we are leaving PH and are sorry to have to do so - there are tons of families but not so many that it feels exclusive to families. We don't have kids yet and were looking forward to living there when we did- we are now looking to buy in ditmas.

I lived in P.H. for nine years, had my baby while there, and I can say it's a fabulous place for children! It's close to the Brooklyn Museum, Botanical Garden, Brooklyn Public Library, Prospect Park, etc. Our pediatrician was near the Flatbush Avenue end of Eighth Ave., and so for me, was a short walk away (I lived only a half-block from Flatbush Avenue, very near Grand Army Plaza. Granted, there are farther reaches of PH.)

You can easily walk to Atlantic Center Mall or whatever they are calling it nowadays and take your offspring to Chuck E. Cheese, if that's their thing. All the baby- and kid-friendly amenities of Park Slope are just a few blocks away.

If you have the chance to get an apartment or house there suitable for your family, grab it! I bitterly regret leaving P.H. Thought I was moving on to better things when I sought to buy instead of rent, and the pursuit of ownership took me out of the neighborhood.

The only possible downside is that some of the schools are not as good as the ones in Park Slope or elsewhere, but I hear that the elementary schools are fine. It's when the kids get to middle school and above that there are issues. I'm sure parents there now with kids in school can and will correct me on this.

Yes. The diverse cultures and the many activities and experiences Brooklyn offers keeps a child's mind fertile and active.