Bensonhurst, Brooklyn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bensonhurst
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Neighborhood of Brooklyn
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Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst
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| Etymology: Egbert Benson | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New York |
| City | New York City |
| Borough | Brooklyn |
| Community District | Brooklyn 11 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.6 km2 (2.95 sq mi) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 104,934 |
| • Density | 13,734/km2 (35,570/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity | |
| • Asian | 43.9% |
| • White | 34.8% |
| • Hispanic | 17.2% |
| • Black | 1.0% |
| • Other | 2.5% |
| Economics | |
| • Median income | $51,667 |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes |
11204, 11214
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| Area code | 718, 347, 929, and 917 |
Bensonhurst is a lively neighborhood in the southwestern part of Brooklyn, New York City. It's a residential area, meaning many people live there. The neighborhood is surrounded by other areas like Dyker Heights and Gravesend.
Bensonhurst is famous for its many different cultures. For a long time, it was known as a "Little Italy" because so many Italian-American families lived there. Now, it also has the largest number of people born in China and Hong Kong in all of New York City. It's even home to Brooklyn's second Chinatown.
This neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community District 11. Its main ZIP Codes are 11204 and 11214. The local police department is the 62nd Precinct of the New York City Police Department.
Contents
Where Did Bensonhurst Get Its Name?
Bensonhurst is named after a person called Egbert Benson (1789-1866). His children and grandchildren sold their family lands to a real estate developer named James D. Lynch.
Lynch bought these old farmlands in the mid-1880s. By 1888, he started selling smaller pieces of land. He called this new area "Bensonhurst-by-the-Sea," which is now the Bath Beach neighborhood. The first sales were advertised in a newspaper in July 1888.
Who Lives in Bensonhurst?
Bensonhurst is home to over 151,000 people, based on the 2010 United States Census. It's a very diverse place!
Early 1900s Population Changes
In the early 1900s, many Italians and Jewish people moved to Bensonhurst. Before World War II, the neighborhood had about an equal number of Jewish and Italian residents.
In the 1950s, more immigrants arrived from southern Italy. Also, new homes were being built in the suburbs. Because of this, many Jewish families started to move away. Over several decades, most of the Jewish population left. This made the area mostly Italian.
Bensonhurst became known as the main "Little Italy" of Brooklyn. Even in 2000, over 20,000 people spoke Italian. However, this Italian-speaking community is getting older. Their close-knit neighborhoods are slowly changing as new groups move in.
The main street for Italian businesses is 18th Avenue. It's also called Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard. You can find many small, family-owned Italian shops there. Some have been in the same family for generations. Another busy street is 86th Street, which has subway tracks above it.
Population from the 1990s to Today
Around 1989, many new immigrants started arriving. They came from China and countries that were once part of the Soviet Union. These included people from Southern China, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Armenia.
In the 1990s, Bensonhurst became much more culturally diverse. Today, it's home to many Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Albanian, Greek, Turkish, Uzbek, Arab, Mexican, Guatemalan, Ecuadorian, and Puerto Rican Americans.
In 2000, New York City found that more than half of Bensonhurst residents were born in another country. By 2013, Bensonhurst had the second-highest number of foreign-born people in the city. About 77,700 immigrants lived there.
Current Cultural Areas
Brooklyn's "Little Italy"
Bensonhurst has been famous as a "Little Italy" in Brooklyn for a long time. It has a large population of Italian-Americans and Italian immigrants.
Every year, a festival called Festa di Santa Rosalia is held. Locals often call it "the Feast." It takes place on 18th Avenue in late August or early September. St. Rosalia is a special saint for the city of Palermo in Sicily. This yearly celebration brings in thousands of people. Bensonhurst also has a Columbus Day parade.
Just like the Little Italy in Lower Manhattan, Bensonhurst's Little Italy is changing. The number of Italian-Americans is decreasing. Meanwhile, Bensonhurst's Chinatown and Chinese population are growing quickly.
Little Hong Kong / Little Guangdong
A new Brooklyn Chinatown is growing along 86th Street. It's located under the BMT West End Line subway tracks. This area is still a mix of different cultures and businesses. You'll find Italian, Jewish, and Russian residents alongside the growing Chinese community.
In recent years, most new businesses on 86th Street have been Chinese. This is especially true between 20th Avenue and 25th Avenue. The D train subway line connects this area directly to Manhattan's Chinatown. It also connects indirectly to the 8th Avenue Chinatown in Brooklyn.
