In "Our Brooklyn" we will present short histories, facts and resource lists documenting Brooklyn's vibrant and diverse neighborhoods, from Sheepshead Bay to Sunset Park, from Bushwick to Bath Beach. We will also offer selections from the Brooklyn Collection's unique photographs illustrating the neighborhood "then and now".
We hope that this site will be useful for anyone who wishes to learn a little about Brooklyn, and that the resource lists provided will point the way toward more extensive research.
Though Brooklyn's neighborhoods, with their separate histories and identities, mesh to form the fabric of the borough, Brooklyn is more than an agglomeration of neighborhoods. It is formed of people, groups and institutions; hills, trees, creeks and beaches; buildings, businesses and transportation systems; natural and constructed landscapes; structures and infrastructures. We cannot hope to embrace it all, but we can certainly say that nothing in Brooklyn is alien to us. So "neighborhoods" may not always be our focus; indeed we may choose to follow a particular thread of Brooklyn life as long as it is supported by archival evidence, or the anecdotal evidence of our eyes.
Also, in this most ephemeral of media, sites and pages appear, change, disappear. These pages will always be a work in progress. We will make every effort to ensure that the information provided is correct, and we will update it at reasonable intervals. We - the "Our Brooklyn" group - welcome corrections and further information (contact us at ). After all, your Brooklyn is "Our Brooklyn"! Enjoy the site!