Brooklyn (/ˈbrʊklɪn/) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in New York State, as well as the second-most densely populated county in the United States (after New York County).[6] It is also New York City's most populous borough,[7] with 2,736,074 residents in 2020.[1] If each borough were ranked as a city, Brooklyn would rank as the third-most populous in the U.S., after Los Angeles and Chicago.
Brooklyn
Kings County, New York
Borough and county
Clockwise from top left: Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn brownstones, Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch, Brooklyn Borough Hall, Coney Island
Clockwise from top left: Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn brownstones, Soldiers' and Sailors' Arch, Brooklyn Borough Hall, Coney Island
Flag of Brooklyn
Flag
Official seal of Brooklyn
Seal
Motto(s): Eendraght Maeckt Maght
("Unity makes strength")
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap
Interactive map outlining Brooklyn
Location within the state of New York
Location within the state of New York
Brooklyn is located in Long IslandBrooklynBrooklyn
Interactive map outlining Brooklyn
Coordinates: 40°41′34″N 73°59′25″W
Country
United States
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[2]
220 ft (67 m)
Population (2020)
• Total
2,736,074[1]
• Density
38,634/sq mi (14,917/km2)
• Demonym
Brooklynite[3]
ZIP Code prefix
112
Area codes
718/347/929, 917
GDP (2018)
US$91.6 billion[4]
Website
www.brooklyn-usa.org
Named after the Dutch village of Breukelen, it shares a land border with the borough of Queens, on the western end of Long Island. Brooklyn has several bridge and tunnel connections to the borough of Manhattan across the East River and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge connects it with Staten Island. With a land area of 70.82 square miles (183.4 km2) and a water area of 26 square miles (67 km2), Kings County is New York state's fourth-smallest county by land area and third-smallest by total area.
Brooklyn was an independent incorporated city (and previously an authorized village and town within the provisions of the New York State Constitution) until January 1, 1898, when, after a long political campaign and public relations battle during the 1890s, according to the new Municipal Charter of "Greater New York," Brooklyn was consolidated with other cities, towns, and counties, to form the modern City of New York, surrounding the Upper New York Bay with five constituent boroughs. The borough continues, however, to maintain a distinct culture. Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are ethnic enclaves. 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."
In the first decades of the 21st century, Brooklyn has experienced a renaissance as a destination for hipsters,[8] with concomitant gentrification, dramatic house price increases, and a decrease in housing affordability.[9] Some new developments are required to include affordable housing units. Since the 2010s, Brooklyn has evolved into a thriving hub of entrepreneurship, high technology start-up firms,[10][11] postmodern art[12] and design.[11]