As residents all over Brooklyn are laboring to fill out those 10 tedious questions, those in Williamsburg as laboring a little less strenuously. Gawker reports that Williamsburgers have only a 30% return rate for the census, significantly less to 50% return rate in all of NYC.

Oh well, at least Williamsburg is pretty, as depicted in this photo via [charlie cravero] on Flickr.

New York Magazine recently published a ranked list of the 50 most liveable neighborhoods in the city, and Brooklyn fared very well — not that we’re surprised. Of the top five neighborhoods, three were in Brooklyn: Park Slope (first place!), Cobble Hill & Boerum Hill, and Greenpoint (#5).

What makes a city liveable? NYMag relied on a complicated formula involving everything from cost of housing to the quality of public schools. Fortunately, they also created a Livability Calculator, allowing you to find the perfect neighborhood based on your own specific priorities — as well as certain handy presets for empty-nesters, childless couples, etc.

Photo via ms.flux on Flickr.

The already smokin’ Atlantic Avenue shopping stretch in Brooklyn should get even hotter this September, when Barneys Co-op — a division of Barneys New York — opens its doors at this MTA nexus of the universe.

What is Barneys Co-op? Barneys.com describes its hipster branch in a strategically typefaced list of four points:

1. It’s the wayward offspring of Barneys New York.
2. It’s always Downtown even when it’s Uptown.
3. It’s–

Alright, we get the point.

Much of the Barneys merch will cost in the hundreds, however the Co-op does have some nifty sales allowing prices to dip into double-digit territory.

Photo via jackiew on Flickr.

Judging by all the sunglasses, shorts, and sandals present along our sidewalks and parks, it seems that Brooklyners have full-on embraced the warm weather. But if you’re looking to celebrate Spring to a higher degree, we recommend taking a trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where 42 species of cherry blossom trees will be blooming throughout the month.

The first Brooklyn cherry blossoms 2010 are already flowering, including the Autumnalis tree located on Washington Ave. in front of the BBG’s administration office. After that, different Brooklyn cherry blossoms will bloom every week, and even though experts have some idea of when said blossoming will occur — see this neat article in Time Out New York — subtle variations in climate could throw off these calculations. But hey, that’s part of the fun.

Photo via wallyg on Flickr.

Brownstones in Park Slope

When you’re looking for an apartment in New York, a lot of questions come to mind. Is it affordable? Is the neighborhood safe? Can I get along with my roommate? (Not to mention concerns about proximity to work, the Subway, and/or the laundromat.)

But here’s one question you probably don’t ask yourself: Am I breaking the law? According to a recent article in The New York Times, breaking the law in group-living situations is easier than you think. That’s because, technically, it is illegal for four or more unrelated roommates to occupy a house or apartment in New York.

Who knew, right? Apparently, a law like this is not all that uncommon, as similar legislature exists in New Orleans, Boston, and Amherst, Mass.

Fortunately, the roommate policy is hardly ever enforced; The Times reports only three citations since last July. If it is enforced, it’s almost always following a noise complaint from a neighbor, or an infraction noticed by a maintenance team.

Plus, if the city does find out that you’re living with more than three other roommates, your landlord will be at fault — not you.

Image via Dede Le on Flickr.

Some things never change! Check out this picture of Borough Park from the early 1980s, courtesy of Betty Blade on Flickr.

Look at those colors! We found this photo from Prospect Park Garage on sgoralnick‘s Flickr.

Has anyone else noticed the fantastic weather lately? If you’re digging this climate as much as we are, you’ll probably love this photo of a blossoming Park Slope, via omphale44 on Flickr.