Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City
borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
...
of
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
. It is bounded by
Sunset Park to the north,
Dyker Heights to the east,
the Narrows and the
Belt Parkway to the west, and
Fort Hamilton Army Base and the
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the south. The section of Bay Ridge south of 86th Street is sometimes considered part of a sub-neighborhood called Fort Hamilton.
Bay Ridge was formerly the westernmost portion of the town of
New Utrecht, comprising two smaller villages: Yellow Hook to the north and Fort Hamilton to the south. Yellow Hook was named for the color of the soil and was renamed Bay Ridge in December 1853 to avoid negative connotations with
yellow fever at the time; the name Bay Ridge was chosen based on the local geography. Bay Ridge became developed as a rural summer resort during the mid-19th century. The arrival of the
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
's
Fourth Avenue Line (present-day ) in 1916 led to its development as a residential neighborhood. Bay Ridge is known for its
Norwegian community but it also has small
Irish,
Italian,
Arab
Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world.
Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
and
Greek communities.
Bay Ridge is part of
Brooklyn Community District 10, and its primary
ZIP Codes are 11209 and 11220.
It is patrolled by the 68th Precinct of the
New York City Police Department
The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
.
Politically, it is represented by the
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs.
The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...
's 43rd District.
History
Early settlements
South Brooklyn was originally settled by the
Canarsee Indians, one of several indigenous
Lenape
The Lenape (, , ; ), also called the Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada.
The Lenape's historica ...
peoples who farmed and hunted on the land. Their main village in the area was
Nyack. The Canarsee Indians had several routes that crossed Brooklyn, including a path from
Fulton Ferry along the
East River
The East River is a saltwater Estuary, tidal estuary or strait in New York City. The waterway, which is not a river despite its name, connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island, ...
that extended southward to
Gowanus Creek, Sunset Park, and Bay Ridge.
The Canarsee traded with other indigenous peoples, and by the early 17th century, also with Dutch and English settlers.
The first European settlement at Bay Ridge occurred in 1636 when Willem Adriaenszen Bennett and Jacques Bentyn purchased between 28th and 60th Streets, in what is now Sunset Park.
However, after the land was purchased in the 1640s by Dutch settlers who laid out their farms along the waterfront, the Canarsee were soon displaced, and had left Brooklyn by the 18th century.
Present-day Bay Ridge was the westernmost portion of
New Utrecht, founded in 1657 by the Dutch.
The area consisted of two sister villages: Yellow Hook to the north, named for the color of the soil, with "Hook" from the Dutch ''hoek'', meaning "corner"
and Fort Hamilton to the south, named for the military installation at its center.
Yellow Hook was mostly farmland until the late 1840s. In 1848, Third Avenue within the area was widened. Two years later, a group of artists moved to the area and founded a colony called Ovington Village, named after the family who owned the farmland in the area.
Around 1853, Yellow Hook changed the community's name to avoid association with
yellow fever. "Bay Ridge" was suggested by local horticulturist James Weir after the area's most prominent geographic features: the high ridge that offered views of
New York Bay. The natural beauty attracted the wealthy, who built country homes along Shore Road, overlooking the water.
The first settlers referred to Fort Hamilton as the
Nyack Tract, after the Native American tribe that lived there.
Fort Hamilton began to develop in the 1830s as a resort destination when the corresponding military fortification was created. The mostly-immigrant laborers in the area started to create a community to the fort's north and west, which included stores, houses, churches, and a school. The community was linked by stagecoach to New Utrecht,
Gowanus, and
downtown Brooklyn, as well as by ferry to
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
and
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
.
In the mid-19th century, a large number of country houses were built in Bay Ridge, especially along Shore Road, which faced the
New York Harbor to the west.
The advent of the telephone allowed estate owners to communicate with their businesses in Manhattan while enjoying their stays at the elegant estates of Bay Ridge.
Through this period
Greek Revival
Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...
,
Italianate
The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...
, and
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...
villas were built on Shore Road; many of these villas were constructed by the descendants of the area's original settlers.
Development in Bay Ridge continued through the 1890s. One of the most prominent organizations in Bay Ridge was the Crescent Athletic Club, a football club built in 1884, which contained a summer clubhouse, boathouse, and playing fields.
By the late 19th century, it was anticipated that a series of parkways would be built across Brooklyn, connecting Bay Ridge to
Eastern Parkway
Eastern Parkway is a major east–west boulevard in the borough (New York City), New York City borough of Brooklyn. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, it was built between 1870 and 1874 and has been credited as the world's fir ...
,
Ocean Parkway, and
Prospect Park. As such, several wide, tree-lined streets were laid through the neighborhood, including 75th Street (now Bay Ridge Parkway);
Fort Hamilton Parkway; and Shore Road.
