Brooklyn is the largest of the 5 boroughs of New York City, covering over 71 square miles (81.8 square miles including outlying parkland). It is also the most populous, with the latest census numbering over 2 million 475 thousand residents. If Brooklyn were an independent city, it would be the 4th largest in the United States. Brooklyn has over 3,800 acres of parkland in major parks (over 10 acres each), and over 65 miles of coastline, including 7 miles of sandy beaches. Getting around Brooklyn is easy, thanks to 67 bus lines, 15 subway lines, several ferry routes, and over 1600 miles of roadways.
Aside from being the largest, Brooklyn also holds a few records of being the first. In 1646, the Village of Breuckelen was granted its charter by the Dutch West India Company. The Village of Breckelen became the Town of Brooklyn, the first municipality in what is now New York State. (The town of Nieuw Amsterdam, future Manhattan, was incorporated in 1653, almost 7 years later.) In 1683, English colonists established the county/town system, under which Brooklyn became the first town in Kings County. During the next two centuries, the original Town of Brooklyn grew and absorbed nearby municipalities. In 1854, the City of Williamsburgh and the Town of Bushwick were annexed, followed by the Town of New Lots in 1886. The Towns of Flatbush, Gravesend, and New Utrecht were consolidated into Brooklyn in 1894. Finally, in 1896, the City of Brooklyn formally annexed the Town of Flatlands and completely filled the boundaries of Kings County. Two years later, Brooklyn was incorporated as a borough of New York City, itself the first state capital of the United States.
The Battle of Brooklyn in 1776 was the first military conflict in the Revolutionary War following the Declaration of Independence. Shortly after the war, the first U.S. Census was taken in Kings County (the results were: 3,017 white residents and 1,478 residents of African descent, making a total population of 4,495). Another important historical landmark belongs to the Town of Gravesend, for having the first town charter in the New World issued to a woman (founder Lady Deborah Moody).
The Brooklyn Children’s Museum, established in 1899, was the world’s first museum for children. The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP), established in 1858, was baseball’s first centralized organization, representing (among others) Brooklyn’s 71 baseball teams. The Brooklyn Dodgers (organized in 1883) signed Jackie Robinson in 1947, the first African-American to play in the major leagues. The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge connected all 5 boroughs by road for the first time. Brooklyn Heights was the first landmarked historic district in New York City, commissioned in 1966.
Brooklyn’s economy is diverse and thriving. Over 33,000 businesses are located here, and over 100,000 individuals are engaged in sole proprietorships. Almost ½ million Brooklyn residents are employed by businesses located in the borough. Industrial parks in Williamsburg, Sunset Park, Gowanus, and other areas provide the space, infrastructure, and affordable rent for medium-sized and large businesses. Innovative rezoning of underused locations brings in major retail stores and mixed-use developments. Brooklyn is a great place for entrepreneurs as well, with a huge population, plentiful space, and a variety of neighborhoods and lifestyles.
Between 1993 and 2003, crime rate in Brooklyn dropped by over 64 percent. Motor-vehicle theft in particular was reduced by 75 percent. Overall, Brooklyn has a crime rate that’s 10% lower than the rest of New York City, and it’s expected to become even better, with radical efforts by law enforcement, as well as the borough’s continued economic and social improvements. Along with great crime statistics, Brooklyn’s fire departments boast some of the best response times in New York City, averaging about 30 seconds faster than Manhattan and about 24 seconds faster than the citywide rating.
Brooklyn is also called “City of Parks”, and with good reason. Over a dozen major parks are located here, as well as a multitude of smaller parks, playgrounds, squares, and “green streets”. The centerpiece of Brooklyn’s park system is the 526-acre Prospect Park. The park features the largest meadow in any U.S. park (the 90-acre Long Meadow), Brooklyn’s only lake, a 146-acre forest called “The Ravine”, the Prospect Park Zoo, seven baseball fields, a band shell and concert meadow, and many other amenities.
Grand Army Plaza, the main entrance to the park, is the largest traffic circle in Brooklyn, curving around the Soldiers And Sailors’ Arch, Brooklyn’s answer to the Arc De Triomphe in Paris. The plaza also features several water fountains, and also serves as the entrance to the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. The Library, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden share the same parcel of land with the Mount Prospect Park, the second-highest point in Brooklyn. A few blocks away, the Green-Wood Cemetery is a 478-acre pastoral paradise with great harbor views. The highest point in Brooklyn, Battle Hill, is located on cemetery grounds, which feature over 20 miles of hiking trails, rolling hills, and picturesque lakes.
Brooklyn Downtown is home to several historic parks. The oldest park in the borough, Vinegar Hill’s Commodore Barry Park, was acquired in 1836. Nearby 30-acre Fort Greene Park, dedicated in 1847, is famous for its 145-foot-tall Prison Ships Martyrs’ Monument (tallest freestanding Ionic column in the world), as well as being the oldest park in the Town of Brooklyn (after incorporation). In Brooklyn Heights, Cadman Plaza Park (founded 1935), features 10 acres of parkland, amenities, and a massive memorial to Brooklynites who served in World War II. Williamsburg and Greenpoint residents enjoy the 35.7-acre expanse of McCarren Park, with sports fields, community events, and summertime concerts and parties. Other notable parks are the Red Hook Recreational Area and Sunset Park.
South Brooklyn’s major parks include the Dyker Beach Park (Bay Ridge/Dyker Heights, 216 acres), Bensonhurst Park (Bensonhurst, 17.5 acres), Calvert Vaux/Dreier Offerman Park (Gravesend, 73 acres), Asser Levy Park & Aquarium (Coney Island, 22.4 acres), Manhattan Beach Park (Manhattan Beach, 40 acres), Marine Park (Sheepshead Bay/Gerritsen Beach, 798 acres), the gigantic Floyd Bennett Field at the south-east tip of Brooklyn, and the Fort Tilden / Jacob Riis Park complex in the Rockaways, right across the channel.
Brooklyn’s cultural scene has something for everyone, with 30 museums, 60 branches of the Brooklyn Public Library, and numerous special events. Thousands of art studios and hundreds of exhibition galleries showcase the talents of local artists. The opera houses and concert halls of Downtown Brooklyn offer a selection of performances ranging from the classical to the avant-garde. Summer concerts, outdoor movie shows, and many other events in parks throughout the city draw thousands of residents and visitors. Whether your idea of a “great time” is an evening at the opera, or a punk-rock concert at an underground bar, a summer concert in the park, or an exciting art show, Brooklyn has it all!
Brooklyn is home to over 60 colleges, as well as thousands of historic schools and famous institutions. The century-old Brooklyn Law School has produced over 16,000 prominent members of the bench and bar. Polytechnic University’s alumni are responsible for thousands of innovations, from lasers to light beer and lock systems for the Panama Canal. The Brooklyn Campus of the Long Island University numbers over 11,000 students from around the world. The Pratt Institute is one of the country’s leading art schools, and St. Joseph’s College offers a spectacular liberal arts education, with over 20 undergraduate majors, pre-professional, and certificate programs. These are just a few samples of the world-famous, historic colleges that call Brooklyn home.
