Brooklyn
Kings County, New York | |
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Motto(s): Eendraght Maeckt Maght ("Unity makes strength") | |
![]() Interactive map outlining Brooklyn | |
![]() Brooklyn in New York State | |
Location within New York City Location within the State of New York Location within the United States Location on Earth | |
Coordinates: 40°41′34″N 73°59′25″W / 40.69278°N 73.99028°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | New York |
County | Kings (coterminous) |
City | New York City |
Settled | 1634 |
Named for | Breukelen, Netherlands |
Government | |
• Type | Borough |
• Borough President | Antonio Reynoso (D) — (Borough of Brooklyn) |
• District Attorney | Eric Gonzalez (D) — (Kings County) |
Area | |
• Total | 97 sq mi (250 km2) |
• Land | 70.82 sq mi (183.4 km2) |
• Water | 26 sq mi (67 km2) |
Highest elevation | 220 ft (67 m) |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,736,074[1] |
• Density | 38,634/sq mi (14,917/km2) |
• Demonym | Brooklynite[3] |
GDP | |
• Total | US$107.274 billion (2022) |
ZIP Code prefix | 112 |
Area codes | 718/347/929, 917 |
Congressional districts | 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th |
Website | brooklynbp.nyc.gov |
Brooklyn is a borough of New York City. Located on the westernmost end of Long Island, it is coextensive with Kings County in the U.S. state of New York. With 2,736,074 residents as of the 2020 United States census,[1] Kings County is the most populous of the five boroughs of New York City and the most populous county in the State of New York.[5][6] The population density of Brooklyn was 37,339.9 inhabitants per square mile (14,417.0/km2) in 2022, making it the second-most-densely-populated county in the United States, behind Manhattan,[7] and it had the ninth-highest population of any county nationwide.[8] Were Brooklyn still an independent city, it would be the fourth most populous in the U.S. after the rest of New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.[8]
Named after the Dutch town of Breukelen in the Netherlands, Brooklyn shares a border with the borough of Queens. It has several bridge and tunnel connections to the borough of Manhattan, across the East River, and is connected to Staten Island by way of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. With a land area of 69.38 square miles (179.7 km2) and a water area of 27.48 square miles (71.2 km2), Kings County is the state of New York's fourth-smallest county by land area and third smallest by total area.[9]
Brooklyn was founded by the Dutch in the 17th century and grew into a busy port city by the 19th century. On January 1, 1898, after a long political campaign and public-relations battle during the 1890s and despite opposition from Brooklyn residents, Brooklyn was consolidated in and annexed (along with other areas) to form the current five-borough structure of New York City in accordance to the new municipal charter of "Greater New York".[10] The borough continues to maintain some distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves. With Jews forming around a quarter of its population, the borough has been described as "the most Jewish spot on Earth".[11] Brooklyn's official motto, displayed on the borough seal and flag, is Eendraght Maeckt Maght, which translates from early modern Dutch as 'Unity makes strength'.[12]
In the first decades of the 21st century, Brooklyn has experienced a renaissance as a destination for hipsters,[13] with concomitant gentrification, dramatic house-price increases, and a decrease in housing affordability.[14] Some new developments are required to include affordable housing units.[15] Since the 2010s, parts of Brooklyn have evolved into a hub of entrepreneurship, high-technology startup firms,[16][17] postmodern art,[18] and design.[17]