law, four years later. THis site is occupied by Numerous buildings, as well as the old Brooklyn Elevated train tracks. The tracks were removed during the Depression in favor of an automobile ramp onto the Brooklyn Bridge. Just before starting the ramp construction, the parcel was slated to create a large auditorium. The contest for the auditorium’s design was sponsored by the The "Brooklyn Eagle" newspaper. The winnidn entry was from Elizabeth Gordon and Stuart Constable. However it wenst unused, and the auditorium was never built.

Photos

• NYCfoto.com - Photos of Downtown Brooklyn
• | THe history of Downtown Brooklyn, and Cadman Plaza Park

Brooklyn neighborhoods