Brooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It is located in the southeast of the city on the west end of Long Island and is congruent with Kings County. After Manhattan and New York County, Brooklyn is the most densely populated administrative district in the United States. Founded in 1634 by the Dutch as Breuckelen (after the town of Breukelen near Utrecht), it was an independent town until it was incorporated into New York in 1898. However, the district has retained a strong sense of independence to this day.
By plane
Brooklyn is best reached via La Guardia and JFK
airports. From Newark, one must first get to Manhattan and then
on from there.
By LaGuardia
Take the Q70 Ltd bus to
Jackson Heights station, from there take the line (direction
Manhattan) to Court Square. From there, the line runs straight
through the district.
LaGuardia taxis are subject to the
standard rate.
By JFK
From JFK comes a combination of
the AirTrainJFK, and lines, depending on the exact destination;
AirTrainJFK and / or AirTrainJFK and (with a change in Howard
Beach) in question.
Taxis from JFK to Brooklyn are
subject to the standard rate.
By train
The
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) regional transit
company serves Flatbush Avenue Station (Atlantic Ave & Flatbush
Ave & Hanson Pl) on its Long Island Rail Road trains.
The
closest Amtrak station is Penn Station in Manhattan. MTA
services Penn Station from Queens.
Brooklyn is accessible
by numerous subway lines from Manhattan (Penn Station, Grand
Central, Port Authority Bus Terminal etc) and Queens airports.
By car
The following highways lead to Brooklyn:
Interstate Highway 278 (from Elizabeth via Staten Island and
Brooklyn to Bronx)
Grand Central Parkway/Jackie Robinson
Parkway (from North Hills, Long Island via Jamaica to Queens and
Brooklyn)
Southern State Parkway/Belt Parkway (from Islip,
Long Island via Hempstead to Queens and Brooklyn)
By bus
The Brooklyn bus terminal is only served by a few lines. Most
long-distance buses stop at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in
Manhattan. From there, the subway lines and go directly to
Brooklyn.
Brooklyn is on the far west of Long Island. The only land border is
northeast with Queens. The westernmost section of this boundary is
Newtown Creek, which empties into the East River. Across Upper New York
Bay are Manhattan (to the northwest) and Staten Island (to the west).
Brooklyn's coastline is defined by several bodies of water. The
North Shore is on the East River, the middle section on Upper New York
Bay. On this part of the coast lies the Red Hook Peninsula with the Erie
Basin. The Buttermilk Channel separates Brooklyn from Governors Island.
Southwest of this is Gowanus Bay. The south coast of Brooklyn includes
the Coney Island Peninsula, which lies directly on the Atlantic. In the
southeast is Jamaica Bay with its numerous small islands.
The
highest point in Brooklyn is the area around Prospect Park and
Green-Wood Cemetery, which is about 60 meters above sea level. Another
elevation is Brooklyn Heights southwest of the central borough of
Downtown Brooklyn. According to the United States Census Bureau, the
county has an area of 251.0 km². Of this, 182.9 km² is land and 68.1 km²
(27.1%) is water.
Brooklyn has numerous distinct neighborhoods, many of which grew out
of small towns and villages dating back to the Dutch era in the early
17th century. The central borough of Downtown Brooklyn is a functional
modern administrative district and the third largest business district
in New York City, after Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan. Fulton
Street, which runs parallel to the main connecting street Atlantic
Avenue, with the "Fulton Mall" in the southern part of downtown is
considered the best-known shopping street in the district.
The
northwestern neighborhoods between the Brooklyn Bridge and Prospect Park
are characterized by 19th-century brick and brownstone houses. Here are
some of Brooklyn's most gentrified and affluent neighborhoods. These
include Boerum Hill, Brooklyn Heights, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill,
Clinton Hill, Dumbo, Fort Greene, Fulton Ferry, Park Slope, Prospect
Heights, and Vinegar Hill. The development of the historic districts in
Northwest Brooklyn was partly different. Brooklyn Heights, for example,
functioned early on as a suburb and migration area for Manhattan. In
1955, the district was declared New York's first Historic District.
Dumbo and further south, Red Hook, were badly affected by the decline of
the docks and local industries in the second half of the 20th century
and have only benefited from the valorization by visiting artists since
the 1990s.
