DUMBO

THE BASICS: Cobbled streets and the ghosts of cardboard manufacturers past mix with “high-tech incubators, all kinds of computer people, and design studios,” says broker William Ross. With a 24-hour organic-grocery store, a bank, quiet streets, access to the A, C, and F lines, and plans for a children’s playground in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Dumbo has become a magnet for families. The apartments? Think converted loft spaces with sweeping views of Manhattan and furniture courtesy of the new Jay Street branch of ABC Carpet & Home.

WHAT’S NEW: Judging by all the scaffolding, what isn’t? The latest addition is the Sweeney Building, a turn-of-the-century office building recently converted into 87 luxury condominiums by David Walentas, the developer behind the Clock Tower building and the self-styled “father of Dumbo.”

BARGAIN HUNTING: Prices are still relatively reasonable (for now, anyway) in Vinegar Hill, the area just north of the Manhattan Bridge.

HOT SPOTS: The River Cafe serves four-star meals with five-star views of Manhattan. Neighborhood institution Superfine is still the place to go for a burger, drinks, live music, and a round of pool on the orange-felt tables.

PREDICTION: Dumbo’s appeal to families explains its rapid growth, which should continue. The recent flurry of activity in sales of one-bedroom apartments suggests that Manhattan expats without kids are starting to look here as well. But are all those blockbuster lofts overpriced?

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