History

Why does this neighborhood have this name?

 

Brooklyn was originally inhabited by Lenape Native Americans until the Dutch came and gained control of the land, which they named Breukelen. Obviously, the "downtown" in Downtown Brooklyn came to be due to its geographical position relative to the original town of Brooklyn.

What helped shape this neighborhood into what it is today?

Before Brooklyn became a part of the Greater New York City, Downtown Brooklyn was not as accessible and it was not bustling like it is today. Brooklyn has become the third largest business district thanks to the installation of the 13 subway lines, 16 bus lines, and the LIRR. This brought more people to the neighborhood, which caused an increase in the economy. Also, the neighborhood has expanded into the office market. The largest office development, Metro Tech Center, is a $1 billion, 16-acre commercial, academic, and high-technology complex containing 12 buildings with more than 5 million square feet of office and retail space in Downtown Brooklyn. Due to this, the neighborhood has become a popular attraction which makes it "Brooklyn's Manhattan".

Who originally colonized this piece of land? What Indian tribes existed here?

Downtown Brooklyn was occupied by the Lenape Native Americans up until the 17th century when the Dutch gained control of the land and colonized it.

What did it look like 50 years ago? 100 years ago? Why and how has it changed?

Many buildings, like the Williamsburgh Savings Bank and the Dime Savings Bank have remained in their original stat, not giving much change to the neighborhood. 

In addition to that, the neighborhood is well known for their historic brownstone houses. However, the neighborhood has recently been modernized with the addition of skyscrapers and condominiums.

What will this neighborhood look like in the future?

Recently, the city approved of a proposal "to facilitate the continued growth of Downtown Brooklyn". The website for the Department of City Planning states that "the Plan for Downtown Brooklyn calls for enacting major zoning changes, creating high quality public spaces, providing adequate parking facilities, improving transit infrastructure, strengthening retail, expanding cultural resources and enhancing the pedestrian environment". Basically, if the proposal goes through, Downtown Brooklyn will be seeing a very fruitful future with a lot more skyscrapers and condos.