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==Civic Services==
==Civic Services==
*Ambulance – Bravo Volunteer Ambulance Emergency<ref>[http://www.bravoambulance.org/ BRAVO]</ref>
*[[Ambulance]] – [http://bravoambulance.org BRAVO], the Bay Ridge Ambulance Volunteer Organization<ref>[http://www.bravoambulance.org/ BRAVO]</ref>
*[[Brooklyn Public Library]] – Dyker Heights Branch<ref>[http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/branch_library_detail.jsp?branchpageid=143 BPL Dyker Heights Branch]</ref>
*[[Brooklyn Public Library]] – Dyker Heights Branch<ref>[http://www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/branch_library_detail.jsp?branchpageid=143 BPL Dyker Heights Branch]</ref>
*[[FDNY]] – Engine Company 284, Ladder Company 149<ref>[http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/home2.shtml FDYN]</ref>
*[[FDNY]] – Engine Company 284, Ladder Company 149<ref>[http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/home2.shtml FDYN]</ref>

Revision as of 14:12, 30 December 2009

Dyker Heights
The Saitta House, an original Dyker Heights home.
The Saitta House, an original Dyker Heights home.
Nickname: 
Dyker
Motto: 
“The Handsomest Suburb in Greater New York”
Dyker Heights as seen from space.
Dyker Heights as seen from space.
CountryUnited States
StateNew York
CityNew York City
CountyKings
BoroughBrooklyn
Developed1895-1902
DeveloperWalter L. Johnson
Government
 • MayorMichael Bloomberg (I)
 • Borough PresidentMarty Markowitz (D)
 • State SenatorMarty Golden (R)
Elevation
110−51 ft (33.5−15.5 m)
Population
 (Census 2000)[1]
 • Total
41,172
 • Demonym
New Yorker
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
11228
Area code(s)718, 917, 347, 646
Websitewww.dykerheightscivicassociation.com

Dyker Heights is a residential neighborhood in the southwest corner of the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City, USA. It is sandwiched among Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Gravesend Bay. According to the Post Office, Dyker Heights is bounded to the west by Interstate 278, to the north by Bay Ridge Avenue, to the east by Sixteenth Avenue, and to the south by Fort Hamilton. The Dyker Beach Golf Course extends to the Belt Parkway. Dyker Heights originated as a speculative luxury housing development in October 1895 when Walter Loveridge Johnson developed a portion of woodland into a suburban community. During the height of his development, the boundaries were primarily between Tenth Avenue and Thirteenth Avenue and from 79th Street to 86th Street. The finest homes of the development were situated along the top of the 110-foot (34 m) hill, at about Eleventh Avenue and 82nd Street. Dyker Heights is patrolled by the NYPD's 68th [2] Precinct.

History

New Utrecht Woodlands

The neighborhood of Dyker Heights lies within the boundaries of the original Dutch town of New Utrecht settled in 1657. The area that is now as Dyker Heights was not developed in the seventeenth or eighteenth centuries because the land was too sloped for farming. It remained common woodland until the mid-1800s. The trees of this forest were used by the townsfolk as a source of firewood and construction material. When the agricultural industry of New Utrecht changed from the farming of grains to the cultivation of market garden produce, the trees were cleared and the area became a large market garden with tomatoes, cabbages, and potatoes, among other produce.[3]

Brigadier General René Edward De Russy.

De Russy's Estate

The first house built at the top of the hill (what is now Eleventh Avenue and Eighty-Second Street, at about 110 feet (34 m) above sea level) was built in the late 1820s by Brigadier General René Edward De Russy of the United States Army. De Russy was a military engineer who built many forts in the United States – from the Canadian border and the eastern seaboard to the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific coast – including Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn.[4] Since this is the tallest natural point in southwest Brooklyn, De Russy built his homestead here – it afforded a clear view of the harbor and its defenses, especially Fort Hamilton which was complete by November 1831. De Russy died in 1865 and his wife, Helen, sold the property in 1888 to Jane Elisabeth Loveridge and Frederick Henry Johnson.

