My Life In Brooklyn

I was taken with this building the first time I saw it, located on the northwest corner of Ocean Avenue and Beverley Road.  PropertyShark info states it has thirty residential units and is dated 1912.

I’d like to do a little more research on this building.  There is no name visible on the building, but given the suggestion of both visual arts and literature depicted in the corbels (below), I can’t help but think there must be an interesting story attached to it.  And if there isn’t, there should be. I’d love to see what the apartments look like, with only thirty apartments in the building they could be quite large. 

This is an excellent example of why I love walking around Brooklyn. A few more pics and hi-res versions on flickr.

 

Westbury Court is a short street, a dead end overlooking the subway tracks (Q & B). The building in the image is situated at the southwest corner of Flatbush Ave (684 Flatbush is the primary address). Quite often there are groups of young men and SUVs hanging around, not necessarily in front of this building, but definitely on the street giving it a somewhat ominous appearance.

We nearly moved to a similar dead-end street in this neighborhood when we were house hunting and now rejoice in the fact we didn’t. The local precinct commander once told a group -– when he was asked about dead-end streets and criminal activity -– whether we ever considered why cowboys in old westerns liked to take refuge in canyons. Simply put, it is a means to advantageously use the natural configuration of the land to observe all activity: who enters, departs, etc. I guess the theory has some logic to it.

Anyway, this building is dated 1929 and PropertyShark reports 95 residential units and 10 commercial units. I keep trying to imagine what it would have looked like in 1929. It has a certain charm to it, even with this paint.

I keep forgetting to make mention of these large projects in process of being constructed, but I saw each one of these again yesterday, so duly reminded, just a mention before I forget again (images below the cut):

1. Northeast corner of Church and Ocean Ave — this has been ongoing for a while now.  Retail and office space certain, uncertain if there are residential units on upper floors.
   
2. Bedford Ave, corner of Caton (where it meets with Linden) — Residential.  This seems to have gone up pretty quickly.
   
3. Ocean Ave (Across from 560 Ocean) — This is a huge lot, located almost directly across the street from the notable “Cathedral Arms” building and next door (south) to the lovely “Embassy” building, number 555 Ocean. I assume it will be residential.
   

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This is another impressive entry that is a favorite. Sometimes, when I am walking along Ocean Avenue, it reminds my of my walks along Central Park West, in the days when we lived on the park block in the eighties.  This one is 591, on the east side of the street between Albemarle and Church.  Though I do admit, there is nothing to admire about the wires.

I can’t imagine these are the original colors, but it is interesting anyway and quite strking.  Number 2121 Westbury Court, off of Flatbush Avenue.

You have to embrace the unexpected good things here, those serendipitous sweet moments.  And that goes for Manhattan as well, it isn’t just this neighborhood.  In fact, if anything, it is evident significantly more often here in PLG than in the city.

Walking up Lincoln from Flatbush I stopped to take a photo of a building entry.  It has been modified and updated I believe; the original doors were replaced from what I can tell.  But there was some nice stonework and a manicured front lawn, so I thought I would “document” the place.  That is how I think of it anyway.

It was alternate side parking time, and the early birds were staking out claim to their newly acquired spaces.  A fellow leaning against his car eyed my camera and I wished him good morning, telling him I thought the building was attractive, well cared for and by the way … do you live here?

A simple effort, but indeed the man lived in the building.  We had a very nice fifteen minute chat discussing the building (well cared for, no problems, super on the premises); the neighborhood (changing, something we both agreed on, he telling me lots of Caucasians are moving into his building). 

“Are they friendly?” I asked him.  Recently I have noticed not many of the new residents say hello to me on my street, while in my experience people with a long-term tenure in the neighborhood do.

“They have to get used to it,” he responded, “Some are uncomfortable here.”

We chatted a while longer about a number of things. Then, we exchanged first names, shook hands, and parted ways.  But not before he initiated a friendly hug.

There are some seriously nice folks in this neighborhood, sometimes it just takes a hello and a moment of your time to figure out who they are.

According to propertyshark, the building date is 1929, 71 units — 137-153 Lincoln Rd.

On the North side of Winthrop Street, between Flatbush and Bedford Avenues is an interesting pre-war six-story building.  It has a very modern look to it at the same time and I was a little surprised to see it was built in 1931, I would have guessed sometime closer to 1940s.  There are 77 residential units in it, according to Propertyshark.  To me the building is mostly unremarkable, until I happened to look up and noticed on the façade a sundial.  I would love to get a closer look at it, will have to carry along a more substantial camera with a telephoto lens one day.  It did make me wonder if a sundial works when affixed in a vertical rather than flat position, I’ll have to research it.*

* According to Wikipedia, wall sundials are quite common, and simply based on the predicability of shadows.  I guess I just never noticed.

I was walking down Clarkson Avenue and spotted this gorgeous building entry.  Another I wish I was able to see in the original configuration.  I am guessing there might have been some kind of statuary or urns in the recessed areas on either side.  It still appears to be in pretty decent shape, though the paint job is really sloppy (see the large splotches on both sides).  Must have been an impressive beauty in its day.  Propertyshark data states this six story building was erected in 1927 — it also cites 83 residential units. Seeing architecture like this is one reason I love walking around the neighborhood.

Larger version available on Flickr.

114 Fenimore St.  I really love some of the old architectural features on the local apartment buildings.  This one is a favorite, though I cannot help but wonder what the original was like in terms of paint and color (assuming it was painted).  Year built (NYC Departments of Buildings) is 1931.