Until just a few years ago, Manhattanites would scoff at the notion of culture in Brooklyn. After all, how could Brooklyn compete with epicenters of artistic expression like the Lincoln Center, the MOMA, and the New York City Ballet? There seemed to be no reason to brave the subway system when some of the best performances and exhibitions in the world took place right on the island.

Brownstones are an indelible feature of New York City’s distinct architectural landscape. New York City has the largest compilation of brownstones in the United States—by far. They are the primary residential units in Bedford Stuyvesant and the Upper West Side. Harlem, Queens, and the Bronx also host a swath of the iconic homes. Brooklyn, in particular, is defined by its brownstones. They line the streets of Fort Greene, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Cobble Hill, and are scattered in bundles from Greenpoint to Red Hook. Many of these brownstones are now the most desirable (and expensive) properties in the borough.

Brooklyn, long seen as the less expensive New York borough when compared to Manhattan, could soon be losing that reputation as prices for apartments in the borough shoot through the roof thanks to a market that’s running short of inventory. Although there’s a lot of demand for homes in Brooklyn, home hunters in the borough are finding that there just aren’t enough vacant apartments for them to move into, thereby giving sellers the upper hand in an increasingly tight real estate market.