Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in New York City (following Midtown Manhattan and Downtown Manhattan), and is located in the northwestern section of the borough of Brooklyn. The numerous office buildings in the district give the area its own skyline distinct from Manhattan's.

The area gets its name from having once been the downtown section of the City of Brooklyn, which was an independent city before the consolidation of the five boroughs of New York City in 1898. Today, the area is a major transportation hub, which is served by numerous subway and bus lines, as well as a major terminal for the Long Island Railroad. There are numerous attractions within the area including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Museum, and the New York Transit Museum. The area is also the proposed site of a new New York Nets basketball stadium designed by Frank Gehry.