153-year-old Brooklyn yacht club provides venue for BBCA

From left: Irina Khlevner, Donald Cranston, Michael Trotta, officers of the 63rd Precinct, Sal Calise, Michael Benjamin and Sue Ann Partnow.
Photo by Arthur De Gaeta

BERGEN BEACH — The Bergen Beach Civic Association (BBCA), a community group representing residents in Bergen Beach, held its annual holiday party at the Hudson River Yacht Club (HRYC), one of the oldest boat clubs in Brooklyn. The event took place on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Established in 1931, the BBCA functions as a neighborhood advocacy and support organization, giving residents a collective voice on local issues, municipal services, safety, development and quality-of-life concerns.

As part of its mission, the BBCA hosts monthly meetings for members and local officials to talk about community concerns. The association often works with elected officials and civic stakeholders and is regarded as an influential voice in the neighborhood.

The exterior of the Hudson River Yacht Club.
Photo by Wayne Daren Schneiderman
Hudson River Yacht Club: past and present

The HRYC, which is connected to the Paerdegat Basin/New York Harbor region, emerged at a period when recreational sailing and yacht clubs were becoming prominent social and sporting institutions along the Hudson River. It was organized in 1873 and incorporated in 1875, making it one of the older established yacht clubs in the United States.

Originally, the club’s activities began up the Hudson on Manhattan’s West Side, where it developed its name and reputation among sailing enthusiasts in the late 19th century. In the early decades of the 20th century, urban development and infrastructure changes transformed much of the Hudson shoreline in Manhattan, forcing the HRYC to relocate multiple times.

From left: Bergen Beach Civic Association President Michael Trotta, immediate past President Sal Calise and past President Michael Benjamin, Esq.
Photo by Arthur De Gaeta

By the 1950s, after years of displacement from the Manhattan riverfront, the club re-established itself in Brooklyn in an area with better access to New York Harbor and suitable boating water. Today, the club is located at 2101 Bergen Ave. in Brooklyn, where it continues as a marina and social boating club serving members and visiting boaters on the harbor.

A tight-knit, small community

BBCA President Michael Trotta described Bergen Beach as a great neighborhood with great people. “We’re family here,” he said. “Even if you’re new to the family, come introduce yourself at our civic meetings. Introduce yourself on Facebook or wherever you see us. We’ll welcome you.”

The evening also featured live entertainment.
Photo by Arthur De Gaeta

According to Trotta, the BBCA currently has more than 250 members, but he would like to expand that number. “I’m trying to bring some younger members into the organization.”

Trotta, who was born and raised in Bergen Beach, said the BBCA is well-known for its community work. “Whenever there’s a fight, we dig in,” he noted. “We are all about keeping the neighborhood’s integrity the way it’s been for years. We are a tight-knit, small community and would like to keep it that way.”

Trotta said he doesn’t advocate for high rise buildings or overly dense, populated areas. “There are all single and two family homes in this area,” he said. “That’s the way we’d like to stay.”

Performers from “Elizabeth’s Dance Image” doing their thing.
Photo by Arthur De Gaeta

Trotta reflected on the past. “I’m a child of the ‘70s and ‘80s,” he said. “We used to leave the house early in the morning and we wouldn’t come back until the lights came on in the street. Everybody knew everybody’s kids. That was a community, and I think that’s something that Bergen Beach still represents.”

A word from an assemblymember

Assemblymember Jaime Williams, D-59, told the Eagle that she takes immense pride in representing Bergen Beach, describing it as “a significant part of my district.” Williams also represents Canarsie, Flatlands, Georgetown, Mill Basin, Marine Park, Mill Island and Gerritsen Beach.

Michael Trotta alongside Assemblymember Jaime Williams, D-59.
Photo by Arthur De Gaeta

“Bergen Beach is home to me,” Williams said. “It’s where I live, where I shop, where I raised my children. I would describe it as a very special place.”

Williams, whose term ends this year and is up for re-election, took time to speak to attendees at the conclusion of the gathering about why she is the right choice to continue representing Assembly District 59.

“I’m all about fighting for working families, making their lives more affordable, in addition to safer and stronger neighborhoods,” she said.

Bergen Beach Civic Association President Michael Trotta.
Photo by Arthur De Gaeta

Williams made it clear that if re-elected, she aims to continue to represent everyone in her district. “Whether you are a Democrat, Conservative, Republican, Independent or whatever, I will be there for you,” she said.