Not surprisingly, Bay Ridge is situated at the southwest corner of Brooklyn, overlooking the Verrazano Narrows that shelter New York Harbor and the Upper & Lower New York Bays. Predominantly a middle-class, residential neighborhood, the area is steeped in the sort of ethnic diversity that makes Brooklyn far more colorful overall than its flashier neighbor, Manhattan. Bay Ridge used to share a naming scheme with Red Hook, until an outbreak of yellow fever among Dutch settlers made the name "Yellow Hook" a little less than savory. The area is home to several beautiful public parks and recreational hot-spot the 69th Pier.