Sea Gate is a private

gated community A gated community (or walled community) is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences ...

at the far western end of

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

at the southwestern tip of the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. Located on the portion of the Coney Island peninsula west of West 37th Street, it contains mostly single-family homes, some directly on

Gravesend Bay Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the south bank of the River Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Rochester, it is the ad ...

Public safety

Police and crime

Sea Gate which is in the confines of Community District 10 is patrolled by the 60th Precinct of the

NYPD The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...

, located at 2951 West 8th Street in Brooklyn, NY.

History

The area that is now Sea Gate was once known as Norton's Point. "Norton" was the name of the owner of a casino, which was situated where the Coney Island Light now stands. The neighborhood held a reputation for gambling before it was developed into a residential neighborhood. Sea Gate was developed into a full neighborhood in 1892 by developer Alrick Man. By 1899, Sea Gate property owners included the

Morgan Morgan may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment'', also called ''Morgan!'', a 1966 comedy film * ''Morgan'' (2012 film), an American drama * ''Morgan'' (2016 film), an American science fiction thriller * ...

, Dodge, and Vanderbilt families. Governor

Al Smith Alfred Emanuel Smith (December 30, 1873 – October 4, 1944) was the 42nd governor of New York, serving from 1919 to 1920 and again from 1923 to 1928. He was the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party's presidential nominee in the 1 ...

and others frequented the Atlantic Yacht Club, whose clubhouse was designed by

Stanford White Stanford White (November 9, 1853 – June 25, 1906) was an American architect and a partner in the architectural firm McKim, Mead & White, one of the most significant Beaux-Arts firms at the turn of the 20th century. White designed many houses ...

. Sea Gate is surrounded on three sides by water with private beaches. In 1995, the Army Corps of Engineers completed its work of replenishing Coney beaches and building new jetties, including a long jetty at the border of Sea Gate and Coney Island. In October 2012,

Hurricane Sandy Hurricane Sandy (unofficially referred to as Superstorm Sandy) was an extremely large and devastating tropical cyclone which ravaged the Caribbean and the coastal Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States in late ...

devastated the neighborhood, which was inundated by ocean water and battered by strong winds. The area sustained significant damage and numerous houses were destroyed. The "Lindy Park" sea wall/bulkhead (officially known as Beach Reservation extending from Beach 48th Street to Beach 50th Street) was destroyed leaving Sea Gate, Coney Island and beyond open to any rough seas and additional damage.

Description

Sea Gate is a gated community on the Coney Island peninsula west of West 37th Street. Residents refer to Sea Gate as "the gate" and venturing into adjoining Coney Island as going "out the gate". There are no stores in the neighborhood. There are express buses to Manhattan, which take an average of 80 minutes. Sea Gate is made up of 850 single-family houses in a variety of architectural styles, including Queen Anne Style and

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

. Residents pay for private security (Sea Gate Public Safety Department) as well as sewer, beach, lifeguards, street lights, and street cleaning. There are two points of interest in Sea Gate. Located on Beach 47th Street in Sea Gate is the Coney Island Light, is a

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

built in 1890, before the area was populated. The lighthouse is the former home of

Frank Schubert Frank Schubert (1915–2003) was the lighthouse keeper of the Coney Island Light for over 40 years. He was among the last civilian lighthouse keepers in the United States. Schubert began working for the United States Coast Guard in 1939. At t ...

, the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

' last civilian

lighthouse keeper A lighthouse keeper or lightkeeper is a person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Lighthouse keepers were sometimes referred to as ...

, who died in 2003. The chapel in Sea Gate, once used for services and built in 1901, is a historical building now used for social events, yoga classes, and is a polling site at election times. The Chapel with its stained-glass windows is the first structure seen when entering the main security gate. In addition to large and private beach areas, Sea Gate has two parks: * A playground with a basketball court and children's jungle gym pieces next to the Sea Gate Community Center on Surf Avenue. * Beach Reservation (as referred to on the map of Sea Gate, VI.a, 1894) is near the Coney Island Light and extends before and beyond Norton's Point. A sandy/grassy patch of land with views of Lower New York Harbor and the

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge ( ; also referred to as the Narrows Bridge, the Verrazzano Bridge, and simply the Verrazzano) is a suspension bridge connecting the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City, United States. It span ...

