Homecrest is a neighborhood located in the borough of Brooklyn, New York. It is part of Brooklyn Community Board 15. Homecrest was the no.1 immigrant-receiving neighborhood in New York City between the periods 1983 to 1994. A 1992 Department of City Planning study showed that people of Chinese decent were the fastest growing ethnic group in Homecrest increasing by almost 200 percent between the 1980 and 1990 Census.
The neighborhood borders Kings Highway to the north, Avenue X to the south, and Coney Island Avenue to the west. Homecrest has a large concentration of Chinese immigrants with many of them have moved into the neighborhood in the past fifteen years.
Some of the old structures in Homecrest and other South Brooklyn areas are being torn down to build mansions or renovated to convert into condominiums. The area around Avenue U is now largely a Chinese populated neighborhood. There are also a number of Italian and Chinese restaurants in there.
As of 2010 census, there were 44,316 people, 16,188 households, and 10,833 families residing in the area. The median income for a household in the village is $50,847. The latitude of Homecrest is 40.6° N. The longitude is -73.9°W. It is in the Eastern Standard time zone.
The Brooklyn Public Library has a branch in Homecrest located at Coney Island Avenue. The library services four local schools and several daycare centers and nursery schools. Many of the library’s programs are equipped toward the neighborhood’s youngsters. Homecrest is a family-oriented neighborhood. While the younger men and women are out at work, their parents look after the grandchildren.
Many of the senior citizens have striven to work hard especially in restaurants and garment factories of Chinatown so that they will able to help their children go to school, get good jobs and to stand their own feet. The successful children share the comforts together with their aging parents who are now finally reaping the rewards of their hard work and sacrifice. Living with and caring for aging parents is the cultural norm in China, and that way of thinking has not changed for the newer immigrants. It is a tribute to the American way of life that individual freedom is so liberally celebrated.
Homecrest has also a large population of immigrants from Italy, Russia, India, and Mexico. The neighborhood has opened another center nearby where more than 600 people have signed up. They are part of the flourishing Chinese community in Homecrest that is large and important enough to merit attention from City Hall. Activities at the Homecrest center are the same as what goes on in senior centers everywhere. Most of it is ballroom dancing classes and Fourth of July barbecues.
The Homecrest Community Services, Inc. (HCS) is a community-based and a non-profit organization which organized by local residents and community leaders. They offer services and needs including educational, recreational, nutritional and other social services consistent with the special language, cultural, and immigrant needs. The Homecrest Presbyterian Churchis also a center for a lot of community activities. The basement serves as the Homecrest Community Services Senior Center. At the Senior Center most of the elders are Chinese, and their numbers are still growing over the years.
