It wasn't too long ago that that you'd be nervous walking Willoughby or Classon Avenues late at night.

Today, you're much more likely to bump into a stroller than a mugger.

Clinton Hill always retained pockets of elegance; it has its share of Romanesque mansions, Victorian row houses and pre-Civil War frame houses. Charles Pratt, the oil executive, chose to build his mansion in Clinton Hill (the neighborhood is now home to the Pratt Institute) and lured many of his wealthy friends to the area.

And while crime went up during 1980s and '90s the neighborhood has recently staged a huge comeback. (This, despite the fact that much of Clinton Hill is close to only the G train -- which doesn't even go into Manhattan.)

Rents are still far more reasonable than in other Brownstone Brooklyn areas; a one-bedroom can be nabbed for $1,100 (although they typically go for between $1,500 and $1,700), and three-bedrooms can be gotten for less than $2,500. New development has also arrived. The Azure, on Classon Avenue, has been asking for $600 per square foot.