Waterways Surrounding Brooklyn, New York

Brooklyn's Water Boundaries

Brooklyn, the most populous NYC borough, is nearly surrounded by water:

• North & East: East River — separates Brooklyn from Manhattan (west) and Queens (north/east). Not a true river, but a tidal strait.
• South: Atlantic Ocean — via Lower New York Bay; includes Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Rockaway Peninsula (Queens).
• West: Upper New York Bay — the harbor between Brooklyn, Manhattan, Staten Island, and New Jersey. Contains the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Governors Island.

Additional Features

• Gowanus Canal: Industrial inlet (Superfund site) cutting into western Brooklyn.
• Newtown Creek: Border with Queens; heavily polluted, also Superfund.
• Jamaica Bay: Large lagoon on southern Queens/Brooklyn border — wildlife refuge.

Brooklyn's 30+ miles of waterfront define its history, economy, and recreation — from 19th-century shipyards to today's Brooklyn Bridge Park.