If anyone is wondering whether this part of Brooklyn is safe - YES it is. I live a 40 minute walk from Polytechnic University. The University campus is right in downtown Brooklyn in an area of office buildings and colleges. Beyond the central business district are two ritzy residential neighborhoods with good restaurants, and one gentrifying/rundown neighborhood with good restaurants.
A couple of blocks away is a shopping street with a big Macy's.
If you have an extra day or two, don't miss The Brooklyn Art Museum with an awesome collection of Egyptian art, an exhibit of Amarican art which is very interesting, European art, third world art, and local art.