:You don't know what you are talking about.  Park Slope was built by many captains of industry who lived IN Brooklyn.  Commuting to Manhattan was simply not feasible until the subway system was built, which was well into the 20th century.  Almost all of the structures in Park Slope were constructed prior to the creation of the subway system.  Before that, all transportation was to the industrial sections of Brooklyn, and downtown Brooklyn (which in the 19th century was similar in size to downtown Manhattan, in terms of commercial buildings). And, by the way, the Park Slope building boom came about after the Civil War... which is a whole other subject I'll leave you to read up on.