u/TheWallBreakers2017

I love Independence Day and I'm looking forward to our country's 250th Birthday, but Autumn is my favorite time of the year. the spooky tours I led last year went so well that I've already put a bunch of tour dates on the calendar for this autumn. If you're looking at this approaching heat wave and dreaming of crisp nights and leather jackets, this might be for you.

Here are the dates and ticket/more info links and below that is some more information:

Haunted Bay Ridge Walking Tour — Sunday 10/4/2026 6PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-walking-tour-tickets-1991942584893?aff=oddtdtcreator

Haunted Bay Ridge Walking Tour — Saturday 10/10/2026 6PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-walking-tour-tickets-1991942594923?aff=oddtdtcreator

Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst Walking Tour — Friday 10/16/2026 7PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghosts-of-old-bensonhurst-walking-tour-tickets-1987548123942?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

Haunted Bay Ridge Walking Tour — Sunday 10/18/2026 6PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-walking-tour-tickets-1991943360212?aff=oddtdtcreator

Haunted Bay Ridge Walking Tour — Saturday 10/24/2026 6PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-walking-tour-tickets-1991943883778?aff=oddtdtcreator

Haunted Bay Ridge Walking Tour — Friday 10/30/2026 7PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-walking-tour-tickets-1991943884781?aff=oddtdtcreator

Haunted Bay Ridge Walking Tour — Saturday 10/31/2026 6:30PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-walking-tour-tickets-1991943885784?aff=oddtdtcreator

Haunted Bay Ridge Walking Tour — Sunday 11/8/2026 5PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-walking-tour-tickets-1991944278960?aff=oddtdtcreator

As of now, I've only got one Bensonhurst tour on the calendar, but if it goes well I'll add another!

Here's some more info about the Bay Ridge tour(s):
As the days grow shorter and the winds begin to howl, ghouls, ghosts, long-legged beasts, and other nameless wretches caught between worlds reinhabit ours and keep us from a good night’s sleep.

From a faceless woman late one night on a lonely street near a local church, to army ghosts and disembodied sounds, to the murders of an old spinster and kidnappers, to the mysteries of the neighborhood's largest park, to a secret society right in our midst, it’s time to turn up our collars, hit the streets, and beware the things that go bump in the night.

Led by James Scully — NYC historian, tour guide, podcaster, director / co-creator of the award-winning historical audio fiction soap opera, Burning Gotham, and creator of the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast — our unique haunted Bay Ridge experience will focus on and include:

• Stories of murder and mayhem, from the death of an old spinster, to the heroic actions of a member of a prominent family, we’ll find out the many motives for crime and how Bay Ridge was the perfect setting for these unfortunate events.

• The story of how a man’s late-night walk down a Brooklyn side-street led him to confront the spirit of a veiled woman with no face in front of a locally famous Basilica

• The story of how a secret society of skull worshipers in Brooklyn started, rose, peaked, and disappeared all near a famous hilltop Bay Ridge mansion

• Ghost stories from both the Fort Hamilton Army base and some of its residents

• The story of the Indian Pond, the border of Gravesend and New Utrecht, and a boy awoken from sleep in the middle of the night by a shadow being standing over his bed

• The story of a revolutionary war cemetery still inhabited by some of Bay Ridge’s most famous residents

• And more!

To receive this free weekly email subscribe for free here (https://www.bayridgedigest.com/newsletter-1). Every Monday morning you’ll receive the weekly email of important news and events happening in the Bay Ridge area. (This is just a screen shot of the top of the email to get a sense of it).

If you look closely you can see that there are three villages clustered on the map: One is Fort Hamilton in the southwest, one is the tiny enclave known as Bay Ridge in the northwest, and the other is New Utrecht towards the town’s eastern border with Gravesend. 

In the NYC area and interested in learning more about the history of Bay Ridge? I’m leading a Flag Day walking tour of Old Bay Ridge next Sunday 6/14/2026 at 1PM — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/flag-day-walking-tour-of-old-bay-ridge-tickets-1990295021988

Now to some of the details we can identify on this 1868 map:

• In 1868 the southern end to the city of Brooklyn was 60th street, as seen here by the street grid in the upper left-hand corner of the map.

