Greenpoint, Williams-burg

Williamsburg and Greenpoint are energetic neighborhoods, located in Brooklyn’s Community District 1, known for their long industrial history followed by more recent gentrification. However, their industrial past leaves a difficult environmental legacy. A toxic plume beneath Greenpoint, stemming from decades of industrial pollution including oil spills, an incinerator, and hazardous chemicals, as well as a disproportionate share of NYC’s waste processing and heavy traffic on the BQE adversely affect the air quality of the region. These environmental issues persist despite ongoing cleanup efforts, leaving the neighborhood with some of the worst air quality in the city. Despite these issues, residents of Brooklyn CD1 tend to be wealthier than the NYC average, with lower rates of incarceration and child asthma.