Further north along the East River are Williamsburg
and Greenpoint. Similar to the waterfront neighborhoods of Red Hook and
Sunset Park further south on Upper New York Bay, these are traditional
working-class neighborhoods with a vibrant cultural scene. Originally,
Williamsburg was strongly influenced by German and Irish immigrants.
After the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge (1903), the district became
the most densely populated area in New York. Williamsburg was known,
among other things, for its numerous breweries and restaurants. In the
second half of the 20th century, the district developed into a problem
area. In the meantime, it is considered a celebratory party mile with
the associated performance and fun culture. However, travel guides state
that Williamsburg has retained its rough, rustic charm despite the
upgrading processes associated with gentrification.
Just north of
the Queens county line, Greenpoint is considered Williamsburg's little
sister. Originally, Polish immigrants dominated the neighborhood. Since
the 1990s, there has been an increased influx of Latin American
immigrants. The same applies to Bushwick, a district southeast of
Williamsburg and also adjacent to Queens. Bushwick is another candidate
for gentrification. The borough's Latin American community is one of the
largest in New York. Another feature of the district is the alternative
counterculture that is increasingly establishing itself there.
Central and southern Brooklyn are neighborhoods with strong ethnic and
architectural contrasts. These emerged in the late 19th and early 20th
centuries as wealthy immigrants moved out of Manhattan tenements (e.g.,
the Lower East Side). Mostly orthodox Jews live in Borough Park,
Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights are Italian, and many Russians live in
Brighton Beach on Coney Island. After the Second World War, mainly black
people settled in the area around Bedford-Stuyvesant and Flatbush.
Prospect Park and the central Green-Wood Cemetery to the north and the
Coney Beach Peninsula to the south are prominent features of this part
of the district. Coney Beach's amusement parks were a well-known
attraction visited by millions of tourists until World War II. Due to
Russian and Jewish-Russian immigration, parts of the peninsula -
particularly the section around Brighton Beach - are also known as
"Little Odessa" or "Odessa by the Sea".
The eastern boroughs of
Brooklyn are generally considered to be social and security problem
areas. Large parts are characterized by satellite settlements for the
socially disadvantaged, so-called projects. This applies in particular
to East New York, located on Jamaica Bay directly on the borough border
with Queens. In terms of area, East New York is the largest borough in
Brooklyn. Socially, it is strongly characterized by a lack of prospects,
poverty and crime, demographically seen a catchment area for socially
disadvantaged Afro-Americans and migrant newcomers from Latin America
and the Caribbean. When it comes to security, East New York is regularly
classified as a no-go area, with high scores for gang presence, crime,
and homicide rates. The Brownsville district to the west of East New
York and the Canarsie district to the south of Jamaica Bay offer a
similar picture.
An outstanding feature of Brooklyn is the
different ethnic communities, each concentrated in certain parts of the
city. On the one hand, the multicultural composition of the population
strongly shapes the image of Brooklyn. Travel guides generally
characterize the coexistence of its residents as relaxed and normal - in
contrast to the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. However, Brooklyn's role
as the outstanding melting pot of New York City is viewed critically. In
practice, the coexistence of people with different ethnic backgrounds is
more of a side-by-side existence. Meetings would take place more
selectively - for example on the occasion of street festivals or similar
gatherings. The unequal distribution of income between whites and
non-whites is also becoming increasingly noticeable.
The
gentrification and upgrading process that has started in the
north-western district and has spread to neighboring neighborhoods since
the turn of the millennium is viewed as controversial. Rough marking
here: the northwestern districts including downtown, where this process
is already in full swing, the central and southern districts, which are
very heterogeneous overall, and East Brooklyn, which is characterized by
social problems. The author and America correspondent of the Süddeutsche
Zeitung, Andrian Kreye, established a border roughly at the height of
Prospect Park, which geographically marks the social division: "Right
behind the intersection begins the mile-wide terra incognita of the
slums and immigrant districts, which extend to the airport and the
Jamaica Bay draws. Remember, white Americans are a minority in Brooklyn.
Almost two-thirds are Black and Latino. English is not spoken in almost
half of all households. This is the Brooklyn you only glimpse as you
drive along the airport arterial roads, which are lined with warehouses,
auto repair shops, and food stalls. There are the dirty brown high-rise
housing blocks of East New York and Brownsville, whose walkways and
parks are controlled by gangs like the Bloods and the Latin Kings. All
those people who drive taxis, sell hamburgers and clean offices live
there. If they're lucky. Half of all black New Yorkers between the ages
of 18 and 35 are unemployed. And a good quarter of all Brooklyn
residents live below the poverty line.”
