Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn NY Postcard

Sheepshead Bay is a bay separating the mainland of Brooklyn, New York City, from the eastern portion of Coney Island, the latter originally a barrier island but now effectively an extension of the mainland with peninsulas both east (the neighborhood of Manhattan Beach) and west (the neighborhoods of Coney Island and Sea Gate). The mouth of the bay is about a mile (1.6 km) southwest of Marine Park, Brooklyn. The name Sheepshead Bay also applies to the neighborhood north of the bay, not just the bay itself. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 15.[1] The bay itself was originally the easterly entrance to Coney Island Creek, but filling of the central part of this waterway during the 1930s in conjunction with construction of the Shore Parkway portion of the Belt Parkway eliminated access to the creek. At the same time the bay was widened at its western end, deepened and bulkheaded. It is now the home of recreational fishing fleets. The fishing fleet has been shrinking every year and is being replaced by dinner boats. At the western end of the bay, there is Holocaust Memorial Park, which is used throughout the year for commemorative events. In the last decade of the 20th century, a real estate boom brought the reopening of the landmark Lundy Brothers seafood restaurant, which closed again in 2007. A grocery store now takes its place. Soviet-style restaurants/nightclubs such as Paradise and Baku Palace have opened along the waterfront. It has also experienced a growth of condominium developments. Emmons Avenue, the northern shoreline street along the bay, has piers with an active seafood market and tour boats. Sheepshead Bay is named for the sheepshead,[2] an edible fish once found in the bay's waters. Even though it is rare, the fish can still be caught in the local waters every once in a while