Borough Park

Located in southwest Brooklyn, Borough Park houses one of the biggest Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish communities in America. There are also significant numbers of Irish and Italian residents who live here, but it is primarily known as a Jewish community. The town has hundreds of houses of worship, most of which are Jewish. Jewish tradition permeates through every aspect of life in Borough Park. Here, you can find the Living Torah Museum, countless Jewish shops and kosher restaurants, and homes decorated with Jewish ornaments during Jewish holidays. Even the big chain stores in this neighborhood close on Saturdays because of the Sabbath. In keeping with the Jewish tradition of raising large families, this is a safe and very family-friendly neighborhood. Borough Park has an unusually strong sense of unity; there are a lot of volunteer organizations that serve the community. There is a volunteer security team and a free service to help residents with car trouble. One major problem here is overcrowding due to the prevalence of large families. These families need all the space they can get, so houses are getting bigger. Another problem is the lack of affordable housing in the neighborhood. However, residents and town officials are working on plans to introduce some low cost housing developments.

Borough Park is a neighborhood along southwestern Brooklyn. The area covers about two hundred blocks and lies within New Utrecht just south east of Green-Wood Cemetery.

Over the past few years the neighborhood stores have been expanding to accommodate for the increasing number of residents. The 13th Avenue shopping district is a large shopping area that is approximately one mile in length. It expands from 39th Avenue to approximately 55th Street. The shopping strip is packed with storefronts of every kind. Many of the stores accommodate the supplies of many of the neighborhood’s Jewish supplies.

Borough Park is considered one of the most “Orthodox” communities to live, both culturally and religiously. There are almost 200 Jewish Houses of Worship including the Bobover’s sect, Mikva’s, and many more. There are also five Roman Catholic Churches and Mosques. In 1999, the Avenue Plaza Hotel opened on 13th Avenue, providing a 52 room kosher hotel - the first hotel to rise up in Borough Park in over a decade. The hotel is quite popular for tourists and visitors to New York City and is among the few that can accommodate the needs of many Hasidim.

A majority of the school children born in Borough Park attend local yeshivas for the boys, and Bais Yaakov-type schools for the girls. Public school population has dramatically declined in Borough Park, although Montauk Intermediate School does still exist.

Borough Park is the perfect example of how traditions were adapted as people immigrated from around the world onto this island to create a new life, while holding on to their values, customs, and traditions.

Every aspect of life in Borough Park is somehow impacted by the Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. With strict directive from several sections of the Torah, the typical Orthodox Jewish families follows the rules and regulations of their religion rather than those of the borough of Brooklyn or even the city of New York.

A good example of this in terms of real estate. Offerings in this neighborhood range from $300,000 or more for free standing homes and $500-$3,000 for apartment and housing rentals and sublets. Many of the houses have been added on to, either a bedroom or bathroom, as city codes had to be restructured to suit the residents of Borough Park. The reason: several Orthodox Jews have families with children of six or more, requiring that more space be added to accommodate the larger family size of their community.

Another aspect of public services impacting traditional religious life is through the education system. Attendance at the local public schools is not as high as in other neighborhoods in Brooklyn, namely due to Orthodox educational practice. Most children in Borough Park attend private single sex religious schools, of which there are several throughout the neighborhood.

Yet another discernable difference is noted in shopping and entertainment. Mostly all of the restaurants in this neighborhood are kosher, as well as grocery stores, and even hotels. The dietary code restricts certain meats from being eaten and certain items from being eaten simultaneous, not mention an intricate cooking and cleaning process in kitchens and intricate guidelines for butchers and the humane slaughtering of animals for eating. Due to this arduous and meticulous code, most Orthodox families in other neighborhoods do not have the option to enjoy a meal out, but in Borough Park, that option is restored and values this distinct tradition.

Shopping in this neighborhood is heavily impacted by the culture, as the stores are generally Jewish household supply stores and any clothing sold is extremely modest and plain, following in line with Orthodox traditions. 13th Avenue is a main street for the many Hasidic Jews residing throughout New York City, as this area is the only place in the city, and the only place similar in America, which caters specifically to the Orthodox community.

Despite the retainment of their culture and religion, the people of Borough Park are apart of the larger Brooklyn community, as the sense of family and tradition is common throughout this fantastically diverse neighborhood.

If you happen to be roaming this neighborhood and you also happen to be into Turkish food, then you should really check out Elite Turkish Restaurant on Eighth Ave. It’s in an area that may be construed as Sunset Park, but the two are close enough together that if you are in either one, you should take the time to eat here. It’s relatively inexpensive, less than twenty dollars per head, and it has a pretty low-key and cool atmosphere.
In general, this is a residential neighborhood far from the thick of things. There is a big Jewish population that resides here, one of the largest outside of Israel, and the rents here are pretty high.