With 2.63 million inhabitants (2015), Brooklyn is the most populous
New York borough. Annual population growth is 0.5% (average 2000-2008).
The area that is now Brooklyn experienced rapid population growth in
the 19th and early 20th centuries. The towns in Kings County had a
combined population of almost 6,000 at the beginning of the 19th
century. When Brooklyn was incorporated into New York following a
plebiscite in 1898, it already had more than 1 million residents. 30
years later the population passed the 2.5 million mark. After that,
growth weakened significantly. In the middle of the 20th century, the
population even began to decline, totaling almost a fifth by 1980. Since
then, the population has increased slightly again, so that today it has
almost reached the level of 1930.
Brooklyn's
multicultural population reflects all waves of immigration to the United
States. The first settlers were Dutch and British, later Germans,
Italians and former black slaves from the southern states immigrated as
part of the Great Migration. In contrast, most migrants in recent
decades have come from Central and South America as well as from Asia
and Eastern Europe. Due to the still high level of immigration, 41% of
all residents today were born outside the United States.
With a
share of 36%, whites (excluding Hispanics) are by far the largest
population group. The most common European groups of origin are Italians
(7%), Russians (4%), Irish and Poles (3% each). 33% of the residents are
black and Afro-American, many of whom are immigrants from the Caribbean.
Hispanics make up 20% of the population, with Puerto Ricans being the
largest ethnic group at 8%. Asians are the fastest growing demographic,
now accounting for 9% of Brooklyn residents, two-thirds of whom are
Chinese. When looking at the individual neighborhoods of Brooklyn,
however, the composition of the population appears far less diverse.
Many parts of the city are either predominantly inhabited by blacks or
whites or traditionally characterized by Puerto Ricans, Italians,
Chinese, Russians, Jews or other groups of origin.
English is the
primary language for just over half of Brooklyn residents. The second
most important language is Spanish, which is used by 17% at home.
Chinese and Russian are each spoken by almost 6%. The remaining 18% are
spread over other languages. Overall, 24% of those surveyed stated that
they did not speak English very well.
The largest denomination in
Brooklyn is the Roman Catholic Church with a share of 23%. Another 11%
of the residents are Jews and 29% Protestants of various denominations,
of which almost 60% belong to an Afro-American church community.
The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle on the west end of Long
Island, an area populated primarily by the Canar Sea Indian tribe. The
first Dutch settlement was Midwout (Midwood), founded in 1634. In the
1630s, the Dutch acquired lands from the Mohawk around Gowanus, Red
Hook, what is now the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and Bushwick. The Dutch West
India Company founded the settlement of Breukelen in 1646, named after
the Dutch community of that name, across from Nieuw Amsterdam on the
southern tip of Manhattan.
In 1664 the entire colony of Nieuw
Nederland was conquered by the English. The place name Breukelen changed
over time to Brockland, Brocklin, Brookline and finally Brooklyn. The
English reorganized the province of New York into twelve counties in
1683. Kings County, named after King Charles II, was one of these
so-called counties. The population structure became more heterogeneous
after the British takeover. Until 1660, the area was mainly populated by
Dutch people, but now immigrants from other parts of Europe also came.
The six "Dutch Towns" of the county - Brooklyn (Breukelen), Flatbush
(Midwood), Bushwick, Flatlands (New Amersfoort), Gravesend and New
Utrecht - gradually developed into a granary for the east river and
rapidly expanding New York.
The American War of Independence also
affected Kings County, which is part of the outskirts of New York. On
August 27, 1776, the Battle of Long Island (sometimes called the Battle
of Brooklyn) took place, one of the first major battles. The British
drove the Continental Army off the hills near Green-Wood Cemetery and
Prospect Park. A few days later, the Americans were forced to abandon
their positions at Brooklyn Heights, giving the British control of New
York Harbor. Throughout the war, the area was controlled by the British,
who could count on the support of Loyalists here. Only with the signing
of the Peace of Paris in 1783 did New York and Brooklyn fall to the
Americans.