Frederick H. Johnson's Speculation

According to the Brooklyn Eagle, Frederick Johnson did "much toward developing the locality in which he resided. He was the author of the original New Utrecht Improvement Bill, and an ardent advocate of the annexation of the Town to this City."[5] The Town of New Utrecht was annexed to the City of Brooklyn on July 1, 1894. On January 1, 1898, the City of Brooklyn was annexed to the City of New York. Involved with real estate, Johnson was probably very aware of the real estate pressures on and potential of the real estate in New Utrecht. With this in mind, he most likely purchased the De Russy Estate with the intention of building an upscale residential neighborhood similar to Bensonhurst-by-the-Sea, built by James D. Lynch from 1880-1890 in the Bath Beach section of New Utrecht.[6] At that time, The Real Estate Record claimed Bensonhurst-by-the-Sea was "the most perfectly developed suburb ever laid out around New York."[7] The restrictions placed upon the property made Bensonhurst-by-the-Sea "a model settlement, where some of the most refined, intelligent and cultured of New York and Brooklyn’s citizens have built their homes."[7]

Walter L. Johnson, Developer of Dyker Heights.

Walter L. Johnson's Vision

Following Frederick Johnson’s death on August 15, 1893 at the age of 52, his second son, Walter Loveridge Johnson, took over the real estate business and by October 1895 Walter started Dyker Heights on his parents’ property. Walter L. Johnson named his development "Dyker Heights" after the Dyker Meadow and Beach, which his development overlooks. The meadow and beach received their name from either the Van Dykes (an original New Utrecht family) who built the dykes to drain the meadow, or for the dykes that the Van Dykes built. [6]

Walter L. Johnson was able to develop this portion of New Utrecht woodland into a residential community by making necessary improvements to it. In 1890, the only roads present were Kings Highway, Eighty-Sixth Street, Denyse’s Lane, and a small unnamed road near Tenth Avenue – none of which were paved and only Eighty-Sixth Street was a thoroughfare specifically planned as such. The remaining land was unimproved. Johnson continued Brooklyn’s street grid south with macadam pavement, graded the properties, installed gas, water, telephone, and electricity lines, and planted sugar maple trees – seven on the avenues and twenty along the streets. This opened over two hundred more building sites between Tenth and Thirteenth avenues as well as between Seventy-Ninth Street and Eighty-Sixth Street.

The Original Three

In 1895, Johnson, very much aware of the successful Bensonhurst-by-the-Sea, built three homes. His home was on the southwest corner of Eleventh Avenue and Eighty-Second Street (across the Avenue from the home of his mother), Albert Edward Parfitt’s home was on Eighty-Second Street next to Johnson’s, and the last, closest to Tenth Avenue, was the home of Arthur S. Tuttle who was Assistant Engineer of The Water Supply of The City Works Department of The City of Brooklyn. Parfitt was the architect of these three homes. Johnson’s house burned down before 1900, Parfitt’s was demolished by a developer in 1928 and replaced with seven, run-of-the-mill, fully detached, single-family homes, and Tuttle’s house was remodeled over 10 years ago and clad in bright-white and sky-blue brick.[6]

The Praise from The Print Press

"The Handsomest Suburb in Greater New York"

Throughout the infancy of the development, Walter L. Johnson was able to use the print press to his advantage. He advertised his suburban homes heavily and stated that the high ground, magnificent ocean view, and careful restrictions made Dyker Heights the handsomest suburb in Greater New York. Based on the newspaper accounts, he was right. In 1896 Johnson built and sold thirty homes in Dyker Heights. By January 1897, the Brooklyn Eagle reported on his achievements. "Mr. Johnson has met with great success in the development of Dyker Heights and had probably done more business and made more sales during the past year than all the rest of the surrounding settlements combined."[8] In April 1898 sales were still very strong. "Dyker Heights still holds its lead among the suburban sections in building operations, over forty houses having been erected there during the past year... and there are fully twenty more houses about to be built." [9] One of its many advantages was the location, which according to the Brooklyn Eagle, "is one of the finest in Greater New York, commanding an extensive view of water from Sandy Hook to the New Jersey Palisades, with Staten Island and the shores of New Jersey directly in front."[10] Still more praise in February 1899, "Dyker Heights has been one of the most successful and the most rapid in growth of any of the suburban settlements, over one hundred dwellings, costing from $5,000 to $25,000 each, having been erected there within the last two years."[11]

Massive Stone Pier in Dyker Heights.

