Bay Ridge, Brooklyn

Bay Ridge is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bordered 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.

Long ago, Bay Ridge was part of a town called New Utrecht. In the mid-1800s, Bay Ridge became a quiet summer spot for people to relax. When the New York City Subway arrived in 1916, more families began to live there year-round.

Today, Bay Ridge is famous for its strong Norwegian community, but many families from Irish, Italian, Arab, and Greek backgrounds also call it home. Smaller groups of Chinese, Russian, and Eastern Europeans live there too. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community District 10. It is watched over by the 68th Precinct of the New York City Police Department and is represented in government by the 47th District of the New York City Council.

History

Early settlements

South Brooklyn was first home to the Canarsee Indians, part of the Lenape people. They farmed and hunted and had a main village named Nyack. They used paths crossing Brooklyn, including one from Fulton Ferry along the East River to Gowanus Creek, Sunset Park, and Bay Ridge.

European settlers arrived in 1636. Dutch settlers came in the 1640s, and the Canarsee left by the 1700s. Present-day Bay Ridge was part of New Utrecht, founded by the Dutch in 1657. It had two villages: Yellow Hook to the north and Fort Hamilton to the south.

Yellow Hook stayed farmland until the 1840s. In 1848, Third Avenue was widened. In 1850, artists created Ovington Village. In 1853, Yellow Hook changed its name to Bay Ridge. Wealthy people built homes along Shore Road.

Fort Hamilton grew as a resort in the 1830s. It connected to other areas by stagecoach and ferry.

In the mid-1800s, many large homes were built along Shore Road facing New York Harbor. The telephone let owners stay connected to their businesses. Development continued into the 1890s.

Rapid development and subway construction

Until the late 1800s, Bay Ridge was quiet and reached by stagecoaches. In 1892, Brooklyn's first electric trolley line started.

This raised land prices. Real estate boomed around 1902 and 1903, with thousands moving from Manhattan. Plans for a subway were first proposed in 1903.

Construction faced delays. The subway opened in 1915, and growth sped up. Industry grew along the waterfront. By the 1920s, apartment buildings replaced old farms. Schools, churches, stores, and movie theaters were built. The subway reached Bay Ridge in 1925.

In the 1800s and early 1900s, many Norwegian and Danish sailors moved to Brooklyn, including Bay Ridge. Eighth Avenue is nicknamed Lapskaus Boulevard.

Staten Island connection and later years

Plans for a Staten Island Tunnel from Bay Ridge date back to 1890.

In 2007, a tornado hit Bay Ridge, damaging some houses and trees. It was rated EF2 with strong winds.

Demographics

Bay Ridge is a part of Brooklyn, New York City. In 2020, about 111,952 people lived there. This is more than in 2010, when around 79,371 people lived in the area.

People in Bay Ridge come from many backgrounds. Most are White, but there are also many Hispanic, Asian, and Black people living there. The area covers about 1,571.96 acres, and about 50.5 people live on each acre.

In 2018, the average life expectancy for people living in this area was 83.1 years, which is a bit longer than the rest of New York City. The median age is 38 years old. Many people between the ages of 25 and 44 live there.

In 2020, the average household income was $105,177. About 19% of people in Bay Ridge and nearby areas lived in poverty, which is a bit less than in all of Brooklyn and New York City.

Climate

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn has different climate types, depending on the system used to classify it. The most common system is called the Köppen climate classification.

Community

Bay Ridge is famous for its strong Norwegian community. By 1971, many Norwegians lived there, making it one of the largest Norwegian communities outside of Norway. People often compared the Norwegian shops along Eighth Avenue to a famous street in Oslo. Every year, the neighborhood holds a big parade for the Norwegian Constitution Day, also called the Syttende Mai Parade. People dress in traditional clothes and walk down Third Avenue to Leif Ericson Park.

Today, Bay Ridge still has Norwegians, along with many people from Sweden and Denmark. Over time, the neighborhood has also become home to many Irish, Italian, Greek, Russian, Polish, Jordanian, Lebanese, Syrian, and Egyptian families. It is now known as a key area for Arab Americans in New York City, with many Muslim residents living especially near Sunset Park. You can find many restaurants from different cultures along Third and Fifth Avenues.

The neighborhood also has many older residents. Local newspapers such as The Home Reporter, Sunset News, The Bay Ridge Courier, and Bay Ridge News keep the community informed. In recent years, some older houses were replaced with taller apartment buildings.

Landmarks

Points of interest

• The 8200 Narrows Avenue House, often called the "Gingerbread House", was built in 1917 and is a special city landmark.
• The American Veterans Memorial Pier, also known as the 69th Street Pier, is a popular place for people to enjoy the water. Fishermen come here to fish, and the pier has a special light to remember those who died during the September 11 terrorist attacks. Ferries used to run from here to Staten Island until the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge opened.
• The Bennet-Farrell-Feldman House at 119 95th Street was built in 1847 and is now a city landmark.
• Doctors' Row is a group of houses along Bay Ridge Parkway between Fourth and Fifth Avenues (see § Doctors' Row).
• Fort Hamilton, an active military base near the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge, is close by (see § Fort Hamilton Army Base).
• The Houses at 216–264 Ovington Ave. were added to a special list of important places in 2007.
• Owl's Head Park, also called Bliss Park, is a big park with a skate park, a place for dogs, a playground, and basketball courts.
• The Senator Street Historic District was added to the list of important places in 2002.
• Shore Road Park is where people meet for a weekly run.
• Step streets are special stairs built where the hills are too steep for cars.
• St. John's Episcopal Church was once attended by important historical figures.