• Bay Ridge was renamed such in December of 1853. This area of Kings County had been known as Yellow Hook (for the color of its natural soil), but yellow fever epidemics led to town leaders suggesting for a name change to distance themselves from the (at times fatal) disease. The Ovington artists' colony had been established in 1850. It was located on the former Ovington farm, which extended from Third Avenue to Seventh Avenue near Bay Ridge Avenue. The area around the Ovington Artist’s Colony had begun to refer to themselves as Bay Ridge, and florist/colony member James Weir (today remembered for the greenhouse across from Greenwood Cemetery) spearheaded the town’s name change suggestion. 

• In the 1860s the village of Bay Ridge was centered around the intersection of Third Avenue and Bay Ridge Avenue and served by a dock at the foot of Bay Ridge Avenue (today’s 69th street pier).

• Third avenue had been extended southward to Fort Hamilton’s Army Base and the Hamilton House hotel in 1848. By 1868 public transportation was traveling down third avenue all the way to the town of Fort Hamilton and the nearby army base of the same name. In 1868 horsecars were still the mode of public transportation. In 1878 steam motors would replace the horse cars

• The tract of land labeled “Murphy” just above the “Bay” in Bay Ridge is for Henry Cruse Murphy. He was born on July 5th, 1810 in Kings County. His grandfather was an Irish immigrant, doctor, and veteran of the Revolutionary War. His father was a prominent businessman. Murphy graduated from Columbia College in 1830 and became a lawyer. He was Brooklyn’s  City Attorney and Corporate Counsel. He was also the first editor of The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Mayor of Brooklyn in 1842 and 1843, twice a member of the US House of Representatives, and was a New York State Senator between 1862 and 1873. In 1856 he purchased the land that encompasses Owl’s Head Park as well as the surrounding area.

• Two years before this map was made the Murphy tract of land was bought by  Eliphalet William Bliss. In 1867 Bliss founded the US Projectile Company. His company manufactured tools, presses, and dies for use in sheet metal work, as well as shells and projectiles. He owned 26 acres, eventually passing away in 1903. Upon his death, Bliss willed the estate to NYC provided it be used for parkland. The park is today known as Owl’s Head Park. 

• Steward avenue is shown on this map extending north from the village of Fort Hamilton. Most often spelled as Stewart Avenue. It was named for James and Rime Stewart. Stewart Avenue roughly follows the path of Fourth/Fifth Avenue south of 86th Street. North of 85th Street it became a forest road, just thirty-three-feet wide. It once ran all the way north to roughly 65th street and 7th avenue to the home of George T. Hope, president of the Continental Insurance Company. 

• James Weir florist, is on the map as well. He was the western neighbor of George T. Hope.

• The road extending from the southern border of the town of New Utrecht shown on this map is the State Road, but you can see that it also extends east into Gravesend. Today that road ends at what the borderline of the towns (now neighborhoods) of Bensonhurst (New Utrecht) and Gravesend at 78th street and Bay Parkway. You probably know this road. It’s Kings Highway. On this map you can see that the State Road turns south, connecting to what was then Fort Hamilton Avenue (today’s Fort Hamilton Parkway).

• Speaking of the border of Gravesend and New Utrecht, today that border is Bay Parkway (or 22nd avenue as it was originally known). You can find that border (by the color change on the map, but also) by seeing the The Indian Pond in the right-hand portion of the map. It sits on the dividing line between the towns of New Utrecht and Gravesend. The pond was drained at the beginning of the 20th Century and eventually turned into Seth Low Park, sitting roughly between 73rd and 75th streets. Beyond the color of this map, if you’re in the area, you can tell the difference in towns because the grid changes. Gravesend’s streets run east-west (as in West 12th street), and its avenues are lettered. Today the next avenue running northeast-southwest south of Bay Parkway and 72nd street is Avenue O, which means if you’re standing on Bay Parkway you’re technically in Bensonhurst/New Utrecht… if you walk into the park, you’re technically in Gravesend.

