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I explored a hidden street in New York City lined with million-dollar homes that used to be horse stables and felt like I traveled back in time

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I visited Hunts Lane in Brooklyn Heights in May 2021. Joey Hadden/Insider
  • I wandered down a hidden NYC street and found horse stables that were transformed into luxury homes.

  • Located in Brooklyn Heights, Hunts Lane was a neighborly street where horses were stabled in the 1940s.

  • Today, the street feels like stepping into the past, and the carriage houses are valued in the millions.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

I live in Brooklyn, New York, and this week I went down Hunts Lane, a dead-end street that made me feel like I was in a different era. It's the kind of street you won't find unless you're actively looking for it.

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Me on Hunts Lane in Brooklyn Heights. Joey Hadden/Insider

To get there, you can take the 4, 5, 2, 3, or R trains to Borough Hall station.

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Borough Hall station in Brooklyn Heights. Joey Hadden/Insider

A short walk away from the subway station, you'll find the short Hunts Lane off of Henry Street between Joralemon Street and Remsen Street.

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Hunts Lane is a dead-end street. Joey Hadden/Insider

Once home to horses, the dead-end street is rooted in history.

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A view of Hunts Lane in 1935 and 2021. MCNY/Gottscho-Schleisner / Contributor/Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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In 1944, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle described the quaint block as "a little bit of New England in Brooklyn Heights."

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Carriage houses on Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Back then, families, artists, writers, and police horses lived on Hunts Lane, according to the same article.

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A stroller, table, and chairs outside of a home on Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

A mother who said she lived on the street in 1944 told The Brooklyn Daily Eagle that year that the neighborhood's residents were very close, and families helped one another.

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The dead-end of the street is seen from beneath a tree. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

"The policemen's horses are stabled over here and the children have a marvelous time watching them at the changing of the guard," the resident told The Brooklyn Daily Eagle in 1944.

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A view of 14 Hunts Lane in 1935 and 2021. MCNY/Gottscho-Schleisner / Contributor/Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Today, those carriage houses are luxury apartments and multimillion-dollar homes, as Brownstoner reported.

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A close-up of the entry to 14 Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: Brownstoner

When I wandered down the dead-end street, it was quiet and seemingly empty.

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Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

If not for lights turning on and off in the windows showing signs of life, I would have thought the street had been abandoned.

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A brick home on Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

I feel rushed walking on most Brooklyn streets as my ears are flooded with cars honking and bits of strangers' conversations, but Hunts Lane was so calm and peaceful. I felt like I was at a private museum viewing works of art.

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A view of Hunts Lane from the dead end. Joey Hadden/Insider

I got a close look at some of the expensive homes, like a condo at 8 Hunts Lane, which is estimated to be worth nearly $6 million, according to Zillow.

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The outside of 8 Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: Zillow

This stunning red-brick carriage house at the beginning of the block is 4 Hunts Lane. It's a modern $6.5-million home with a garage and basement, according to 6sqft.

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The home at 4 Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

Source: 6sqft

While the carriage houses are all roughly the same shape, different paint jobs and details make them look unique from one another.

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14 and 16 Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

Some houses look like they are being reclaimed by nature with greenery lining the exteriors.

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Plants cover parts of a carriage-house exterior. Joey Hadden/Insider

Visiting the quiet, still street made me feel like I wasn't even in New York City - at least not in 2021.

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Me exploring Hunts Lane. Joey Hadden/Insider

Read the original article on Insider