Rapid development and subway construction
Until the late 19th century, Bay Ridge would remain a relatively isolated rural area,
reached primarily by stagecoaches, then by steam trolleys after 1878.
In 1892, the first electric trolley line was built in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, starting at a ferry terminal at 39th Street and running via Second Avenue to 65th Street, and then via Third Avenue. The
Fifth Avenue Elevated was then extended to
Third Avenue and 65th Street.
This had the effect of raising land prices: one entity, the Bay Ridge Improvement Company, was able to buy land for in 1890, and then sell land off for $1,000 per lot several years later.
Real estate speculation commenced at the beginning of the 20th century. A building boom in South Brooklyn started in about 1902 and 1903, and thousands of people started coming to the area from Manhattan and from other places.
The first definite plans for a
Fourth Avenue subway (today's ) were proposed by Rapid Transit Commission engineer
William Barclay Parsons in 1903,
and two years later, a citizens' committee was created to aid the creation of the subway line.
The announcement of the subway line resulted in the immediate development of row houses in Bay Ridge.
In 1905 and 1906 realty values increased by about 100 percent, and land values increased due to the promise of improved transportation access.
Such was the rate of development, houses were being sold before they were even completed, and land prices could rise significantly just within several hours.
The subway itself faced delays. In 1905, the Rapid Transit Commission adopted the Fourth Avenue route to
Fort Hamilton; following approval by the
Board of Estimate and
mayor of New York City
The mayor of New York City, officially mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The Mayoralty in the United States, mayor's office administers all ...
, the route was approved by the
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.
Bids for construction and operation were let,
but in 1907, the Rapid Transit Commission was succeeded by the Public Service Commission (PSC).
For much of 1908, there were legal disagreements about whether the project could be funded while remaining within the city's
debt limit.
The PSC voted unanimously for the Fourth Avenue subway line in March 1908,
but the Board of Estimate did not approve contracts for the line until October 1909. By then, a non-partisan political body, with the backing of 25,000 South Brooklyn residents, was created that would only support candidates in the municipal election that pledged support for the Fourth Avenue subway.
Groundbreaking for the first section of the subway, between
DeKalb Avenue and 43rd Street took place in 1909.
Not long after the contracts were awarded, the PSC started negotiating with the
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company and the
Interborough Rapid Transit Company
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) was the private operator of New York City's original underground subway line that opened in 1904, as well as earlier elevated railways and additional rapid transit lines in New York City. The IRT ...
in the execution of the
Dual Contracts, which were signed in 1913.
During the Dual System negotiations, the construction of an extension of the Fourth Avenue subway was recommended as part of the Dual System, which was approved in 1912.
Construction began on the sections between 61st–89th Streets and between 43rd–61st Streets in 1913, and was completed two years later.

The line opened to
59th Street on June 21, 1915,
and was extended to
86th Street on January 15, 1916, at which time development started to accelerate. At the time, Bay Ridge extended northward to what is now present-day
Sunset Park. Industrial developments were constructed along the waterfront north of present-day 65th Street, such as Bush Terminal (now
Industry City), and those were considered to be within Bay Ridge. By the 1920s, the number of apartment buildings had increased fivefold, replacing old farms, homesteads and houses.
Schools, churches, stores, movie theaters, and other structures were also created to serve the growing population.
The Fourth Avenue subway was extended further to
Bay Ridge–95th Street in 1925,
by which point Bay Ridge's population had more than doubled since 1900.
By World War II, almost all of these large houses had been replaced with apartment buildings.
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many
Norwegian and
Danish sailors emigrated to Brooklyn, including Bay Ridge and neighboring
Sunset Park; Lapskaus Boulevard, referring to the
salted Norwegian beef stew, is the nickname of
Eighth Avenue in this area.
Staten Island connection and later years

There had been plans to build the
Staten Island Tunnel, a railroad or subway tunnel, from Bay Ridge to
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
as early as 1890.
By the 1910s, there were two proposals to build a tunnel splitting from the Fourth Avenue subway in Bay Ridge, either at Fort Hamilton or at between 65th and 67th Streets.
The plan for the tunnel from 65th-67th Streets was ultimately selected
and work started in 1923, though the project was halted two years later.
In 1927, two years after the cancellation of the Staten Island Tunnel, engineer
David B. Steinman brought up the possibility of constructing a vehicular bridge, the "Liberty Bridge", across the Narrows.
The tunnel proposal was also revived with the announcement of the Liberty Bridge, and proposals for vehicular and rail tunnels were both considered.
The bridge was disapproved by the
United States Department of War
The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, als ...
in 1934,
and plans for a bridge were revived in 1936. By the time the bridge was approved by the city's Board of Estimate in 1943, residents of Bay Ridge had turned against it, citing a detrimental impact to the neighborhood's character.
