Water stagnation or still water occurs when water stops flowing for a long period of time. Stagnant water can be a significant environmental hazard .
109-542: Bushwick Inlet Park is a public park in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn , New York City . The park currently consists of two non-contiguous sections along the East River and is eventually planned to reach into Greenpoint at Quay Street. The park is named for the nearby Bushwick Inlet, which it is planned to encompass upon completion. Bushwick Inlet was originally at the mouth of Bushwick Creek, which
218-412: A branch on Graham Avenue. In addition, Southside United HDFC is a charity organization that helps residents with housing needs and other services, including mobilizing housing activists and residents, as well as providing affordable housing. The Moore Street Market , often referred to as La Marqueta de Williamsburg, is located at 110 Moore Street. In addition, there have been several cultural events. In
327-402: A citizen, and a fight started. Immediately, eight or ten deputies began freely using clubs on a group of "about one hundred Irishmen", resulting in a half-hour general fight and many injuries. Prior to the corporatization of Williamsburg in the new millenium, the district often saw tension between its Hasidic population and its black and Hispanic groups. In response to decades of rising crime in
436-626: A city landmark on June 24, 2003. The 23.3-acre (9.4 ha) site, consisting of twenty 4-story buildings, was designed by William Lescaze , and was the first large-scale public housing in Brooklyn. It was completed in 1938, and is operated by the New York City Housing Authority . In 2007, three buildings of the Domino Sugar Refinery were also designated New York City Landmarks. The original refinery
545-608: A community center building, which also houses administrative offices. The administrative offices occupy the northern section of the building, facing the East River to the west, while the community center occupies the southern section, facing Kent Avenue to the east. The community center is operated by the Open Space Alliance, a nonprofit organization. Both facilities are on the former site of a parking lot for car rentals . A 1.89-acre (0.76 ha) northern section of
654-691: A continuous 2-mile (3.2 km) string of waterfront esplanades . Although a slow growth economic revival was already underway and was bringing back family owned local businesses, local elected officials touted the rezoning as an economically beneficial way to address the decline of manufacturing along the North Brooklyn waterfront. The storefronts and vacant warehouses in Williamsburg were already being adapted into creative clubs like The Green Room, El Sensorium, Fake Shop, Mustard, The AlulA Dimension and Galapagos Art Space. The rezoning represented
763-496: A design by architect Cass Gilbert , was placed on the NRHP in 2007. Originally also a city landmark, the designation was later rescinded. The warehouse was converted to apartments in the 2010s. The German Evangelical Lutheran St. John's Church was built in 1883 and made a NRHP landmark in 2019. Public School 71K , built in 1888–1889 to designs by James W. Naughton , was made a NRHP landmark in 1982, though it no longer serves as
872-695: A dividing line) is an area known as "Los Sures", occupied by Puerto Ricans and Dominicans . To the north of that is the "North Side", traditionally Polish and Italian. East Williamsburg is home to many industrial spaces, and forms the largely Italian American , African American , and Hispanic area between Williamsburg and Bushwick. South Williamsburg, the South Side, the North Side, Greenpoint, and East Williamsburg all form Brooklyn Community Board 1 . Its proximity to Manhattan has made it popular with recently arrived residents who are often referred to under
981-474: A dramatic shift of approach from an emphasis on a creative, locally based economy in the 1990s to one largely dominated by corporations. The waterfront neighborhoods, once characterized by active manufacturing and other light industry interspersed with smaller residential buildings, were re-zoned primarily for residential high rise construction. Alongside the construction of high rises, many warehouses which served as centers for creative community-building events like
1090-510: A number of celebrities. Officials championing the rezoning cited its economic benefits, the new waterfront promenades, and its inclusionary housing component – which offered developers large tax breaks in exchange for promises to rent about a third of the new housing units at "affordable" rates. Critics countered that similar set-asides for affordable housing have gone unfulfilled in previous large-scale developments, such as Battery Park City . The New York Times reported this proved to be
1199-490: A number of invasive or non-native plants, which support the local wildlife. At least one group has also proposed adding a sanctuary for feral cats within the park. As part of the original plan for Bushwick Inlet Park, there would have been a lookout boardwalk along the shore of Bushwick Inlet. East River State Park, which is separately administered by the New York state government, is directly south of Bushwick Inlet Park, on
SECTION 10
#17327907896851308-566: A park, was brought forward in 1896. By then, the creek was being used as an outflow point for the surrounding area's sewage system. Property owners initially objected to the sewer because they would have to pay for it, even though the stench from Bushwick Creek's standing water permeated nearby properties. Covering the creek was seen as a way to mitigate these smells. Part of Bushwick Creek was filled in soon afterward. The wetlands of Franklin Street and Kent Avenue were gradually infilled beginning in
1417-610: A plan approved by the administration of Mayor Michael Bloomberg . As a condition of the rezoning plan, the city promised to build a 28-acre (11 ha) public park around Bushwick Inlet, to be operated by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation . This would be part of a combined system of waterfront parks in the two neighborhoods, with a total combined area of 54 acres (22 ha). The park would cost of $ 80 to $ 90 million. A shoreline esplanade between Newtown Creek and East River State Park would pass through