. It is nicknamed "Lindy Park", commemorating

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, and author. On May 20–21, 1927, he made the first nonstop flight from New York (state), New York to Paris, a distance of . His aircra ...

Controversy

There have been some controversial cases involving the Sea Gate Public Safety Department. In 2013, Christopher Simmons, a Black officer with the Sea Gate Public Safety Department filed a federal discrimination and retaliation lawsuit alleging that the Sea Gate Association's president called him a " schwartze" (a

Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...

racial slur for "Black") and that he was passed over for promotion, demoted, and then fired. In 2020, residents of Sea Gate called for the head of the Sea Gate Public Safety Department to resign amid accusations of racism and nepotism. Residents also filed a lawsuit against the Sea Gate Homeowners Association, alleging non-white residents were harassed for not providing IDs, vehicles were followed outside of the boundaries of the gates, and that discrimination occurred against Black members of the Public Safety force. Another incident, in 2020, involved an off-duty New York Police Department officer being contacted by a Sea Gate Public Safety Department officer (despite not being in Sea Gate) and questioned, with the Sea Gate officer allegedly drawing his firearm twice. The NYPD (now retired) officer, took legal action.

Demographics

Sea Gate is largely populated by families living in single- and two-family houses, 54 percent being rentals. As of 2000, the median age was 38.6 years and the median household income was $41,659. In addition to city and state taxes, residents also pay dues and charges to the Sea Gate Association, which have averaged $3,000 per year. In 1960, Sea Gate was 99 percent white, and by the 2010 census, Sea Gate was 83 percent white. The community became majority Jewish by the 1930s; prior to the 1930s, there were signs in the community reading "no dogs or Jews". Many

Hasidic Jews Hasidism () or Hasidic Judaism is a religious movement within Judaism that arose in the 18th century as a spiritual revival movement in contemporary Western Ukraine before spreading rapidly throughout Eastern Europe. Today, most of those affi ...

and

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

have settled in Sea Gate, along with a small number of middle-class Black families. Tensions around race and class exist between Sea Gate and the rest of

which has a significantly larger Black and Latino population. Both Sea Gate homeowners association and their public safety department have been frequently accused of racism and have been the subject of multiple federal lawsuits.

Notable residents

Chaim Zanvl Abramowitz Chaim Zanvil Abramowitz (, , 1902 – 18 October 1995) was known as the ''Ribnitzer Rebbe'' (), and considered a great Hasidic ''tzadik'' from Rybnitsa (present-day Transnistria, Moldova). Others, including singer Mordechai Ben David, who was on ...

(1902–1995), "the Ribnitzer Rebbe" *

Austin Basis Austin Lee Basis (born September 14, 1976) is an American actor. Early life and education Basis was born in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York, where he attended Mark Twain Intermediate School 239 and Midwood High School. While majoring in t ...

(born 1976), actor *

Mordechai Ben David Mordechai Werdyger (; born April 16, 1951) is an American Israeli Hasidic Judaism, Hasidic Jewish singer and songwriter who performs under the stage name Mordechai Ben David () or simply MBD. He has released over 46 albums while performing intern ...

and his son, Yeedle, singers *

Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Edward Epstein ( , ; January 20, 1953August 10, 2019) was an American financier and child sex offender. Born and raised in New York City, Epstein began his professional career as a teacher at the Dalton School, despite lacking a col ...

(1953–2019), Wall Street financier and convicted sex offender *

Leonard Everett Fisher Leonard Everett Fisher (June 24, 1924 – March 2, 2024) was an American artist best known for illustrating children's books. From 1955 he illustrated about 250 books for younger readers including about 88 that he also wrote. Biography Fisher was ...