Robert Moses, the chairman of the
Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), announced the revival of plans for what would become the
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in 1947. U.S. Representative
Donald Lawrence O'Toole, whose constituency included Bay Ridge, opposed the proposal for the bridge in part because he believed it would damage the character of Bay Ridge. The U.S. military approved the proposal anyway,
and in 1957, Moses proposed expanding Brooklyn's
Gowanus Expressway and extending it to the Narrows Bridge by way of Seventh Avenue, which would require cutting through the middle of Bay Ridge. This proposal drew opposition from the community, who wanted the approach to follow the Belt Parkway along the Brooklyn shore. After holding a hearing for concerned Bay Ridge residents, the Board of Estimate affirmed the Narrows Bridge plan in October 1958,
though this angered Bay Ridge residents since the construction of the approach would displace 7,500 people. Also destroyed was
Fort Lafayette, part of New York City's defense system along with
Fort Hamilton and
Fort Wadsworth in
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
; it was replaced by the base of the bridge's east tower. The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opened in 1964.
The
2007 Brooklyn tornado hit this area, specifically 68th Street and Bay Ridge Avenue between Third and Fourth Avenues. Eleven houses had to be vacated after they suffered significant damage, and many of the trees on the two blocks toppled, landing on cars and stoops. The 4th Avenue Presbyterian Church had its very large stained glass window blown out. As the tornado lifted, it peeled the roof of a nearby Nissan dealership and deforested 40% of Leif Ericson Park. The tornado has been rated EF2 on the
Enhanced Fujita scale
The Enhanced Fujita scale (abbreviated EF-Scale) is a scale that rates tornado intensity based on the severity of the damage a tornado causes. It is used in the United States and France, among other countries. The EF scale is also unofficially ...
, with winds between 111 and 135 MPH.
Demographics
Based on data from the
2020 United States Census, the population of Bay Ridge was 111,952, an increase of 32,581 from the 79,371 counted in the
2010 Census, representing an increase of (41.04%) and an increase of 31,413 (39%) from the 80,539 counted in
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
. Covering an area of , the neighborhood had a population density of .
[Table PL-P5 NTA: Total Population and Persons Per Acre - New York City Neighborhood Tabulation Areas*, 2010](_blank)
, Population Division - New York City Department of City Planning, February 2012. Accessed June 16, 2016.
As of the 2010 US Census, the racial makeup of the neighborhood was 60.1%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
(55,976), 19.9%
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
(25,413), 15.4% (23,509)
Asian, 2.3%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
(2,015), 1.9% (3,358) from two or more races, and 0.5% (335) as
other races.
The entirety of Community Board 10 had 142,075 inhabitants as of
NYC Health's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 83.1 years.
This is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods.
The median age is 38, while 20% are between the ages of 0–17, 34% between 25 and 44, and 25% between 45 and 64. The ratio of college-aged and elderly residents was lower, at 7% and 15% respectively.
As of 2020, the median
household income was $105,177. In 2018, an estimated 19% of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights residents lived in poverty, compared to 21% in all of Brooklyn and 20% in all of New York City. One in twelve residents (8%) were unemployed, compared to 9% in the rest of both Brooklyn and New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent, is 49% in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, slightly lower than the citywide and boroughwide rates of 52% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, , Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights are considered to be high-income neighborhoods relative to the rest of the city.
According to the 2020 census data from
New York City Department of City Planning
The Department of City Planning (DCP) is the department of the government of New York City responsible for setting the framework of city's physical and socioeconomic planning. The department is responsible for land use and environmental review, p ...
, Bay Ridge had 40,000 or more White residents, while its Asian and Hispanic populations each had between 10,000 and 19,999 residents.
Climate
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn falls under different climate types depending on the climate classification system used. However, the Köppen climate classification system is the most widely used climate classification scheme.
Community
Bay Ridge is well known for its
Norwegian community. By 1971, the 55,000-strong Norwegian community of Bay Ridge boasted that it was the fourth-largest Norwegian "city" in the world.
Residents also compared Eighth Avenue's string of Norwegian businesses to
Oslo's Karl Johans gate.
The community continues to host the annual
Norwegian Constitution Day Parade, also known as the
Syttende Mai Parade, in which hundreds of people in folk dress proceed down Third Avenue. The celebration ends in
Leif Ericson Park, where "Miss Norway" is crowned near the statue of Leif Ericson. The statue was donated by
Crown Prince Olav,
Prince of Norway, on behalf of the nation of
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...
in 1939. Nordic Delicacies, a Norwegian gifts-and-groceries store, operated until 2015.
