The Bay View Houses are located in the Canarsie neighborhood of Brooklyn and are bordered by Seaview Avenue, East 102nd Street, and Rockaway Parkway. Built in 1956, these houses are made up of 23 buildings, and 3400 residents. Unlike most NYCHA developments which are designed as developments aimed towards low income residents, these houses were made to tailor to those of the middle income class. This has led to these developments being labeled as the “country club of projects”.
Due to the fact that these developments were made with the intention of being tailored to middle income residents, these houses were built to a “higher quality” than developments made to tailor to low income residents. These houses would be built with more space in the homes themselves, and amenities such as an outdoor terrace, balconies, and even an on-site elementary school. Due to the difference in which these houses were built and developed, they would be significantly more safe and comfortable in contrast to other NYCHA developments made for low income residents. However, this common view of the Bay View Houses would be opposed by Howard Shultz, the founder of Starbucks, who grew up in these houses. Would describe them as being a “poor” and “rough place”.
Howard Schultz would not be the only prominent figure from the development, as the development boasts people such as Ruth Williams, an actor, playright, and actress who produced many plays that would be shown at the Bayview Opera House.
All in all, the Bay View Houses are one of the safer, and better unkempt developments of the NYCHA agency. They have also had successful and important figures both to them and the greater public be born and raised out of them. The Bay View Houses definitely seem like a desirable place for someone to grow up, and anyone from them should feel proud to be from them.
