Eighth Avenue is a major street in Brooklyn, New York City. It is an ethnic enclave for Norwegians and Norwegian-Americans, who are one of the predominant ethnicities in the area among the current residents, which include new immigrant colonies, among them Chinese and Arabic-speaking peoples. Parts of it have been colloquially re-christened Little Hong Kong in recognition of these newer communities.[3][4]
The avenue starts at its north at Grand Army Plaza, going through Park Slope for 1 mile (1.6 km). It is interrupted by the Green-Wood Cemetery between 20th and 39th Streets, and after traveling nearly 2 miles (3.2 km) further south through Sunset Park, finally ends at 73rd Street in Bay Ridge.
Lapskaus Boulevard
Lapskaus Boulevard is the nickname of part of Eighth Avenue, in a Norwegian working-class section of bordering Bay Ridge, and Sunset Park.[5] This part of Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park is primarily home to Norwegian immigrants, and it is known as "Little Norway", or Lapskaus Boulevard as the Norwegians termed it.[6][4][3]
The name Lapskaus was derived from a Northern European stew that was a staple food of lower to middle income families. In Norway, lapskaus most often refers to a variation of beef stew. This dish may be called "brun lapskaus" stew made with gravy, "lys lapskaus" stew made with vegetables and pork meat or "suppelapskaus" where the gravy has been substituted by a light beef stock.[7] While the New York City metropolitan area had a Norwegian presence for more than 300 years, immigration to Bay Ridge began to seriously take shape in the 1920s.[8]
Nordic heritage is still apparent in some sections of the neighborhood. There is an annual Syttende Mai Parade, celebrated in honor of Norwegian Constitution Day. The parade features hundreds of people in folk dress who march along Fifth Avenue. The parade ends with the crowning of Miss Norway near the statue of Leif Ericson. The monument was donated in 1939 by Crown Prince Olav, and features a replica of a Vikingrune stone located in Tune, Norway. The stone stands on Leif Ericson Square just east of Fourth Avenue.[9]
Chinese community
In 1983, the first Chinese American grocery store in Brooklyn, called Choi Yung Grocery, was opened on 5517 Fort Hamilton Parkway. Selling both Asian and American products. In 1985, the first Cantonese style seafood restaurant opened on 8th avenue in between 55th and 56th street, called Canton house restaurant. In 1986, Winley Supermarket was opened on the corner of 8th Avenue. These unprecedented supermarkets and restaurants served the predominantly local residents of the area and attracted Chinese immigrants from all areas of Brooklyn. In 1988, the first Chinese Community nonprofit organization opened on Eighth Avenue to serving Sunset Park area Chinese immigrants, called the Brooklyn Chinese American Association (BCA).[citation needed]
Before 1984, there were only about thirty small shops on the entire Eighth Avenue and 90% of the original storefronts on Eighth Avenue in Sunset Park were abandoned. From 1984 to the present, Eighth Avenue has developed from a declining commercial area into a small businesses hub with significant economic development potential.[citation needed]
Transportation
The following subway stations are located at or near 8th Avenue:
The B70, serves the entire southern portion, with Dyker Heights service heading west on 70th Street.
On the northern side, the B61 runs on two portions. Downtown Brooklyn service runs from 15th to 9th Streets, and Park Slope service runs from 20th to 19th Streets.[10]
Benardo, Leonard and Weiss, Jennifer. Brooklyn by Name. How the Neighborhoods, Streets, Parks, Bridges, and More Got Their Names (New York University Press, 2006).
Rygg, Andreas Nilsen. Norwegians in New York, 1825—1925 (Brooklyn, N.Y.: Norwegian News Co., 1941).