, Bay Ridge still maintains a sizable Norwegian population at around 30,000 individuals. Later in the 20th century, like other areas in southern and southwestern Brooklyn, there was an increase in the number of
Irish,
Italian,
Greek,
Russian,
Polish,
Jordanians,
Lebanese,
Syrian,
Egyptian and to a lesser extent
Chinese, people living in Bay Ridge. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Middle Eastern, North African, and
Arab Americans
Arab Americans ( or ) are Americans who trace ancestry to any of the Arab immigration to the United States, various waves of immigrants from the Arabic-speaking countries. In the United States census, Arabs are racially classified as White Amer ...
moved to Bay Ridge, with ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' referring to it as "the heart of Brooklyn's Arab community". The neighborhood also has many
Muslim residents, particularly in its northern area bordering the Sunset Park neighborhood. Bay Ridge is one of the largest Arab-American communities in the United States, and the largest in New York City.
In addition to the large Norwegian, Irish, Italian, and Arab American communities, there are sizable numbers of
Puerto Ricans
Puerto Ricans (), most commonly known as Puerto Rico#Etymology, Boricuas, but also occasionally referred to as '':es:Anexo:Gentilicios de Puerto Rico#Lista general, Borinqueños'', '':es:Anexo:Gentilicios de Puerto Rico#Lista general, Borincan ...
,
Mexicans
Mexicans () are the citizens and nationals of the Mexico, United Mexican States. The Mexican people have varied origins with the most spoken language being Spanish language, Spanish, but many also speak languages from 68 different Languages o ...
, and—to a lesser extent—Central Americans and
Dominicans
Dominicans () also known as Quisqueyans () are an ethnic group, ethno-nationality, national people, a people of shared ancestry and culture, who have ancestral roots in the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican ethnic group was born out of a fusio ...
in Bay Ridge.
Bay Ridge has many ethnic restaurants, especially along Third and Fifth Avenues, its main commercial strips.
Bay Ridge has a large elderly population. It has been called a
naturally occurring retirement community (NORC) as many of its families have grown up in the neighborhood while their children moved away. In 2006, it was reported that 20% of the population of Bay Ridge was 60 years of age or more.
News
Local newspapers include ''The Home Reporter, Sunset News'', ''The Bay Ridge Courier'', and ''Bay Ridge News''. The neighborhood is also often covered by ''
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle''. These newspapers publish other local offshoots: ''The Home Reporter'' also publishes ''The Spectator''; the ''Courier''s parent company also publishes ''The Brooklyn Paper''; and the ''Eagle'' publishes a weekly digest called ''Bay Ridge Life''.
Development
In the 1990s and 2000s, many decades-old two-family houses were demolished and replaced by condominiums known colloquially as "Fedder Homes", after the branded air conditioners poking out from the buildings' facades. In 2005, local community leaders and community activists from across the political spectrum united to issue rezoning laws. The six-story apartment complexes lining Shore Road are among the tallest buildings in the neighborhood.
Landmarks
Points of interest

* 8200 Narrows Avenue House, (commonly referred to as the "Gingerbread House"), designed by James Sarsfield Kennedy in 1917, is a city landmark.
* American Veterans Memorial Pier (commonly referred to as the 69th Street Pier) at Bay Ridge Avenue and Shore Road is the community's key seaside recreation spot. Sports fishermen travel to fish the waters of "The Bay Ridge Anchorage" and along the seawall promenade that runs south from the pier to the
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and east along
Gravesend Bay. The pier features a sculpture that emits a beam of light as a memorial to those who died in the
September 11 terrorist attacks. Commuter ferry service operated between this pier and the
St. George Ferry Terminal in
Staten Island
Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
from 1912 until 1964, the year the Verrazzano Bridge opened. Ferry service to Wall Street and points along the western coast of Brooklyn began in 2017 from the pier as part of NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route.
* Bennet-Farrell-Feldman House, located at 119 95th Street, was built in 1847 and is now an official city landmark.
An accompanying structure, thought to have been used as a barn, couldn't be saved and was demolished. Legend has it the house was turned so that its "widow's walk", a balcony that traditionally faces the sea so women left at home could watch for their husbands' ships, would no longer face
the Narrows.
* Doctors' Row, a series of houses along Bay Ridge Pkwy between Fourth and Fifth Avenues (see )
*
Fort Hamilton, an active military base near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge (see )
* The
Houses at 216–264 Ovington Ave. were listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2007.
*
Owl's Head Park (also known as Bliss Park), in the neighborhood's northwest corner, was previously the private estate of the Bliss Family, for whom nearby Bliss Terrace is named. They sold what remained of the estate to the city in 1928 for $850,000, after
Eliphalet Williams Bliss specified in his will 25 years earlier that he wanted the city to buy the land and convert it into parkland. Before them, a portion of the property was owned by
Henry C. Murphy, a former Mayor of Brooklyn, ambassador, congressman and New York State Senator for whom the nearby Senator Street is named. Remnants of the estate—mansion, stable, observation tower—were still visible into the 1930s and 40s, when they were finally demolished, having been left to fall into disrepair. It is a walking park that has a state of the art skate park, dog run, children's playground and basketball courts; it has the first concrete skatepark built in Brooklyn.
