Brooklyn recon.

Since most leases in the U.S. are at least 1 year in length, it might be tough to find a landlord willing to commit to a 6-month stay, though you could try to find a sublet. First stop would be craigslist.org.

Gee, DH, I would if I thought I could get away with it. But there's no way... I'm far too out of it for that. Once upon a time I was something of a "hippy"... but I was never a "hipster".

Spudee, I have indeed seen changes in the neighborhood. It once had far more of a funky vibe than it does now... I miss that sometimes. It was far less affluent then, and considerably more pioneer-like (you know, wood cabins, native Americans scalping young professional transplants from Manhattan, all that stuff... OK, so I exaggerate... but back then there was no way you could ever persuade a cabdriver to leave Manhattan, regardless of time of day.)

On the other hand, today I rarely see parked cars with their windows smashed. In the late 70's and 80's, when all of 5th Avenue was a shooting gallery, and hard drugs far outnumbered $1000 strollers, broken auto glass was literally an everyday occurrence.

When my kids were attending PS 321, there was a roving crowd of children on my block, of all ages. The bigger kids would look out for the littler kids, and they would all play together. Somewhere on the block, some mom or dad would be out on the front stoop, keeping an eye on the whole group. I don't see that anymore, and it's a shame. Given the higher awareness today of pedophiles and milk-carton kids, I'm not surprised, but again, it is a shame.

Fifth Avenue is the most amazing change in the neighborhood. We could never have imagined that it would one day become (as it has become) the young, vibrant "heart" of Park Slope... completely outshining Seventh Avenue in its energy and, yes, "hipness" ("hippitude"?)

Come on down! I think you'll like it!

You might also enjoy Cobble Hill or Boerum Hill, both of which are adjacent or near to Brooklyn Heights (Boerum Hill abuts Park Slope as well). Lots of quiet, tree lined streets with beautiful townhouses. Both neighborhoods also have very nice restaurants and decent access to mass transit.

Brooklyn Heights is great because of its amazing access to subways which transverse every part of Manhattan and much of Brooklyn. It's one or two stops from Manhattan on each line (the 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, R, M, F, and G all stop within walking distance of central Brooklyn Heights) providing a quick trip to a museum, opera, theater, or symphony. Another positive: a new park is currently under construction along the water front. Brooklyn Bridge Park (http://brooklynbridgepark.org/) will run from the DUMBO neighborhood to Atlantic Avenue. To my eye, the park is already a beautiful (if half finished) addition to the NYC greenscape. My one problem with Brooklyn Heights is the restaurant selection. In my opinion, it’s inferior to other neighborhoods, though there have been several nice additions in the past few years.

I hope you find this helpful. Best of luck to you and happy holidays.