74th Street then and now: Neighbors celebrate at annual block party

It’s always a family affair on 74th Street.

The stretch between Fifth and Sixth Avenues in Bay Ridge has been hosting its annual end-of-summer block party since the early 1900s, and this year was no different.

“My family has been here since 1920, and many families on the block have been here just as long or longer,” said resident Lauren Sullivan who, this year, took charge of organizing the annual soirée alongside friend and neighbor Kelly Nash. “So many people have been here for so long that we always have a great block party.”

Despite scorching temperatures, this year’s party — held on Saturday, September 10 — raged on featuring blow-up rides for the children, live entertainment and — of course — pony rides.

“There weren’t as many people this year, probably because it was hot,” she explained, “but it was very patriotic, and it was a great time as always.”

The historied block, she said, is no stranger to patriotism. Adorned with American flags outside almost every brownstone on the block, 74th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues has often been referred to as “the most patriotic block in Brooklyn.”

“We’re very community oriented as a block,” Sullivan said. “We’re all friends and family.”