1526-491: A public school. The United States Post Office , built in 1936 by Louis A. Simon , was landmarked in 1988. The subdivisions within Williamsburg vary widely. "South Williamsburg" refers to the area which today is occupied mainly by the Yiddish-speaking Hasidim (predominantly Satmar Hasidim ) and a considerable Puerto Rican population. North of this area (with Division Street or Broadway serving as
1635-635: A route to smuggle alcohol. By the early 2000s, there were plans to develop the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfront. However, the city also required more electricity at the time, and a 1,100 megawatts (1,500,000 hp) power plant was being proposed for the Bayside Oil site. At the same time, the Greenpoint Monitor Museum was looking for funding to build a park and museum commemorating the USS Monitor . The museum would be at
1744-674: Is Bushwick (some of which is now called East Williamsburg ). In 1855, the City of Williamsburg , along with the adjoining Town of Bushwick, was annexed into the City of Brooklyn as the so-called Eastern District. The First Ward of Williamsburg became Brooklyn's 13th Ward, the Second Ward Brooklyn's 14th Ward, and the Third Ward Brooklyn's 15th and 16th Wards. During its period as part of Brooklyn's Eastern District,
1853-491: Is covered by a green roof that is accessible to the public. The roof slopes down to ground level on the western side of the building, facing the East River. A meandering path up the grassy slope serves a series of activity areas, and the top of the building contains a shaded overlook. When it opened in 2013, the building had the highest percentage of on-site solar energy generation, green roof irrigation entirely from rainfall and reclaimed water , and zero stormwater discharge to
1962-563: Is known as the "Avenue of Puerto Rico". Havemeyer Street is lined with Hispanic-owned bodegas and barber shops. However, even though the Southside has the highest concentration of Hispanics in the neighborhood, this population is dispersed throughout all of Williamsburg, as far north as the Williamsburg- Greenpoint border. The Latino community has several cultural institutions in Williamsburg. The Caribbean Social Club,
2071-470: Is named after him. In 1851, the municipality became the City of Williamsburgh (it would discard the "h" in 1855), which was organized into three wards . The old First Ward roughly coincides with the South Side, and the Second Ward with the North Side, with the modern boundary at Grand Street . The Third Ward was to the east of these, stretching from Union Avenue east to Bushwick Avenue, beyond which
2180-562: Is part of Brooklyn Community District 1 , and its primary ZIP Codes are 11206, 11211 and 11249. It is patrolled by the 90th and 94th Precincts of the New York City Police Department . Politically, it is represented by the New York City Council's 33rd District, which represents the western and southern parts of the neighborhood, and the 34th District, which represents the eastern part. As of
2289-459: Is part of a planned shoreline park area along Greenpoint and Williamsburg's industrial riverfront, which would stretch continuously from Newtown Creek to East River State Park at North Seventh Street. A 3.5-acre (1.4 ha) section of Bushwick Inlet Park between North 9th and North 10th Streets is open to the public. This section contains playing fields for soccer and American football , as well as playground and restrooms. The park also contains
SECTION 20
#17327907896852398-530: Is the area south of Grand Street, there exists a sizable Puerto Rican and Dominican population. Puerto Ricans have been coming to the area since the 1940s and the 1950s, and Dominicans came in the 1970s and 1980s. Many Puerto Ricans flocked to the area after World War II , due to the proximity to jobs at the Brooklyn Navy Yard . The neighborhood continues to have 27% Hispanic or Latino population, and Graham Avenue, between Grand Street and Broadway,
2507-711: The 2020 United States census , the neighborhood's population is 151,308. In 1638, the Dutch West India Company purchased the area's land from the Lenape Native Americans who occupied the area. In 1661, the company chartered the Town of Boswijck , including land that would later become Williamsburg. After the English takeover of New Netherland in 1664, the town's name was anglicized to Bushwick . During colonial times, villagers called
2616-666: The Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh one block west (chartered 1864, now known as the DIME, has remained independent). The area around the Peter Luger Steak House , established in 1887, in the predominantly German neighborhood under the Williamsburg Bridge, was a major banking hub, until the City of Brooklyn united with the City of Greater New York . One of the early high schools in Brooklyn,
2725-657: The Eastern District High School , opened here in February 1900. In 1898, Brooklyn became one of five boroughs within the City of Greater New York, and the Williamsburg neighborhood was opened to closer connections with the rest of the newly consolidated city. Five years later, the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1903 further opened up the community to thousands of upwardly mobile immigrants and second-generation Americans fleeing
2834-562: The Gowanus Canal gasworks. The 1970s energy crisis led the company to build a syngas factory. Late in the century, facilities were built to import liquefied natural gas from overseas. The intersection of Broadway , Flushing Avenue , and Graham Avenue was a cross-roads for many " inter-urbans ", prior to World War I. These light rail trolleys ran from Long Island to Williamsburg. Refugees from war-torn Europe began to stream into Brooklyn during and after World War II , including
2943-667: The Hasidim , whose populations had been devastated in the Holocaust . The area south of Division Avenue became home to a large population of adherents to the Satmar Hasidic sect, who came to the area from Hungary and Romania . Hispanics from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic also began to settle in the area. But the population explosion was eventually confronted with a decline of heavy industry, and from
