By Douglas Elliman

Editor’s Note: When we partnered with American real estate company Douglas Elliman to present Brooklyn’s 20 Best Blocks, we wanted to make sure that this came from a sincere place—so we connected with Brooklyn’s own The Sunday Photographer a.k.a Matthew DeFrenza to take us on a journey throughout the borough to show us his favorite blocks.

Douglas Elliman is New York City’s #1 brokerage and continues to grow with local offices across Brooklyn. Look for us in Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Williamsburg, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene, Ditmas Park and Bedford-Stuyvesant here.

BENSONHURST

18^th Avenue has been an Italian-American hub for decades, between the 18^th Avenue Feast and the avenue being shut down in 2006 when Italia won the World Cup, as evident by its pizzerias, salumerias and Italian butchers.

64^th Street and 18^th Avenue

CARROLL GARDENS

Carroll Gardens is well known for its brownstones, tree-lined blocks and picturesque neighborhood look and feel.

There’s a gorgeous mini mansion up that might be for you in the neighborhood. Check out Alex Calabretta’s listing at 236 President Street in Carroll Gardens for more specifics.

3^rd Street and Smith Street

3 Clinton Street and 2^nd Place

CONEY ISLAND

America’s first Amusement Park, Coney Island retains its identity as a playground of vibrant colors, flashing lights, rides and arcade games.

Riegelmann Boardwalk and West 21st Street

Jones Walk and Surf Avenue

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN

Downtown Brooklyn is a neighborhood undergoing a face lift, with high rises and name-brand companies setting up locations throughout it.

The Downtown Brooklyn Renaissance catch your eye? Agents Alexander Maroni and Louis Esposito have a spacious renovated family home listing on 173 Concord Street, the heart of Downtown Brooklyn. 

Flatbush Avenue, Ashland Place, Hanson Place

Atlantic Avenue, 4^th Avenue, Flatbush Avenue

DUMBO

Perhaps the place where tourists visit the most in Brooklyn, these blocks have become a destination amongst travelers and photographers alike for its one-of-a-kind view of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges.

Looking to move to DUMBO? Check out Marjorie Tornatore’s listing at 4 Water Street in Dumbo for more specifics.

Plymouth and Washington Street

Washington and Water Street

FORT GREENE

Home of the Brooklyn Music Academy and Spike Lee, Fort Greene is the borough’s cultural epicenter for the arts.

Want to start from scratch? Agents Marsha Yarde and Carine Eustache Jones have a gorgeous four-story, vacant property on 370 Adelphi Street — check the listing for more details. 

Lafayette Avenue and Ashland Place

Fort Greene Place and Hanson Place

GREENPOINT

A predominantly Polish neighborhood, Manhattan Avenue is a lifeline of shops that serve the surrounding residential neighborhood.

Greenpoint right for you? Fay Curtis and Polina Reed have the perfect place for you at 50 Clay Street — check out their listing. 

Milton and Franklin Street

Bedford Avenue, Manhattan Avenue, Nassau Avenue

Manhattan Avenue and Milton Street

MAPLETON

Mapelton, which is essentially an extension of Bensonhurst, is a quiet, residential neighborhood replete with two-story homes and families who have been here for decades.

Dahill Road and 63^rd Street

NORTH SLOPE

8^th Avenue and 10^th Street

PARK SLOPE

Constantly looked to as one of the best neighborhoods to move a family into (hence the school crossing sign), if New York is the city that never sleeps, Park Slope is definitely the neighborhood to settle down and take an afternoon nap.

Considering moving in to Park Slope? Check out Scott Klein’s listing at 649 Warren Street in Park Slope for more specifics.

11th Street and 8th Avenue

8th Street and 8th Avenue

WILLIAMSBURG

Perhaps one of the first neighborhoods to host the renaissance of Brooklyn with the birth of the hipsters, Williamsburg is filled with art murals, trendy restaurants and views of New York City.

Want to live in the center of it all? Check out Patricia Vance’s listing at 176 South 4th Street in Williamsburg for more specifics.

Metropolitan Avenue and Union Avenue

Broadway Avenue, Bedford Avenue, South 6^th Street