DUMBO, short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, has come a long way since its start as a ferry landing and industrial and manufacturing hub. Today, it is one of Brooklyn’s most expensive residential and commercial real estate markets. It is sometimes called “the Digital District,” “Silicon Beach,” and “Brooklyn’s Madison Avenue.” DUMBO’s brick & beam industrial, loft-style warehouses have evolved into much more than low-cost alternatives to Manhattan office space and are now home to a large number of tech companies, startups, ad agencies, art galleries, co-working stations, and startup incubators.
What Our Brokers Say About DUMBO Office Space for Rent
DUMBO is an ideal location for technology startups, marketing, advertising, and creative agencies. Twenty-five percent of the tech firms in New York City are based in Dumbo. The borough is home to 800,000 people ages 25-44, representing a massive young talent pool for employers to recruit from. DUMBO office spaces come in all shapes and sizes, from short-term flexible leases to long-term sizable lease options.
Though no longer a warehouse neighborhood, DUMBO’s large, open floor plans make it a hotbed for tech startups. One of the neighborhood’s first tenants was Huge Inc., a creative ad agency, which moved in 1999. Now, DUMBO is considered the center of the Brooklyn Tech Triangle. It has the headquarters of Etsy and West Elm. Amplify, Big Spaceship, Red Antler, Gothamist, and many other fast-growing companies are located here as well. DUMBO’s vibrant tech community also includes startup incubators such as the DUMBO Startup Lab, Green Desk, and the NYU-Poly DUMBO incubator. Rent the Runway recently relocated from Manhattan’s 345 Hudson Street to 10 Jay Street in Dumbo.
In 2011, the City of New York collaborated with New York University to create the Dumbo Incubator, which provides space for the neighborhood’s digital and tech community to expand. It offers affordable workspace and business consulting at 20 Jay Street designed especially for fledgling tech entrepreneurs and startups in the area. The Dumbo Incubator “caters to technology-focused entrepreneurs from across various industries including financial services, media, green, bioscience, and fashion,” according to the NYEDC website.
The neighborhood is easily accessible by train, bus, bike, or ferry, and a move from Manhattan can save your Brooklyn-based employees significant time on their commute. Once in the neighborhood, you’re in a safe, walkable area full of restaurants, coffee shops, and bars, which is perfect for lunch, happy hour, meetings, client meetings, networking, or socializing. Our team loves the Brooklyn Roasting Company, FEED, Design Cafe Usagi, Olympia Wine Bar, 68 Jay Street, Randolph Beer, and SUGARCANE.
DUMBO is also a short walk from Downtown Brooklyn, the King’s County Supreme Court, Surrogate’s Court, and Family Court, as well as the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, for any law firm or advocacy group that wants to be near the Brooklyn courthouses.
One of the best parts about opening a new office in DUMBO is the access to the nearby green spaces. Between Brooklyn Bridge Park, Main Street Park, and Cadman Plaza, there’s dozens of quiet space to unwind, take in views, or work while outside the office.
DUMBO Commercial Space For Lease | By the numbers
| Office Space for Rent | Price per square foot |
| Class A | $71 |
| Class B | $45 |
DUMBO Office Space | Lease Data & Trends
Dumbo houses more than 3.7 million square feet of office space, with an additional 14.1 million square feet in nearby Downtown Brooklyn. The Downtown Brooklyn number is expected to grow with several new construction projects totaling more than 1.7 million square feet already underway. Data from Q2 of 2019 indicates that Dumbo office space rents for just over $70 per square foot on average. Overall, Dumbo pricing is generally $10 per square foot cheaper than office space found in Downtown Manhattan.
Most office spaces in Dumbo are Class A and cost an average of just under $71 per square foot to rent. The Class B office spaces are much cheaper at an average of just under $45 per square foot. Subleasing is an even cheaper option. Despite the lower price, subleases can present challenges and aren’t for every business. It’s important to consider your options before making any financial commitments.
Getting Around: Transportation in DUMBO
DUMBO is incredibly walkable with a Walk Score of 98 and has several nearby public transit options. The closest NYC subway stations are located at York Street on the IND Sixth Avenue Line and High Street on the IND Eighth Avenue Line. Commuters can take the A, C, or F trains, B25, B67, or B69 buses. The 2, 3, 4, 5, and R trains also stop within walking distance. Reach Atlantic Terminal in 25 minutes by train (or in five minutes by car); get to Grand Central in 34 minutes by train (or 24 minutes by car), and travel to Wall Street in 21 minutes by train (or seven minutes by car).
While biking along the Brooklyn Promenade or Brooklyn Bridge Park can be delightful, DUMBO’s numerous cobblestone streets make for a bouncy ride. Those who can tolerate it do have access to nearly a dozen CitiBike docs. If you ride your bike to work, we do not recommend leaving it locked outside.
Car commuters can reach DUMBO by crossing the Manhattan or Brooklyn Bridges or by taking the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (278). Parking is limited, and lots are comparable in price to Manhattan. We recommend public transit or bicycle when possible. The two closest airports to Dumbo are JFK Airport and LaGuardia Airport.
The East River Ferry stops at Fulton Ferry in Dumbo and can deliver passengers between Pier 11/Wall Street in the Financial District and the East 34th Street Ferry Landing in Murray Hill.
East River borders Dumbo to the North, York Street to the South, Bridge Street to the East, and Brooklyn Bridge Promenade to the West. Dumbo is divided into two sections; one rests between the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, and the other stretches east from the Manhattan Bridge to Vinegar Hill. Nearby neighborhoods include Vinegar Hill, Downtown Brooklyn, and Brooklyn Heights.