* The
Senator Street Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
* Shore Road Park
New York Road Runners hosts a weekly open run.
* Step streets are public staircases in the middle of a street. As a rule they were placed on hills that were too steep to build a road for cars but still allow access to pedestrians.
* St. John's Episcopal Church was where
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...
served as a vestryman and where his future "right hand",
Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, was baptized. The building no longer hosts services.
Fort Hamilton Army Base
Historic
Fort Hamilton Army Base is located in the southwestern corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, with gates in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, and is one of several posts that are part of the region which is headquartered by the Military District of Washington. Its mission is to provide the New York metropolitan area with military installation support for the Army National Guard and the United States Army Reserve. The base is considered to be part of Bay Ridge. The children stationed at the base are zoned into Bay Ridge schools.
Fort Hamilton houses one of the neighborhood's few cultural attractions, the Harbor Defense Museum.
Doctors' Row
Doctors' Row is a series of
rowhouses located on Bay Ridge Parkway between 4th and 5th Avenues, built in the 1900s and 1910s prior to the opening of the Fourth Avenue subway line. The 54 houses that comprise Doctors' Row, include elements of the
Renaissance Revival architectural style, with some elements in the
Colonial Revival
The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture.
The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened Americans to the arch ...
style.
In 2019 the
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the Government of New York City, New York City agency charged with administering the city's Historic preservation, Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting Ne ...
made Doctors' Row an official city-designated historic district, making it the first such district in the neighborhood.
Police and crime
The
NYPD's 68th Precinct is located at 333 65th Street.
The 68th Precinct ranked 7th safest out of 69 patrol areas for per-capita crime in 2010.
, with a non-fatal assault rate of 23 per 100,000 people, Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights' rate of
violent crime
A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful Force (law), force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violence, vio ...
s per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 168 per 100,000 people is lower than that of the city as a whole.
The 68th Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 88.6% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct reported 2 murders, 16 rapes, 59
robberies, 129
felony
A felony is traditionally considered a crime of high seriousness, whereas a misdemeanor is regarded as less serious. The term "felony" originated from English common law (from the French medieval word "''félonie''") to describe an offense that r ...
assaults, 96
burglaries, 387
grand larcenies, and 86
grand larcenies auto in 2018.
Fire safety
The
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department, officially the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) is the full-service fire department of New York City, serving all Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs. The FDNY is responsible for providing Fi ...
(FDNY) contains two fire stations in Bay Ridge. Engine Co. 241/Ladder Co. 109 is located at 6630 3rd Avenue. Engine Co. 242, serving primarily Fort Hamilton, is located at 9219 5th Avenue.
Health
,
preterm birth
Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the Childbirth, birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks Gestational age (obstetrics), gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 ...
s and births to teenage mothers are less common in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights than in other places citywide. In Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, there were 71 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 11.4 births to teenage mothers per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide).
Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights has a high population of residents who are
uninsured, or who receive healthcare through
Medicaid
Medicaid is a government program in the United States that provides health insurance for adults and children with limited income and resources. The program is partially funded and primarily managed by U.S. state, state governments, which also h ...
.
[New York City Health Provider Partnership Brooklyn Community Needs Assessment: Final Report](_blank)
, New York Academy of Medicine
The New York Academy of Medicine (the Academy) is a health policy and advocacy organization founded in 1847 by a group of leading New York metropolitan area physicians as a voice for the medical profession in medical practice and public health r ...
(October 3, 2014). In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 15%, which is higher than the citywide rate of 12%.
The concentration of
fine particulate matter, the deadliest type of
air pollutant, in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights is , lower than the citywide and boroughwide averages.
Twelve percent of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights residents are
smokers, which is lower the city average of 14% of residents being smokers.
In Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, 28% of residents are
obese, 15% are
diabetic, and 31% have
high blood pressure
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms itself. It is, however, a major ri ...
—compared to the citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively.
In addition, 16% of children are obese, compared to the citywide average of 20%.
Ninety-two percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is slightly higher than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 74% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", lower than the city's average of 78%.
For every supermarket in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, there are 20
bodegas.
The Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights/Bensonhurst area does not have any hospitals after the Victory Memorial Hospital was closed and converted to a nursing home by
Joel Landau in 2010 (now known as the Hamilton Park Nursing and Rehabilitation Center). However, the
Coney Island Hospital,
NYU Langone Hospital – Brooklyn, and
Maimonides Medical Center are located in nearby neighborhoods.
