Bay Ridge

Then and Now

Over the past 200 years, Bay Ridge, formally known as “Yellow Hook,” has undergone massive changes—physically and culturally. Predating the 1900s, Bay Ridge was essentially all country and wilderness. Except for a scarce amount of houses that developed around the Fort Hamilton Army Base* and Saint Patrick’s Church** the area was mostly agricultural farmland. Originally part of the township of New Utrecht, Bay Ridge was the sight where British troops marched up 3rd Ave to Greenwood Cemetery to meet American Soldiers during the Revolutionary War—a skirmish which would be later known as the famous “Battle of Brooklyn.” With the invention of the steamboat and the train during the Industrial Revolution, access to Bay Ridge became plausible for development. Mansions appeared along Shore Road, becoming a retreat for the wealthy—similar to the current day Hamptons in Long Island. Over the course of the years, with the introduction of the automobile, the highway, the subway and other forms of development the countryside was transformed into the area it is today.

Made by Christina Squitieri, Victor V. Gurbo, and Neyra Azimov
Bay Ridge Notes