Long before a pandemic put personal space at the top of every New Yorker’s real estate list, a growing number of celebrities began a quiet migration from the paparazzied streets of SoHo and Tribeca toward the peace and privacy of Brooklyn.
Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly have long called Brooklyn Heights home, along with Paul Giamatti, Bjork, Matt Damon, and Adam Driver. Maggie Gyllenhaal, Patrick Stewart and Steve Buschemi are all synonymous with Park Slope, and a long list of A-listers follows, even in deeper neighborhoods.
Among the borough’s most low-key celebrity havens is BoCoCa, a quirky portmanteau used mostly by real estate agents that encompass Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens. Nestled just below Brooklyn Heights, this sprawling district of parks, cafes and brownstones has managed to remain unpretentious – even small-town – despite attracting some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. Here’s a peek inside each BoCoCa neighborhood and the notable residents who call this area home.