• The railroad running diagonally northwest from the northwest portion of New Utrecht is the Brooklyn and Bath Plank Road into New Utrecht. In 1864 it began service a steam railroad between 25th St and 5th Ave in South Brooklyn to what is today 65th Street and New Utrecht Avenue. In 1867, the steam line reached Coney Island, making it the first steam railroad to reach the Atlantic Ocean at this location. Jumping way ahead to 1885, it eventually became the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad. It’s the forerunner to today’s West End Elevated which the D Train runs on. There was a station not far from where today’s 18th Avenue West End D Train station is located. Today it runs on New Utrecht Avenue. This road ran all the way south to the water. Today Bay 16th is wider than the other Bay Streets, as it was previously this railroad’s path.

• What is today 18th avenue already exists on this map, but it wasn’t known as 18th avenue at the time. It was then the road that connected the towns of New Utrecht and Flatbush, running from the eastern portion of New Utrecht’s town square, north to roughly where 53rd street is today, before heading northwest at the Van Nuyse property into the town of Flatbush, connecting with the now gone Lott Lane. Today 18th avenue runs relatively straight until curving northeast at 47th street and becoming Ditmas Avenue once it passes Coney Island Avenue in the old town of Flatlands. A small portion of this originally road still exists as Old New Utrecht Road.

• The small Cross at the southeastern section of the New Utrecht town square is for the Dutch Reformed Church. The Church which stood when this map was published in 1868 is very much still standing today. 

• Egbert Benson owned a huge tract of land. Nicholas Cowenhoven also built a house in 1750 he called “Bensonhurst” where 20th Avenue and Benson Avenue is today. The area near Benson’s holdings later became “Bensonhurst By The Sea” by the end of the 19th Century. Today we know some of this area as Bensonhurst and the rest of it as Bath Beach. The original Egbert Benson (June 21, 1746 – August 24, 1833) was an American lawyer, jurist, politician and Founding Father who represented New York State in the Continental Congress, Annapolis Convention, and United States House of Representatives. He served as a member of the New York constitutional convention in 1788 which ratified the United States Constitution. He also served as the first attorney general of New York, chief justice of the New York Supreme Court, and as the chief United States circuit judge of the United States circuit court for the second circuit.

• The Delaplaine land east of Fort Hamilton is part of today’s location of Dyker Golf Course and Dyker Park. You can see there were already woods/parkland there by its delineation with grass drawn on the map.

• There are several prominent family names you might recognize like Remsen, Bergen, Van Brunt, Bennett, Benson, Cropsey, Stillwell, Wycoff, and Bennett… and a few others once prominent that are foreign to most of us now like Cowenhoven.

• The famed Washington Cemetery already existed in 1868 on the border of New Utrecht and Gravesend, though it’s tiny compared to it’s current size. In 1868 It didn’t run further Northeast past Bergen Lane. Bergen Lane no longer exists and the road which divides the cemetery shown here on the map takes the path of what was formerly called Gravesend Avenue and is today McDonald Avenue south of the Washington Cemetery.

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Tix are going fast for my spooky Haunted Bay Ridge walking tour which I’ll be leading this Saturday June 6th, at 6:30PM. There are still a few tickets remaining — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-revised-tickets-1987612124369

From a faceless woman late one night on a lonely street near a local church, to army ghosts and disembodied sounds, to the murders of an old spinster and kidnappers, to the mysteries of the neighborhood's largest park, to a secret society right in our midst, it’s time to turn up our collars, hit the streets, and beware the things that go bump in the night.

Led by James Scully — NYC historian, tour guide, podcaster, director / co-creator of the award-winning historical audio fiction soap opera, Burning Gotham, and creator of the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast — our unique haunted Bay Ridge experience will focus on and include:

• Stories of murder and mayhem, from the death of an old spinster, to the heroic actions of a member of a prominent family, we’ll find out the many motives for crime and how Bay Ridge was the perfect setting for these unfortunate events.