(1924–2024), writer (''The Jetty Chronicles'') * Jack Foley (1891–1967), inventor of movie sound effects techniques *

Yossi Green Yossi Green (born May 30, 1955) is a Hasidic Jewish composer of contemporary Jewish religious music. he has written more than 1000 melodiesBleich, Chananya. "A Time to Sing: Well-known Chasidic musicians share some of the high points of their car ...

(born 1955), Jewish music composerTeitelbaum, C. S. "Songs for the Soul: The man behind 'Neshama Flam'", ''

Hamodia ''Hamodia'' ( – "''the Informer''") is a Jewish daily newspaper, published in Hebrew language, Hebrew-language in Jerusalem and English language, English-language in the United States, as well as weekly English-language editions in England and I ...

'', June 16, 2011, pg. 18. *

Moss Hart Moss Hart (October 24, 1904 – December 20, 1961) was an American playwright, librettist, and theater director. Early years Hart was born in New York City, the son of Lillian (Solomon) and Barnett Hart, a cigar maker. He had a younger brother ...

(1904–1961), playwright and theatre director *

Itzik Manger Itzik Manger (30 May 1901, Czernowitz, then Austrian-Hungarian Empire – 21 February 1969, Gedera, Israel; ) was a prominent Yiddish language, Yiddish poet and playwright, a self-proclaimed folk bard, visionary, and 'master tailor' of the writ ...

(1901–1969), Yiddish poet and writer *

Ludwig Satz Ludwig Satz (18 February 1891 – 31 August 1944) was an actor in Yiddish theater and film, best known for his comic roles. A 1925 ''New York Times'' article singles him out as the greatest Yiddish comic actor of the time. He was born in L ...

(1891–1944), Yiddish theater and film actor * Andrea Batista Schlesinger (born 1976), political writer and campaigner who was executive director of the

Drum Major Institute The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy (DMI) is a non-profit American progressive think tank and community action group. The group was founded in 1961 in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. It later became defunct until it was relaunch ...

(1915–2003), last civilian lighthouse keeper in the United States *

Sandra Seacat Sandra Diane Seacat (October 2, 1936 – January 17, 2023) was an American actress, director and acting coach best known for her innovations in acting pedagogy—blending elements of Strasberg, and Jungian dream analysisHarriet Shorr (1939–2016), artist, writer, poet and professor who was known for large-scale realistic still life paintings. *

Beverly Sills Beverly Sills (born Belle Miriam Silverman; May 25, 1929July 2, 2007) was an American operatic soprano whose career peak was between the 1950s and 1970s. Although she sang a repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Puccini, Massenet and Verd ...

(1929–2007), opera singer *

Isaac Bashevis Singer Isaac Bashevis Singer (; 1903 – July 24, 1991) was a Poland, Polish-born Jews, Jewish novelist, short-story writer, memoirist, essayist, and translator in the United States. Some of his works were adapted for the theater. He wrote and publish ...

(1902–1991), Yiddish author * Ernst Steiger (1832–1917), bookseller, publisher and bibliographer. *

Jake Steinfeld Jake Steinfeld (born February 21, 1958) is an American actor, fitness personality, entrepreneur, and producer, known for his Body by Jake brand. He is the uncle of actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld. Early life Born in the Sea Gate neighborhood o ...

(born 1958), actor, fitness specialist and fitness trainerYakowicz, Will
"Jake Steinfeld, Personal-Fitness Guru, Gives Tips to Keep Kids Fit The fitness personality of 'Body by Jake' gave Patch some advice to help kids and the whole family stay in shape together."
Park Slope, NY Patch, April 21, 2012. Accessed August 11, 2019. "Steinfeld, who was born in Sea Gate, Brooklyn, grew up in Baldwin, Long Island and has lived in Los Angeles since 1977, started training celebrities in L.A. and gained a reputation as the 'trainer to the stars.'"

References

External links

* {{authority control Geography of Brooklyn Gated communities in New York (state) Hasidic Judaism in New York City Historic Jewish communities in the United States Jews and Judaism in Brooklyn Populated coastal places in New York (state) Russian-Jewish culture in New York City