Additionally, the
BRAVO Volunteer Ambulance is run by the Bay Ridge Ambulance Volunteer Organization.
Post offices and ZIP Codes
Bay Ridge is covered mostly by
ZIP Code 11209, though the small portion north of 65th Street is covered by ZIP Code 11220. The
United States Post Office operates the Ovington Station at 6803 4th Avenue and the Fort Hamilton Station at 8801 5th Avenue.
Politics
For many years, Bay Ridge has been a relatively
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
enclave of Brooklyn.
Mike Long, who served as chairman of the
Conservative Party of New York
The Conservative Party of New York State is an List of political parties in the United States, American political party founded in 1962 following conservative dissatisfaction with the New York Republican State Committee, Republican Party in New Y ...
from 1988 to 2019, owned a liquor store and resided in the district. The community is also considered a Republican stronghold. An exception was Democrat
Sal Albanese, who was elected to the neighborhood's City Council seat in 1983, defeating the 21-year incumbent Republican-Conservative Minority Leader Angelo G. Arculeo, and went on to represent the district for 15 years. After the 1990 census, the area was split into two Assembly districts to eliminate a Republican Assembly Seat. The political landscape began to change with population shifts over the 1990s and early 2000s, when the multigenerational
white ethnic population began to die or move from the area.
The community supported the
Democratic Party during many presidential elections. In the 2010s, the neighborhood increasingly supported Democrats, such as City Councilmember
Justin Brannan (elected in 2017). and state senator
Andrew Gounardes (elected in 2018, defeating longtime Republican
Marty Golden).
The neighborhood is part of
New York's 11th congressional district, represented by Republican
Nicole Malliotakis . It is also part of the 26th
State Senate
In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states.
A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...
district, represented by Gounardes, and the 46th, 51st and 64th
State Assembly districts, represented respectively by Republican
Alec Brook-Krasny, Democrat
Marcela Mitaynes and Republican
Michael Tannousis.
Education

Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights have a ratio of college-educated residents similar to the rest of the city's . Forty-six percent of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights residents age 25 and older have a college education or higher, 19% have less than a high school education, and 35% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 40% of Brooklynites and 38% of city residents have a college education or higher.
The percentage of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights students excelling in reading and math has been increasing, with reading achievement rising from 51 percent in 2000 to 52 percent in 2011, and math achievement rising from 49 percent to 71 percent within the same time period.
Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights' rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City's. In Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights, 8% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per
school year
An academic year, or school year, is a period that schools, colleges and universities use to measure the duration of studies for a given educational level. Academic years are often divided into academic terms. Students attend classes and do rel ...
, compared to the citywide average of 20% of students.
Additionally, 82% of high school students in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights graduate on time, higher than the citywide average of 75% of students.
Primary and secondary schools
The
New York City Department of Education operates area public schools. Educational institutions in Bay Ridge include PS 102, PS 170, PS 127, PS 185 (Walter Kassenbrock Elementary School), PS 104 (called the Fort Hamilton School), PS 264 (Bay Ridge Elementary School for the Arts), Lutheran Elementary School, Bay Ridge Catholic Academy (formerly St. Anselm's Roman Catholic School), PS/IS 30 (also known as Mary White Ovington), PS 413 Joanne Seminara School of Law and Medicine, IS 259 (also known as William McKinley Junior High School),
Fort Hamilton High School, and
High School of Telecommunications (originally all-girls
Bay Ridge High School).
There are also parochial or private schools in Bay Ridge. These include Angels Catholic Academy, Bay Ridge Preparatory School,
Poly Prep Country Day School, Visitation Academy, Adelphi Academy,
Fontbonne Hall Academy, St. Patrick Elementary School, D., G. Kaloidis Parochial School, and
Xaverian High School. Fort Hamilton High School, between 83rd and 85th streets, was erected in the 1940s on the grounds of the Crescent Athletic Club, a country club.
Libraries
Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library is the public library system of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is the sixteenth largest public library system in the United States by holding and the seventh by number of visitors. Like the two Brooklyn Publ ...
(BPL) operates two public libraries in the neighborhood. The Bay Ridge Library, located at 7223 Ridge Boulevard at 73rd Street, is the larger of the two. The Bay Ridge Reading Club first organized the library in 1880. It opened on its present site in 1896 and became a BPL branch in 1901. The current two-story facility opened in 1960. In 2004 it received a $2.1 million renovation, including new furniture and shelving, new lighting equipment, a new roof, and 27 additional public access computers.
The Fort Hamilton Library, located at 9424 Fourth Avenue between 94th and 95th Streets, was built as a
Carnegie library in 1906. The current branch's predecessor became a part of the BPL system in 1901 and moved to its current location in 1905. Since then it has gone through numerous renovations. The most recent renovation was completed in March 2011.