Rapid growth began after the War of Independence. The
main beneficiary was the core town of Brooklyn, in whose catchment area
an industrial infrastructure of slaughterhouses, breweries and factories
quickly established itself. Development was favored by the establishment
of a regular steamboat ferry service to Manhattan in 1814. Brooklyn's
population, which was 4,500 in 1790, tripled in the two decades
following the Revolutionary War. With the opening of the Erie Canal in
1825, the New York area became an important trading center. During the
first half of the 19th century, new urban settlements emerged along the
East River. As a result of the improved infrastructure, Brooklyn
developed into a "dormitory town" in the immediate vicinity of the
expanding metropolis New York. Brooklyn received city rights in 1834.
Population meanwhile: 16,000 – compared to 25,000 in the entire county
and 250,000 in New York. The north and southeast of today's borough were
also increasingly developed - in particular Williamsburg and Jamaica
Bay, which was connected to the port of Brooklyn by a railway line.
The population growth received a further boost with the construction
of numerous railway lines starting in 1863. With the opening of the
Brooklyn Bridge in 1883, Brooklyn and the city of New York – then
consisting only of Manhattan and the Bronx – moved closer together. The
surrounding towns and villages were gradually incorporated in the second
half of the 19th century: Williamsburg in 1854, New Lots in 1886,
Flatbush, Gravesend and New Utrecht in 1894. With the incorporation of
Flatlands in 1896, the City of Brooklyn encompassed the entire Kings
County. The cultural and infrastructural network also became denser as
urbanization progressed. The Brooklyn Institute, the Long Island
Historical Society, a music academy and Prospect Park, among others,
were newly established during this period. Acting as the "green lung"
for the borough and modeled on New York's Central Park, the facility
opened for business in 1870.
Brooklyn's population had increased tenfold since the middle of the
century and was now approaching the million mark. Brooklyn was already
the third largest city in the USA in the second half of the 19th
century. In 1898, its residents voted by a slim majority to unify
Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, and Richmond (later Staten Island) into New
York City. Since then, Kings County has been a borough of New York. It
also retained its status as a county in New York State.
The
densification processes described continued in the first half of the
20th century. At around 2.2 million, Brooklyn's population in 1930 was
well ahead of Manhattan's. The first airport in New York (Floyd Bennett
Field) was opened on the territory of Brooklyn. The amusement parks on
the Coney Island peninsula at the southern end of the district developed
into a well-known crowd puller visited by millions of holidaymakers.
While Manhattan increasingly developed into a commercial, cultural, and
service center, Brooklyn's industry and shipping remained the dominant
areas. Thus, during World War II, much of the material and personnel
were sent to Europe via the Brooklyn Army Terminal.
The decades
after the end of World War II were marked by decline and reorientation.
A symbol of Brooklyn's meaningful descent was the departure of baseball
favorites Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1957. The decline of
traditional industries took a toll on the borough. The formerly numerous
breweries in the district were also affected. The omission of the
district-determining shipping has an almost even more dramatic effect.
Port facilities and shipyards largely migrated to neighboring New
Jersey—particularly to Bayonne and Elizabeth.
Since the 1990s,
processes of gentrification have increasingly come into play. In
particular, the western districts at the mouth of the East River and
Upper New York Bay are sought-after alternative quarters for artists,
yuppies and all those who can no longer afford or don't want to pay the
high rents in Manhattan. Brooklyn is still strongly influenced by its
numerous ethnic communities. The southern neighborhoods are heavily
influenced by Orthodox Jewish, Russian, Greek, Italian, Scandinavian and
Irish communities. The majority of African, Caribbean and Latin American
immigrants, on the other hand, are mainly concentrated in some
northeastern and eastern parts of the city. The overall picture is
correspondingly contradictory. While the western parts of the city
around downtown were able to consolidate and experienced a certain
upgrading in the course of gentrification and tourism, some parts of the
east - in particular East New York, which is characterized by satellite
towns and social housing - are considered to be left behind for the time
being.
As in the other New York districts, the administrative breakdown is
based on the subdivision grid District ("Borough") - Community District
(administrative abbreviation: "CD") - Neighborhood. The individual
quarters and districts of Brooklyn are assigned to a total of 18
community districts. Similar to Manhattan and the other districts, a
juxtaposition of different classifications sometimes coexists. For
example, the eastern neighborhood of Cypress Hill is sometimes singled
out as a distinct neighborhood, while other times it is designated as
part of East New York.
