Mill Basin/Bergen Beach

The Mill Basin neighborhood has long maintained a distinguishable Italian enclave. Bordering Marine Park and Canarsie, Mill Basin’s Italian influence generally includes businesses along Avenue N and T and the churches that are the center of the Italian community there have long been Saint Bernard, which is technically Bergen Beach, and Mary Queen of Heaven, which is technically Old Mill Basin; both of which can be seen on our website’s “Churches” section. Mill Basin burgeoned as a neighborhood after World War 2 and the creation of the GI bill which helped veterans purchase homes in this expanding part of Brooklyn. Over the years, many people from Canarsie moved to Mil Basin and Bergen Beach as Canarsie’s demographic began to change and the desire for larger homes and more land grew. Old Mill Basin has also seen a large change in Demographics recently. The neighborhoods are bound by Flatbush Avenue, Avenue M, and Bergen Avenue.

Mill Basin is a hamlet neighborhood which is mostly surrounded by waterways connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. It is only bordered by Bergen Beach and Old Mill Basin, both mostly Italian during periods of the 20th century. Mill Basin is very suburban compared to other parts of Brooklyn due to its isolation and lack of public transportation. There are not many Italian businesses in Mill Basin because it has very few commercial storefronts within its boundaries. Notable businesses are El Carib and La Villa Pizzeria/Restaurant. 

Bergen Beach, like its next-door neighbor Mil Basin, is mostly surrounded by Water and swampland. Bergen Beach borders Mil Basin and Flatlands. Bergen Beach is home to the Saint Bernard Parish which has held a mass, procession and a feast for the Saints feast day every year. Bergen Beach has a single Italian café/pizzeria as an Italian American business. It is almost entirely a residential neighborhood with a couple of stores. Many people in Bergen Beach moved from Canarsie during the 1980’s.