Windsor Terrace: This sleepy nabe is perking up

Windsor Terrace is often described as a quieter, more affordable Park Slope.

The area has a lot in common with its trendy neighbor to the north, such as beautiful row houses, good schools and proximity to Prospect Park.

“The neighborhood appeals to people who are at a stage of their lives where they want to be close to a nightlife but they don’t necessarily need to be in the heart of it,” Citi Habitats real estate agent Mario Mangiameli explained. “They want a tranquil area to go home to, but they don’t want to feel like they’re deep in the suburbs.”

Historically a mostly residential area, Windsor Terrace has plenty of tree-lined streets without retail spaces, and some houses even have driveways attached to them, creating a family-friendly atmosphere.

“Windsor Terrace has a village vibe within a big city — everyone knows everyone, in an old-school sense. It’s the fantasy neighborhood I wish I grew up in,” gushed Jeremiah Fox, 38, who’s lived in the area for 10 years with his wife and two children.

“It still has an old-Brooklyn feel on its streets,” added Russell Bianca, 61, who’s lived in the neighborhood since 2000.

Along with the rest of Brooklyn, this sleepy neighborhood is getting livelier by the minute, with new restaurants and shops rapidly opening that reduce the need for residents to head to Park Slope for a nice meal or classy cocktail.

Fox is part of that activity. Together with a collective of other local families, he co-owns several businesses on Prospect Avenue: the popular wine shop Juice Box, the wine and cheese shop The Prospector, The Fox & The Crepes cafe and the Italian restaurant Della, which is slated to open later this month.

After their only supermarket, a Key Food, closed in 2012, neighbors successfully rallied to convince the Walgreens that took over the space to share it with a new Key Food, which opened in July. Residents also started a Windsor Terrace Food Coop in March.

But despite the improvements, a recent spike in robberies and complaints of shady characters at the local Greenwood Playground at night make residents desire more of a police presence.

And in terms of its available digs, “you’re generally dealing with older buildings and virtually all walk-ups,” Mangiameli, of Citi Habitats, said.

As the area’s popularity rises, so do its real estate prices. Average home prices rose 21% in the second quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2014, according to the Real Estate Board of New York.

For a one-bedroom, rental prices range from $1,800 to $2,700, according to Mangiameli, with prices having gone up about 7% in the past year. The average sale price for a two-bedroom is about $850,000, he said.

Windsor Terrace is still less expensive than Park Slope though, he maintained, “and frankly, it’s just as good.”

FIND IT:

Windsor Terrace is sandwiched between Prospect Park and the Green-wood Cemetery. It’s bordered to the northwest by Prospect Park West, and Prospect Park Southwest and Coney Island Avenue curve around its eastern boundary. It is bound to the south by Caton Avenue and to the west by 20th Street and McDonald Avenue.

The basics:

THE BASICS

Transportation

Trains: F and G to Prospect Park and Fort Hamilton Parkway

Buses: B103, BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, B16, B61, B68

Library

BPL Windsor Terrace

160 E. Fifth St.

Post office

USPS

225 Prospect Park West

Crime

Windsor Terrace is covered by the 72nd Precinct at 830 Fourth Ave. in Sunset Park. In the week of Nov. 23-29, the precinct reported seven robberies and three burglaries in its CompStat report. It listed one murder and 18 rapes so far this year as of Nov. 29.

TO EAT

Krupa Grocery

231 Prospect Park West

This all-day spot took over the space of the longtime and much-loved bodega of the same name and now serves tasty dishes ranging from breakfast gnocchi to Arctic char with braised lentils. Krupagrocery.com

Le Paddock

1235 Prospect Ave.

A horse-themed French/Canadian bistro offering everything from escargot to creative brick-oven pizzas, alongside an extensive wine list. Lepaddockbrooklyn.com

Hamilton’s

2826 Fort Hamilton Parkway

The sister restaurant to Alchemy in Park Slope, this tavern has a similar vibe, with dishes like seared octopus and grass-fed burgers. Hamiltonsbrooklyn.com

TO PARTY

The Adirondack

1241A Prospect Ave.