• The story of how a man’s late-night walk down a Brooklyn side-street led him to confront the spirit of a veiled woman with no face in front of a locally famous Basilica

• The story of how a secret society of skull worshipers in Brooklyn started, rose, peaked, and disappeared all near a famous hilltop Bay Ridge mansion

• Ghost stories from both the Fort Hamilton Army base and some of its residents

• The story of the Indian Pond, the border of Gravesend and New Utrecht, and a boy awoken from sleep in the middle of the night by a shadow being standing over his bed

• The story of a revolutionary war cemetery still inhabited by some of Bay Ridge’s most famous residents

• And more!

** Runtime for this tour is roughly 90-120 minutes and it's not a TON of walking with plenty of places to sit down as well.

How do we define a ghost? What makes us gravitate towards spooky things, and not just in October?

What causes these supposed paranormal things to happen? Are they trapped spirits who are unable to move on? Inter-dimensional visitors? Energetic imprints from the past history of a house? Or is it something ancient? Something tied to the land itself. 

I grew up in a house on Bay Parkway in Bensonhurst that had lots of strange activity. I know i'm not the only one who has something to say in that regard.

Want to take a ghost tour and see me in person? I’m leading Haunted Bay Ridge on Saturday June 6th at 6:30PM. Tickets can be found here — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-revised-tickets-1987612124369, at the tours and events tab at BayRidgeDigest.com, or through the linktr.ee at BayRidgeDigest on Instagram.

The Bay Ridge Digest Podcast episode 15 is out now everywhere you listen to a podcast and here — https://www.bayridgedigest.com/! In this episode, we speak with the owner of the Fort Hamilton Distillery, salute the importance of Memorial Day, and meet several small business owners. 

Featured in this episode are these segments: 
• The inspiration for Fort Hamilton Distillery in Industry City with co-founder Alex Clark

• Anna from Anna Bella Pizza Cafe with a big hello and their late Spring menu and hours

• The history behind “In Flanders Fields” and how to donate to local Poppy funds through and local VFWs

• Jeff Samaha on working the Today Show, David Letterman, Nightly News with Tom Brokaw, how Ridge Chorale expanded in the 1970s and 1980s, and meeting his wife Mary Ann

• Three Light-Hearted Jokes from Freddie Friday with a PSA for the Itty Bitty Kitty Bay Ridge Cat Rescue

• Establishing the first Doula program at the New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and launching The Brooklyn Birth Shop with Kerri Evers

• The history of the Memorial Day Weekend International Lifeboat Race in the Narrows

• Mighty Functional Fitness offerings with Victoria Salerno

• Selections from The Price of Their Toys with John P. Loonam

• Sew ‘N Fashion’s upcoming anniversary party and summer camp with Alyson Melhus

• Launching and running the Fort Hamilton Distillery with Alex Clark 

• The story behind the Flagg Court Pool Closure with Christine Walters of Three Day Champion

Coming in Monday, June 29th, The Bay Ridge Digest weekly Monday morning roundup email. It’ll feature upcoming Bay Ridge events, local classifieds, restaurant recs, human interest, and other Bay Ridge happenings. Want to sign up for this and find out more? Please do so at BayRidgeDigest.com. It's also where you can submit a story lead to me and you can always follow on IG of in the FB group.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bayridgedigest/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bayridgedigest

Hey everyone! If you're interested in spooky history, I'm leading a special version of my Haunted Bay Ridge walking tour on Saturday June 6th, at 6:30PM. If you just like good history, there's plenty of it in the tour as well. Here's a link for tickets — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-revised-tickets-1987612124369 more info on what's covered below:

From a faceless woman late one night on a lonely street near a local church, to army ghosts and disembodied sounds, to the murders of an old spinster and kidnappers, to the mysteries of the neighborhood's largest park, to a secret society right in our midst, it’s time to turn up our collars, hit the streets, and beware the things that go bump in the night.

Led by James Scully — NYC historian, tour guide, podcaster, director / co-creator of the award-winning historical audio fiction soap opera, Burning Gotham, and creator of the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast — our unique haunted Bay Ridge experience will focus on and include:

• Stories of murder and mayhem, from the death of an old spinster, to the heroic actions of a member of a prominent family, we’ll find out the many motives for crime and how Bay Ridge was the perfect setting for these unfortunate events.