“An Ideal Spot for a Home”

In September 1899, the Wall Street Journal even reported on the advantages of the development, recommending it to "the busy man of Wall Street" because of "its magnificent transportation facilities… it can be reached via the Thirty-Ninth Street Brooklyn Ferry and Eighty-Sixth Street Nassau Line in 45 minutes."[12] In addition the article claimed that "the 45 minutes’ trip between Dyker Heights and Wall Street by water and rail is as invigorating as the Dyker Heights climate is healthy-living. The rare opportunities afforded by Dyker Heights to the wealthy and to those in moderate circumstances are due largely to the energy, enterprise and good taste of its founder, Mr. Walter L. Johnson."[12] A month later, the Wall Street Journal published "An Ideal Spot for a Home." From that article, one can clearly see why Dyker Heights was so successful. Its location and luxurious homes were first rate, "[Dyker Heights] is without a rival as to location, situated as it is at an elevation of [110] feet above the sea level, and is directly opposite the new Dyker Meadow Park… which will be the only seaside park in Greater New York."[13] The article also explained the exclusiveness of the property, which can be seen in "its massive stone piers with heavy wrought-iron lamps and scrolls" that adorn the entrances.[13] In December of 1899 the Brooklyn Eagle reported that, "work has recently been commenced upon thirty high class Houses, the demand for which runs a dead heat with the supply." [14]

"One of The Most Magnificent"

Johnson set very high standards for the community, the Wall Street Journal explained "the property is carefully restricted against all nuisances and no building can be erected upon a plot of less than 60 feet (18 m) in width by 100 feet (30 m) in depth, and each building must cost at least $4,000 and stand well back from the street."[13] These regulations, which were similar to those of Bensonhurst-by-the-Sea, were active until 1915. However, the most desirable feature of the area was still the "uninterrupted view of the lower bay from The Narrows to Sandy Hook and Atlantic Ocean, [which] is one of the most magnificent in the country, and nowhere else in the consolidated city is there anything to compare it with. From here can be seen a marine panorama hard to beat."[13] Dyker Heights was so desirous that important members of society flocked to it. The Brooklyn Eagle reported in December of 1899 that this "drain" on the more established social neighborhoods such as Brooklyn Heights and those in Manhattan, "almost threatens to lower the social tone of the neighborhoods where this universal exodus is effecting a gradual change in the character of the population."[14]

Dyker Heights Home for Blind Babies of the International Sunshine Society (circa 1908)

First Public Kindergarten for the Blind

Property on Eighty-fourth Street near Thirteenth Avenue was made available to the International Sunshine Society in 1906 by lawyer, financier, and promoter George E. Crater, Jr. [15] The society was able to acquire the house for $11,000, roughly half the market value, and opened the Dyker Heights Home for Blind Babies on 1 November, 1906. Cynthia W. Alden, Mary C. Seward, and other society officers worked with the New York City Board of Education to establish the first public kindergarten for blind children at the home in 1907.[16] The original building is gone, but the work begun in Dyker Heights provided a legacy of significant reforms in the public education of blind children within New York and other regions of the United States.

The Club House and Real Estate Office

Constatine Schubert's home in Dyker Heights.
Dyker Heights Club House.

One of the many focal points of the neighborhood was the Dyker Heights Club, which started in October 1896. [6] By spring of 1898 the Club had a $30,000 club house designed by Albert Edward Parfitt on an $8,500 lot, measuring 200 × 200, located on the northeast corner of Thirteenth Avenue and Eighty-Sixth Street. Johnson moved his real estate office into the club house and hired a full-time architect, Constantine Schubert, who was also a Dyker Heights homeowner. This grand, neo-classical building was sadly demolished in 1929 by the Archbishop John Hughes Knights of Columbus Club, when they acquired the property for $60,000. [17]

Early in the history of Dyker Heights, Walter L. Johnson continually purchased consecutive tracts of land until the boundaries of Dyker Heights stretched from Seventy-Ninth Street in the north, roughly Eighty-Sixth Street in the south, Tenth Avenue to the west, and about 300 feet (90 m) east of Thirteenth Avenue to the east. However, the boundaries of the Neighborhood of Dyker Heights are now defined by the Dyker Heights Post Office on the northwest corner of 13th and 84th Streets; along its northeast edge runs Bay Ridge Avenue; Sixteenth Avenue is its southeast boundary; Fort Hamilton makes its southwest border; and Interstate 278 is the northwest limit.

Homes in Dyker Heights

Original Homes

In December 1899, the Brooklyn Eagle wrote a very detailed description of the homes in Dyker Heights:

The Saitta House is an original home at Dyker Heights.

