Canarsie, Residential neighborhood in southeastern Brooklyn, United States
Canarsie is a residential area in southeastern Brooklyn that runs along Jamaica Bay. Single-story houses with front yards alternate with apartment blocks, while shops and restaurants sit scattered along main roads.
The Lenape people grew corn here and used the coast for fishing before Dutch settlers arrived in the 17th century. Large housing developments rose in the 1950s and drew thousands of new residents.
The name comes from the Canarsee people, whose word for fenced land still lives on in the neighborhood today. Churches from different faiths line the streets and show the religious diversity of residents.
The L line ends at Rockaway Parkway and connects the area to Manhattan in about 45 minutes. Those heading to the bay can find a park with a dock at the western end of Rockaway Parkway.
A pier reaches into Jamaica Bay and offers spots for fishing plus views of planes taking off from the nearby airport. At low tide, herons and other wading birds sometimes come to the muddy shoreline.
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