Brooklyn Community District 2 (BKCD2) consists of Downtown Brooklyn and the surrounding residential neighborhoods of Boerum Hill to the south; Brooklyn Heights along the western waterfront; Fulton Ferry, DUMBO, and Vinegar Hill to the north; Fort Greene and Clinton Hill to the east, and the 300-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard industrial complex on the northeast border.
Downtown Brooklyn is the third-largest Central Business District in New York City, and the civic center of Kings County/the Borough of Brooklyn. Kings County is the most populous County in New York State, and the 3rd largest “city” in the nation by population.
Most of the neighborhoods in BKCD2 were first developed in the nineteenth century as low-density row houses and low-scale commercial streets. The construction of high-rise buildings accelerated after the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883 and the introduction of elevated rail and streetcar lines. In the early 20th-century multiple subway lines opened in Downtown Brooklyn, which spurred further development of taller residential and commercial buildings until the Great Depression. Since the 2004 rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn, an explosion of high rise development has dramatically changed the housing mix and skyline, including the 2022 completion of the 93-story Brooklyn Tower which is the first “supertall” building in Brooklyn, and the tallest building on Long Island.
BKCD2 is represented by 2 Congressional Districts, 2 State Senate Districts, 2 State Assembly Districts, and 2 City Council Districts. Its boundaries include 2 NYPD Precincts, and parts of 3 FDNY Fire Battalions, 2 Health Center Districts, and 2 DOE School Districts. This District shares interests with Manhattan Community Districts 1 and 3 along the East River waterfront, and with Brooklyn Community Districts 6 and 8 in the blocks surrounding the 19,000-capacity Barclays Center arena.
Civic & Community Facilities:
- Over 100 acres of mapped parkland and public space
- 81 Cultural Organizations
- 10 of Brooklyn’s 43 Designated Historic Districts
- 9 of Brooklyn’s 23 Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)
- 7 City, County, State, and Federal Courthouses and the Brooklyn Detention Complex
- 6 Public Libraries including the Center for Brooklyn History and the L10 Arts & Cultural Center
Municipal Infrastructure:
- 1.5 miles (12%) of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE)
- 85 Parking Lots & Garages
- 30 City Office Buildings
- 14 DSNY Solid Waste Drop-Off Facilities
- 11 MTA subway lines and the Long Island Railroad
- 11 Rail Yards
- 11 City Maintenance Facilities
- 7 Ports & Ferry Landings
- 4 Wastewater Treatment Sites
- 2 Telecommunications Facilities
- 1 Recycling Facility
- The 300-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard industrial complex is a waterfront National Historic District which houses over 500 businesses employing 11,000 workers, including the largest U.S. film and television production studio outside of Hollywood.
Health & Human Services:
- 26 Hospitals & Clinics
- 21 Legal Service Organizations
- 16 Mental Health Centers
- 11 Senior Service Centers
- 9 Chemical Dependency Organizations
- 9 Organizations Serving People with Disabilities
- 9 Housing & Homeless Services Organizations
- 9 Food Distribution Sites
- 7 Workforce Development Centers
- 4 Residential Health Facilities
- 3 NYCHA Cornerstone Community Centers
Youth & Education Facilities:
- 62 Daycare and Pre-K
- 64 K-12 Schools
- 22 After-School Centers
- 52 Youth Literacy & Job Training Centers
- 16 Vocational Schools
- 9 Higher Education Institutions