On 86th Street, you can find many Chinese restaurants, grocery stores, salons, and bakeries. These businesses are growing fast.
Because many Cantonese and some Fuzhou people have moved to Bensonhurst, other small Chinatowns are appearing. You can find them on 18th Avenue and Bay Parkway. These areas are mixed with other ethnic groups and businesses.
Bensonhurst now has several small Chinese areas. They are more spread out and mixed with other cultures. This is different from the Homecrest/Sheepshead Bay area, which has one main Chinese neighborhood. This means Bensonhurst has a much larger Chinese population overall.
Most of the new Chinese communities in Bensonhurst are mainly Cantonese-speaking. They are like extensions of the Cantonese areas in Manhattan's Chinatown. However, there are also some Fuzhou and Mandarin speakers.
According to the Daily News, Brooklyn's Asian population, mostly Chinese, has grown a lot. This growth is not just in Sunset Park, but also in Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, and Borough Park. In Bensonhurst, the Asian population grew by 57% from 2000 to 2010.
What is Bensonhurst Like?
New York City doesn't have official boundaries for neighborhoods. So, parts of nearby areas like Bath Beach and Dyker Heights are sometimes thought of as part of Bensonhurst.
However, the main area of Bensonhurst is generally between 86th Street, 14th Avenue, 60th Street, McDonald Avenue, Avenue P, and Bay Parkway. The local post office is the U.S. Post Office-Parkville Station. It's a historic building.
Famous People from Bensonhurst
Many well-known people have lived in Bensonhurst. Here are some of them:
- Steve Augeri (born 1959), musician.
- Rich Aurilia (born 1971), baseball player.
- Scott Baio (born 1960), actor from Happy Days.
- Seymour Benzer (1921–2007), scientist.
- Bob Berg (1951–2002), jazz saxophonist.
- Julie Bovasso (1930–1991), actress.
- Abe Burrows (1910–1985), playwright.
- Kerry Butler (born 1971), actress.
- Victor Calderone (born 1967), DJ.
- Jack Catran (1918–2001), designer.
- Vic Damone (1928–2018), singer.
- Millie Deegan (1919–2002), professional baseball player.
- Perry Farrell (born 1959), musician.
- Joey Fatone (born 1977), singer from 'N Sync'.
- Anthony Fauci (born 1940), doctor and immunologist.
- Jerry Ferrara (born 1979), actor from Entourage.
- Lou Ferrigno (born 1951), actor, the Incredible Hulk.
- Daniel Franzese (born 1978), actor from Mean Girls.
- Harvey Fierstein (born 1954), actor and playwright.
- Marshall Flaum (1925–2010), filmmaker.
- John Franco (born 1960), former New York Mets player.
- Jacque Fresco (1916–2017), founder of the Venus Project.
- Vincent Gardenia (1920–1992), actor.
- Daniel Glass (born 1956), music producer.
- Gary David Goldberg (1944–2013), TV producer.
- Leon Goldstein (1932/1933-1999), college administrator.
- Elliott Gould (born 1938), actor.
- Philip Habib (1920–1992), diplomat.
- Buddy Hackett (1924–2003), comedian.
- Kenny Hickey (born 1966), Johnny Kelly (born 1968), and Peter Steele (1962–2010), from Type O Negative.
- Curly Howard (1903–1952), of the Three Stooges.
- Moe Howard (1897–1975), of the Three Stooges.
- Shemp Howard (1895–1955), of the Three Stooges.
- Richard Jeni (1957–2007), comedian.
- Skeery Jones (radio producer).
- Gabe Kaplan (born 1945), actor and poker player.
- Larry King (1933–2021), talk-show host.
- Artie Kornfeld (born 1942), creator of Woodstock.
- Sandy Koufax (born 1935), baseball player.
- Herbie Kronowitz (1923–2012), boxer.
- Adam Lazzara (born 1982), singer for Taking Back Sunday.
- Paul Lo Duca (born 1972), baseball player.
- Lordz Of Brooklyn hip hop/rock group member Dino Bootz.
- Paul Malignaggi (born 1980), professional boxer.
- Tony Mamaluke (born 1977), former wrestler.
- Philomena Marano (born 1952), artist.
- Paul Marks (1926–2020), scientist.
- Robert Merrill (1917–2004), opera singer.
- Alyssa Milano (born 1972), actress.
- Jerrold Nadler (born 1947), Congressman.
- Sam Nahem (1915–2004), baseball pitcher.
- Man Parrish (born 1958), music producer.
- Rhea Perlman (born 1948), actress.