"The typical Dyker Heights residences have five rooms each on the first and second floors and four rooms on the third. Upon entrance, the inmate or visitor is ushered into a hall twelve feet wide which runs back to the butler’s pantry. To the right of this hall is the parlor and library and to the left the reception and dining rooms. The rear space is taken up by the kitchen, butler’s pantry and washrooms with tiled floors. Birdseye maple is used in the finishing of the parlor and quartered oak in that of the library, one with mantles of the same wood in fancy tile finish. A large fireplace with ornamental andirons completes the mural decoration. The ceilings are ten feet high on the first floor, while nine feet is the elevation of the second and eight feet that of the third floor. Usually the dining room is fifteen feet square and finished off in quartered sycamore. Like the hall, the reception room is done off in quartered oak, but is circular in form and has a diameter of ten feet. In the kitchen is a glazed fireplace, while below stairs, speaking from a first floor level, are the cellar and laundry, with a depth of eight feet, and an asphalt double concrete floor."[14]

“Of the five rooms on the second floor, one is a sitting room and the remainder sleeping apartments, all of which are finished in quartered oak and sycamore. A large bathroom with tiled floors takes up the remaining space of the second story. Rising to the third floor we find plain cypress as the invariable finish of the apartments, which comprise two servants’ rooms, a card or sitting room and a billiard parlor wainscoted on the sides and provided with seats for the players and onlookers. It may be noted further that the reception room and dining room are also wainscoted six feet high.”[14]

Of the approximately 150 homes initially built by Walter L. Johnson, about half remain; while the others have been razed and replaced by large Mediterranean villas, condos, as well as semi- and fully attached homes. Very few of the newer homes fit into the historic context of Dyker Heights, and many of the original surviving homes have been extensively renovated and remodeled.[18]

Some Original Homes of Dyker Heights
A Typical Dyker Heights Residence: seen in 2008 and 1901.
The demolition of the Chittensen House and the homes which replaced it.

Saitta House

Side view of the Saitta House.

The Saitta House is a two-and-a-half-story, one-family Queen Anne dwelling completed ca. 1899 by architect John J. Petit and builder P.J. la Note for Beatrice and Simone Saitta (pronounced: sigh-eat-a). The home is located on the north side of 84th Street between Twelfth Avenue to the east and Eleventh Avenue to the west. The home reportedly cost $14,000 to build and the 8,000 sq ft (700 m2) of land cost $2,700.[19]

The Saitta House is significant in the area of architecture as a remarkably intact, high-style example of Queen Anne residential architecture and for its association with the development and planning of Dyker Heights, a turn-of-the-century suburban development in Brooklyn. No other house in Dyker Heights retains so much of its original architectural and structural components – both interior and exterior – as the Saitta House. The house was architect-designed for an affluent Dyker Heights family, and built ca. 1899 by craftsmen who came from Italy and lived on the premises during construction. Architect John J. Petit’s work can be found elsewhere in Brooklyn especially in the Prospect Park South Historic District (National Register listed). The Saitta House represents the original ideals, way of life, and quality architectural design of the original Dyker Heights development.[citation needed] It was listed on both the State and National Register of Historic Places in 2007.[6] In June 2007, many local newspapers reported this news.[20][21]

The Saitta House through the Seasons at Dyker Heights
The Saitta House during the winter.
The Saitta House during the summer.
The Saitta House during the fall.

Demographics

As the 2000 Census, there 41,172 people living in Dyker Heights. The demographics were 81.8% White, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 12.6% Asian and 6.6% Hispanic or Latino. The top 5 ancestries are 45.0% Italian, 10.7% Chinese, 8.9% Irish, 4.2% Arab and 3.9% Greek.

Original Residents

St. Phillips Church in Dyker Heights.

The original inhabitants of Dyker Heights were mainly of Anglican background; in fact they established Saint Phillip’s Episcopal Church, which still functions today. The residents were either local government officials or wealthy professionals. For instance, I. M. De Varona was Engineer of the Water Bureau, Clarence Barrow was Ex-Fire Commissioner, William C. Bryant was current Fire Commissioner, George W. Dickinson was a cotton-goods merchant, W. Bennett Wardell was a retired Judge, Richard Perry Chittenden was Assistant of the Corporation Counsel, Freeland Willcox was Secretary of the Cheeseborough Vaseline Company, and Eugene Boucher was longshoreman and insurance broker.[6]

Dr. Lorenzo Ullo’s home in Dyker Heights.

Italian-American homeowners in Dyker Heights were originally small in number and included Dr. Lorenzo Ullo, Counselor to the General Company of Italian Navigation, and Simone Saitta, a Manhattan wholesale fruit dealer. However, Walter L. Johnson did not care much for Italians, especially poor Italians. The Brooklyn Eagle explained a problem Johnson had with a particular Italian family in Dyker Heights ". . . [The property] which at the time was owned by Walter L. Johnson, was occupied by an Italian family, to whom Mr. Johnson paid $600 to vacate it in order that the neighborhood of Dyker Heights, which is very carefully restricted, might have no objectionable features about it."[22] By 1940 Dyker Heights was inhabited by a majority of people of Italian descent many of whom helped establish the Roman Catholic Shrine Church of Saint Bernadette (ca. 1935) on 13th Avenue between 82nd and 83rd streets.

