Community Board 10 Brooklyn

Community Board 10 Brooklyn

Neighborhoods in CB 10

Bay Ridge
To most visitors, Bay Ridge means two things: great dining and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. It is nearly impossible to take in Bay Ridge all in one visit; it's just too big. You'll find large, brand-name retail shops along 86th Street (including the
ever-popular Century 21), and smaller, intimate shops on 5th Avenue, including Kleinfeld's, the world-famous bridal boutique.
Third Avenue is "Restaurant Row," with more eateries than you can count along a 25-block stretch. It seems as though the moment one restaurant closes its doors, two more open to take its place.
The population of Bay Ridge is a diverse mix of Italian, Irish, Jewish, Hispanic, Norwegian and Middle Eastern. The neighborhood is proud of its Norwegian roots and still boasts a handful of specialty shops that sell reindeer meat and other
Scandinavian delicacies. The Norwegian Day Parade held each year attracts tens of thousands of spectators who marvel at the decorative floats and wave to "Miss Norway."
The area now called Bay Ridge was purchased from the Nyack Indians by the Dutch West India Company in 1652. A rural farming area until the late 1890s, Bay Ridge, like Brooklyn Heights, was developed as a retreat for wealthy Manhattanites.
The spectacular views from a ridge overlooking the entrance to New York Bay gave Bay Ridge its name and attracted a number of industrialists whop built summer estates along the bluffs of Shore Road. But with the extension of the 4th Avenue
subway in 1915, the exclusivity of the area was destroyed. The neighborhood's population changed as Manhattan workers seeking more suburban surroundings began to settle in the area.
The long history of Bay Ridge remains visible in its homes and its churches. Elegant turn-of-the-century homes more typical of suburban Westchester than Brooklyn line Colonial Road and Shore Road between 80th and 83rd Streets. The land on
which Fort Hamilton was built played a role in George Washington's failed Battle of Long Island against the British in 1776. Nearby Saint John's Episcopal Church at 99th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway, known as "the church of the generals,"
was frequented by such military leaders as Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee.
Visitors shouldn't miss the so-called Gingerbread House, a whimsical cottage -- and designated landmark -- with a mock thatched roof, located at the corner of 82nd Street and Narrows Avenue. Local legend suggests that it was built as a country
getaway for a young homesick British bride. The home at the intersection of Colonial Road and Wakeman Place is also a point of local historical interest. It was on the estate known as Owl's Head, belonging to Henry Murphy, the first editor of the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper, that the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge was authorized.

Fort Hamilton and Dyker Heights

The Fort Hamilton enclave, sometimes considered a part of Bay Ridge, is dominated by two formidable presences: the fort itself, built in 1831 to protect the Narrows, and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, completed in 1964. Sitting at the mouth of New York Harbor, the site was used on July 4, 1776 by General Henry Knox of the Continental Army to shell the British ship H.M.S. Asia as it approached the Harbor.
Today Fort Hamilton is more peaceful. A rich, ethnic mix of Italian, Irish, German, Norwegian and, more recently, Middle Eastern, Eastern European and Asian, Fort Hamilton is known for its waterfront views, moderate to downright pricey housing,
distinctive restaurants and heartburn-inducing parking shortage. Its residents love it -- particularly those with garages. The
fort, named for Alexander Hamilton, is the only fully functioning Army base in New York City. It is a military induction center, a service center for more than 300 reserve units and home to the 26th Army Band and about 150 military families. Its Officers'
Club is a stately and popular location for luncheons and community events.
The fort also houses the Harbor Defense Museum, whose collection includes shore defense guns, a Confederate mine and a piece of the net used to protect the Harbor from German U-boats in World War I. Admission is free.
During most of the 19th century Fort Hamilton had no chapel and relied instead on nearby churches which integrated it into the community. St. John's Episcopal Church, known as the "church of the generals," baptized Lieutenant Thomas Jackson
(better known as Stonewall) and Robert E. Lee was one of its vestrymen.
In the 17th century, long before the fort existed, the Dutch farmed on the site and one entrepreneur, Denyse Denyse, operated a commercial ferry to Staten Island for trading goods with their compatriots. Although abandoned, the ferry landing pier, now called Denyse Wharf, still exists. Made of granite blocks, it had been used over the years by departing troops.
Today, Fort Hamilton High School's Water Watch Team keeps it clean.
Dyker Heights, sandwiched between Fort Hamilton and Bensonhurst, encompasses Dyker Beach Park on Gravesend Bay and the huge, public Dyker Beach Golf Course. It may have been named for two Van Dykes who helped to divide the land in
1719 or for the dikes used to drain and reclaim marshland that once belonged to the area.
The area remained largely rural until the early 20th century, when developers built a number of one- and two-family houses. Mansions along 11th Avenue afford magnificent views of the Narrows and Gravesend Bay. A business district is located
along 13th Avenue. Mostly residential, Dyker Heights is a sight to behold around Christmastime. You can see some of New York City's most elaborate holiday displays, including a mansion with gargantuan wooden soldiers adorning its columns.