The parts of Brooklyn that are closer to the waterfront have become quite expensive, I agree. They are not on par with Manhattan when you compare the actual siz

The parts of Brooklyn that are closer to the waterfront have become quite expensive, I agree. They are not on par with Manhattan when you compare the actual size of the space, but they are getting closer. They should still be high on the list of living places, because Brooklyn has more of a community feel to it than Manhattan does. Rather than going further back into BK, I would suggest looking into Queens, esp Astoria. This will also offer you easy access to Midtown. Same with Long Island City. To the list I should add Jersey City. It's rapidly changing and has multiple train (PATH) stops that quickly get you in to the city (well, not now with Sandy repairs, but normally). It remains far more affordable than Manhattan. The fact that the NYTimes in the past month has wandered in to JC twice to review restaurants is a sign of the changes taking place. And along it's waterfront it has some pretty stunning views.