Brownsville is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn in New York City. The 1.163mi2 area that comprises Brownsville has 58,300 residents as of the 2010 United States Census. Part of Brooklyn Community Board 16, Brownsville is generally considered part of greater East New York, though it is not actually a part of East New York itself. The neighborhood's boundaries are unclear, but it is generally bordered by Crown Heights and Weeksville to the northwest; Bushwick and Cypress Hills to the north; New Lots to the east; Canarsie to the south; and East Flatbush to the west.Founded in its current incarnation in 1858, it has been characterized as a slum through most of its existence. Initially a settlement composed of Jewish factory workers, Brownsville underwent a major demographic change in the 1950s that saw an influx of African-American and Latino residents. Since then, it has consistently held one of the highest poverty and crime rates of any neighborhood in New York City.HistoryEarly developmentThe area that would become Brownsville was first used by the Dutch for farming, as well as manufacturing stone slabs and other things used to make buildings. In 1823–1824, the Dutch founded the New Lots Reformed Church in nearby New Lots because the corresponding church in Flatbush was too far away. The church, which has its own cemetery that was built in 1841, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
