BAYRIDGE
Established as a town in 1662, New Utrecht includes today’s communities of Bay Ridge, Fort Hamilton, Dyker Heights, Borough Park, Bath Beach and most of Bensonhurst. In 1853, Bay Ridge was named for its two main features: upper New York Bay and the ridge running along Ridge Boulevard. With its high ground overlooking the Narrows and Gravesend Bay, this land became very valuable for early developers.
After becoming part of the City of Brooklyn in 1894 and then in 1898 part of New York City, the wealthy rushed to these luscious shores to build extravagant homes and summer mansions. Members of elite society gathered at the Crescent Athletic Club (where Fort Hamilton High School now stands), many using boats to travel from Manhattan.
Upon the arrival of the Fourth Avenue subway line in 1915, most of the mansions were destroyed and replaced by multi-story apartment buildings. A few still remain, the most prominent of them being Fontbonne Hall Academy at 9901 Shore Road, which is now a private girl’s school and some others between 80th and 83rd Streets on the Ridge.
In regards to residential styles, the majority of homes in Bay Ridge are one and two-family brick, brownstone or limestone frame houses.
During the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, many Norwegian and Danish sailors emigrated to Brooklyn. Nordic heritage is still apparent in some sections of Bay Ridge, Bay Ridge High School was the only New York City public school to offer Norwegian as a second language. Annually, the Constitution Day Parade features thousands of people in folk dress who parade along Fourth Avenue, ending in Leif Ericson Park where "Miss Norway" is crowned at the statue of Ericson donated by the Prince of Norway in 1939.
Dyker Heights, near Fort Hamilton Parkway, has attracted several generations of Italian immigrants to its one and two family homes. This area now includes the ever-popular Dyker Park with athletic fields and tennis courts, and the venerable Dyker Beach Golf Course.
Fort Hamilton, home to the only active Army post in the metropolitan area, houses an officers’ club and the 1829 fort "caponier", which is fully restored and serves as the Harbor Defense Museum. Nearby is St. John’s Episcopal Church at 99th Street and Fort Hamilton Parkway. The country church is called the "Church of the Generals" since it attracted many military leaders, including Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
The imposing Verrazano Narrows Bridge that joins Staten Island and Brooklyn was opened in 1964 as a memorial to Giovanni de Verrazano, who explored the entrance to New York Harbor in 1524 three years prior to his death. At its completion, the Bridge was the world’s longest suspension bridge.
Third Avenue is a vibrant commercial strip and also the site of the annual Ragamuffin Parade and Third Avenue Festival in the fall. The Third Avenue Merchants Association of Bay Ridge is one of the oldest merchants associations in New York.
Supplementing Leif Ericson Park is Owl’s Head Park,, a perfect picnic spot overlooking the harbor, and Shore Road Park, a two and a half mile park running between the Belt Parkway and the Narrows, from the Verrazano Bridge to the 69th Street Pier. This is a favorite spot for runners, bikers and strollers who want to get a breathtaking view of New York Harbor.
In military architecture, a relatively small projection that provides a firing position, similar to a DEMI-BASTION but covered