The administrative seat of the Borough
Brooklyn is located in the district Downtown Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Until the merger with New York in 1898, it functioned as the town hall
of the hitherto independent city. The highest local authority is the
borough board, headed by the borough president. As a result of the
abolition of the New York Board of Estimate in 1990, which had
significant powers in matters of overall urban planning, the areas of
responsibility of the Boroughs Board and Borough President have been
greatly reduced. The election period is four years. In addition to the
borough president, the members of the city council and the chairmen of
the community boards are represented on the borough boards. The latter
are committees made up of representatives from the eighteen community
districts of Brooklyn and only have an advisory function.
The
current borough president of Brooklyn has been Democrat Antonio Reynoso
since 2022. His predecessor was Eric Adams, also a Democrat and now
mayor of New York City. The Democratic Party holds a majority of public
offices. In 2005, 69.7 percent of registered voters were Democrats. At
the municipal level, the party is primarily committed to affordable
housing, education and economic development. Republicans have relatively
strong influence in the Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights
and Midwood neighborhoods, represented by Congressman Michael Grimm.
Another elected role is that of District Attorney. The current
District Attorney is Eric Gonzalez, also an official of the Democratic
Party.
According to the May 2014 report released by the New York City
Comptroller, Brooklyn's economic situation is mixed. The Downtown
district is New York's largest business center outside of Manhattan. In
terms of business growth, the district has a higher growth rate than the
rest of the city. The situation is similar with the increase in the
employment rate. At 19.8%, it is growing almost twice as fast as in New
York City. Around half of all jobs are in the healthcare and retail
sectors - a factor which, however, is linked to the disadvantage of low
wages. Growing sectors are professional and business services, new
technologies, creative industries and gastronomy.
In absolute
numbers, the private sector is the most dynamic economic factor with
484,560 employees in 2012. According to the New York State Economic
Report, which includes key district figures for 2014, in 2012 160,410
people worked in the health and social sectors, 64,890 in retail, 41,830
in professional and business services, and almost 10,000 in leisure and
tourism. The number of jobs in traditional production continued to
decline – albeit at a slower pace. Total number in production: 20,000.
Around 40 percent of this is accounted for by the two sectors of food
and clothing manufacturing (5410 and 3580).
The number of
commercial establishments in 2011 was just under 50,000. Here, too,
growth is higher than in the rest of the city. Small businesses dominate
the district. Retail accounts for the lion's share. The health and
social sector falls behind in terms of the number of companies at 13%,
but accounts for around 33% of jobs. The main reason for the
discrepancy: the high number of employees in hospitals and similar
facilities.
The wage development also has a faster growth rate
than in other districts. However, compared to Manhattan, the Bronx,
Queens and Staten Island, Brooklyn remains at the bottom of the scale.
Likewise in relation to the average annual income in the USA. The median
private sector wage in 2012 was $38,550 per year, and the median
household income was $45,230. Across New York, the latter is currently
$50,900. The average income of US citizens in 2011 was 48,450 US
dollars. The low average wage reflects, among other things, the high
concentration of low-paying industries in the district - especially
healthcare and retail.
Brooklyn has had higher unemployment than
any other borough since the mid-1990s. From a peak during the economic
crisis in 2008 (10.9%), it fell to 8.8% (2014). The unemployment rate
varies significantly between districts. While the Northwest
neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, and Windsor Terrace are
below average, Brownsville, Bushwick, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Coney Island,
Crown Heights, and East New York are well above average.
The
average Brooklyn household income grew twice as fast in 2012 as in the
rest of the city. The poverty rate (24.2%) has risen as a result of the
recession, but is lower than at its peak in 1993. 70% of all households
lived in rented apartments in 2011. The lack of affordable housing is a
serious problem in the district. A major reason: the increase in rents,
which was almost twice as high as that of income between 2000 and 2011
(71 versus 41 percent). Almost 30 percent of households are now forced
to spend more than half of their income on rent.
The
gentrification dynamics in individual neighborhoods show different
effects. While the "brownstone areas" with old brick building substance
in the Northwest benefit from high-earning newcomers from Manhattan, the
former port and industrial districts of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Red
Hook and Sunset Park are still at the beginning of this development. The
district currently has six major economic areas:
the Greater Downtown
Brooklyn Area: location for many of the borough's higher-paying jobs.
the Brooklyn Tech Triangle including the Brooklyn Navy Yard: a new
industrial park between the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges for the
creative industries, IT and electronics sectors.
