NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE · DUMBO
Last updated: November 2, 2026
The Manhattan Bridge from Dumbo must be the most photographed spot in Brooklyn.
Jump to: Prices · Condo prices · 10-year trend · Housing · Own vs rent · New developments · Getting around and life here · Listings · FAQ
Dumbo at a glance
Dumbo is the kind of neighborhood that makes people stop in their tracks: cobblestone streets, restored warehouses, and some of the most iconic waterfront views in New York. The view of the Manhattan Bridge from Washington Street is one of the most photographed spots in the borough, and Brooklyn Bridge Park is at the end of the block.
Known for: Manhattan Bridge views · converted warehouse lofts · Brooklyn Bridge Park · Jane's Carousel
Is Dumbo a good place to live?
For a lot of buyers, yes: waterfront parks, loft and new-construction condos, and a ferry that reaches Wall Street in about 4 minutes. The trade-offs are high monthly costs, a condo-only market, and weekend crowds of visitors.
Why people love it
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pebble Beach and Jane's Carousel on the waterfront.
The NYC Ferry, the F at York Street and the A and C at High Street.
The cobblestone streets of the DUMBO Historic District, restored in 2025.
Trade-offs to know
Monthly costs run high: the median 2-bedroom condo carries about $3,400 a month in common charges and taxes.
It's condos only, with almost no co-op or townhouse sales.
Weekends bring crowds of visitors to the waterfront and the Manhattan Bridge view. I personally find the York Street F stop very frustrating, with only one entrance and exit.
Dumbo home prices in 2026
Dumbo prices rose in 2026: the median 2-bedroom condo is up 8%, price per square foot is up 6%, and 2-bedroom rents rose 6%. Homes are selling faster than last year, though a median of 101 days on market is still long, partly because of new-development closings at Front & York.
| Metric | Dumbo | vs. last year |
|---|---|---|
| Median 2-bedroom condo | $1,993,000 | +8% |
| Price per square foot (all apartments) | $1,553 | +6% |
| Median days on market (apartments) | 101 days | 137 days |
| Median rent: 1BR / 2BR / 3BR | $5,395 / $7,550 / $11,203 | +2% / +6% / +25% |
Source: RealPlus closed sales and rentals, Jan 1 to Oct 31, 2026, compared with Jan 1 to Oct 31, 2025. 128 apartment sales and 465 rentals; medians. Methodology: see the Best Neighborhoods guide.
Condo prices: what your budget buys in Dumbo
Dumbo is a condo market: 127 of 128 apartment sales this year were condos, in converted warehouses and newer towers, and there were no townhouse sales.
Condos
$1,790,000
median sale · 127 sales
Price per sq ft: $1,554
2-bed common charges and taxes: about $3,400/mo
Median days on market: 102
Source: RealPlus closed sales by property type, Jan 1 to Oct 31, 2026, all bedroom counts. Monthly costs are medians for 2-bedroom sales with charges on record (42 condos).
How Dumbo prices have changed over 10 years
The median 2-bedroom apartment is up about 21% since 2016, from $1,650,000 to $1,993,000.
Source: RealPlus closed sales, median by year. 2026 is Jan 1 to Oct 31, 2026.
What kind of homes are in Dumbo?
36%
of this year's apartment sales were in pre-war buildings
2007
the year the DUMBO Historic District was designated
Dumbo's homes fall into two groups: converted warehouses and factories inside the DUMBO Historic District (2007), like The Clock Tower at 1 Main Street and 200 Water Street, a former Brillo factory converted to condos, and newer towers such as Olympia Dumbo at 30 Front Street (33 stories, 76 condos) and Front & York at 85 Jay Street, which made up a large share of this year's sales. There are almost no co-op or townhouse sales, so nearly every purchase here is a condo. The numbers in this guide don't include Vinegar Hill, which RealPlus tracks separately.
Source: RealPlus closed sales, Jan 1 to Oct 31, 2026 (128 sales).
What it costs to own vs. rent in Dumbo
$14,300/mo
to own a median 2-bedroom condo (20% down, mortgage plus common charges and taxes)
$7,550/mo
median rent for a 2-bedroom
$6,750/mo
the ownership premium
That premium buys you agency over your housing: no renewal surprises, and the freedom to renovate, stay put and make the space your own. It is also a long-term play. The median 2-bedroom here is up about 21% since 2016, from $1,650,000 to $1,993,000, so if you plan to stay, the equity you build can make the higher monthly cost worth it.
