Remember When: Sheepshead Bay Was Muddy

Sheepshead Bay is only the ordered, tidy little marina it is now because of bulkhead’s built in the 1920s. At the time Commissioner of Docks John H. Delaney called Sheepshead Bay, “Perhaps the most naturally beautiful useful and most neglected inland waterway in the city.” Well, 90 years later and Delaney’s point stands. Sure, we’re not as muddy as we used to be, but we’re still among the most neglected inland waterways in the city, despite being one of the most beautiful.

Look closely at the above photo, circa 1900. That’s the same Ocean Avenue footbridge that stands today (though truncated). Emmons Avenue is to the left, and you can see some of the restaurants built on stilts over the water – one of them may even be the original Lundy’s.