Program Description
Named after a park located on one of the highest points in Brooklyn, Sunset Park has been a quintessential melting pot for Irish, Polish and Norwegian immigrants, and more recently for Latino, Orthodox Jewish and Chinese populations, and is known as the Chinatown of Brooklyn. Its strong maritime history was fueled by the influx of immigrants over many decades that were attracted to the area for the economic opportunities offered by waterfront industries. With amazing views of Manhattan, Staten Island and downtown Brooklyn, Sunset Park boasts plentiful transportation, diverse eateries, and such landmarks as The Brooklyn Army Terminal, Bush Terminal, and The Green-Wood Cemetery, (where notable among the 560,000 interred here are: abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher, composer Leonard Bernstein, women's rights crusader Margaret Sanger and artist Jean Michel Basquiat). Today Sunset Park is a great place to sample tasty and authentic Asian and Mexican foods and there are also signs of an emerging arts scene.
Host: Allyson Lynch
Neighborhood Beat is a series featuring Brooklyn's diverse neighborhoods. The programs are produced and directed by neighborhood reps.