The Urban Explorer 732: Brooklyn (extra blog)

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bridge!

View of the Manhattan Bridge from Washington Street.

The corner of Fulton and Nostrand Streets. I call this "the Four Corners" because this is the busiest commercial intersection in Bedford Stuyvesant.

A mosque in Bed Stuy. There is a sizable Muslim community, as here.

Much of the housing stock consists of brownstones in Bed Stuy. Below are some nice photos!

I don't know what building this is but this seemed liked the architectural style.

A walk along Fulton Street.

Golden Krust

Golden Krust is a famous chain Jamaican bakery in the NYC area. I tried a candy made out of coconuts, I forget the name, it was really delicious.

Murals

Crown Heights

Crown Heights is home to one of the largest Afro Caribbean communities in the country. Taking a walk along Nostrand Avenue, you can see Jamaican, Trinidian, Guayanese, and other West Indian stores, bakeries, and restaurants, catering to a diverse community.

There are also some signs of settlement from upper middle class, as well.

A few photos of the Eastern Parkway.

Yeah I'm a photo nerd, here you go.

West Indian Day Parade

One of the things that Crown Heights is best known for is the West Indian Day Parade.

The West Indian Day Parade is one of the most popular events in New York City. It runs every Labor Day Monday and thousands come to Eastern Parkway for this festive event where you will Haitian flags, listen to reggae music, and get a taste of Caribbean food on this special day.

The event draws West Indians, some draped in the flags of their country, Hispanics, and white hipsters alike.

Brownsville/ENY

When I was on the 3 Train on the subway and as I was coming from East New York I took some videos of East New York and Brownsville, including the Tilden Houses.

WIlliamsburg

Description here!

Williamsburg is an eclectic neighborhood--Jews, hipsters, artists, Dominicans, and Puerto Ricans all live in this northern Brooklyn neighborhood.

Look at some pics of the housing in the wonderful and historic neighborhood.

To the left, is an interesting apartment building.

To the right is a Puerto Rican flag struggling to flutter from a pole in front of a building.

Maybe there was bad wind that day?

East NY

Sunset Park

DUMBO

DUMBO is a neighborhood that got its name because it is an acronym for "Down Under the Manhatan Bridge".

However they added the O at the end.

Funny and interesting tidbit of history about the neighborhood.

Back in the 80s, when struggling artists really liked the neighborhood and did not want speculators to invest in the neighborhood.

So they gave it a bad name like "DUMBO".

Because after all nobody would live in a neighborhood with the word "dumb" in it, right

This, unfortunately, did not work for these artists and the neighborhood is now one of the hottest real estate markets in the city.

This is the iconic Washington and Water Street intersection, which has been featured in many films and TV shows.

Here's another pic.

A lovely couple with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background.

Brooklyn Ferry

Some pics of Prospect Heights, a gentrified area.

One of my favs

Nobody wants Stephen Colbert in Brooklyn?

Talk about getting rid of the soul of the neighborhood jk jk,

Bushwick this neighborhood is thoroughly Puerto Rican. But it is diverse.

A group of Orthodox and Hasidic Jews

Posters celebrating mariachi events.

Bensonhurst

Bensonhurst is a traditionally Italian neighborhood.

On 18th Avenue, you could find salumerias (butchers), caffes, bakeries, and social clubs that cater to an Italian American population that has been for generations.

Il Colosseo

An announcement for Valentine's Day where Italian American musicians would perform.

This kind of reminds me of Latino neighborhoods, where restaurants would have announcements of Latinx performers.

I tried a Chicken Paillard with potatoes and a salad as well as a cappuccino and it came to a total of less than twenty dollars.

The staff was friendly

Italian pride remains strong in Bensonhurst

Patisscerra Villabatte

This is an excellent bakery.

Their ricotta is imported from Palermo, Sicily.

I love this store! Telco is an inexpensive store found in the Tri State Area.

I bought great gloves and a hat for less than ten dollars here! It is really hard to find such a deal where I'm from in Central Jersey.

An Italian flag in front of the Security D

Bari Pork Store

I love the Italian pride demonstrated in this neighborhood!

This is a great Italian butcher shop. I got a chicken pattie here and it was great.

The chicken patties here aren't like the ones that you get in the supermarket that are stale and hard as a rock with ice, at times.

The chicken pattie before and after it was made.

They are soft and spongy and have a great taste! When I was finished cooking it, this sandwich tasted better than any sandwich I have ever tried at any Italian deli around here.

As I bit into this sandwich, I realized I was eating the best sandwich I have eaten.

Better than Italian deli I have been to. I'll tell you that much!

chicken pattie from bensonhurst

The prototypical working class Italian American neighborhood.

this brings me back to the days when Italian Americans were mostly in working class neighborhoods like this before they ended up buying mansions in Northern Jersey and Long Island. Bensonhurst was once eighty percent Italian.

a lot of em left but italian presence will always be in NYC.

tri state area is God speaking this to me?

SICILIA!!!

Dominick the Donkey z100

I tried the Sicilian pizza at Tony Pepperoni! Amazing!

I like the blue collar feel

Maybe a section on how blue collar it is?

Sorrento Espresso Bar

86th Street

Many Italians have left Bensonhurst, and many Chinese families are now calling this neighborhood home.

In public parks you might see older Italian men bocce as well as the Chinese playing chess.

Greenpoint

Waitress who agreed for me to take a photo of her in Karczna, a great restaurant in Greenpoint. Great food and friendly staff there. She was nice lovely lady. Bless her heart.