Sunset Park: a major
manufacturing and industrial center that currently provides nearly 8
percent of Brooklyn's jobs. The nearby Brooklyn Army Terminal has been
repurposed to become a manufacturing hub.
Williamsburg–Greenpoint
area. This metropolitan area contains 10 percent of the district's jobs,
with concentrations in healthcare and construction.
South Brooklyn:
This economic center provides about 9 percent of Brooklyn's jobs --
nearly half of them in healthcare. In addition, there is the tourism and
leisure sector on the beaches of Coney Island.
Greater Borough Park
Area: This metropolitan area basically includes the boroughs and
neighborhoods of Borough Park, Kensington and Ocean Avenue area. It
provides 8 percent of Brooklyn's jobs. Health sector and social support
account for about half of this.
The areas of art, culture and
tourism play a not insignificant part in the economic development of the
district. In 2013, the district recorded 15 million tourists. Another
important factor are the educational institutions in the district, some
of which are renowned. The NYU Polytechnic, founded in 1854, is
considered one of the leading technical universities. Long Island
University Brooklyn, on the other hand, has distinguished itself
primarily in the field of medicine. Finally, the Brooklyn Music School,
founded in 1912 and located in the Fort Greene district, should be
listed as an important institution.
The impact of Hurricane Sandy
in October 2012 proved to be a serious setback to the county's economic
consolidation. The waterfronts in North Brooklyn and the neighboring
areas in Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Dumbo, Red Hook, Gowanus and Sunset
Park were particularly affected. Southern Brooklyn and the Coney Island
peninsula were also affected. However, the reconstruction work and
accompanying aid programs are making slow progress.
In terms of
economic development projects, the focus is currently on several
projects. One of these is the Livonia Commons Project: 278 mixed-use
public housing units in deprived East New York. The unequal distribution
of economic development has further intensified the contrasts between
the "old" parts of town in the west and those bordering Queens in the
east. While the former were able to recover from the loss of importance
of traditional industries and in some cases prospered, the eastern half
of the district has so far been largely excluded from this development.
The economic division largely coincides with the ethnic one. According
to the 2005 census evaluation, mainly African Americans, Hispanics and
immigrants from the Caribbean live in the economically weaker districts
in the east and north-east.
With 57 percent of households without a car, Brooklyn is slightly
above the New York average. The main mode of transportation is the
public transport network - especially the subway operated by the New
York City Transit Authority. 92.8 percent of Brooklyn residents use the
subway to get to Manhattan. A total of 18 lines of the New York subway
serve the district. Important hubs further downtown are Atlantic
Avenue/Barclays Center and Jay Street-Metro Tech. In addition there are
DeKalb Avenue in Bedfort-Stuyvesant, Broadway Junction in the east near
Queens and Coney Island/Stillway Avenue in Coney Island.
In
addition, a bus network from different providers covers the district.
There is also a regular express bus service to Manhattan. The public
transport network is supplemented by the suburban rail lines of the Long
Island Rail Road. The main stations are Atlantic Terminal, East New York
and Nostrand Avenue.
On July 3, 1854, Brooklyn's first
horse-drawn tram line began operating (Myrtle Avenue line from Fulton
Ferry to Marcy Avenue). From 1891 the lines of the now rapidly growing
network were electrified; by 1895 this was complete. As part of
LaGuardia's goal of making New York "trolley-free", the lines in
Brooklyn were also gradually shut down until the last "trolley" ran in
1956.
Brooklyn is connected to Manhattan by three bridges. The oldest and
most famous is the Brooklyn Bridge, completed in 1883. It runs from the
Brooklyn boroughs of Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo to the Civic Center and
Financial District in Lower Manhattan. Immediately upstream is the
Manhattan Bridge, opened in 1909. The third bridge link towards
Manhattan is the Williamsburg Bridge, completed in 1903. It connects the
Williamsburg district with the opposite Lower East Side. The fourth
interdistrict bridge is the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, completed in 1964
and four kilometers long. Located on the southwest side, it bridges
Upper New York Bay between Brooklyn and the New York borough of Staten
Island on the other bay side. Another major span bridge is the Marine
Parkway–Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge at the southeast end of the borough.
It connects Brooklyn with the Rockaway Peninsula, which belongs to
Queens.