3052-496: The New York City Council passed a large-scale rezoning of the North Side and Greenpoint waterfront. Billions of dollars in tax abatements were also provided to developers. Much of the waterfront district was rezoned to accommodate mixed-use high density residential buildings with a set-aside (but no earmarked funding) for public waterfront park space, with strict building guidelines calling for developers to create
3161-424: The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation , includes features intended to be environmentally sustainable, such as a sloping green roof , solar panels , and geothermal heating . In 2022, an elevated lawn opened on the site of a former pop-up park between North 11th and North 12th Streets. Bushwick Inlet Park was named after the inlet of the same name, which stretches 1,000 feet (300 m) southeast of
3270-593: The blanket term " hipster ". Bedford Avenue and its subway station , as the first stop in the neighborhood on the BMT Canarsie Line (on the L train), have become synonymous with this new wave of residents. Williamsburg is inhabited by thousands of Hasidic Jews of various groups, and contains the headquarters of one faction of the Satmar Hasidic group . Williamsburg's Satmar population numbers about 57,000. Hasidic Jews first moved to
3379-455: The rebbes of Satmar , Klausenberg , Vien , Pupa , Tzehlem, and Skver . In addition, Williamsburg contained sizable numbers of religious, but non-Hasidic, Jews. The Rebbe of Satmar, Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum , ultimately exerted the most powerful influence over the community, causing many of the non-Satmars, especially the non-Hasidim, to leave. Teitelbaum was known for his fierce anti-Zionism and for his charismatic style of leadership. In
Bushwick Inlet Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
3488-410: The 1960s, Williamsburg saw a marked increase in unemployment, crime, gang activity, and illegal drug use. Those who were able to move out often did, and the area became chiefly known for its crime and other social ills. On February 3, 1971, at 10:42 pm, police officer Frank Serpico was shot during a drug bust, during a stakeout at 778 Driggs Avenue. Serpico had been one of the driving forces in
3597-477: The 1990s. In the 21st century, the city provided zoning changes and tax abatements to corporate developers which shifted the area from a creative, slow growth revival to an economy that was dominated by high rises and chain stores. Despite the rise in the cost of living that followed, and the loss of the original creative community that had rejuvenated the district, a new contemporary art scene and vibrant nightlife emerged that catered to new residents. However,
3706-473: The 19th century. In 1905, a 42-acre (17 ha) section of the former marshlands was ceded to McCarren Park. The infill operation was completed by 1913. The bridge connecting Franklin Street and Kent Avenue was demolished, and the marsh in McCarren Park was filled in. During Prohibition in the 1920s, when the consumption of alcoholic beverages was banned, the remaining part of Bushwick Inlet was used as
3815-528: The 2000s. The North Side, above Grand Street , which separates the North Side from the South Side, is somewhat more expensive due to its proximity to the New York City Subway (specifically, the L train and G train on the BMT Canarsie Line and IND Crosstown Line , respectively). Increased gentrification has entered the South Side along the route of the J/Z and M trains (of which
3924-613: The Cats Head, Flytrap, El Sensorium and Organism, were converted into expensive residential loft buildings. Among the first was the Smith-Gray Building, a turn-of-the-century structure recognizable by its blue cast-iron façade. The conversion of the former Gretsch music instrument factory garnered significant attention and controversy in the New York press primarily because it heralded the arrival in Williamsburg of Tribeca-style lofts and attracted, as residents and investors,
4033-469: The CitiStorage lot, in an effort to convince the city into purchasing the CitiStorage land. Activists continued to hold protests and rallies to draw government officials' attention to the park proposal. In addition to the sleep-in protest, they also organized in kayaks and canoes, and held a mock funeral for the park. In November 2016, eleven years after Bushwick Inlet Park was first proposed, Brodsky and
4142-550: The CitiStorage parcel, and NYC Parks was not willing to pay this much. Brodsky later raised his sale price to a half-billion dollars. Moreover, the Monitor Museum would not cede its acre of land to the city. Two park facilities were constructed starting in 2009. The soccer and football fields opened in summer 2010, and the community center opened three years later in October 2013. By 2015, the soccer and football fields and
4251-496: The CitiStorage site, because he intended for that site to become part of the completed Bushwick Inlet Park. Other politicians representing the area, including U.S. representative Carolyn Maloney , Brooklyn borough president Eric Adams , New York City public advocate Letitia James , and New York state senator Daniel Squadron also advocated for the park. Maloney stated that the city should forcibly acquire Brodsky's land through eminent domain. The ensuing discussions between Brodsky and
4360-621: The City of New York provided billions of dollars in tax abatements to developers, was becoming the most expensive real estate in the city. A 2013 study by the UJA-Federation of New York identified Williamsburg as home to the second-fastest Jewish population growth in New York City, with a Jewish population of approximately 74,500 in 2011, a 41% increase from a decade earlier. Due to the neighborhood's rapid growth and high real estate prices, 77% of Jews in Williamsburg were renters,
