Bay Ridge's impressive history of art and artists has been largely forgotten... until now.

We were incredibly proud to bring the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival to Bay Ridge for the first time in 2014 and plan on it being one of our locations for years to come. 

In his incredibly well-researched article for BKLYNR, writer (and lifelong Bay Ridgeite) Henry Stewart traces the history of 11209 over the past 150 years, and how a 19th century outbreak of yellow fever led to an influx of artists to the area. More proof that Brooklyn has always been a haven for artists, and every part of the borough has a story to tell if you're willing to look more closely.

About the author:
Henry Stewart is an assistant editor at Opera News. He was previously the culture editor of The L Magazine, and his writing has appeared in Electric Literature, BAMbill, and the Brooklyn Eagle.

An 1833 engraving by W.J. Bennett depicting a quarantine on Staten Island.