An Overview of Bay Ridge

 It is important that before diving into a subject, that the audience has an idea of what you are talking about. That is why the first step in looking at local history would be to identify the area you are looking at, and creating a baseline of factual information. For a classroom setting, this would be a beneficial point to create a pre-assessment to properly gauge the prior knowledge of the students. 

The neighborhood of Bay Ridge is located in the south-west corner of the Borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood borders the Narrows River to the west, Dyker Heights to the east, Sunset Park to the north, and Fort Hamilton Army Base to the south. With a population of almost 80,000 according to the 2010 census, Bay Ridge is home to a wide variety of cultures. 

The image below shows a breakdown of the population in Bay Ridge. While it is a close, 50/50 ratio of male to females, there are slightly more females in Bay Ridge. Another point of interest is the largest age range population is that of 25-29 and 30-34 year old's. This makes sense as many older 'millennials' are moving to Bay Ridge to start and grow their families. That helps connect the information to why the under 5 age range is also quite high. The only other larger age range would be 60-64 which contributes to the understanding that there are quite a few retired people who still live in Bay Ridge, and often participate in community events such as the St. Patrick's Day Parade and the Memorial Day Parades. 

Image 1 taken from here.

As stated before, Bay Ridge is a culturally diverse neighborhood. Image 2 reflects the racial origin groups of the population in Bay Ridge, While a majority of the population is classified as 'white non-hispanic' a possible issue that is worth noting in this graph is that there is no option for people of Middle Eastern descent. In speaking with Middle Eastern descended people, many of them answer these types of question as 'white' since there is no other option for them. The other the largest racial grouping would be Hispanic, and Asian, which are almost equal at about 20% of the population for each grouping. The smallest population is black, which is about 3% of the population. 

Image 2 was taken from here.

Bay Ridge has a community of diverse incomes. The largest group in Bay Ridge have an income ranging from $100,000 to $140,000 in Household Income. The smallest group in Bay Ridge has an income ranging from $10,000 to $14,999.  The chart below shows a good representation of the different types of household incomes in Bay Ridge. 

Image 3 taken from here. 

When looking at Bay Ridge, it is important to take note of the Educational Resources available to the population. 

The image below shares the amount of the population enrolled in school ages 3 and over. The image shows that the largest population in the chart is Elementary school (grades 1-8). This information makes sense for the population as it contains the majority of children's age range (about ages 5-13). The information in the chart also highlights that there is a little over 30% of the population enrolled in College or other higher educational schools. This is something that is very interesting as it can show the economic availability of higher education to the population in Bay Ridge. 

Image 3 was taken from here.

When looking at those who are over the age of 25, we can see the levels of educational attainment. This means what type of higher education did the population attain or reach over time. The largest part of the Population in Bay Ridge would be that they received a Bachelor's Degree or higher, which is over 40% of the population. The smallest percent of the population would be less than a high school graduate, which is a little over 10% of the population. These instances could be assessed by the issue of immigration as well as United States equivalency issues in education.

Image 4 was taken from here. 

Please look at the Map of schools in Bay Ridge , above, that I have created to get a sense of all the different schools that are located in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

From the image below, you can see the highlighted neighborhoods. Bay Ridge is highlighted in blue and has a red circle almost outlining the neighborhood. That red line indicates highways, and Bay Ridge is almost entirely surrounded by highway. On the west, that is the Belt Parkway which connects Brooklyn to Long Island. On the east, the red line indicates the Bronx-Queens Expressway (BQE) which connects the Verrazzano Bridge (Staten Island) to Queens and the Bronx. These highways really help to connect Bay Ridge to the greater metropolitan area! 

The image below is a map of the R train, which connects Bay Ridge to the rest of Brooklyn, and even the city. The R train runs along 4th Avenue, and it is a very popular mode of transportation for those who live in Bay Ridge and either work or go to school in the City.  The first stop that enters into the actual neighborhood of Bay Ridge is the Bay Ridge Avenue stop, and the last of the whole line is the Bay Ridge-95th Street stop. 

The image below shows a brief glimpse into what Bay Ridge looks like. With the small town hustle and bustle of cars whirling by, the rumble of the R Train below your feet, and the numerous cultural shops and restaurants, Bay Ridge is a great place to be!  

This image is from the corner of 86th Street and 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

It is important to note the population of the area, and actually have the students see the number. In showing this, it would be good to stress that they are a contributing factor to that number, as well as their family and friends who live in Bay Ridge. By personalizing statistical data, it can help make a somewhat abstract number more relatable and understandable. 

By sharing the maps and images above, with their descriptions, it allows for the audience or students to get a general sense of the neighborhood. The maps help the students to identify with common ways of commuting to the area, which they might be able to relate to. Maybe a family member takes the R train into work every day, or they always take the Belt Parkway when they come home from school. The students can gain a sense of place and can help frame the information that will soon be discussed. Especially when talking about the early history of Bay Ridge, where the natives and early settlers were scattered all around. The maps can help the students frame the locations of important historical events and even visualize the past settlers in their neighborhood.