Ridgewood

Ridgewood sits directly across the border from Bushwick, so close that most renters treat it as part of the same neighborhood. Its landmarked blocks of yellow-brick rowhouses are some of the best preserved in the city.

You generally get more space for your money here than in Bushwick or Williamsburg, with solid prewar apartments, backyards and quiet streets.

Myrtle Avenue is the main strip for groceries, bakeries and restaurants, and the L and M trains put Manhattan within a short ride.