Dumbo, Brooklyn facts for kids

"DUMBO" redirects here. For the 1941 animated film, see Dumbo.

Quick facts for kids DUMBO Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass
Neighborhood of Brooklyn
View of Dumbo from One World Trade Center, framed by the Brooklyn Bridge (bottom right) and Manhattan Bridge (center left)
DUMBO Location in New York City Show map of New York City DUMBO Location in New York Show map of New York DUMBO Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New York
City	New York City
Borough	Brooklyn
Area
• Total	0.050 sq mi (0.13 km²)
Population (2010)
• Total	1,139
• Density	22,780/sq mi (8,800/km²)
ZIP Codes	11201
Area code(s)	718, 347, 929, and 917


DUMBO Industrial District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district

Plymouth Street, DUMBO Industrial District, March 2008
Location in New York City Show map of New York City Location in New York Show map of New York Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Roughly bounded by Main and Washington Sts, East River, John St., Bridge and Jay Sts., and Front and York Sts., Brooklyn, New York
Area	48 acres (19 ha)
Built	1883
Architect	multiple
Architectural style	Greek Revival, Italianate, et al.
NRHP reference No.	00001151
Added to NRHP	September 22, 2000

Dumbo (or DUMBO) is a cool neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City. Its name is short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass. DUMBO is located between two famous bridges: the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn Bridge. These bridges connect Brooklyn to Manhattan across the East River.

This area used to be a busy spot where ferries landed. It was full of old factories and warehouses from the 1800s and early 1900s. Today, DUMBO is a trendy place with fancy homes and businesses. It's known for its many art galleries and new technology startups.

DUMBO is sometimes called the "center of the Brooklyn Tech Triangle." It has become one of Brooklyn's most expensive neighborhoods. This is because many tech companies are there. It's also very close to Manhattan. Plus, many old factory buildings have been turned into huge, cool homes called lofts. Big companies like the online craft store Etsy and home goods store West Elm have their main offices here.

Discovering DUMBO's Past
Exploring DUMBO Today
Gallery
Images for kids
See also

Discovering DUMBO's Past

A street fair under the Manhattan Bridge overpass in July 2017

The Manhattan Bridge, framing the Empire State Building beneath, as seen from Washington Street

The name DUMBO, meaning "Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass," came about in 1978. New residents made up the name. They thought a strange name would stop new buildings from being built. Before this, the area had other names like Olympia and Gairville.

In the late 1800s, DUMBO was a busy factory area. Warehouses and factories made things like machinery, paper boxes, and soap pads. The cardboard box was actually invented here! Robert Gair, a Scottish immigrant, invented it in his building on Washington Street. Because of him, the area was known as Gairsville for a long time. Today, the Etsy company is located in the old Gair building.

Over time, New York City lost many of its factories. So, DUMBO started to become a place where people lived. Artists and young people looked for big, cheap loft spaces to use as studios and homes. They started moving in during the late 1970s.

John Street Park in DUMBO Brooklyn

By the late 1990s, Manhattan became very expensive. This made DUMBO even more popular. It changed from an industrial area to a lively neighborhood. It became a model for other waterfront areas around the world. In 2000, the DUMBO Historic District was created. This helps protect the old industrial buildings and their history.

Exploring DUMBO Today

Art, Food, and Fun

DUMBO is now a major center for art in New York City. You can find many art galleries here, like the Klompching Gallery. There are also cool places like the St. Ann's Warehouse, which hosts performances.

If you love food, DUMBO has lots to offer! Famous chef Jacques Torres opened a chocolate factory here. You can also find delicious pizza at Grimaldi's, ice cream at Ample Hills Creamery, and pastries at Almondine Bakery. The fancy River Café is also in DUMBO. For music lovers, Bargemusic is a floating concert hall for classical music.

John Fluevog store display in DUMBO

John Fluevog, a Canadian shoe designer, has a store on Main Street. Even celebrities like Beyoncé wear his unique shoes!

DUMBO also has great outdoor spaces. Brooklyn Bridge Park is a large park along the waterfront. The Cliffs at DUMBO is a huge outdoor climbing gym in the park. It's the biggest outdoor bouldering gym in North America!

The DUMBO Archway is a popular spot. It's used for filming movies, art shows, and live music. You might even see a street fair or a World Cup viewing party there. The Archway also hosts the Brooklyn Flea every Sunday from April to October. This outdoor market has about 80 vendors selling everything from old treasures to handmade jewelry.

Gleason's Gym on Water Street is New York's oldest boxing gym. Many boxing champions, like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson, have trained there. Famous boxing coach Hector Roca still teaches at the gym. He has also trained actors like Hilary Swank and Jennifer Lopez.

The old Empire Stores building on Water Street was once a coffee warehouse. It has been updated and now has shops and offices. West Elm's main store is there. You can also find the Brooklyn Historical Society branch, which shows exhibits about DUMBO's past. In 2019, Time Out Market opened in Empire Stores. It's a food hall with 21 local food vendors, including famous pizza from Juliana's.

Women's World Cup screening in DUMBO 2019 (USA vs. France)
Empire Stores lobby (FEED store on the left)
Vendor display under the DUMBO Archway at Brooklyn Flea
DUMBO Archway 10th Anniversary Celebration
Time Out Market in Empire Stores

DUMBO: A Tech Hotspot

DUMBO has more technology companies than any other neighborhood in New York City. About 25% of all tech firms in the city are located here. In a small area, there are 500 tech and creative companies. They employ over 10,000 people! As mentioned, Etsy and West Elm have their main offices in DUMBO.

Pearl Street pocket park in Dumbo, 2019

The City of New York and New York University even created a special space in DUMBO. It helps new tech companies get started. Rent for offices in DUMBO is often cheaper than in Manhattan. This makes it a great place for startups. People sometimes compare DUMBO to other tech hubs like Silicon Roundabout in London.

Getting Around DUMBO

You can reach DUMBO by New York City Subway. There are stations at York Street (F <F> trains) and High Street (A and C train). New York City Bus service is also available with the B25, B67, B69 routes.

If you're walking or biking, you can use the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge walkways. They have ramps and stairs that connect right to DUMBO.

You can also take a ferry! The NYC Ferry's East River route stops at Fulton Ferry in DUMBO. This ferry connects DUMBO to other parts of Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.

Where People Live

DUMBO has a mix of housing. It includes the Farragut Houses, which are a group of ten apartment towers. These are managed by the New York City Housing Authority.

Gallery

View of DUMBO from the Manhattan Bridge
DUMBO Historic District street signs
Summer opening of "Live at The Archway"
St. Ann's Warehouse
"Live at the Archway" is hosted by DUMBO BID every Thursday evening in the summer
Melville House Bookstore on John Street
Powerhouse Arena Bookstore on Adams Street
Gleason's Gym on Water Street
Scotch & Soda on Front Street