Gerristen Beach - A Close Knit Brooklyn Neighborhood

Construction on one-story, summer bungalows in Gerritsen Beach started in the 1920s when Irish-Americans began using the community as summer resort. The homes were built on small lots and later winterized and expanded. Larger two-story houses with backyards also were constructed in the area, and by the 1930s, more than 1,500 homes had been built in the neighborhood. In recent years co-ops have been constructed on the northern border next to the community of Marine Park.

The close knit neighborhood, which some compare to a New England fishing village, is surrounded by Shell Bank Creek, Plumb Beach Channel, and Marine Park, and motorists gain access to the isolated peninsula via Gerritsen Avenue. Traditionally, turnover of the homes in Gerritsen Beach has been low. It isn't unusual for houses to be passed down from generation to generation, or for several generations of the same family to remain in the community.

Tamaqua Bar and Marina is a neighborhood institution that dates from the 1920s. Most of the commercial activity, however, is limited to Gerritsen Avenue, and the new Gerritsen Beach Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library is located at Gerritsen and Channel Avenues.

Local activities revolve around the water, with swimming, boating, and fishing popular with all ages. The neighborhood offers four yacht clubs to accommodate rowboats, motorboats, sailboards, and sailboats. Kiddie Beach, which was created by the Gerritsen Beach Property Owners Association in 1965, is open to residents and has a concession stand, lifeguards, a stage for summer performances, and is the site of the annual July 1 parade.