4469-499: The East River shoreline. Bushwick Inlet, was originally at the mouth of Bushwick Creek , which provided it with two sources. One tributary extended to the present-day site of McCarren Park , while the other extended slightly south of that point. According to an 1854 account from the Brooklyn Eagle , the main tributary to McCarren Park formed the boundary between Williamsburg and Greenpoint. The branch leading to McCarren Park
Bushwick Inlet Park - Misplaced Pages Continue
4578-408: The East River to Manhattan for sale via a market at present day Grand Street . Bushwick Shore's favorable location close to New York City led to the creation of several farming developments. In 1802, real estate speculator Richard M. Woodhull acquired 13 acres (5.3 hectares) near what would become Metropolitan Avenue, then North 2nd Street. He had Colonel Jonathan Williams , a U.S. Engineer , survey
4687-778: The East Williamburg/Bushwick campus on Graham Avenue. A place popular among Dominican-American residents is the Fula Lounge, where Merengue and Raggaeton artists from the Dominican Republic often frequent. Once a year, the Williamsburg/ Bushwick community hosts a Puerto Rican Day parade. The neighborhood has produced many prominent Latinos. Television chef Daisy Martinez , who specializes in Puerto Rican cuisine grew up in
4796-866: The Hasidic community, at least two of whom were Shomrim members, were arrested in connection with the December 2013 "gang assault" of a black gay man. Standing water Malaria and dengue are among the main dangers of still water, which can become a breeding ground for the mosquitoes that transmit these diseases. Stagnant water can be dangerous because it provides a better incubator than running water for many kinds of infectious pathogens . Stagnant water can be contaminated with human and animal feces , particularly in deserts or other areas of low rainfall. Water stagnation for as little as six days can completely change bacterial community composition and increase cell count. Stagnant water may be classified into
4905-616: The Italian section are named Via Vespucci in honor of Amerigo Vespucci and the Italian character of the neighborhood. Despite the fact that an increasing number of Italian-Americans have moved away, many return each summer for the feast. The Giglio was the subject of a documentary, Heaven Touches Brooklyn in July , narrated by actors John Turturro and Michael Badalucco . On Williamburg's Southside, also known in Spanish as "Los Sures", which
5014-737: The almost 60% poverty rate in Jewish Williamsburg, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty , a beneficiary agency of the UJA-Federation of New York , partnered with Masbia in the opening of a 50-seat kosher soup kitchen on Lee Avenue in November 2009. There are many households with Section 8 housing vouchers ; in 2000, there were 1,394 voucher recipients in Williamsburg's nine Yiddish -speaking census tracts, but by 2014, Williamsburg had 3,296 voucher recipients within 12 Yiddish-speaking census tracts. In 2014, it
5123-574: The area "Bushwick Shore", a name that lasted for about 140 years. Bushwick Shore was cut off from the other villages in Bushwick by Bushwick Creek to the north and by Cripplebush, a region of thick, boggy shrub land that extended from Wallabout Creek in the south to Newtown Creek in the east. Bushwick residents called Bushwick Shore "the Strand". Farmers and gardeners from the other Bushwick villages sent their goods to Bushwick Shore to be ferried across
5232-547: The area achieved remarkable industrial, cultural, and economic growth, and local businesses thrived. Wealthy New Yorkers such as Cornelius Vanderbilt and railroad magnate Jubilee Jim Fisk built shore-side mansions. Charles Pratt and his family founded the Pratt Institute , the great school of art & architecture, and the Astral Oil Works , which later became part of Standard Oil . Corning Glass Works
5341-602: The area, although the numbers have decreased over the years. The northeastern section of Williamsburg associated with "Italian Williamsburg" retains a significant Italian-American presence and is home to numerous Italian-American families, community centers, social clubs, businesses, and restaurants, such as Bamonte's , the Fortunato Brothers Cafe, Anthony and Son Panini Shoppe, Carmine and Son's, Emily's Pork Store, Napoli Bakery, Metropolitan Fish Market, Jr and Son, and Salerno Autobody. Sections of Graham Avenue in
5450-601: The area, the Hasidim created a volunteer patrol organization, called " Shomrim " ("guardians" in Hebrew), to perform citizens' arrests, and to keep an eye out for crime. Over the years, the Shomrim have been accused of racism and brutality against blacks and Hispanics. In 2009, Yakov Horowitz, a member of Shomrim, was charged with assault, for striking a Latino adolescent on the nose with his Walkie Talkie. In 2014, five members of
5559-412: The case in Williamsburg as well, as developers largely decided to forgo incentives to build affordable housing in inland areas. Williamsburg contains a variety of zoning districts, including manufacturing, commercial, residential, and mixed-use. North Williamsburg contains primarily light industrial and medium-density residential buildings, as well as some residential structures with commercial space on
SECTION 50
#17327907896855668-403: The city brought the value of the land into question. According to Crain's New York magazine, real estate experts stated that a low estimate for the value of CitiStorage's land would be between $ 120 million and $ 180 million, while Brodsky himself was asking for up to $ 325 million for the land. In July 2016, activists including U.S. representative Maloney held a "sleep-in" protest on the site of
5777-408: The city finally came to an agreement, and the city purchased the 11-acre CitiStorage site for $ 160 million. The city now had possession of all of the land for Bushwick Inlet Park, except for the Monitor Museum plot. Ultimately, the New York City government had spent $ 350 million on land acquisition for Bushwick Inlet Park, excluding the $ 25.8 million spent on developing the soccer and football fields and
5886-463: The city purchased a plot from gas an oil company Motiva Enterprises for $ 4.65 million. That December, the city allocated $ 4.6 million toward the cleanup of the Bushwick Inlet site for future conversion to parkland. In January 2015, the CitiStorage warehouse suffered severe fire damage. After the fire, advocates again pushed the city to create a park on the site, and residents petitioned for
5995-564: The city's Landmarks Preservation Commission . The Kings County Savings Institution, chartered in 1860, built the Kings County Savings Bank building at Bedford Avenue and Broadway . The structure, an example of French Second Empire architecture , has been on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) since 1980, and was made a New York City landmark in 1966. The Williamsburg Houses were designated
6104-497: The combined sewer. The building reduces energy consumption by using systems such as geothermal heat pumps . A 66-kilowatt photovoltaic array is atop the shade structure along Kent Avenue, and was designed to generate half of the building's annual energy usage. Although the building is under a hill, all public interior spaces are lit by skylights . In 2014, the Bushwick Inlet Park Community Center
6213-422: The community center were the only parts of the park that had been built. The construction of these two facilities cost $ 25.8 million, in addition to the $ 150 million cost of acquiring the land under these facilities. The rest of the proposed parkland that had already been purchased lay unused and was used as an illegal dumping space, while negotiations to purchase the rest of the park's land progressed. In April 2014,
6322-409: The community center. In 2016, a proposal for the ten Bayside Oil tanks on the site, entitled "Maker Park", was unveiled. The Maker Park plan would convert the oil tankers into attractions such as a theater and hanging gardens. It directly conflicted with the original plan for Bushwick Inlet Park, which would see the tankers demolished. The city stated that the oil tankers were heavily polluted, and that
6431-486: The creation of the Knapp Commission , which exposed widespread police corruption. His fellow officers failed to call for assistance, and he was rushed to Greenpoint Hospital only when an elderly neighbor called the police. The incident was later dramatized in the opening scene of the 1973 film Serpico , starring Al Pacino in the title role. The price of land in Williamsburg has increased significantly since
6540-455: The docks. Several sugar barons built processing refineries, all of which are now gone, except the refinery of the now-defunct Domino Sugar (formerly Havemeyer & Elder). Other important industries included shipbuilding and brewing. On April 18, 1835, the Village of Williamsburg annexed a portion of the Town of Bushwick. The Village then consisted of three districts. The first district
6649-769: The following basic, although overlapping, types: To avoid ground and surface water stagnation, drainage of surface and subsoil is advised. Areas with a shallow water table are more susceptible to ground water stagnation due to the lower availability of natural soil drainage. Some plants prefer flowing water, while others, such as lotuses , prefer stagnant water. Various anaerobic bacteria are commonly found in stagnant water. For this reason, pools of stagnant water have historically been used in processing hemp and some other fiber crops , as well as linden bark used for making bast shoes . Several weeks of soaking makes bast fibers easily separable due to bacterial and fermentative processes known as retting . Stagnant water
SECTION 60
#17327907896856758-537: The former Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal site. Both parks are close to the NYC Ferry system's North Williamsburg pier at North 6th Street. The roof of the 13,300-square-foot (1,240 m) community center, designed by Kiss + Cathcart, contains a public landscape looking out to the East River and the Manhattan skyline. The new building adds venues for both community programs and park operations. The building
6867-526: The former Continental Iron Works site on the northern shore of Bushwick Inlet. In 2003, the museum acquired one acre of parkland around Bushwick Inlet. The museum received $ 600,000 in funding in 2015, which was derived from a $ 19.2 settlement paid out as part of the cleanup of the Greenpoint oil spill in nearby Newtown Creek . In 2005, a 175-block area in Greenpoint and Williamsburg was rezoned under
6976-461: The former Motiva site on Kent Avenue between Quay and North 14th Streets. A previous design for that site had been declined because it had included too many paths. By January 2021, the Motiva plot was still in planning, but construction was proposed to start later in 2021. At the end of that year, the city government announced it would spend $ 75 million to demolish the CitiStorage warehouse and construct
7085-440: The ground floors. There are also high-density residential developments with commercial space, as well as a few remaining heavy industries, along the waterfront. The area around Broadway is primarily commercial, and contains stores and offices. On the other hand, South Williamsburg is largely medium-to-high density residential, with some commercial space on the ground floors. Several structures in Williamsburg have been landmarked by
7194-417: The highest birthrates in the country, with an average of eight children per family. Each year, the community celebrates between 800 and 900 weddings for young couples, who typically marry between the ages of 18 and 21. Because Hasidic men receive little secular education, and women tend to be homemakers, college degrees are rare, and economic opportunities lag far behind the rest of the population. In response to
7303-464: The highest rate in the city. After the city subsidized developers in North Brooklyn, and longstanding local land owners from both North and South Williamsburg sold large blocks of land to the corporations, Hasidim have characterized the influx of new renters who had nothing to with land sales or city policy, as the artisten, or a "plague" and "a bitter decree from Heaven". Tensions have risen over housing costs, loud and boisterous nightlife events, and