Transportation
The area is served by the on the
BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system in New York City serving the New York City boroughs, boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. It is owned by the government of New York City and leased to the New York City Tr ...
between
Bay Ridge Avenue and
95th Street.
Additionally, there are
MTA express bus routes which mainly serve for the commute to Manhattan, but also run during off-peak hours on weekdays. The X27 also runs on weekends. The routes also serve the eastern part of Bay Ridge. Many Bay Ridge commuters opt for the relative comfort and convenience of the express bus, even though it costs more than the subway. Bay Ridge is readily accessible by car, encircled by the
Belt Parkway and
Gowanus Expressway. Local bus routes include .
The freight-only
Bay Ridge Branch connects
car float
A railroad car float or rail barge is a specialised form of Lighter (barge), lighter with railway tracks mounted on its deck used to move rolling stock across water obstacles, or to locations they could not otherwise go. An unpowered barge, it i ...
s to the
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...
.
In June 2017, Bay Ridge became the terminus of
NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route.
Notable people
*
Sal Albanese (born 1949), politician who served as a member of the
New York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs.
The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...
*
Maria Bartiromo (born 1967),
Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
anchor, grew up in Bay Ridge, where her family owned an Italian restaurant
*
Bob Berg (1951-2002), jazz saxophonist
*
Alexis Bittar (born 1968), jewelry designer and CEO
*
Richard Bright (1937-2006), actor
*
Jason Calacanis
Jason McCabe Calacanis (born November 28, 1970) is a podcaster, American Internet entrepreneur, angel investor, and author.
His first company was part of the Dot-com bubble, dot-com era in New York. His second venture, Weblogs, Inc., a publishi ...
(born 1970), technology entrepreneur and founder of Silicon Alley Reporter
*
Ron Chernow
Ronald Chernow (; born March 3, 1949) is an American writer, journalist, and biographer. He has written bestselling historical non-fiction biographies.
Chernow won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize, 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Biography and the 2011 American ...
(born 1949), biographer
*
Chuck Connors (1921-1992), actor of ''
The Rifleman'' fame, grew up on Senator Street between 3rd and 4th Avenues, and attended Adelphi Academy
*
Bill Corbett (born 1960), writer and actor known for his work on the later seasons of ''
Mystery Science Theater 3000''
*
C. C. DeVille (born 1962 as Bruce Anthony Johannesson), guitarist of the 1980s glam band
Poison
A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figurati ...
grew up in Bay Ridge, attending P.S. 102, McKinley JHS, and Fort Hamilton H.S.\
*
Calvert DeForest (1921-2007), actor and comedian (known for his character Larry "Bud" Melman)
*
Chris Distefano (born 1984), comedian from ''
Guy Code'', ''
Girl Code'', ''Bay Ridge Boys'' and ''History Hyenas''
*
Jimmy Fallon
James Thomas Fallon (born September 19, 1974) is an Americans, American comedian, television host, actor, singer, writer, and producer. Best known for his work in television, Fallon's breakthrough came during his tenure as a cast member on the ...
(born 1974), television host, comedian, actor, singer, musician, and producer
*
Joel Gertner (born 1975), professional wrestling TV personality, a graduate of Poly Prep, and current resident of Bay Ridge
*
Robert Ginty (1948-2009) actor who played Lt. T.J. Wiley in TV series ''
Baa Baa Black Sheep''
*
John Gray, creator and writer of the ''
Ghost Whisperer
''Ghost Whisperer'' is an American supernatural television series, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005, to May 21, 2010.
The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon ( Jennifer Love Hewitt), who has the ability to see and communicate w ...
'' TV series
*
Emmett Grogan (1942-1978), novelist and
counterculture
A counterculture is a culture whose values and norms of behavior differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.Eric Donald Hirsch. ''The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy''. Ho ...
icon
*
James Hayden (1953-1983), actor best known for his role in ''
Once Upon a Time in America''
*
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern the ...
(1824-1863),
Confederate General, once stationed at
Fort Hamilton
*
Willard F. Jones (1890-1967),
naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners.
{{Commons category, Architecture by occupation
Design occupations
Occupations
Occupation commonly refers to:
*Occupation (human activity), or job, one's rol ...
, head of
National Safety Council's marine section and Vice President of
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters (oil companies), Seven Sisters oil companies. ...
*
Jackie Kelk (1923-2002), actor
*
Walter Kelleher (?-1970), photographer
*
June Kirby (1928–2022), actress and model
*
Lordz of Brooklyn members Adam "ADM" McLeer and Michael "Mr. Kaves" McLeer – born in and still resides in Bay Ridge
*
Robert E. Lee
Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a general officers in the Confederate States Army, Confederate general during the American Civil War, who was appointed the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate ...
