Gravesend is a neighborhood in the south-central section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn and is home to about 170,000 residents. It is near Coney Island, Brighton Beach, and Manhattan Beach.

It is believed that the first European to visit the Gravesend area was Henry Hudson, whose ship landed on Coney Island in 1609. How the neighborhood earned its name is not known for sure, but it’s commonly speculated that it was named after the seaport of Gravesend in Kent, England.

The original town of Gravesend is thought to have been founded by a woman named Lady Deborah Moody and was the first time a land title was given to a woman in the New World. Today the neighborhood of Gravesend stretches between Coney Island Avenue, Stillwell Avenue, Kings Highway, Coney Island Creek and Shore Parkway.

Gravesend's earliest non-native settlers were predominantly English and Dutch, and over the years there have also been populations of Irish, Italian, Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Puerto Rican, and Mexican immigrants that have shared the neighborhood. Such diversity yields hundreds of different restaurants and cultural events. There are also a number of festivals, holiday events, live music performances, sports activities and more.

You can quickly and easily get to various beaches, Coney Island, MCU Park, Aviator Sports Complex, major airports and numerous parks and marinas from Gravesend.

See a Brooklyn Cyclones game at MCU Park, go ice skating at Aviator Sports Complex, spend a day exploring the popular neighborhood and beaches of Brighton and Manhattan Beach, or work in a round of golf at the Marine Park Golf Course. The community of Gravesend offers something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a relaxing day at the beach, exciting nightlife or something in between.