7412-485: The intensity and innovations of the Immersionist era in Williamsburg has continued to project the district's image internationally as a "Little Berlin". During the early 2000s, the neighborhood became a center for indie rock and electroclash . Numerous ethnic groups still inhabit enclaves within the neighborhood, including Italians , Jews , Hispanics , Poles , Puerto Ricans , and Dominicans . Williamsburg
7521-428: The introduction of bike lanes along Bedford Avenue . Although the effects of New York's development policies favoring high rise construction and luxury chain stores is increasing, many developers, such as Isaac Hager , continue to build more housing for Haredi tenants. According to a 2024 UJA-Federation of New York survey, 74% of Jewish households in Williamsburg identified as Orthodox. The total Jewish population
7630-434: The land to be rezoned for residential use. Meanwhile, negotiations with CitiStorage's owner Brodsky continued for over a year after the warehouse burned down. New York City Council members Joe Lentol and Steve Levin , who respectively represented Williamsburg and Greenpoint, acted as mediators between the city and Brodsky, who could not agree upon a final sale price. Levin stated that he would block any proposed rezoning of
7739-455: The last remaining Puerto Rican social club in Williamsburg, preserves the neighborhood's culture. Another such institution is the "El Puente" Community Center, as well as the "San German" record store on Graham Avenue. Graham Avenue was renamed Avenue of Puerto Rico as a symbol of pride, just as the avenue's other alternate name, Via Vespucci, is meant to commemorate the neighborhood's Italian-American community. Banco Popular de Puerto Rico has
7848-456: The late 1990s, Jewish developers renovated old warehouses and factories, turning them into housing. More than 500 apartments were approved in the three-year period following 1997; soon afterward, an area near Williamsburg's border with Bedford–Stuyvesant was re-zoned for affordable housing. By 1997, there were about 7,000 Hasidic families in Williamsburg, almost a third of whom took public assistance. The Hasidic community of Williamsburg has one of
7957-631: The late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of these factory buildings are now being (or already have been) converted to non-industrial uses, primarily residential. The population was at first heavily German, but many Jews from the Lower East side of Manhattan came to the area after the completion of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1903. Williamsburg had two major community banks: the Williamsburgh Savings Bank at 175 Broadway (chartered 1851, since absorbed by HSBC ); and its rival,
8066-502: The late 20th century. An ecosocial arts movement emerged alongside the activists in the late 1980s, often referred to as the Brooklyn Immersionists . The community-based scene cultivated a web of activity in the streets, rooftops and large warehouses, and attracted both the national and international press. Small, locally owned businesses began to return to the neighborhood during this expansion of creative urbanism in
8175-439: The latter route was modified to go from the downtown BMT Nassau Street Line to the midtown IND Sixth Avenue Line in 2010). This has prompted increases in rents south of Grand Street as well. Higher rents have driven out many bohemians , activists and creative urbanists to other neighborhoods farther afield such as Bushwick , Bedford-Stuyvesant , Fort Greene , Clinton Hill , Cobble Hill , and Red Hook . On May 11, 2005,
8284-555: The lives of Latino residents living in 1984 Southside before gentrification. Another documentary in 2013, Toñita's , depicts the Caribbean Social Club, and is named after the club's owner. About 2 o'clock on November 7, 1854, a riot occurred between sheriffs and "some Irishmen" at the poll of the First District, at the corner of 2nd and North 6th streets, in Williamsburg. It began after a deputy approached
8393-547: The mid-19th century, the area had become largely industrial, and buildings were erected around Bushwick Inlet's mouth. Charles Pratt founded the Astral Oil Works factory at the mouth of Bushwick Inlet in 1857. The former site of Astral Oil Works was later developed as the location of the Bayside Fuel Oil depot. The USS Monitor was built in the Continental Iron Works at Bushwick Inlet, and it
8502-547: The name was dropped in 1855. Williamsburg was incorporated as the Village of Williamsburgh within the Town of Bushwick on April 14, 1827. In two years, it had a fire company, a post office, and a population of over 1,000. The deep drafts along the East River encouraged industrialists, many from Germany, to build shipyards around Williamsburg. Raw material was shipped in, and finished products were sent out of factories straight to
8611-441: The neighborhood in the years prior to World War II , along with many other religious and non-religious Jews who sought to escape the difficult living conditions on Manhattan's Lower East Side . Beginning in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the area received a large concentration of Holocaust survivors , many of whom were Hasidic Jews from rural areas of Hungary and Romania. These people were led by several Hasidic leaders, among them
8720-495: The neighborhood. The neighborhood also is home to the office of U.S. representative Nydia Velazquez . In addition to this, Williamsburg was the childhood home of City Councilwoman Rosie Méndez , of Puerto Rican descent. Williamsburg itself was represented in the City Council by Dominican American Antonio Reynoso . The Hispanic sector as a whole was represented in a documentary called Living Los Sures, which documents
8829-554: The over-crowded slum tenements of Manhattan's Lower East Side . Williamsburg itself soon became the most densely populated neighborhood in New York City, which, in turn, was the most densely populated city in the United States. The novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn addresses a young girl growing up in the tenements of Williamsburg during this era. Brooklyn Union Gas in the early 20th century consolidated its coal gas production to Williamsburg at 370 Vandervoort Avenue, closing
