Throwing Shade: Which Brooklyn Apartments Are Stuck in the Shadows?

Lottery winners may have it made in the shade, but in real estate, sunlight sounds better. A new study from Localize used a custom algorithm to discover the buildings in Brooklyn that are deepest in the shadows.

Most often, the heavily-shaded buildings are low-rise apartments that have been surrounded by high-rise buildings—which are more and more prevalent as development pushes its way further into the borough.

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1. 615 St. Johns Place, Crown Heights
2. 462 Madison Street, Bed-Stuy
3. 162 Monroe Street, Bed-Stuy
4. 163 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights
5. 212 Evergreen Avenue, Bushwick
6. 107 South 8th Street, Williamsburg
7. 742 Lefferts Avenue, East Flatbush
8. 215 Park Place, Prospect Heights
9. 86 Manhattan Avenue, Williamsburg
10. 62 Court Street, Brooklyn Heights

The team at Localize created models of the buildings in New York and wrote an algorithm that determined the amount of sunlight each would recieve—but they’re also aware that the conditions are always changing as construction occurs.

High-rises along the Williamsburg waterfront, for example, go up and look like they consist entirely of great views and good light, soaring above the city.

But as developers push closer and higher, maximizing space, the giant buildings often cast long shadows on each other as they cluster together.

But the biggest story in sunlight is still the development at 80 Flatbush, which opponents argue will block light to a community garden, along with many residences in the neighborhood.

The mega-project was recently pared down a bit and approved by the City Council, but it will still stand 840 feet above Brooklyn, and the hopes of the Save Our Sunlight coalition may be dashed forever.

Down in Crown Heights, a proposed rezoning on Franklin Avenue has been the subject of fierce debate by community groups who argue that potentially upzoning the area would cast a shadow across the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

For most residents, sunlight can be a blessing and a curse. No one wants to live in darkness, but direct summer sun heats up apartments quickly. Now that the weather’s turned, though, a bit of sunlight into a cold living room might make all the difference.

Check out Localize.city’s mobile platform to find out what kind of shadows—among a host of other information—a potential apartment might be dealing with.