Source: RealPlus closed sales and rentals, Jan 1 to Oct 31, 2026. Median 2-bedroom condo $1,993,000 with 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.24% (Freddie Mac weekly average, Oct 29, 2026), plus about $3,400 common charges and taxes. Does not include closing costs or tax benefits. Past price growth does not guarantee future gains.
New developments near Dumbo
There are no new Dumbo projects in my tracker right now, so here are the closest ones, in Brooklyn Heights and Downtown Brooklyn.
Getting around Dumbo
Dumbo has the F at York Street, the A and C at High Street on the edge of Brooklyn Heights, and the NYC Ferry, which reaches Wall Street in about 4 minutes.
F: York Street
A, C: High Street, on the edge of Brooklyn Heights
NYC Ferry: Dumbo/Fulton Ferry, on the East River route, next to Pier 1
Buses: B25 (Fulton and Front Streets), B67 and B69 (from Sands Street), B62 (Jay and Sands Streets)
Bikes: the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway, an off-street path through Brooklyn Bridge Park
Commute: about 14 minutes to FiDi and 30 minutes to Midtown.
Life in Dumbo: my favorites
Parks and playgrounds: Brooklyn Bridge Park, including Empire Fulton Ferry and Pebble Beach, and Jane's Carousel, a 1922 carousel in a glass pavilion by Jean Nouvel. See my Best Brooklyn Playgrounds guide.
Culture: the DUMBO Historic District, Empire Stores and Time Out Market, St. Ann's Warehouse, the Adams Street Library (opened in 2021), and the Manhattan Bridge view on Washington Street.
Indoor play: the warehouse spaces in and around Dumbo have some of the best options: Space Club (254 Plymouth St), Ferox Ninja Playground (65 Jay St) and Area 53 laser tag (53 Bridge St). See my Indoor Playgrounds by Neighborhood guide for options nearby.
Weekly rituals: the Brooklyn Flea at the Dumbo Archway on weekends in season.
My favorite restaurants
The River Cafe (1 Water St): for a really special meal.
Westville (81 Washington St): healthy, and great for the basics.
Ziggy's Roman Cafe (15 Main St): a really cool, kid-friendly cafe.
Randolph Beer (82 Prospect St): fun, and drinks with friends.
Dumbo homes for sale
How Dumbo compares
| Metric | Dumbo | Brooklyn Heights | Downtown Brooklyn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median 2-bedroom apartment | $1,993,000 | $1,866,500 | $1,500,000 |
| Median 2-bedroom rent | $7,550 | $7,683 | $6,300 |
| Commute to Midtown | 30 min | 23 min | 17 min |
Source: RealPlus closed sales and rentals, Jan 1 to Oct 31, 2026; commutes from the Best Neighborhoods guide.
Read the Brooklyn Heights guide · Downtown Brooklyn in the Best Neighborhoods guide · or see where Dumbo ranks among 14 Brooklyn neighborhoods
-
Dumbo is a small waterfront neighborhood between the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, known for its cobblestone streets, converted warehouses, Brooklyn Bridge Park and skyline views. Nearly every home is a condo, in a loft conversion or a newer tower, and the F, the A and C, and the NYC Ferry serve the neighborhood.
-
From January through October 2026, the median 2-bedroom condo in Dumbo sold for $1,993,000, based on RealPlus closed sales; there were no 2-bedroom co-op sales. The median 2-bedroom rent was $7,550 a month. See the full price table.
-
They're next-door neighbors with similar prices: a $1,993,000 median 2-bedroom in Dumbo vs. $1,866,500 in Brooklyn Heights this year, and about $7,500 a month to rent in both. Brooklyn Heights is mostly brownstones and pre-war co-ops in a landmarked district, while Dumbo is almost all condos in converted warehouses and newer towers.
-
About 14 minutes to the Financial District and 30 minutes to Midtown by subway, and about 4 minutes to Wall Street by ferry. The F stops at York Street, the A and C stop at High Street, and the NYC Ferry stops at Dumbo/Fulton Ferry.
Get the full Dumbo market report
Tell me what you’re looking for and I’ll send you a free report with block-by-block sales, what’s coming to market, and what your budget buys in Dumbo right now. Rather talk it through? Book a call with me.
KEEP EXPLORING