Fort Hamilton Army Base

The historic Fort Hamilton Army Base is in the southwest part of Brooklyn, with entrances in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. It helps support the Army National Guard and Army Reserve in the New York area. Children living on the base go to Bay Ridge schools.

The base has a special place called the Harbor Defense Museum.

Doctors' Row

Doctors' Row is a group of houses on Bay Ridge Parkway between 4th and 5th Avenues, built in the early 1900s. These 54 houses show a mix of architectural styles and became an official historic district in 2019, the first in the neighborhood.

Police and crime

The NYPD’s 68th Precinct is at 333 65th Street. In 2010, it was one of the safer areas in New York City. Since the 1990s, crime in the area has gone down a lot. By 2018, the area felt much safer than before.

Fire safety

The New York City Fire Department has two fire stations in Bay Ridge. One station, Engine Co. 241/Ladder Co. 109, is at 6630 3rd Avenue. Another station, Engine Co. 242, is at 9219 5th Avenue.

Health

In 2018, Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights had fewer babies born too early and fewer babies born to teenage mothers than the rest of the city. The area also had more people who did not have insurance or used Medicaid for healthcare.

The air in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights had less harmful particles than the city average. Fewer people smoked here than in the city overall. The rates of health problems like obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure were also different from the city averages. Most people in the area ate fruits and vegetables every day, and many said their health was good or better.

There are no hospitals in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights anymore, but new emergency services have opened recently. Hospitals in nearby areas are close by for anyone who needs them.

Post offices and ZIP Codes

Bay Ridge is mostly in ZIP Code 11209. The small part north of 65th Street uses ZIP Code 11220. The United States Post Office has two stations there: Ovington Station at 6803 4th Avenue and Fort Hamilton Station at 8801 5th Avenue.

Politics

Bay Ridge has often had conservative views within Brooklyn. A leader of the Conservative Party of New York lived there and ran a liquor store. The area also supported the Republican Party, but one Democrat, Sal Albanese, was elected to the City Council in 1983 and served for 15 years.

In the 2010s, Bay Ridge began to support more Democratic leaders, including several City Council members and a state senator. Today, the neighborhood is part of New York's 11th congressional district, the 26th State Senate district, and several State Assembly districts, represented by members from both political parties.

Education

Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights have many people who have gone to college, like the rest of New York City. About 46% of adults here finished college, which is a little more than the city’s average. Students in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights are doing better in school, with more passing reading and math tests.

Most students in Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights go to school regularly, and many high school students finish on time. The New York City Department of Education runs the public schools here, including PS 102, PS 170, and Fort Hamilton High School, among others. There are also private schools, such as Poly Prep Country Day School and Fontbonne Hall Academy.

The Brooklyn Public Library has two branches in Bay Ridge. The Bay Ridge Library opened in 1896 and was renovated in 2004. The Fort Hamilton Library, built in 1906, is another local branch that has been updated many times.

Transportation

The area has the R train on the BMT Fourth Avenue Line of the New York City Subway between Bay Ridge Avenue and 95th Street.

There are also MTA express bus routes X27, X37 that mainly help people travel to Manhattan. The X27 also runs on weekends. The routes X28, X38 serve the eastern part of Bay Ridge. Many people choose the express bus for its comfort, even though it costs more than the subway. Bay Ridge is easy to reach by car, surrounded by the Belt Parkway and Gowanus Expressway. Local bus routes include B1, B4, B8, B9, B16, B37, B63, B64, B70, S53, S79 SBS, S93.

The freight-only Bay Ridge Branch links car floats to the Long Island Rail Road. Plans are for the Interborough Express to be a light metro line running along the Bay Ridge Branch, ending at Brooklyn Army Terminal to the west and going to Queens in the east.

In June 2017, Bay Ridge became the end point of NYC Ferry's South Brooklyn route. In 2025, NYC Ferry's St. George route started serving Bay Ridge.

Notable people

Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, has been home to many famous people. Some well-known individuals include Sal Albanese, a politician who served on the New York City Council, and Maria Bartiromo, a Fox News anchor. Other famous people are Bob Berg, a jazz musician, and Jimmy Fallon, a television host and comedian. The neighborhood was also home to Chuck Connors, an actor, and Pee Wee Reese, a baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Many more successful people have lived in or come from Bay Ridge.

In popular culture

Books

Some books are set in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Between Two Moons by Aisha Abdel Gawad is one of these books. Two books by Lawrence Block with the character Matthew Scudder take place there. The Fort Hamilton army base is where much of Nelson DeMille’s Word of Honor happens. Other books set in Bay Ridge include Tom McDonough’s Virgin with Child and stories by Hubert Selby, Jr. Gilbert Sorrentino also set several of his novels in Bay Ridge.

Films

The movie Saturday Night Fever (1977) is set in Bay Ridge. Another film, White Irish Drinkers (2010), is also set there.

Television shows

A character named NYPD Commissioner Frank Reagan, played by Tom Selleck, lives in Bay Ridge on the TV show Blue Bloods. A reality TV series called Brooklyn 11223 was set in Bay Ridge. Peggy Olson, a character on Mad Men, is from Bay Ridge.