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Dyker Heights include:

Politics

US Congress

State Senate

City Council

State Assembly

Local

Ladder Company 149 in action on 85th Street.

Civic Services

Transportation

Subways

Dyker Heights is not served by subways; however, its neighboring communities are. The closest subways are in Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst, and Boro Park. Bay Ridge is serviced by the R train of the Fourth Avenue line of the New York City Subway, with stations at Bay Ridge Avenue, 77th Street, 86th Street and 95th Street.[38] The far south end of Boro Park is served by the N's Fort Hamilton Parkway stop.[39] Some residents use the D train in Bensonhurst 79th Street, 71st Street, or New Utrecht Avenue/62nd Street.[40]

Buses

MTA's X28 as seen on 86th Street in Dyker Heights.

Express Bus

Many residents utilize the two MTA express buses to commute to Manhattan: the X28 serving lower Manhattan to 57th Street[41] and the X38 serving 23rd Street to 57th Street.[41]

Local Bus

Several local bus routes serve Dyker Heights:

  • B1, which runs on 13th Avenue (Dyker Heights Boulevard) between 86th Street and Bay Ridge Avenue[42]
  • B4, which services Bay Ridge Parkway[43]
  • B16, running on Fort Hamilton Parkway[44]
  • B64, which is on 86th Street[45]
  • B70, serving 7th and 8th Avenues on the neighborhood's western edge[46]

Car

Dyker Heights is also accessible by car via the Belt Parkway, the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, and the Gowanus Expressway (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway).

Named Streets

  • Lieutenant William E Coffey Square – 81st Street, between 7th Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway. In the square stands one flagpole and two upright granite stones. One stone contains a bronze plaque inscribed with “In Memory Of Those Members Of Our Armed Forces Who Gave Their Lives For Our Country These Dead Shall Not Have Died In Vain” and other stone has an incised scene of Iwo Jima.[47][48]
  • Dyker Heights Boulevard – 13th Avenue, between 86th Street and Bay Ridge Avenue. On August 8, 2001 Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani signed the bill into law.[51]
  • Maria LaVache 9/11 Memorial Way – 72nd Street between 11th and 12th Avenues. Maria worked, for many years as the receptionist for J&H's International Department but was transferred to another office on the 99th floor of the World Trade Center.[56] On December 21, 2004 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed the bill into law.[57]
  • Charles J. Mauro 9/11 Memorial Way – 72nd Street between 11th and 12th Avenues. On December 21, 2004 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed the bill into law.[58]
  • Arturo Angelo Sereno 9/11 Memorial Way – 12th Avenue and 67th Street. On December 21, 2004 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed the bill into law.[59]
    Richard M. Caggiano 9/11 Memorial Way
  • Frederick I. Ergang Way – 12th Avenue and Bay Ridge Avenue. After being raised in Borough Park, Ergang graduated from New Utrecht High School, Brooklyn College, and New York University. Since NYU, he worked in the New York public school system. Most notably, he was principle of P.S. 176 at 69th Street and 12th Avenue from 1973 until his retirement in 1998. At the time of his retirement he had the second longest tenure of any educator in the city of New York.[62][63] On May 5, 2004 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed the bill into law.[64]
  • Giuseppe "Joe" Papandrea Way – 86th Street between 15th and 16th Avenues. Born in Calabria, Italy, Joe came to Brooklyn for a better life and was a successful neighborhood and family man. Unfortunately, he was diagnosed with Leukemia in 1998 but he fought it and the cancer went into remission. Tragically, he was killed by a hit and run driver on January 29, 2002. An this street serves as a reminder of the ills associated with leaving the scene of an accident and the destruction of a family.[67] On May 5, 2004 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed the bill into law.[68]
  • De Russy Drive – Circular drive in front of the Dyker Beach Golf Course Club House, connecting 7th Avenue with 86th Street. From approximately 1870 to 1930, an earlier ‘De Russy Street’ ran within this same parcel, as the northern-most section of the golf course was 92nd street. This street ran perpendicular to 86th Street and some 130 feet west of 11th Avenue and it was demapped when the park was expanded northward in the 1930s. Both the Dyker Heights Civic Association and the Dyker Heights Historical Society were instrumental in the naming of the street after General Rene E. De Russy. Immediately after the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the newly renovated Dyker Beach Golf Course Club House on July 1, 2009, an unveiling took place with members from the Dyker Heights Civic Association and the Dyker Heights Historical Society as well as New York City Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner, Adrian Benepe.[69][70][71][72]
  • Walter L. Johnson Corner – Developer of Dyker Heights – 82nd Street and 11th Avenue, southwest corner. Walter L. Johnson developed Dyker Heights in about 1895 to 1905. This was the corner on which he built his house, the very first at Dyker Heights. The Dyker Heights Civic Association, the Dyker Heights Historical Society, and Council Member Vincent J. Gentile, of the 43rd district, were instrumental in the naming of this corner. A formal ceremony is planned for the spring of 2010.[73] On December 28, 2009 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed the bill into law.[74]
  • Hank Vogt Way – at the intersection of 85th Street and 7th Avenue. In 1974, Hank Vogt established, and became the first chair of BRAVO, the Bay Ridge Ambulance Volunteer Organization, which is located on 7th Avenue between 86th and 85th streets. He was also very involved in his community serving as Parade Chairman of the Ragamuffin Parade for many years as well as chairman of Planning Board 10. Council Member Vincent J. Gentile, of the 43rd district, was instrumental in securing this designation.[75] On December 28, 2009 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed the bill into law.[76]