(1807-1870),
Confederate General, once stationed at
Fort Hamilton
*
Nadine Macaluso (born 1967), psychologist and former model
*
Kevin Matthews (born 1983), professional wrestler better known under the ring name "KM" for
Impact Wrestling
*
Allyn Ann McLerie (1926-2018), actress known for ''
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?'', ''
Punky Brewster
''Punky Brewster'' is an American Situation comedy, sitcom television series about a young girl (Soleil Moon Frye) being raised by a foster parent (George Gaynes) in Chicago. The show ran on NBC from September 16, 1984, to March 9, 1986, and ag ...
'' and more.
* Giulia Melucci (born 1966), author of ''I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti'', grew up in Bay Ridge and attended Visitation Academy
*
Daniel J. Murphy (1922-2001),
US Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
Admiral, chief of staff to
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
during his first term as vice president
*
Yannis Pappas, comedian who has appeared in ''Bay Ridge Boys'' and ''History Hyenas''
*
Larry Ray (born 1959), criminal convicted of sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses, sentenced to 60 years in prison
["Who Is Larry Ray? Everything to Know About the Sarah Lawrence Sex Cult Leader,"]
''People''.
*
Pee Wee Reese
Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese (July 23, 1918 – August 14, 1999) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Brooklyn / Los Angeles Dodgers from 1940 to 1958. ...
(1918-1999), shortstop for the
Brooklyn Dodgers who lived in a brick duplex at 9712 Barwell Terrace, off 97th Street.
*
Jerry Rosenberg (born c. 1934), owner of JGE Appliance Stores, and pitchman of various local businesses in the New York Tri-State area throughout the 1970s
*
Lillian Russell (1860-1922), operetta singer and vaudeville actress
*
Hubert Selby Jr. (1928-2004), novelist (''
Last Exit to Brooklyn'', ''
Requiem for a Dream'')
*
Frank Seminara (born 1967), former professional baseball player
*
Brandon Silvestry (born 1979),
professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Low Ki.
*
Duke Snider (1926-2011),
Brooklyn Dodger, rented 178 Marine Avenue during the baseball season
*
Gilbert Sorrentino (1929-2006), novelist, poet, and editor
*
Janet Yellen (born 1946), current
United States Secretary of the Treasury
The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
and former
Chair of the Federal Reserve
The chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System is the head of the Federal Reserve, and is the active executive officer of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The chairman p ...
, attended Fort Hamilton High School and lived on Ridge Boulevard
*
Henny Youngman (1906-1998), comedian
In popular culture
Books
* ''Between Two Moons'',
Aisha Abdel Gawad's debut novel, is set in the Arab immigrant community of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, during the month of Ramadan.
* Two of
Lawrence Block's
Matthew Scudder novels, ''
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes'' and ''
A Walk Among the Tombstones'', are partially set in Bay Ridge.
* Kenneth H. Brown's ''The Narrows'' (1970) is set in Bay Ridge during the 1950s.
* The
Fort Hamilton army base is the setting for most of
Nelson DeMille's novel ''
Word of Honor'' (1985).
* Tom McDonough's novel ''Virgin with Child'' is set in Bay Ridge.
* Several short stories by
Hubert Selby, Jr. are set in the neighborhood, including "Liebesnacht" and "Double Feature". Some of his novels are also set in the neighborhood or nearby, like ''
Last Exit to Brooklyn'' and ''The Demon.''
* Several novels by
Gilbert Sorrentino are set in the neighborhood, including ''Steelwork,'' ''Red the Fiend,'' ''Crystal Vision,'' ''A Strange Commonplace,'' ''Little Casino,'' and ''The Abyss of Human Illusion.''
Films
* The movie ''
Saturday Night Fever'' (1977) was set in Bay Ridge as well as
Sunset Park and
Bensonhurst
* The film ''
White Irish Drinkers'' (2010), directed by
John Gray, is set in Bay Ridge
Television shows
* NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan (
Tom Selleck) on CBS-TV's ''
Blue Bloods'' lives in Bay Ridge; his home at 8070 Harbor View Terrace, near Fort Hamilton High School, is seen in each episode
* The 2012 reality series ''
Brooklyn 11223'' was set in Bay Ridge
*
Peggy Olson, the Norwegian-American copywriter on AMC's ''
Mad Men'', is from Bay Ridge.
In the second episode of Season One, she declared, "I'm from Bay Ridge. We have manners."
References
Notes
Citations
External links
*
Further reading
* Rygg, Andreas Nilsen. ''Norwegians in New York, 1825–1925'' (Brooklyn, New York: Norwegian News Co. 1941)
{{Authority control
Neighborhoods in Brooklyn
Populated coastal places in New York (state)
Irish-American neighborhoods
Greektowns in the United States