Sheepshead Bay

With some twenty blocks of waterfront on its southern side, Sheepshead Bay is a community that was once a summer getaway for many New Yorkers. The neighborhood was named after the bay that separates the mainland of Brooklyn from the eastern border of Coney Island. The area is home to many residents of Eastern European decent which gives its diverse cultural identity.

The neighborhood’s namesake, Sheepshead Bay, was named for the Sheepshead, an edible fish found in the bay's waters. New Yorkers summered on Brooklyn’s Gold Coast, a long swath of beach stretching from Coney Island to the far eastern end of Sheepshead Bay. The area was dotted with fancy hotels, casinos, racetracks and other rowdy, turn-of-the-century attractions. The area is also home to the Holocaust Memorial Park, New York’s First Public Memorial to the Holocaust. Some notable names that are from the area include Larry David from “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and TV star Judge Judy.

There are a number of neighborhood eateries in the neighborhood with Avenue U offering several Chinese bakeries; Long Wong is a go-to spot for a quick breakfast that includes buns. Brennan & Carr, a culinary landmark since the 1930’s serves roast beef sandwiches and burgers in the borough, famous for its double-dip technique, a process that gets the entire roast beef sandwich sopping wet with a famous broth.

There’s a mix of large and small homes, some of Brooklyn’s most extravagant single-family homes along Ocean Parkway, low-rises and traditional brick houses that stand next to glassy new high-rises. A 30-story luxury condo tower is under construction with listings ranging from $730K for a 1-bedroom to $2.2M for the penthouse. It’s the first building of its kind in Sheepshead Bay, and will offer many amenities, including an outdoor swimming pool. Average rent is below $1700 monthly.

Most commuters living in Sheepshead Bay apartments either drive their car into the city or get rides to the subway via a car or bus. Running along the eastern side of the neighborhood are the B and Q subway lines, which can be accessed from four stations.