Churches

Christmas

Dyker Heights is now most famous for its Christmas lights and decorations erected each year by its residents. It’s been called “Con Ed's warmest heartthrob,”[82] the “undisputed capital of Christmas pageantry,”[83] and the “king of the Christmas lights."[84] Christmas lights are now the core of the Dyker Heights identity as it is not just one home, or one block, but rather the entire community that participates.[85]

Although in which December the lights began is unclear, newspaper reports and tours of the area suggest it started sometime in the 1980s. In 1985 one Lou Singer began running tours (Singer's Brooklyn) through the most elaborately light parts of Bensonhurst, Canarsie, Bay Ridge, and Dyker Heights where one could find “designer lighting.”[86] [87] [88] [89]

Since those initial 1980 reports, the lights of Dyker Heights have become increasing more popular with New Yorkers as countless newspaper articles, news programs, documentaries, and remotes were created. Early on, the two most noted homes were on 84th Street, between 11th and 12th avenues, directly across from one another. The home of Lucy Spata with her Santa theme at 1152 84th St and that of Alfred Polizzotto with his Nutcracker motif at 1145 84th St.[90] [91]

Spata’s home is covered in lights, illuminated soldiers and choirboys, and other Christmas figures. The inside is decorated with 50 motorized dolls, miniature villages and many gifts. Outside Santa, played by her nephew, greets children and others who pass by.[92]

The white mansion, owned by Alfred Polizzotto, is adorned with a pair of 29-foot high wooden solders which stand guard and wave their arms. The front lawn has rearing horses and a quartet of dancers. In 1988, Mr. Polizzotto was diagnosed with lymphoma, which was successfully treated the following year. To celebrate his triumph, Mr. Polizzotto mounted the display the following year and ever since. Unfortunately in 2001 Mr. Polizzotto passed away and his family has continued the tradition in his honor.[93]

In 1996, the Casos, who moved to Dyker Heights in 1995 (they have since relocated) had Midwood artist Carl Oliveri design Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," which included 29 life-size figures on their front lawn at 1062 84th St.[94]

In 2000, Conan O'Brien filmed a remote for Late Night with Conan O'Brien in Dyker Heights.[95] A PBS televised documentary "Dyker Lights" was produced in 2001 as an insight into the neighborhood with stories involving the Christmas celebration lights.[96]

Education

File:1919 20 2.jpg
Poly Prep as seen in 1919.

Private

Parochial

  • Leif Ericson Day School (Pre-K – 8th Grade)[98]
  • St. Bernadette School (Pre-K – 8th Grade)[99]
  • St. Ephrem School (Pre-K – 8th Grade)[100]

Public

  • JHS 201 Dyker Heights (6th Grade – 8th Grade)[101]
  • JHS 259 William Mckinley (6th Grade – 8th Grade)[102]
  • PS 127 Mckinley Park (Kindergarten – 5th Grade)[103]

Early Childhood Education

  • Lefferts Park Baptist Church Daycare (2 years old – 6 years old)[104]

Parks and Recreation

Dyker Heights is also home to the once private, now public Dyker Beach Golf Course and the waterfront Dyker Beach Park.

