Surfside Gardens Houses are located at Coney Island, Brooklyn, off West 25th Street, Surf Avenue, and Mermaid Avenue. It was built in 1954 as a four-building 14-story NYCHA complex accommodating over 1,200 tenants. It is also referred to by residents as “The Homes.” Surfside Gardens was also one of the first public housing developments built as a replacement for deteriorated tenement housing in South Brooklyn. It is so named due to the beach and boardwalk entrance in Coney Island which gave residents easy access to one of the city’s favorite recreation destinations.
Similar to the majority of NYCHA complexes, Surfside Gardens was initially envisioned as a low-priced, clean working-class neighborhood, but developed its own problems since: under-funding, dilapidated infrastructure, safety concerns to name a few. Heat outages, broken elevators, and dinosaur plumbing have been the typical grievances filed by residents. But even under such conditions, Surfside Gardens residents have been incredibly resourceful in organizing tenant groups and neighborhood organizations in attempting to battle better living and safety conditions in the complex.
The growth has also produced individuals who have made a difference in the community and the world at large. The example of NBA star Isaiah Whitehead, who was raised in Surfside Gardens and went on to become a basketball legend playing for Lincoln High School in Coney Island, is a perfect one. His success is proof of the potential and strength of this community.
Short, then, are Surfside Gardens Houses, the struggle and survival of public housing. As the buildings age and machinery groans, Surfside residents still retain the community’s heart, founded on pride, will, and stubborn conviction in membership in Coney Island cultural heritage.
