Homecrest, Brooklyn

Residential building in Homecrest, Brooklyn

Homecrest is a neighborhood situated in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It borders Kings Highway to the north, Avenue X to the south, Coney Island Avenue to the west, and Ocean Avenue to the east. Homecrest uses the ZIP Code, 11229. The area is served by Brooklyn Community Board 15. Homecrest is served by the NYPD's 61st Precinct.

Demography

The community has traditionally been home to a large Italian population and has also experienced an influx of people from Latin America, China, Israel, Syria, Russia, and other former Eastern-bloc nations.

Chinatown, Homecrest/Sheepshead Bay (唐人街, 羊头湾)

From the turn of the century Avenue U (Ocean Pkwy. to Ocean Ave.) became New York City's newest Chinatown, as evidenced by the growing number of Chinese-run food markets, bakeries, restaurants, beauty and nail salons, and computer and general electronics dealers. It is in a way a 2nd extension of Manhattan's Chinatown since the Q trains are directly connected from Canal Street in Manhattan's Chinatown to Brooklyn's Avenue U Chinatown. It is the second Chinatown of Brooklyn after the older and larger Sunset Park Chinatown. Congestion and increasing property values in Brooklyn's first established Chinatown in Sunset Park has sent the Chinese population into this portion of Brooklyn, creating a second Chinatown of Brooklyn and in a way it is an extension of Brooklyn's Sunset Park Chinatown. This Chinatown overlaps between the Homecrest and Sheepshead Bay sections.

This Chinatown, which occupies less than 10 blocks and emerged during the late 1990s is the smallest satellite Chinese community in New York City and still in an early developing stage. Its 2011 size resembles that of Manhattan Chinatown from the late 1800s to early 1900s when it was expanding from its original 10 block section of Doyer, Mott, and Pell Streets. Chinese residents calls this Avenue U in Chinese translation as U大道 and the Chinese translation for Sheepshead Bay is 羊头湾. Just a little bit outside of this little Chinese enclave, on Avenue U there is a Chinese supermarket named New York Mart. The East West Bank so far is the only Chinese bank on Avenue U as a result serving as the main Chinese financial resource business for this tiny Chinatown.

Homecrest Community Services

Just around the Avenue U Chinatown, Homecrest Community Services opened as a non-profit IRS 501C(3) in 1997 to provide social services to the growing Chinese Community in the area. They are funded by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, NYC Department For the Aging, State of New York, New York City Council, legislators and Brooklyn Borough President. There are other corporations, foundations, and individuals that also help fund the program.They have memberships with the Asian American Federation, the Federation of Protesta Welfare Agencies. Inc., Council of Senior Centers and Services of New York City, Inc. and the Greater Southern Brooklyn Health Coalition. They also have connections with diverse variety of community-based organizations, health care providers and government agencies serving southern Brooklyn.

In 2004, A Homecrest Community Services opened up a smaller satellite senior service center in Bensonhurst's developing Chinatown and it is the first Asian sponsored senior community service in Bensonhurst.

Homecrest Community Services is one of the earliest Chinese sponsored social service programs to be available in Brooklyn's more recent newer emerged Chinese communities, which are still in their early developing stages, but growing rapidly in Homecrest and Bensonhurst areas of Brooklyn. It also shares a similar background to Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association when it developed as the first Chinese community service in Manhattan's Chinatown at a time period when it was in it's earliest developing stages as a Chinese community during the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

Housing

In recent years many condominiums have sprung up. Many of the private residential two-story homes within the community have been renovated into mini-mansions, some estimated at a half-million to a million dollars in estimated value. Just South Of Avenue 'V' you will find many one-story bungalow type homes, as well as rows of one-story brick homes with community backyards and driveways.

Education

Local Schools include St. Edmund Preparatory High School, Nefesh Academy For Girls Yeshiva, and Prospect Park Girls Yeshiva which serve the student youth of the local Jewish Community. There is Windmill Montessori School. There are a number of Public Schools such as P.S. 255 Barbara Reing School (formerly William E. Kelly until 1994), P.S. 153 Homecrest and J.H.S. 234 W. Arthur Cunningham. Touro College Graduate School Of Education and Psychology is located on Coney Island just South of Kings Highway (above Walgreen Drugs). Touro College also has other campuses (such as "Computer") nearby along Kings Highway. A 'Stanley Kaplan' is located at E. 16th. and Kings Highway.

Transportation

The Community is serviced by the B and Q trains of the BMT Brighton Line, with stations located at Kings Highway, Avenue U and Neck Road. The B82, B49, B7, B68, B3, and other NYC Transit Bus routes service the area.

Emergency Health Services

Homecrest Health Center (NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene) is located at 1601 Avenue S, at E. 16th St. It is a Public Health Facility. Coney Island Hospital, NY Prysbeterian Community, and Beth Israel King Highway Div. serve the community. Many private outpatient medical facilities have also emerged.

Religious Groups

There is an ever growing population of members of the Jewish faith in the community, served by quite a few Orthodox and Sephardic synagogues. St. Edmunds Roman Catholic Parish serves the community, as does The First Baptist Church Of Sheepshead Bay, The Homecrest Presbyterian Church, and other congregations of various denomination serve the growing Asian population. There is also a Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall nearby.

Shopping

Kings Highway (To The South) Is One Of The Three Main Retail Shopping Districts. Second Is Coney Island Avenue, and the third is Avenue U. Lester's Clothing shops, Avenue 'U' at Coney Island Avenue, has been a long-time staple On Avenue U.

Parks

William E. Kelly Memorial Park is a NYC P&R Park located along Avenue 'S', E. 14th.-15th. St.'s. It is a large community park featuring Tennis Courts, and a Kids Playground. Basketball and Handball Courts. Tennis Lessons are available from semi-pro instructors on-site (there may be a Fee).

Kelly Playground is another NYC Parks & Recreation Playground which offers both basketball and handball courts, and it is located at East 16th. Street and Ave. 'S'. Students from the adjacent Public Schools, as well as local Yeshiva Schools, often utilize the playground when school is in session. Back in the 1960s through 1970s the playground featured a popular roller hockey rink.

Mellett Playground is a NYC Parks & Recreation Playground located along Avenue 'V, E. 13th.-14th. St.'s. It is A smaller community park featuring basketball hoops, a handball court as well as a kids playground area. Back in the 1970s, it was a late-night hangout for rowdy local youth. The attendant's park house was destroyed by fire set by vandals. A vocal group of community residents organized and formed the 'Mellett Park Civic Association'. Banded together they fought bureaucratic red tape to have the old fire ravaged parkhouse refurbished, as well as the rest of the playground. In the mornings many Asian members of the community use the park to practice Tai-Chi.

In film

• A Bronx Tale (1993), Starring Robert De Niro and Chazz Palminteri- Majority of The Street scenes filmed along Neck Road By The BMT Neck Road Subway Station, along Avenue's 'V' and 'W.' Film cars, props, lighting, the classic transit bus De Niro drove, and other gear were stored in Mellett Park during the filming.
• Scenes from the film 'Brooklyn's Finest', starring Richard Gere, Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, and Ellen Barkin, were recently filmed in the area of East 13th.-15th. St.'s, Kings Highway to Avenue 'R,' especially a Rented Residence On East 15th. Street.

See also

• List of Brooklyn neighborhoods
• Chinatown, Brooklyn
• Chinatown, Manhattan
• Chinatown, Flushing
• Chinatowns in Canada and the United States

External links

• William E. Kelly Memorial Park, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation