“If you’d come here five, ten years ago,” said the old waitress, “you would have seen twice as many boats, three times as many restaurants and none of these great big places. Back then the tallest building was three stories high.”
She leaned on the counter, wiped her hands on her apron, and talked about the neighborhood’s many vanished businesses. In recent years, dozens of mom and pop stores have disappeared as real estate developers bought up blocks, demolished the existing structures and replaced them with luxury condominiums.
Similar stories can be heard in nearly every corner of the city but the denizens of this neighborhood are a stubborn lot, and most are determined to stay put here in Brooklyn’s only fishing village, Sheepshead Bay.
The Bay, named after the sheepshead (a large saltwater fish), is renowned for its abundant waters. Fishing once played a vital role in the neighborhood’s economy and the area around the concrete piers on Emmons Avenue still includes several bait and tackle shops, seafood restaurants and clam bars.
While the sheepshead disappeared from these waters long ago, the piers remain crowded with dozens of ducks, gulls, swans and fishing boats. The fleet usually goes out after dawn and returns before dark. The boats are met by shoppers who eagerly swap cooking tips and snatch up the catch of the day, often including flounder, tuna, bluefish and crabs.
A bit further down the road, tucked between the yacht clubs and construction sites, are a few rusted gates. These lead to narrow alleyways crowded with tiny bungalows. Most of the alleys and cottages are what remains of Sheepshead Bay’s first housing development, built around 1920 by a developer named Robert Densely.
A bit farther down the street, past the few retirement homes and “no-tell” motels, Emmons Avenue turns into an entrance to the Belt Parkway. The sand dunes begin where the sidewalk ends. The trails in the sand lead down to a quiet beach, where amateur fishermen patiently throw their nets into the water and haul their evening’s meals from the Bay.
The Brooklyn VI boasts a “Curtious” Crew
Fisherman on deck, filling bag for customer
Entrance to Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club
Cottages at 3082 Emmons Avenue
More cottages at 3082 Emmons Avenue
View of Bay from 3082 Emmons Avenue
View from the center of Lake Avenue
Swans and ducks near the Ocean Avenue footbridge
WPA Guide: Sheepshead Bay
Wikipedia: Sheepshead Bay
Forgotten NY: Sheepshead Bay
Forgotten NY: Alleys of Sheepshead Bay
Sheepshead Bay Party Boats
NY Fisherman: Sheepshead Bay
Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club
The Belt Parkway
Fascinating information and great photos. I knew nothing about your area and didn’t realize there was such a “classic” place. I hope that it can retain its fishing village feel.
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Those are gorgeous photos … really … I’ve lived in Sheepshead Bay most of my life and you’ve really captured its essence.
You are *so* blogrolled. Thanks for your comments over at my digs, by the way.
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Talk about educational! I compare nothing to you dear. by the bye, pm me with your addy if you would please.
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this past saturday evening i had the pleasure of seeing these lovely swans in sheepshead bay. it was cold and rainy and they were just so beautiful. you have a beautiful blog.
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Bait Boats…
[…]A Day on Sheepshead Bay « Blather From Brooklyn[…]…
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ve may bay…
[…]A Day on Sheepshead Bay « Blather From Brooklyn[…]…
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fishing…
[…]A Day on Sheepshead Bay « Blather From Brooklyn[…]…
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As the medium is not limited to any particular geographical or demographic region,
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This method of fishing also has a by-catch of non-target species such as sharks,
dolphins, turtles, and other non-target fish species.
Pay close attention to the mayflies, midges, and stoneflies in the area and try to
match your flies to the size and type fish are biting on.
One can find another 2 options as to wholesale fishing rod, which might be hollow-tip rods and reels and spliced-tip rods.
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The starting of the cake toppers was done with the wedding cakes, but with time and huge
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Believing that you are actually starving, it releases chemicals that actually make it harder
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Break your 3 normal main meals into 5 smaller
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Vinson had participants keep their normal diet and exercise routines (or lack thereof) and merely added
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You don’t have to hit the gym for two and three hours each day to lose weight, but it does help to squeeze in 30 minutes of physical activity each day. For many working to lose weight, one failure is enough to get them off the path to success. Hence, broccoli is a must-add ingredient in your vegetarian weight loss diet.
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I’m not that much of a internet reader to be honest but your blogs really nice,
keep it up! I’ll go ahead and bookmark your site to come back down the road.
Many thanks
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