Mapleton - Brooklyn, NY

Mapleton was originally part of a Dutch town called New Utrecht, which also included the areas now known as Bensonhurst, Borough Park, Ridge, Fort Hamilton and Dyker Heights. The farmland was developed as Mapleton Park around 1910, and many of the original dwellings, built on 90-by-100-foot lots, still stand.

The neighborhood holds a variety of annual events on 18th Avenue, including a Columbus Day parade, the St. Rosalia Feast and the Children’s Carnival for Passover and Sukkot. Residents can take advantage of the cultural activities held at the Mapleton branch of the New York Public Library. The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn Children’s Museum and the Brooklyn Botanical Garden in Park Slope are easily accessible by subway from Mapleton as are various museums, galleries and other points of cultural interest in Manhattan.

Almost exclusively a residential area, Mapleton's commercial businesses tend to gather along 18th Avenue and between 57th and 65th street.

Restaurants here trend toward the casual variety, so those looking for fine dining usually venture outside of the Mapleton area. A fixture in Mapleton since 1944, the Silver Star Restaurant serves up old-school Chinese-American favorites in a kitschy, often loud setting. Known for large portions at affordable prices, locals come for the chicken chow mein, spare ribs, hot and sour soup, and crispy noodles.

Directly across 18th Avenue, the Jin Jin Hong Kong Cafe stays packed with diners enjoying Asian fusion cuisine: Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese dishes along with sushi. The friendly and attentive wait staff handles the crowds in a space furnished with booths left over from the previous tenant, a diner. The eclectic menu features dishes such as Singapore mei fun, crispy pork chop Hong Kong style and a variety of sushi rolls, including the deluxe rainbow roll made with tuna, salmon, yellowtail, eel and ikura. The beverage menu includes a variety of bubble and other teas, smoothies and milkshakes.

J&V Pizzeria, reportedly the first in the area to serve pizza by the slice, has been in business for more than 60 years. Known as the "home of the Jo Jo Sandwich (chicken or meatball Parmesan on garlic bread), J&V's grandma pizza also gets rave reviews. Sicilian and white pizzas, calzones and rolls and dumplings round out the menu. Pizza toppings include pepperoni, anchovies and pineapples.

A handful of bars constitute nightlife in Mapleton. The Soho Lounge boasts a 35-foot long bar, one of the longest in Brooklyn. The professional bartenders create exotic drinks and fusions that include a wide range of martinis and mojitos in many tropical flavors, and top-shelf cognacs and vodkas from around the world also rank high as popular drink options. A live DJ keeps guests dancing the night away Thursdays through Sundays. In addition to a Hookah Bar with a variety of fruit-flavored tobaccos, the Soho Lounge features a VIP room for private parties and intimate gatherings.

For more of a low-key dive bar vibe, locals head to the Starlite Lounge on McDonald Avenue. A little tacky and a little shabby, the bar hosts the requisite pool table and jukebox, cheap drinks and friendly bartenders.

The MTA provides both subway and bus service from Mapleton to other parts of New York City. With a commute time of under an hour, residents can get to Manhattan via subway on either the N, with stops along 64th Street or the F, which runs along McDonald Avenue. Both lines also run through Queens, and the F train goes to Coney Island as well. Four bus routes, the B6, B8, B9 and B11, provide service from the community to other parts of Brooklyn.

A very walkable community, most errands in Mapleton can be accomplished on foot. For cyclists, no bicycle lanes exist in the area, but the flat streets allow experienced riders to navigate the roads fairly easily. For those who need a lift or a ride to either JFK or LaGuardia Airports, hailing a cab proves impossible in the area. However, a few local area taxi/car services let local residents arrange a pickup by phone, including the fairly well reviewed NY 88 Express Car Service. Residents can also utilize Uber, which charges a base rate of $3, $.40 per minute and $2.15 per mile. No major car rental companies or Zipcar operate in the area. Also, no municipal parking lots or garages exist in Mapleton, and as with most of New York City, on-street parking can be scarce and some streets have parking restrictions. For those who want to leave Brooklyn by car, Mapleton provides convenient access to the Shore Parkway, which leads to points in Queens and Long Island and to Interstate 278, which heads to both the Verrazano Narrow Bridge for destinations in Staten Island and beyond, and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to Lower Manhattan.

Located at the northern edge of the neighborhood, Gravesend Park, possibly named for nearby Washington Cemetery, offers a variety of recreational activities on almost 6.5 acres of property. Renovated in 1995, the park features two Little League turf baseball fields, four handball courts and a basketball court. In addition to a roller hockey rink, the park also has fitness equipment. A two-level children’s playground includes universally accessible swings, while a spray shower keeps kids (and adults) cool during the dog days of summer.

The cost of living in Mapleton comes in almost 6 percent higher than New York City as a whole. The base fare for a one-way ride on the subway or bus costs $2.50, but you can get discounted rides with the purchase of a 7- or 30-day unlimited pass. The majority of apartments in the area reside in private homes and the average rent for a one-bedroom in Mapleton runs $1,400 per month. Gas prices sit approximately 18 percent higher than the national average, while a beer at local bars and lounges costs around $6 a bottle.

As with restaurants and bars, stores in Mapleton come few and far between. However, a handful of local merchants sit sprinkled in among some national retailers along 18th Avenue.

Since 1989, family owned and operated Classie Tuxedos has provided Brooklyn’s largest selection of tuxedo rentals. Specializing in weddings, proms and other black tie events, the store provides same-day service for those last-minute invitations. Classie Tuxedos carries all the top designer names, including After Six, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and more.

Two doors down from Classie Tuxedos, 18 Floral Events has served the Mapleton area and beyond for 25 years. A full-service florist, the company sells a wide variety of fresh and silk flowers, plants and unique gifts for every budget and occasion. In addition to floral design for events large and small, the florist also provides daily floral delivery to local hospitals and funeral homes.

Also on 18th Avenue but slightly past the border of Mapleton, Mon Petit sells high-end European children’s wear. Some of the most popular brands at Mon Petit include IKKS, Marie Chantal and Catimini. The selection of unique clothing and accessories constantly rotates with fresh, new one-of-a-kind items. The personal shoppers at Mon Petit make sure every shopping experience is a special one. After-hours appointments for personal shopping can also be arranged here.

Other than a poorly reviewed C-Town market on 18th Avenue, no major supermarket chains reside in Mapleton proper. However, residents can travel a short distance to the Shop Rite in Borough Park and the Waldbaums in Bensonhurst. Mapleton does have a variety of ethnic food stores that serve the diverse population in the area. The Bari Pork Store, affectionately known as “the king of sausage,” has reigned on 18th Avenue for more than 40 years, focusing on Italian specialty meats and prepared dishes. Goldberg’s Supermarket, open 24-hours a day (but closed mid-afternoon Friday through Saturday evening) provides kosher groceries at reasonable prices. The store also has a glatt kosher meat department. Breadberry, a high-end kosher market on 60th Street has an amazing bakery selection and an on-site café as well as a large selection of prepared foods.

While no famers markets set up shop in Mapleton, some do exist nearby. Opened in 2002, the Borough Park Greenmarket operates every Thursday from mid-July to mid-November. Regular shoppers come to the market to stock up on specialty Latin American produce, orchard fruits and vegetables from Orange County’s famous black dirt region. The Bensonhurst Green Market, open every Sunday from June through November, features a number of fresh produce vendors and other specialty food suppliers.