Top Commercial Properties For Lease In DUMBO
Want to rent one of Dumbo’s highly sought-after brick and beam office buildings? Contact one of our experienced brokers to learn about office spaces that meet and exceed your expectations. Or, begin the search by reading about these three SquareFoot favorites in Dumbo:
45 Main Street: 45 Main Street is one of the most popular buildings to rent office space in Brooklyn. Built in 1912, this 12-floor building currently has eight units ranging from 351 to 11,080 square feet in size available to rent. 45 Main Street tends to attract businesses in media, technology, and advertising industries. Architectural firm Bjarke Ingels Group recently moved its US headquarters to 45 Main Street. Other current tenants include creative agency Huge, OneNight, AspireIQ, Mission Media, Zipari, TuneCore, and Backstage. This office building is located a short walk away from the East River and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Easily access 45 Main Street via trains 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, F, or R. To learn more about pricing or to schedule a tour, contact us today! SquareFoot collaborates with building owner Two Trees Management to help business owners find the office space they need. 45 Main Street is surrounded by numerous restaurants just a short walk away. Visit Front Street Pizza, 7 Old Fulton, Pedro’s, The River Cafe, Shake Shack, or Dumbo Kitchen to find lunch.
81 Prospect Street: 81 Prospect Street is an office building located at the corner of Prospect and Pearl Streets. When the building was first constructed in 1909, it was intended to be an industrial building, but it has since been converted into a loft-style creative building. Current, notable tenants include Quadio, WeWork, and RFR 81 Prospect Owner LLC. Right now one ground floor suite that is 6,203 square feet in size is available to rent at 81 Prospect Street. Contact us to schedule a tour or to learn about pricing. The building features a private parking lot and several other nearby lots. Those who prefer to travel via public transportation can take trains A, C, or F to get here. Employees at 81 Prospect Street have plenty of restaurants to choose from less than .25 mile from the office. Visit Dumbo Kitchen, Pedro’s, Los Papi’s, or Miso Sushi.
53 Bridge Street: 53 Bridge Street is an office building located at the corner of Bridge and Water Street. It was built in 1906 and features 24/7 building access. Right now 53 Bridge Street has six units available for rent ranging from 150 to 1,565 square feet in size. Contact us for pricing and more information. Osmosis Films, Feel Well Physical Therapy, and Datalot already lease space at 53 Bridge Street. The building has several nearby parking garages and is very close to both the Vinegar Hill Historic District and the Fulton Ferry Historic District. Step out of the office for coffee at Bridge Fresh or check out Los Papi’s, Henry’s End, Asya, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria, or Miso Sushi for lunch.
DUMBO Office Space | Ideal for Creatives, Marketers, Startups, and More
Though no longer a warehouse neighborhood, DUMBO’s large, open floor plans made it a hotbed for tech startups. One of the neighborhood’s first tenants was Huge Inc., a creative ad agency, which moved in 1999. Now, DUMBO is considered the center of the Brooklyn Tech Triangle, and is also home to Etsy, West Elm, Amplify, Big Spaceship, Red Antler, Gothamist, and many other fast-growing companies. DUMBO’s vibrant tech community also includes startup incubators such as the DUMBO Startup Lab, Green Desk, and the NYU-Poly DUMBO incubator.
DUMBO is also a short walk from Downtown Brooklyn, the King’s County Supreme Court, Surrogate’s Court, and Family Court, as well as the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office.
DUMBO Neighborhood History
In the 1880s, cardboard-box titan Robert Gair identified the area just north of the Brooklyn Bridge—which had not yet been constructed—as an ideal location for shipping, which led to an increase in factories, warehouses, and dock storehouses. For a while, the neighborhood was even called Gairville. The neighborhood was originally known as Fulton Landing and was a popular ferry stop for a long time. Dumbo has also previously been called Rapailie, Olympia, and Walentasville. Dumbo also used to be part of Vinegar Hill through most of the 19th century.
Until 1957, the Jay Street Connecting Railroad ran from underneath the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges to the waterfront in Dumbo and Vinegar Hill. Its yard could hold up to 120 cars. Around 1959, the tracks were abandoned. Today, one can still see the railroad tracks on Dumbo streets.
The neighborhood’s warehouses and factories made machinery, cardboard boxes, paint, sugar, coffee, and scrubbing pads. As the area became deindustrialized, DUMBO turned primarily residential, and its cheap rent and loft-style buildings became popular among artists in the late 1970s. Dumbo residents made up its current name in 1978, believing that it would sound ridiculous enough so that developers wouldn’t want to purchase land there.
In the 1980s, much of DUMBO was purchased by David Walentas and his company Two Trees Management, which drove the shift toward an upscale residential and commercial neighborhood, full of art galleries, restaurants, and high-growth businesses. By 1999, Brooklyn had become the country’s fourth-largest manufacturing center. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission awarded Dumbo designation as a historic district on Dec. 18, 2007. The historic district stretches from John Street on the north to York Street on the south and from Bridge Street on the east to Main Street on the west. Ninety-five Dumbo buildings received a similar designation. Notably, the historic district includes the oldest large-scale reinforced concrete factory building in the nation.
Outdoor Space and Greenery
One of the best parts about opening a new office in DUMBO is the access to the nearby green spaces. Between Brooklyn Bridge Park, Main Street Park, and Cadman Plaza, there’s dozens of quiet space to unwind, take in views, or work while outside the office.