Take a trip to upstate New York in this themed bar that has classic cocktails and beers on tap like the Ithaca Apricot Wheat and Peekskill Simple Sour, as well as Pelzer’s Pretzels to snack on. Theadirondackbar.com

Farrell’s Bar & Grill

215 Prospect Park West

This neighborhood watering hole has been around since 1933, and although bartender Jim Houlihan was recently inducted into Bartender Magazine’s “Bartender Hall of Fame,” don’t expect anything too fancy.

Farrellsofbrooklyn.com

The Double Windsor

210 Prospect Park West

Perfect for a low-key drink with friends, the beer list here is sure to impress, with a rotating selection of microbrews on tap.

Dwbrooklyn.com

TO SHOP

Terrace Books

242 Prospect Park West

From the owners of Community Bookstore in Park Slope, this cozy shop sells new, used and rare volumes and hosts a weekly story time.

Terracebooks.com

Windsor Place Antiques

1624 10th Ave.

This charming store has all kinds of hidden gems, including a large collection of vintage maps, prints and posters.

Windsorplaceantiques.com

209 Station

209 Prospect Park West

Opened this fall by a former bartender at Flatbush Farm, this tiny market sells “crowlers” of craft beer, handmade sandwiches and salads and other provisions that are perfect for bringing to nearby Prospect Park.

209station.com

TO DO

Kensington Stables

51 Caton Place

Ride a horse along Prospect Park’s 3.5-mile bridle path or take lessons from one of the stable’s instructors.

Kensingtonstables.com

Argyle Yarn Shop

288 Prospect Park West

Learn to weave, knit or felt at this lovely shop that sells high-quality yarn and thread. Argyleyarnshop.com

Elk Café

154 Prospect Park Southwest

Grab a coffee while your kids enjoy family-friendly activities. Elkcoffee.com

THE BUZZ

The strip of Prospect Avenue between Greenwood Avenue and Vanderbilt Street is getting another new restaurant: Butterfunk Kitchen is slated to open this spring.

Chris Scott and Eugene Woo, the married couple behind the Brooklyn Commune cafe at 601 Greenwood Ave., are opening the new restaurant next door in a space that was once a Laundromat.

Butterfunk Kitchen will serve soul food and host live music on weekends.

“It’s the food that [Scott’s] family would make growing up. … It’s the kind of cuisine that tugs at your heartstrings,” Woo said. “The restaurant will be good for the families who live here, but will also be a really lively spot.”

For years, most of the retail businesses in Windsor Terrace were clustered along Prospect Park West, but the neighborhood’s growing food scene is causing its business district to expand. Five years ago, Woo and Scott opened Brooklyn Commune on the corner of Prospect and Greenwood avenues, downstairs from their apartment.

“Windsor Terrace used to be a quiet, kind of off-the-radar place,” Woo said. “Now the variety of places that have opened up in the last five years has just been incredible.”

Q&A with Chris Cheung: Owner and chef at East Wind Snack Shop

Not only is Chris Cheung, 46, the owner and chef at the Chinese eatery East Wind Snack Shop, which opened at 471 16th St. in February, he’s also lived in the neighborhood since 1999 with his wife and their son, who is now 11. After cooking under the tutelage of Jean-Georges Vongerichten and as the chef at Ruby Foo’s in Manhattan, Cheung was ready to open a place in his own neighborhood, with food he grew up with. He’s won over neighbors and critics alike with his delicious dumplings and signature foie gras bao.

What has Windsor Terrace changed over time?

The area was changing rapidly around the time we moved here. Some of the longtime residents were caught by surprise, I think. However, everyone has accepted each other very nicely. The rise in real estate prices probably helped that a bit. The neighborhood definitely has more restaurants now for sure.

What is yet to come?

Maybe more condos. The park takes up a lot of space, so I think the neighborhood will have to grow vertically.

What’s a neighborhood secret?

is crazy about holidays. Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, West Indian Day, there are parades, events, all sorts of stuff.

REAL ESTATE

To rent

601 Greenwood Ave. #4

Three beds, two baths;

$3,695 per month

22 Caton Place #5C

Two beds, one bath;

$3,668 per month