Ocean Hill

This smaller neighborhood lies within the larger neighborhood of Brownsville, Brooklyn. It is often referred to as East New York, but this is technically bordering East New York and separate and apart from East New York, which itself has multiple neighborhoods that were Italian enclaves. The Italians settled in Ocean Hill in the late 1800’s. This is one of the oldest Italian enclaves in the United States. The Italian National Parish was Our Lady of Loreto, which was sadly demolished in 2019. This neighborhood was teeming with Italians from all corners of Italy. Along Atlantic Avenue, as well as Sackman Street, there were multitudes of Italian American businesses such as pharmacies, restaurants, bakeries, and a couple of funeral homes. The last Italian American business to close was in 2021, Molinaro’s funeral home, which changed ownership. This neighborhood is no longer an Italian enclave.