Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
Encyclopedia : B : BR : BRO : Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn
It is surrounded on the east by Court Street and Cadman Plaza, on the west by the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, on the south by Atlantic Avenue, and on the north by the Brooklyn Bridge. It adjoins the Downtown, Cobble Hill and DUMBO sections. It is the part of Brooklyn closest to Lower Manhattan, directly across the East River, and easily accessible via the Brooklyn Bridge and multiple subway lines.
The area was heavily fortified prior to the largest battle of the American Revolutionary War - The Battle of Long Island (also known as The Battle of Brooklyn). After British troops landed on Long Island and advanced towards Continental Army lines, General George Washington withdrew his troops here after heavy losses, but was able to make a skillful retreat across the East River to Manhattan without the loss of any troops or his remaining supplies.
Brooklyn Heights occupies a bluff that rises sharply from the river's edge and gradually recedes on the landward side. Before the Dutch settled on Long Island in the middle of the seventeenth century, this promontory was called Ihpetonga ("the high sandy bank") by the native Lenape Native Americans.
It is historically descended from its precursor Town of Brooklyn.
The neighborhood is largely composed of block after block of picturesque rowhouses. A great range of architectural styles are represented, including a few Federal-style houses from the early 19th century in the northern part of the neighborhood, brick Greek Revival and Gothic Revival houses, and Italianate brownstones. A number of houses, particularly along Pierrepont Street, qualify as authentic mansions. Brooklyn Heights was the first neighborhood protected by the 1965 Landmarks Preservation Law of New York City. Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims is in Brooklyn Heights, as is St Ann's Church, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Promenade cantilevered over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is a favorite spot among locals, offering magnificent vistas of the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline across the East River, as well as views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge. It is a popular tourist destination for the Macy's July 4th fireworks, and for the unobstructed views of the skyline.
Brookyln Heights, being a historic district has very few high-rise buildings. Among these buildings are 75 Livingston Street, Hotel St. George, and the Montague-court building. Because of the lack of high-rise buidings, Brooklyn Heights has a small town atmosphere.
Situated so close to the foot of Manhattan, Brooklyn Heights is serviced by numerous subway lines, specifically the A, C, F, M, R, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Famous residents over the years have included John A. Roebling, Washington Roebling, Henry Ward Beecher, Marilyn Monroe, Norman Mailer, Thomas Wolfe, W. H. Auden, Truman Capote, Arthur Miller, and Carson McCullers.
The Jehovah's Witnesses have their world headquarters in the north heights just north of the BQE, and have a pronounced presence in the area. The organization has exquisitely restored a number historic buildings to house their staff, including a former hotel on Montague Street.
Books
- Debby Applegate, The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher. Doubleday, 2006.
- Truman Capote, A House On the Heights, with a new introduction by George Plimpton. Little Bookroom, 2002.
External links
| Neighborhoods in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn
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