Part of one of Brooklyn's original Dutch towns established in 1652. It's name derived from the Dutch vlachte, with bios, a "flat plain" with "woods", anglicized to Flatbush. It included areas now known as Kensington, Windsor Terrace, East Flatbush, Brownsville, East New York, New Lots and Cypress Hills.

Begun as a rural farming community, it grew into a religious, educational and cultural center. After the Civil War, Flatbush was transformed from a colonial village into a suburban area, in large part due to the development of Prospect Park. The neighborhood quickly expanded as a result of the appearance of the Railroad in 1880, windmills and homesteads giving way to progress. In 1894 it became part of the City of Brooklyn. The 1920s saw the construction of high rise apartment buildings along Ocean Avenue, mixed in among historic one family homes, built to accommodate masses of immigrants.

This area, located in the middle of the borough, epitomizes Brooklyn's diverse and cultural mix. The Flatbush of the 1940s was oft depicted in Hollywood movies, as is today's Flatbush.