- Leah Remini (born 1970), actress from The King of Queens.
- Carl Sagan (1934–1996), astronomer and author.
- Robert Sapolsky (born 1957), scientist and author.
- Steve Schirripa (born 1957), actor from The Sopranos.
- John Serry Sr. (1915–2003), accordionist and composer.
- Tony Sirico (born 1942), actor from The Sopranos.
- Ralph Snyderman (born 1940), physician and scientist.
- Paul Sorvino (born 1939), actor from Goodfellas.
- Peter Steele (1962–2010), musician.
- Ray Suarez (born 1957), news correspondent.
- Anthony Terlato (1934–2020), winemaker.
- Frank P. Tomasulo (born 1947), film professor.
- Alan Vega (1938–2016), vocalist and artist.
- Hilma Wolitzer (born 1930), novelist.
- Peter Zimroth (born 1943), attorney.
Getting Around Bensonhurst
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Bensonhurst has good public transportation. The New York City Subway serves the neighborhood.
The D train line runs above 86th Street. It connects directly to Grand Street in Manhattan. The N W trains line runs near 63rd Street. It connects directly to Canal Street. These lines make it easy for Bensonhurst's Chinese residents to travel to Manhattan's Chinatown.
The Sea Beach Line has a station at Eighth Avenue in Brooklyn's Sunset Park Chinatown. You can transfer to the West End Line at New Utrecht Avenue / 62nd Street. The IND Culver Line also runs through the northeastern part of Bensonhurst. It carries the F <F> trains trains.
Subway stations in Bensonhurst include:
- On the D train line: 62nd Street, 71st Street, 79th Street, 18th Avenue, 20th Avenue, Bay Parkway, and 25th Avenue.
- On the N train line: New Utrecht Avenue, 18th Avenue, 20th Avenue, Bay Parkway.
- On the F <F> trains line: Avenue N and Avenue P.
Several bus routes also run through Bensonhurst. These include the B1, B3, B4, B6, B8, B9, B64, B82, B82 SBS buses.
Bensonhurst in Movies and TV
Bensonhurst has often been shown in movies, TV shows, and books:
- Thomas Wolfe mentioned it in his 1930s short story, "Only The Dead Know Brooklyn."
- The TV series The Honeymooners was set here in the 1950s.
- Welcome Back Kotter was set in Bensonhurst in the 1970s.
- The TV show Brooklyn Bridge was set here in 1956-57.
- Movies like Jungle Fever and The Warriors were filmed here.
- The 1972 song Bensonhurst Blues became famous after Oscar Benton sang it.
- A sketch on Saturday Night Live in 1992 was called "Bensonhurst Dating Game."
- The Batman villain Harley Quinn is from Bensonhurst.
- Characters from the soap opera General Hospital, like Sonny Corinthos, grew up here.
- Part of The French Connection (1971) took place on 86th Street.
- The reality TV series Brooklyn 11223 was filmed in parts of Bensonhurst.
- Mob Wives filmed at Evolution Boxing in Bensonhurst.
- The movie Spike of Bensonhurst was filmed here.
- The opening scene of Saturday Night Fever shows John Travolta walking on 86th Street.
- The 79th Street subway station was seen in the opening credits of Welcome Back, Kotter.
- The main character from the movie The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, played by Andrew Dice Clay, is from Bensonhurst.
Learning in Bensonhurst
Bensonhurst has many schools and libraries. Compared to the rest of New York City, fewer adults in Bensonhurst have a college degree. However, the number of students doing well in math has increased a lot. Math achievement went from 50% in 2000 to 71% in 2011. Reading achievement stayed around 52%.
Fewer elementary school students in Bensonhurst miss a lot of school days. Only 12% miss 20 or more days a year. The city average is 20%. Also, 85% of high school students in Bensonhurst graduate on time. This is higher than the city average of 75%.
Schools in Bensonhurst
The New York City Department of Education runs the public schools in Bensonhurst.
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Local Public Schools:
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High Schools:
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Colleges:
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The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn used to run Catholic schools here. Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Bensonhurst closed in 2019.
Libraries in Bensonhurst
The Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) has two branches in Bensonhurst.
- The Highlawn branch is on 1664 West 13th Street. It was updated in 2005–2006. It has a unique circular reading room.
- The New Utrecht branch is on 1743 86th Street. It started in 1894 and became a BPL branch in 1901. The current building opened in 1956.
Images for kids
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18th Ave and 66th St
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Lenny's Pizza
See also
In Spanish: Bensonhurst (Brooklyn) para niños