• The story of how a man’s late-night walk down a Brooklyn side-street led him to confront the spirit of a veiled woman with no face in front of a locally famous Basilica

• The story of how a secret society of skull worshipers in Brooklyn started, rose, peaked, and disappeared all near a famous hilltop Bay Ridge mansion

• Ghost stories from both the Fort Hamilton Army base and some of its residents

• The story of the Indian Pond, the border of Gravesend and New Utrecht, and a boy awoken from sleep in the middle of the night by a shadow being standing over his bed

• The story of a revolutionary war cemetery still inhabited by some of Bay Ridge’s most famous residents

• And more!

Runtime for this tour is roughly 90-120 minutes and it's not a TON of walking (about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile in total).

The Bay Ridge Digest Podcast episode 14 is out now everywhere you get a podcast and here — https://www.bayridgedigest.com/. In this episode, we remember through the eyes of three Bay Ridge residents: A doula, a writer, and a musical director. In doing so, we’ll span several decades and maybe find out more about ourselves through the process.

Featured in this episode are these segments:

• With Jeff Samaha at St. Mary’s Antiochian Orthodox Church and Hinch’s in the 1950s

• Jess from The Bookmark Shoppe with some Bay Ridge-centric reads

• Three Light-Hearted Jokes from Freddie Friday with a PSA for the Itty Bitty Kitty Bay Ridge Cat Rescue

• Jeff Samaha on Forming Ridge Chorale and Becoming a stage manager at NBC in the 1960s

• Growing Up on Long Island with John P. Loonam

• Tony Christiano of Nonno’s Pizza on their most popular offerings and funny requests

• Why I’m launching the upcoming Bay Ridge Digest weekly Monday morning email newsletter in June

• Moving to Manhattan and then Bay Ridge, with John P. Loonam

• Growing up in Bay Ridge and Becoming a Doula, with Kerri Evers of The Brooklyn Birth Shop

• What defines a haunting with Christopher Wiecha and Aimee Pagano Collin

Coming in June, The Bay Ridge Digest weekly Monday morning roundup email. It’ll feature upcoming Bay Ridge events, local classifieds, restaurant recs, human interest, and other Bay Ridge happenings. Want to sign up for this and find out more? Please do so at the completely revamped BayRidgeDigest.com

For more info on how to submit a story lead, please go to BayRidgeDigest.com.

It's free to subscribe to anywhere you'd get a podcast. You can go here to find your preferred place — https://pod.link/1829434576. You can also go to the completely revamped https://www.bayridgedigest.com/ ... episode 14 will be out this Thursday!

The most recent episode 13 featured these segments:

• Chernobyl, AIDS, Mafia Wars — April 1986 in NYC at the Marboro Theater on Bay Parkway

• Chelsea Ciccone and Ciccone’s Artisan Bakehouse

• Scenes from the Fort Hamilton High School Hall of Fame Wall Unveiling with Joe Estrella

• Your weeknight food needs with Michelle Perricone of Anthony’s Butcher & Deli

• Dan Rathers and the CBS Evening News on Chernobyl

• A life in Media and Communications with Christine Walters

• Farm Jokes with Freddie Friday

• The Iguazu Grand Opening with Rafaela Negrao

• A Latte Da Cafe Promo with Ron Kavral

• At the Brighton Bazaar in April 1986

• Hassan Haidar and Moory Elshemy on their friendship and establishing a culture and community space at The Healing Bean Cafe

• What makes Bay Ridge such a special place with Catherine O’Rourke, Karen Tadross, Connie Gibilaro Malone, Aimee Pagano, Katie Coughlin, Dr. Marla Loughran, Erica Stavrou, Emily Pagano, Michelle Perricone, Shaki Usarova, Jan Rideout, John Calascione, Reina Anderson, Erik Gislason, Kayla Santosuosso, Samia Aljahmi, James Vavas, Laurie Savino, Sal Forte, and Daymein Forte

If you're interested, I'm debuting a brand new tour called Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst on Saturday May 16th at 6PM. I'm also leading Haunted Bay Ridge on Saturday, June 6th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. There will also be a lot of local history mixed in for those who love history and don't necessarily believe in ghosts and spooks.

