Bay Ridge (86th St)

Bay Ridge is bounded by Sunset Park, Dyker Heights, the Belt Parkway, and the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge on the south. Originally the area was called Yellow Hook for the color of the clay there, but was renamed in the mid 19th Century for the local bay and glacial ridge in the neighborhood. Early settlers of Bay Ridge were primarily Scandinavian, and their influence can be found in several local street names and in the annual Norwegian Constitution Day Parade. Today, the neighborhood is more diverse and has the highest concentration of Arab speakers in Brooklyn and the Arab American Association of New York is headquartered in Bay Ridge.