References

  1. ^ 2000 U.S. Census, Zip Code Tabulation Area 11228
  2. ^ 68th Precinct, NYPD.
  3. ^ Friends of Historic New Utrecht
  4. ^ "West Point Museum Collections"
  5. ^ Brooklyn Eagle, “Frederick H. Johnson’s Sudden Death.” August 15, 1893, p. 1.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Saitta House - Report Part 1", DykerHeightsCivicAssociation.com
  7. ^ a b Marc Linder and Lawrence S. Zacharias, Of Cabbages and Kings County: Agriculture and The Formation of Modern Brooklyn (Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1999), p. 275.
  8. ^ Brooklyn Eagle, “Buys Brooklyn Realty,” January 17, 1897, p. 5.
  9. ^ Brooklyn Eagle, “Real Estate Market,” April 5, 1898, p. 14.
  10. ^ Brooklyn Eagle, “Dyker Heights Club House,” April 24, 1898, p. 10.
  11. ^ Brooklyn Eagle, “Real Estate Market,” February 1, 1899, p. 14.
  12. ^ a b Wall Street Journal, “Dyker Heights and Wall Street,” September 22, 1899, p. 5.
  13. ^ a b c d Wall Street Journal, “An Ideal Spot for a Home,” October 24, 1899, p. 2.
  14. ^ a b c d Brooklyn Eagle, “Dyker Heights Development,” December 31, 1899, p. 28.
  15. ^ Stewart, William R., ed. (1914) [1914], Annual report of the state board of charities, vol. 1, Albany: J. B. Lyon Company, pp. 753–755 {{citation}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |origdate=, |coauthors=, |chapterurl=, |accessyear=, and |month= (help)
  16. ^ State of New York (1918) [1918], Documents of the Senate, 141st Session, Albany: J. B. Lyon, p. 151 {{citation}}: Cite has empty unknown parameters: |origmonth=, |accessmonth=, |origdate=, |coauthors=, |chapterurl=, |accessyear=, and |month= (help)
  17. ^ One hundredth Anniversary Journal of the Archbishop John Hughes Knights of Columbus Club, 2000.
  18. ^ “Saitta House - Report Part 3”,DykerHeightsCivicAssociation.com
  19. ^ “Saitta House - Report Part 4”,DykerHeightsCivicAssociation.com
  20. ^ “Saitta House”,The Brooklyn Paper June 16, 2007
  21. ^ “Saitta House”,The Bay Ridge Courier, June 21, 2007
  22. ^ Brooklyn Eagle, “Used Advertising Cards." April 5, 1897, p. 16.
  23. ^ "Wa,wa,wa! Scott Baio comes home", Bay Ridge Courier, October 11, 2007
  24. ^ Rosanna Scotto
  25. ^ Vito Fossella
  26. ^ Martin J. Golden
  27. ^ Vincent J. Gentile
  28. ^ Alec Brook-Krasny
  29. ^ Dov Hikind
  30. ^ Peter Abbate
  31. ^ Brooklyn Community Board 10
  32. ^ Dyker Heights Civic Association
  33. ^ BRAVO
  34. ^ BPL Dyker Heights Branch
  35. ^ FDYN
  36. ^ 68th Precinct
  37. ^ USPS Dyker Heights Branch
  38. ^ R Line, MTA.info
  39. ^ N Line, MTA.info
  40. ^ D Line, MTA.info
  41. ^ a b X28+X38 Buses, MTA.info
  42. ^ B1 Bus, MTA.info
  43. ^ B4 Bus, MTA.info
  44. ^ B16 Bus, MTA.info
  45. ^ B64 Bus, MTA.info
  46. ^ B70 Bus, MTA.info
  47. ^ nycgovparks.org Coffey Square
  48. ^ forgotten-ny.com Where the Street had no Name – Dyker and Bath Beaches
  49. ^ nyu.gov The Naming of “Marie Walsh Corner” in the Borough of Brooklyn
  50. ^ nyccouncil.info Local Law 49 of 1996 “Marie Walsh Corner”
  51. ^ nyc.gov "Dyker Heights Boulevard"
  52. ^ nyc.gov “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Signs Legislation Naming 77 Streets”
  53. ^ poohbeargs.blogspot.com Revisiting September 11th...Remembering Dennis O'Berg
  54. ^ nyc.gov Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Signs Legislation Renaming Eighty-Three Streets
  55. ^ legacy.com Robert Frank Tipaldi
  56. ^ [1] “Tribute Page for Maria La Vache”
  57. ^ [2] “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Signs Legislation Naming 83 Streets” December 21, 2004
  58. ^ [3] “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Signs Legislation Naming 83 Streets” December 21, 2004