Here are some ticket links and more info:

• Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst — Sat 5/16/2026 6PM — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghosts-of-old-bensonhurst-tickets-1987548493046

• Haunted Bay Ridge — Revised! — Sat 6/6/2026 6:30PM — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-revised-tickets-1987612124369

From a faceless woman late one night on a lonely street near a local church, to army ghosts and disembodied sounds, to the murders of an old spinster and kidnappers, to the mysteries of the neighborhood's largest park, to a secret society right in our midst, it’s time to turn up our collars, hit the streets, and beware the things that go bump in the night.

Led by James Scully — NYC historian, tour guide, podcaster, director / co-creator of the award-winning historical audio fiction soap opera, Burning Gotham, and creator of the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast — our unique haunted Bay Ridge experience will focus on and include:

• Stories of murder and mayhem, from the death of an old spinster, to the heroic actions of a member of a prominent family, we’ll find out the many motives for crime and how Bay Ridge was the perfect setting for these unfortunate events.

• The story of how a man’s late-night walk down a Brooklyn side-street led him to confront the spirit of a veiled woman with no face in front of a locally famous Basilica

• The story of how a secret society of skull worshipers in Brooklyn started, rose, peaked, and disappeared all near a famous hilltop Bay Ridge mansion

• Ghost stories from both the Fort Hamilton Army base and some of its residents

• The story of the Indian Pond, the border of Gravesend and New Utrecht, and a boy awoken from sleep in the middle of the night by a shadow being standing over his bed

• The story of a revolutionary war cemetery still inhabited by some of Bay Ridge’s most famous residents

• And more!

Hey everyone! I'm a local historian, podcaster, and tour guide. I'm debuting a brand new tour called Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst on Saturday May 16th at 6PM. I'm also leading Haunted Bay Ridge on Saturday, June 6th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. There will also be a lot of local history mixed in for those who love history and don't necessarily believe in ghosts and spooks.

If you're interested, here are some ticket links and more info:

• Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst — Sat 5/16/2026 6PM — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghosts-of-old-bensonhurst-tickets-1987548493046

• Haunted Bay Ridge — Revised! — Sat 6/6/2026 6:30PM — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-revised-tickets-1987612124369

While Bensonhurst is a neighborhood that has seen continuous changing and evolving in almost every aspect, as night descends, ghouls, ghosts and other nameless wretches caught between worlds re-inhabit ours and keep us from a good night’s sleep in the relics of time long gone that still remain. 

From a ghost that knocked on walls, to the spirit of a murdered lawyer, to a ghost haunting a local railroad, to a shadow being watching a little boy, to the oldest cemetery in our midst, it’s time to turn up our collars, hit the streets, and beware the Bensonhurst things that go bump in the night. 

Led by James Scully — NYC historian, tour guide, podcaster, director / co-creator of the award-winning historical audio fiction soap opera, Burning Gotham, and creator of The Bay Ridge Digest Podcast —  our unique haunted Bensonhurst experience will focus on and include:

• An overview of notable early New Utrecht history, from the Dutch days to the days of the early United States, we’ll talk about how and by whom this area was settled and why, while we tell stories about the many different cultures and people who have called old New Utrecht and Bensonhurst their home.

• How the death of a young woman along the Coney island and Sea Beach railroad led to a ghost haunting the train tracks soon after

• The story of the murder of a young lawyer and his ghost that haunted the home of the family who inhabited the 81st street house after his death

• Liberty Poles, and Mile Markets — Stories and trips to important historical landmarks and why they were and still are important to the people of Bensonhurst and New Utrecht

• The story of the Revolutionary War soldier said to haunt the Dutch Reformed church grounds on 18th Avenue

• A trip to the oldest cemetery in the area

• The story of the Indian Pond, the border of Gravesend and New Utrecht, and a boy awoken from sleep in the middle of the night by a shadow being standing over his bed

• And more!

