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Get to know DUMBO

New York has a thing for crafting neighborhood acronyms and portmanteaus from hyper-specific descriptions. For example, SoHo is “South of Houston,” Tribeca is the “Triangle Below Canal Street,” and — perhaps most unusual of them all — DUMBO is found “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” Long an industrial neighborhood brimming with semi-abandoned warehouses and factories, DUMBO has since evolved into one of the city’s hottest residential areas, preserving many of its extant buildings as trendy loft conversions. Still, DUMBO remains a singular neighborhood, retaining the look and feel of a low-rise industrial waterfront area. And it's hard to beat that East River frontage: Wedged like a fine cheese between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, you’ll be treated to scenic views of Lower Manhattan and the historic crossings themselves. If you want a closer look at that skyline you just snapped a pic of, nearby subway service on the A, C, and F lines will get you there.

Nearby Neighborhoods:

DUMBO Commerce & Culture

Though a small neighborhood, DUMBO fits a lot of shopping onto mostly cobblestoned streets, many of which are still embedded with the long-abandoned rails of the old Jay Street Connecting Railroad. You'll find boutiques and flagship outposts of a curated few national brands — a tasteful smattering that hardly dominates the scene. What isn't a neighborhood original is at least likely to be an NYC-owned enterprise with other locations in the city. Restored and repurposed 19th-century buildings house some offices, a collection of dining options, and performing arts institutions. There is actually quite a bit going on down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, too: The DUMBO Archway has become a plaza that plays host to street fairs, live music, art exhibitions, and even film shoots. Maybe that acronym is just trying to point everyone toward where all the action is.

Featured Dumbo listings

  • Featured | In contract
    Dumbo

    70 Washington Street, 3F, Brooklyn, NY 11201

    • Condo
    • 1 BD
    • 1 BA
    • 710 Sq. Ft.
    Building presented by Corcoran
    Courtesy of Corcoran
    $900,000