  59. ^ [4] “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Signs Legislation Naming 83 Streets” December 21, 2004
  60. ^ nyccouncil.info Naming Of 45 Thoroughfares And Public Places
  61. ^ cnn.com September 11, A Memorial
  62. ^ New York City Council “Name Change, Various Streets & Boroughs – Committee Report” May 5, 2004
  63. ^ CB10 OKs ‘Ergang Way,’ 15 others “THE BROOKLYN PAPERS” Page 5. March 27, 2004
  64. ^ [5] “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Signs Legislation Renaming 94 Streets” May 5, 2004
  65. ^ New York City Council “Name Change, Various Streets & Boroughs – Committee Report” May 5, 2004
  66. ^ [6] “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Signs Legislation Renaming 94 Streets” May 5, 2004
  67. ^ New York City Council “Name Change, Various Streets & Boroughs – Committee Report” May 5, 2004
  68. ^ [7] “Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Signs Legislation Renaming 94 Streets” May 5, 2004
  69. ^ Dyker Beach Golf & Catering Hall Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, Brooklyn Eagle, 07-09-2009
  70. ^ Path Through Park Given Name of 1800s General De Russy, Brooklyn Eagle, 07-09-2009
  71. ^ ‘De Russy Drive’ makes its official debut, Bayside Times, 07-09-2009
  72. ^ General DeRussy Individual Honoree Document and Figures, DykerHeightsCivicAssociation.com
  73. ^ [8] “Naming of 70 thoroughfares and public places – Committee Report” December 10, 2009
  74. ^ [9] “Mayor Bloomberg Signs Legislation Renaming 70 Thoroughfares and Public Places” December 28, 2009
  75. ^ [10] “Naming of 70 thoroughfares and public places – Committee Report” December 10, 2009
  76. ^ [11] “Mayor Bloomberg Signs Legislation Renaming 70 Thoroughfares and Public Places” December 28, 2009
  77. ^ Shrine Church of Saint Bernadette
  78. ^ St. Rosalia-Regina Pacis Parish
  79. ^ St. Ephrem’s
  80. ^ St. Philip’s
  81. ^ http://www.brooklynforChrist.com/
  82. ^ So Bright You Might Say It Glows “New York Times” By Douglas Martin: December 18, 1998
  83. ^ If You're Thinking of Living In/Dyker Heights, Brooklyn Near the Giant Verrazano, a Human Scale “New York Times” March 9, 1997
  84. ^ All Is Bright Silent Night, But Lots Of Lights “NY Daily News” Joyce Shelby, December 22th 1996
  85. ^ If You're Thinking of Living In/Dyker Heights, Brooklyn Near the Giant Verrazano, a Human Scale “New York Times” March 9, 1997
  86. ^ The Spirit of Christmas Reigns On the Sidewalks of New York “New York Times” By Andrew L. Yarrow: December 25, 1987
  87. ^ Neighborhoods Santa Has No Trouble Finding “New York Times” By Andrew L. Yarrow: December 22, 1989
  88. ^ Holiday Sights “New York Times” December 15, 1991
  89. ^ Calendar: Holiday Scenes, All Around “New York Times” December 17, 1992
  90. ^ Let There Be Lights... “Newsday” By Margalit Fox: December 20, 1991
  91. ^ Calendar: Holiday Scenes, All Around “New York Times” December 17, 1992
  92. ^ The Lights Before Christmas The Holidays Are Always High-Voltage In This B'klyn Nabe “NY Daily News” By Sheila Anne Feeney, November 29th 1998
  93. ^ Highlight Of Dyker Heights “NY Daily News” By Stephen Mcfarland, June 4th 1995
  94. ^ Daily News Guide Holiday Sights & Sounds “NY Daily News” December 14th 1998
  95. ^ Short on Subway Stops, Long on Christmas Lights New York Times by Gregory Beyer, July 13, 2008.
  96. ^ Program Info: Dyker Lights From thirteen.org
  97. ^ Poly Prep Country Day School
  98. ^ Leif Ericson Day School
  99. ^ St. Bernadette
  100. ^ St. Ephrem
  101. ^ JHS 201 Dyker Heights
  102. ^ JHS 259 William Mckinley
  103. ^ PS 127 Mckinley Park
  104. ^ Lefferts Park Baptist Church Daycare
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