Hey everyone! If you missed last Autumn's Haunted Bay Ridge walking tour and are interested, I'm leading a special revised edition of the Haunted Bay Ridge walking tour on Saturday, June 6th from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. I'll also be leading Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst on Saturday May 16th from 6PM to 8PM. There will also be a lot of local history mixed in for those who love history and don't necessarily believe in ghosts and spooks.

If you're interested, here are some ticket links and more info:

• Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst — Sat 5/16/2026 6PM — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghosts-of-old-bensonhurst-tickets-1987548493046

• Haunted Bay Ridge — Revised! — Sat 6/6/2026 6:30PM — https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-revised-tickets-1987612124369

From a faceless woman late one night on a lonely street near a local church, to army ghosts and disembodied sounds, to the murders of an old spinster and kidnappers, to the mysteries of the neighborhood's largest park, to a secret society right in our midst, it’s time to turn up our collars, hit the streets, and beware the things that go bump in the night.

Led by James Scully — NYC historian, tour guide, podcaster, director / co-creator of the award-winning historical audio fiction soap opera, Burning Gotham, and creator of the Bay Ridge Digest Podcast — our unique haunted Bay Ridge experience will focus on and include:

• Stories of murder and mayhem, from the death of an old spinster, to the heroic actions of a member of a prominent family, we’ll find out the many motives for crime and how Bay Ridge was the perfect setting for these unfortunate events.

• The story of how a man’s late-night walk down a Brooklyn side-street led him to confront the spirit of a veiled woman with no face in front of a locally famous Basilica

• The story of how a secret society of skull worshipers in Brooklyn started, rose, peaked, and disappeared all near a famous hilltop Bay Ridge mansion

• Ghost stories from both the Fort Hamilton Army base and some of its residents

• The story of the Indian Pond, the border of Gravesend and New Utrecht, and a boy awoken from sleep in the middle of the night by a shadow being standing over his bed

• The story of a revolutionary war cemetery still inhabited by some of Bay Ridge’s most famous residents

• And more!

Hey everyone!, I'm launching a brand new Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst walking tour and a revised version of my Haunted Bay Ridge walking tour (there'll also be a lot of local history mixed in for those who love history and don't necessarily believe in ghosts and spooks)

Here are Dates/links for more info/tix to my upcoming walking tours:

Ghosts of Old Bensonhurst — Sat 5/16/2026 6PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ghosts-of-old-bensonhurst-tickets-1987548493046

Haunted Bay Ridge — Revised! — Sat 6/6/2026 6:30PM
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/haunted-bay-ridge-revised-tickets-1987612124369

Here's a bit of info about the church:

The heart of old New Utrecht, which Bay Ridge and Fort Hamilton were both parts of, is the New Utrecht Reformed Church. The original congregation was formed in October of 1677. The original New Utrecht Reformed Church was first built about 1699 and was located just to the west of where Metropolitan Baptist Church stands at 1624 84th St. 

During the Revolution, this was the site where patriot General Nathaniel Woodhull was detained. According to legend, but in an undocumented story, he was struck by a British officer after refusing to utter the phrase “God save the king.” He later, dying of his wounds, was carried to the home of Nicasius de Sile, passing on September 20th, 1776. Legend has it that his restless spirit has been seen on quiet nights to wander the church grounds and crows are sometimes heard coming from seemingly nowhere. 

The first church was falling apart when it was torn down in 1827. The current Church was built in 1828 here at 1827 84th street, using stones and stained glass from the original church. One of its constructors was James Cropsey. It was dedicated in November of 1829 and the gallery was eventually added. 

On Thursday, October 18, 1877, the church's two hundredth anniversary was observed. Rev. David Sutphen officiated at the services and Teunis G. Bergen delivered an historical address on the church's foundation and history.

Eventually, a parish house was constructed in 1892 and a parsonage in 1906. In addition, a monument of General Nathaniel Woodhull was erected in 1916 by the Daughters of the American Revolution in honor for his duty in the Revolutionary War.