8938-425: The park and run around the inlet. The park would also contain a shared pedestrian and bicycle path. Under the 2005 rezoning plan, the park's programming would include a kayak launch, piers, and fishing areas, as well as the Monitor Museum on the northern side of the park. A subsequent plan in 2006 also called for the construction of athletic fields, a pedestrian-bike bridge, and a wildlife habitat. The original plans for
9047-424: The park included an Olympic-size swimming pool in or near Bushwick Inlet Park. There was also supposed to be a large central lawn near North 12th Street, a restaurant terrace near North 10th Street, and a scenic overlook at Bushwick Inlet. A boat launch would have been south of the Monitor Museum at Quay Street, leading into the inlet. In the northern portion of the park, along the north shore of Bushwick Inlet, there
9156-549: The park to be completed. Initially, Mayor Bill de Blasio did not include the completion of Bushwick Inlet Park in his long-range plans for the city, but he ultimately acquiesced and made plans to purchase the remaining parcels after protests from activists. To date, the cost of acquiring land for Bushwick Inlet Park had reached $ 225 million. This was more than the entire cost for the High Line elevated park in Manhattan, and it
9265-473: The park's next phase on that site. NYC Parks began redeveloping the Motiva site in March 2024, at which point that project was slated to be complete in 2026. The Motiva site was expected to cost $ 9.8 million to redevelop. When complete, it would include a beach, boulders, bike lanes, and paths. Work on clearing the CitiStorage site began in mid-2024 and was to be complete by the end of the year. Bushwick Inlet Park
9374-463: The park, between North 11th and North 12th Street, opened to the public in 2022. It includes benches, paths, and an artificial hill with a elevated lawn. In addition, this section contains several thousand plantings, some stone seating, and a small water playground. To the north, along the inlet, is a 1.9-acre (0.77 ha) section that would include a shoreline with a beach and kayak launch. The inlet contains plants such as Ailanthus , Morus , and
9483-453: The park. Over the next several years, plans for developing the park stalled. The largest impediment to developing the park was an 11-acre parcel occupied by a warehouse for the company CitiStorage, which was in the middle of the proposed parkland. The city had spent $ 95 million to acquire just the initial 8.7-acre (3.5 ha) plot of land for Bushwick Inlet Park; this amounted to about $ 10.9 million per acre. Another 2.5-acre (1.0 ha) parcel
9592-477: The past, Southside United HDFC has held Puerto Rican Heritage as well as Dominican Independence Day celebrations, and currently operates El Museo De Los Sures. The name "El Museo De Los Sures" roughly translates to "The Museum of the Southside". Williamsburg is also home to not one, but two campuses of Boricua College : the Northside campus on North 6th Street, between Bedford Avenue and Driggs Avenue; as well as
9701-469: The property, and named it Williamsburgh (with an h at the end) in his honor. Originally a 13-acre (5.3 ha) development within Bushwick Shore, Williamsburg rapidly expanded during the first half of the 19th century and eventually seceded from Bushwick and formed its own independent city. Abraham J. Berry was the first mayor of the independent city of Williamsburgh; the "h" at the end of
9810-477: The rezoning of a 175-block area in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. However, acquisition of the land took several years and cost tens of millions of dollars. The city was able to complete the purchase of the land for the proposed park in 2016, after years of negotiations. The park has opened in stages, beginning with a series of soccer and football fields, which opened in 2010, and a community center, which opened in 2013. The community center, which also houses offices for
9919-557: The site needed to be cleaned before it could be repurposed into a park. The Maker Park plan, rebranded as the Tanks at Bushwick Inlet Park, was ultimately declined, and the city started demolishing the tanks in late 2019. In October 2017, the city allocated $ 17.5 million to develop the rest of Bushwick Inlet Park. The Bushwick Inlet Popup Park, a temporary public space between North 11th and North 12th Streets, opened in May 2018 and operated during
10028-503: The streets surrounding Our Lady of Mount Carmel church, located on Havemeyer and North 8th Streets, are dedicated to a celebration of Italian culture. The highlights of the feast are the "Giglio Sundays" when a 100-foot (30 m) tall statue, complete with band and a singer, is carried around the streets in honor of St. Paulinus and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Clips of this awe-inspiring sight are often featured on NYC news broadcasts. A significant number of Italian-Americans still reside in
10137-524: The summer. The pop-up park consisted of a 1.8-acre (0.73 ha) lawn. A permanent design for the popup park, to cost $ 7.7 million, was approved in late 2018. The permanent replacement for the popup opened on weekends starting in April 2022, and it began operating on weekdays in June 2022. In mid-2020, Brooklyn Community Board 1 approved Abel Bainnson Butz's design for parkland along the inlet. This plot occupies
10246-654: The time, Bushwick Inlet was unofficially referred to as "Noorman's Kil" during its early years; that name is retained by a bar in Williamsburg. Later, the creek was renamed after the nearby town of Bushwick , to the east of Williamsburg. The town, in turn, was named for the Dutch Boswijck , which translated to "little town in the woods" or "heavy woods". The first bridge over Bushwick Inlet was built by Neziah Bliss , who also developed much of Greenpoint, in 1838. The bridge connected First Street in Williamsburg (present-day Kent Avenue) with Franklin Street in Greenpoint. By
10355-510: Was 11,500. On April 7, 1840. reflecting its increasing urbanization, Williamsburg separated from Bushwick as the Town of Williamsburg . Edmund Smith Driggs (1809–1889) was a Williamsburg resident and was elected the first president of the Village of Williamsburg in 1850. He was also president of the Williamsburg City Fire Insurance Company and built a row of houses on South Second Street. Driggs Avenue
