Brooklyn

Brooklyn
Kings County, New York
Official seal of Brooklyn
Motto(s): 
Eendraght Maeckt Maght
("Unity makes strength")
Map
Interactive map outlining Brooklyn
Location within the state of New York
Location within the state of New York
Coordinates: 40°41′34″N 73°59′25″W / 40.69278°N 73.99028°W / 40.69278; -73.99028
Country United States
StateNew York
CountyKings (coterminous)
CityNew York City
Settled1634
Named forBreukelen, Netherlands
Government
 • TypeBorough
 • Borough PresidentAntonio Reynoso (D)
(Borough of Brooklyn)
 • District AttorneyEric Gonzalez (D)
(Kings County)
Area
 • Total97 sq mi (250 km2)
 • Land70.82 sq mi (183.4 km2)
 • Water26 sq mi (67 km2)
Highest elevation220 ft (67 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total2,736,074[1]
 • Density38,634/sq mi (14,917/km2)
 • Demonym
Brooklynite[3]
GDP
 • TotalUS$107.274 billion (2022)
ZIP Code prefix
112
Area codes718/347/929, 917
Congressional districts7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th
Websitewww.brooklyn-usa.org

Brooklyn is a borough of New York City. Located on the westernmost edge of Long Island, it is coextensive with Kings County in the U.S. state of New York. With 2,736,074 residents as of the 2020 United States census,[1] Kings County is the most populous of the five boroughs of New York City and the most populous county in the State of New York.[5][6] The population density of Brooklyn was 37,339.9 inhabitants per square mile (14,417.0/km2) in 2022, making it the second-most-densely-populated county in the United States, behind Manhattan,[7] and it had the ninth-highest population of any county nationwide.[8] Were Brooklyn still an independent city, it would be the fourth most populous in the U.S. after the rest of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.[8]

Named after the Dutch town of Breukelen in the Netherlands, Brooklyn shares a border with the borough of Queens. It has several bridge and tunnel connections to the borough of Manhattan, across the East River, and is connected to Staten Island by way of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. With a land area of 69.38 square miles (179.7 km2) and a water area of 27.48 square miles (71.2 km2), Kings County is the state of New York's fourth-smallest county by land area and third smallest by total area.[9]

Brooklyn was founded by the Dutch in the 17th century and grew into a busy port city by the 19th century. On January 1, 1898, after a long political campaign and public-relations battle during the 1890s and despite opposition from Brooklyn residents, Brooklyn was consolidated in and annexed (along with other areas) to form the current five-borough structure of New York City in accordance to the new municipal charter of "Greater New York".[10] The borough continues to maintain some distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves. Having a larger Jewish population than Jerusalem, the borough has been described as "the most Jewish spot on Earth", with Jews forming around a quarter of its population.[11][12] Brooklyn's official motto, displayed on the borough seal and flag, is Eendraght Maeckt Maght, which translates from early modern Dutch as 'Unity makes strength'.[13]

In the first decades of the 21st century, Brooklyn has experienced a renaissance as a destination for hipsters,[14] with concomitant gentrification, dramatic house-price increases, and a decrease in housing affordability.[15] Some new developments are required to include affordable housing units.[citation needed] Since the 2010s, parts of Brooklyn have evolved into a hub of entrepreneurship, high-technology startup firms,[16][17] postmodern art,[18] and design.[17]

  1. ^ a b "2020 Census Demographic Data Map Viewer". US Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  2. ^ Battle Hill
  3. ^ Moynihan, Colin. "F.Y.I.", The New York Times, September 19, 1999. Accessed December 17, 2019. "There are well-known names for inhabitants of four boroughs: Manhattanites, Brooklynites, Bronxites, and Staten Islanders. But what are residents of Queens called?"
  4. ^ "Gross Domestic Product by County and Metropolitan Area, 2022" (PDF). www.bea.gov. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
  5. ^ Table 2: Population, Land Area, and Population Density by County, New York State - 2020, New York State Department of Health. Accessed January 2, 2024.
  6. ^ 2010 Gazetteer for New York State, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 18, 2016.
  7. ^ Highest Density States, Counties and Cities (2022), United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 2, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Most Populaous States, Counties and Cities (2022), United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 2, 2024.
  9. ^ 2020 Census Gazetteer for New York State, United States Census Bureau. Accessed January 2, 2024.
  10. ^ Consolidation of the Five-Borough City: 1898, New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. Accessed January 18, 2024. "On January 1, 1898, the separate jurisdictions of New York (Manhattan), Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island joined together to form a single metropolis: the City of Greater New York..... Resistance was strongest among residents of Brooklyn, who did not want to see their city’s independent identity smothered by New York and their Republican government swamped by the huge numbers of Democrats in Manhattan. The question was put to a public referendum and in the end, the Greater New York movement won by a razor thin margin – 64,744 votes for consolidation, 64,467 against."
  11. ^ "Table III/9 - Population in Israel and in Jerusalem, by Religion, 1988 - 2020" (PDF). Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research. 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  12. ^ Danailova, Hilary (January 2018). "Brooklyn, the Most Jewish Spot on Earth". Hadassah Magazine.
  13. ^ Sherman, John. "Why Is Brooklyn's Flag So Lame?", Brooklyn Magazine, August 6, 2014. Accessed January 18, 2024. "If you aren’t familiar, Brooklyn has a flag. And it’s a bummer. It’s plain white, first of all, with a sort of wonky blue oval shape at the center. Inside the oval is a bored-looking woman in a yellow robe, carrying a fasces, a symbol of unity. The oval is ringed with a motto, in Dutch, Een Draght Maekt Maght ('Unity Makes Strength'), and the words Borough of Brooklyn."
  14. ^ Henry Alford (May 1, 2013). "How I Became a Hipster". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 2, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  15. ^ Oshrat Carmiel (April 9, 2015). "Brooklyn Home Prices Jump 18% to Record as Buyers Compete". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, L.P. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  16. ^ "19 Reasons Why Brooklyn Is New York's New Start-Up Hotspot". CB Insights. October 19, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
  17. ^ a b Vanessa Friedman (April 30, 2016). "Brooklyn's Wearable Revolution". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
  18. ^ Alexandria Symonds (April 29, 2016). "One Celebrated Brooklyn Artist's Futuristic New Practice". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 30, 2016. Retrieved April 29, 2016.