Brooklyn is criss-crossed by several Expressway and
Parkway thoroughfares. The most important are:
the Brooklyn-Queens
Expressway. Starting from the Brooklyn Bridge, it crosses the district
in a northeasterly direction to Queens.
the Prospect Expressway. As
an extension of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel coming from Manhattan, it
runs south. An extension towards Coney Island is the Ocean Parkway.
the Gowanus Expressway. Branching off the Prospect Expressway, it heads
toward the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
the Shore Parkway. the major
route travels along the southwest and southern shorelines to Queens'
John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Jackie Robinson Parkway
(formerly Interborough Parkway). Branching off Atlantic Avenue, it leads
from Brownsville towards Queens.
In addition to these transit
roads, there are other important cross-district connecting roads.
Atlantic Avenue, Eastern Parkway and Linden Boulevard run north-south in
a west-east direction. Important district connecting roads in the
north-south direction are the Kings Highway, the Bay Parkway and Fourth
Avenue. An important feeder for the transport infrastructure of the
district is the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel (official name: Hugh L. Cary
Tunnel), opened in 1950 - a toll connection between the southern tip of
Manhattan and the West Brooklyn district of Red Hook.
Brooklyn has long been an important port of call - particularly for the Brooklyn Army Terminal, located in the Sunset Park neighborhood. During World War II, the military shipped most of their shipments from this assembly point. After the shipping industry moved to New Jersey, the surviving piers and docks focus on ferry services and pleasure cruises. The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal in the Red Hook district maintains a passenger ship with the luxury liner Queen Mary 2, which, despite its size, is shallow enough to go under the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which is located out from the sea. As a local line operator, the NY Waterway company offers commuter services within Brooklyn and to Manhattan.
Brooklyn has a broadly staggered infrastructure of different
cultural, recreational and sporting facilities. Part of it can be
attributed to basic cultural services and is known more locally. Other
institutions such as Prospect Park are considered above average and
therefore enjoy a corresponding reputation.
Sightseeing features
Brooklyn offers some great parks, cemeteries and architectural
landmarks. The most important are:
the prospect park. Opened in
1867, the 1-acre facility is located in the center of the district south
of downtown. The park was designed based on the model of Central Park in
Manhattan. The architects were also the same: Frederick Law Olmsted and
Calvert Vaux.
Green Wood Cemetery. The approximately 1.9 km² large
area not far from Prospect Park is home to around 600,000 graves -
including those of numerous well-known personalities. The cemetery was
established in 1837.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Located near Prospect
Park and established in 1910.
Coney Island. Scattered across the
peninsula are remains of amusement parks from the first half of the 20th
century, such as the legendary Luna Park. Relics of the former beach
promenades, such as the Riegelmann Boardwalk, which was built up to
prevent erosion, are also reminiscent of earlier times.
Brooklyn
Bridge. Built in 1883, the bridge was the longest suspension bridge in
the world at the time it was built. Today it is a frequented point for
detours from Manhattan over to Brooklyn, among other things by tourists.
Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch. A neoclassical triumphal arch completed in
1892 just off Prospect Park. It is dedicated to the "defenders of the
Union" in the Civil War of 1861-1865.
Fulton Mall (Fulton Street).
Central promenade and shopping street in the Brooklyn Heights district.
Brooklyn Heights Boardwalk. Waterfront promenade in the district of the
same name with a view of the Manhattan skyline opposite.
Ten
locations have National Historic Landmark status. A total of 164
structures and sites in the county are listed on the National Register
of Historic Places as of February 19, 2018.
Brooklyn Museum. Completed in 1885, right next to Prospect Park and
opened in 1887, the neo-classical building is New York's second largest
museum. It contains, among other things, an important collection of
ancient Egyptian objects and American art.
New York Transit Museum.
Opened in 1976 and located in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, the
Transportation Museum is the largest of its kind in the United States.
It deals with the history of public transport in the city - in
particular the development of the subway.
Brooklyn Children's Museum.
The museum, not far from Atlantic Avenue in the Crown Heights district,
is the oldest children's museum in the world. It was founded in 1899 and
after its reopening in 2008 due to renovation work, it was New York's
first "Green Museum".
Brooklyn Public Library. Opened in 1952 and
maintained by a non-profit organization, it is one of the largest public
libraries in the United States. The head office is located in the
Downtown district.
Whether theatre, classical music, pop music, events or literary
events: Similar to the cultural scene in Manhattan across the street or
in other large metropolises, that of Brooklyn also offers an almost
unmistakable variety of different directions together with the
associated infrastructure. The following facilities and events are
considered significant local attractions:
Billie Holiday Theatre.