10464-493: Was almost the same amount as the cost for Hudson River Park , also in Manhattan. Politicians proposed to cover the park's increasing price tag by levying property taxes on nearby developments. The city announced in 2015 that it had made tentative agreement with Bayside Fuel to purchase its 7-acre (2.8 ha) parcel. In March 2016, the city bought the Bayside Fuel plot for $ 53 million. De Blasio stated that he would not allow
10573-495: Was an estimated 36,000 adults and 32,000 children. A significant component of the Italian community on the North Side and East Side were immigrants from the city of Nola near Naples. Residents of Nola every summer celebrate the "Festa dei Gigli" (feast of lilies) in honor of St. Paulinus of Nola , who was bishop of Nola in the fifth century, and the immigrants brought this tradition over with them. For two weeks every summer,
10682-461: Was annexed by Brooklyn; at that time, the spelling was changed from Williamsburgh (with an "h") to Williamsburg. Williamsburg, especially near the waterfront, was a vital industrial district until the mid-20th century. As many of the jobs were outsourced beginning in the 1970s, the area endured a period of economic contraction which did not begin to turn around until activist groups began to address housing, infrastructure, and youth education issues in
10791-568: Was built in 1856, and by 1870 processed more than half of sugar used in the United States. A fire in 1882 caused the plant to be completely rebuilt in brick and stone; these buildings exist today, though the refinery stopped operating in 2004. In 2010, a developer proposed to convert the site to residential use; since them, a new plan was approved for the Domino Sugar Factory, led by Two Trees Management. The New England Congregational Church and Rectory , built between 1852 and 1853,
10900-478: Was commonly called the "South Side", the second district was called the "North Side", and the third district was called the "New Village". The names "North Side" and "South Side" remain in common usage today, but the name for the Third District has changed often. The New Village became populated by Germans, and for a time was known by the sobriquet of "Dutchtown". In 1845, the population of Williamsburgh
11009-546: Was fed by two tributaries in Williamsburg. The site of the present-day park was used by manufacturing businesses in the mid-19th century, especially the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal . By the late 19th century, Bushwick Creek had been used as a sewage outflow from the surrounding area. The creek itself was infilled through various stages, and the infill operations were completed by 1913. Plans for Bushwick Inlet Park were devised in 2005, during
11118-570: Was founded here, before moving upstate to Corning, New York . German immigrant, chemist Charles Pfizer founded Pfizer Pharmaceutical in Williamsburg, and the company maintained an industrial plant in the neighborhood through 2007, although its headquarters were moved to Manhattan in the 1960s. Brooklyn's Broadway , ending in the ferry to Manhattan, became the area's lifeline. The area proved popular for condiment and household product manufacturers. Factories for Domino Sugar , Esquire Shoe Polish , Dutch Mustard, and many others were established in
11227-671: Was launched in October 1861. Subsequently, Monitor fought against the CSS Virginia in the Battle of Hampton Roads during the American Civil War . Ship manufacturing at Bushwick Creek had largely dwindled by 1889. As early as 1854, there were proposals to convert Bushwick Creek into either a sewer or a canal. The bridge over the creek was replaced in 1869. A proposal to fill in Bushwick Creek, and replace it with
11336-554: Was listed on the American Institute of Architects ' list of top ten sites for sustainable architecture. Williamsburg, Brooklyn Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn , bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. It was an independent city until 1855, when it
11445-553: Was listed on the NRHP in 1983. It is also a city landmark. The church was sold to its current occupant, La Iglesia Pentecostal La Luz del Mundo, in 1981. One historic district also exists in Williamsburg, the Fillmore Place Historic District . Landmarked in 2009, it consists of several Italianate style buildings. Numerous structures are also located on the NRHP, but are not city landmarks. The Austin, Nichols and Company Warehouse , built in 1915 to
11554-475: Was once a marsh, but has since been filled in. Dutch settlers acquired the present-day site of Bushwick Inlet Park from the Lenape in 1638. Seven years later, a married couple, Dirck Volkertsen de Noorman and Christina Vigne, started the area's first farm along the creek. The Noorman farm was believed to have been at the present-day intersection of Franklin and Calyer Streets, two blocks north of Bushwick Inlet. At
11663-452: Was purchased for $ 30 million. CitiStorage's owner, Norman Brodsky, was asking for a similar per-acre price for his land, which he had purchased in the 1990s for $ 5 million. Brodsky did not necessarily oppose the construction of Bushwick Inlet Park, but wanted to profit from the potential increases in land value that the construction of the park would provide. The New York Times estimated that at this rate, it would cost $ 120 million to acquire
11772-544: Was reported that Williamsburg's Jewish community had among the highest rates of applications for Section 8 housing vouchers. However, the newspaper New York Daily News doubted the legality of the applications. In 2016, the Daily News said that New York City census tracts with 30% or more of the population applying for Section 8 were present only in Williamsburg and the Bronx , except that Williamsburg's real estate, after
11881-402: Was to be a beach. Entrances would have been at North 9th and North 12th Streets, and a comfort station would have been at 9th Street. In 2007, the city acquired two parcels for Bushwick Inlet Park west of Kent Avenue between North 7th and North 10th Streets, seizing the properties for public use through the process of eminent domain , and used it to create the first 11-acre (4.5 ha) part of
#684315