Hometown New York City Brooklyn

For people living in small to mid-size hometowns, it is easy to write about their towns. However, for someone like me who was born and raised in New York City, it is rather difficult. Therefore I will look upon the borough of Brooklyn as my small town away from the teeming streets of Manhattan and the other boroughs. If you know about Brooklyn and find a neighborhood missing it is just that I wrote about all the ones I knew and where I have been. I was born in a very quiet corner of Brooklyn called Bay Ridge so I began my tour there. In the north-central part of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, one can find the neighborhoods of Clinton Hill, Fort Greene on the north is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Prospect Heights to the south is relatively small. As I continue I will paste the links for the neighborhoods I have written about below.

Clinton Hill is bordered by Bedford-Stuyvesant on the east, Fort Greene on the north by Wallabout Bay, and Prospect Heights on the south. This neighborhood had become respected by the wealthy by the 1840s since they could commute to Manhattan by way of stagecoach to the Fulton Ferry in nearby Brooklyn Heights.

Millionaire mansions lined Clinton Avenue by the 1880s and 90s. Many of these mansions have still survived to today. Millionaire Charles Pratt built a mansion for himself and one each as wedding presents for three of his four sons. These four prominent mansions can be seen on Clinton Avenue between De Kalb and Willoughby.

Clinton Hill is also home to the Brooklyn campus of St. Joseph’s College.

The world-renowned Pratt Institute is located in Clinton Hill and is one of the leading art schools in the U.S.

Fort Greene received its name from an American Revolutionary War era fort which was built in 1776. The building of the fort was supervised by General Nathaniel Greene from Rhode Island. Greene aided General George Washington during the Battle of Long Island in 1776. Not only Fort Greene but Fort Greene Park is derived from General Greene’s name. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux redesigned Fort Greene Park in 1864. In the park, one can see the Prison Ship Martyr’s Monument and crypt which honors some 11,500 patriots who died aboard British prison ships during the American Revolution.

There are many great examples of mid-19th-century Italianate and Eastlake architecture to be seen in Fort Greene. The neighborhood is known for its many lovely, tree-lined streets and low-rise housing. It is also home to the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower which was the tallest building in Brooklyn for over 80 years and is close to the Atlantic Terminal train station so it has access to most major subway lines.

Fort Greene also has several important cultural institutions which include the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Music School, The Paul Robeson Theater.

There are many great examples of mid-19th-century Italianate and Eastlake architecture to be seen in Fort Greene. The neighborhood is known for its many lovely, tree-lined streets and low-rise housing. It is also home to the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower which was the tallest building in Brooklyn for over 80 years and is close to the Atlantic Terminal train station so it has access to most major subway lines.

Fort Greene also has several important cultural institutions which include the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Music School, and The Paul Robeson Theater.

The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA), BRIC Arts/Media/Bklyn, Urban Glass, 651 Arts performing center for African-American presenters. The Irondale Center for Theater, Education and Outreach, and Lafayette Church.

One of New York City’s most competitive public schools is located in the neighborhood the Brooklyn Technical High School.

The avenues bounding Fort Greene are Wallabout/Myrtle Avenue to the north, Flatbush Avenue to the west, Vanderbilt Avenue to the east, and Atlantic Avenue to the south. It is served by the New York City Subway at DeKalb Avenue (B,D,N,Q,R trains), Atlantic Avenue – Pacific Street (2,3,4,5,B,D,N,Q,R trains), Lafayette Avenue (A,C trains) and Fulton Street (G train).

Along Prospect Heights' southern boundary, Eastern Parkway one can find the Brooklyn Public Library, Mount Prospect Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Brooklyn Museum. The neighborhood has mostly brownstone-style residential row houses some of which were built as early as 1890. Larger multi-unit apartment buildings can be found at Lincoln and St. John’s Place between Underhill and Washington Avenues. In other parts, condominium complexes are under construction.

Lofts have been recently converted from deserted factory spaces along Pacific Street from Vanderbilt Avenue to Carlton Avenue. In 2008 an upscale, glass high-rise residential building was completed. It was designed by architect Richard Meier and is located off of Grand Army Plaza.

From the 1910s through the 1950s Prospect Heights was largely inhabited by Italian, German, and Jewish people. It is now known for its mix of black and white culture. Every year the West Indian Day Parade which is the largest annual parade in New York City follows Eastern Parkway, beginning in Crown Heights and ending at Grand Army Plaza in Prospect Heights. Along Vanderbilt Avenue, a thriving commercial zone has emerged featuring new bars, restaurants, and specialty shops.

The Prospect Heights Historic District covers an area that is bounded by Flatbush Avenue, Sterling Place, Washington Avenue, and St. Marks Avenue.

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