Located near Atlantic Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant district and
named after the jazz singer Billie Holiday, who died in New York, the
off-theater is run by a non-profit organization. The facility is
particularly committed to promoting the Afro-American cultural element.
Brooklyn Academy of Music. Sharing the same address as the Brooklyn
Music School near Fulton Street, BAM, founded in 1861, also functions as
a venue for opera, performance and theater.
BRIC Media House.
Headquarters of the non-profit art and media company BRIC (for: Brooklyn
Information and Culture) near Fulton Street. BRIC appears primarily as
an organizer of public cultural events.
Labor Day Carnival
(alternative name: West Indian Day Parade). Annual Caribbean street
carnival festival held in the month of September in the Crowne Heights
neighborhood.
Coney Island Mermaid Parade. Annual Coney Island street
parade in late June to herald the start of summer.
A significant historical event in Brooklyn sports history was the
relocation of the legendary home baseball team Brooklyn Dodgers to Los
Angeles in 1957. With Jackie Robinson, who on April 15, 1947 became the
first black player since 1888 to play on a major league team, sat the
Dodgers a sign of racial integration. Brooklyn now has a new home team –
the Brooklyn Nets, which played in New Jersey until 2012. When it comes
to team sports, Brooklyn currently boasts:
the Brooklyn Nets.
Ohio-based contractor Bruce Ratner took over the NBA's pro basketball
team in 2004, announcing plans to bring it to Brooklyn. The move took
place in 2012. The Barclays Center, a multi-purpose arena on Atlantic
Avenue, was purpose-built for the Nets and opened in September 2012.
the Brooklyn Cyclones. The regional baseball team plays in the minor
league, one of the minor leagues in US baseball. Brought to New York in
1999 by the then Mayor Rudy Giuliani, they played for different
districts in the years that followed.
the New York Islanders. The New
York professional ice hockey team announced in 2012 that it would play
its home games in the 2015/2016 season at Brooklyn's Barclays Center.
Though not to the same extent as Manhattan, Brooklyn is the subject,
or at least the setting, of a number of novels. A well-known "Brooklyn
novel" is Last Exit Brooklyn by Hubert Selby from 1964. A more recent
novel addressing the integration problems of an Irish immigrant after
World War II is Brooklyn by best-selling Irish author Colm Tóibín
(2010). Another well-known novel is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, written by
Brooklyn-born author Betty Smith in 1943. He describes the life of the
lower class, which consisted mostly of immigrants, at the beginning of
the 20th century.
In addition, the district is the scene and/or
setting of numerous films. In 1989 Selby's novel was filmed under the
title Last Exit Brooklyn. Also in the post-war era, Marlon Brando stars
in The Fist in the Neck - a black-and-white drama that explores the
Mafia's influence on New York's dockers' unions. The ethnic coexistence
of the different communities is addressed in Spike Lee's Do the Right
Thing and Wayne Wang's independent film Smoke. The screenplay for the
latter came from writer Paul Auster, who has lived in Brooklyn for
decades.
Brooklyn is also the setting for some post-millennial
thriller productions, including Brooklyn's Finest, a police drama
starring Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke, and Heroes of the
Night starring Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Robert Duvall and Eva
Mendez and Brooklyn, starring Saoirse Ronan. Partly, largely, or
implicitly in Brooklyn, the actions of Saturday Night Fever (1977) and
the boxing drama Girlfight (2000) also take place. The action center of
the award-winning HBO series Boardwalk Empire is not Brooklyn, but
Atlantic City, New Jersey, 200 kilometers south. However, the historic
beach promenade for the crowd scenes in the series was specially
recreated in Brooklyn. The series 2 Broke Girls and Brooklyn Nine-Nine
are also mostly set in Brooklyn.
Steely Dan released the song
Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me) on their debut album Can't Buy a
Thrill in 1972.
The number of well-known personalities who were born in Brooklyn or lived there for a time is large. They include Henry and Arthur Miller, Truman Capote, Woody Allen, Norman Mailer, George Gershwin, Barbra Streisand, Steve Buscemi and the gangster Al Capone. Other celebrities such as baseball legend Babe Ruth only spent a few years in Brooklyn - Ruth, for example, after his active sports career as an assistant coach of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Still others, such as director Spike Lee, also use Brooklyn as a local location – Lee, for example, with his production company based in the Fort Greene district.