A Dutch Farmer in the Wrong Neighborhood: How Gerritsen Beach Got Its Name
This water-bound, blue-collar southern enclave is defined by its unique combination of modest, detached homes (some with definitively un-Brooklyn porches), dry docks, alphabetical streets, and Brooklyn's only remaining volunteer fire department.
A Lack of Hills and a British Observation: How Flatlands Got Its Name
West of Canarsie and east of Midwood is Flatlands, a neighborhood crosshatched by Utica and Flatbush avenues.
An Aspirational Waterfront Community: How Manhattan Beach Got Its Name
Quite far from the island of Manhattan, Manhattan Beach is located in Brooklyn's southernmost reaches, at the eastern edge of the peninsula it shares with Brighton Beach, Coney Island and Sea Gate.
Ponkiesbergh’s Pavement: How Cobble Hill Got Its Name
Cobble Hill is one of Brooklyn’s smaller, quainter enclaves, but it's packed with history. The area’s stunning collection of well-preserved 19th-century homes won it a historic district designation, and its quintessential brownstone-belt vibe has won it a reputation as one of Brooklyn's most desirable residential areas.
Mother England and the Amusement Park: How Bath Beach Got Its Name
This remote corner of Brooklyn is isolated at the water's edge, a blip off the Belt Parkway on the borough's southwestern shore. Bath Beach's title, however, originates from a far more lively time for the nabe.
An Erie Canal Enthusiast: How Clinton Hill Got Its Name
The wee Clinton Hill neighborhood is sandwiched between Bed Stuy and Fort Greene. Here's how the neighborhood got its name.
A Slope Toward the Sky: How Sunset Park Got Its Name
Sunset Park has gone from an industrial hub to a desolate wasteland — and it's once again home to booming industry and manufacturing. All the while, its stunning view of the sky at sunset has never changed.
The Business Hub That Never Was: How East New York Got Its Name
East New York is a largely residential nabe that's the current subject of a controversial rezoning — but it was once intended to be a metropolitan hub, like a Manhattan in Brooklyn.
A Senator From Maryland: How Carroll Gardens Got Its Name
Known for its Italian and French communities and an abundance of young families, Carroll Gardens was once lumped into the larger nabe of "South Brooklyn."
Only the Post Office Remembers: How Borough Park Got Its Name
Borough Park once bore the name Blythebourne, but today only a single post office still bares that title.
