Midtermed

Halfway through this class.

I think I could have been a bit stronger in certain areas, a little more certain that I had something to say. Tighter even.

I want to stick with Brooklyn, I still want to wander the streets knowing and looking for things to absorb. As the weather gets nicer I think it will be easier to find the right words that I want. I want to use Brooklyn as much as I can to move me forward in my writing, and realistically just inspire me to move forward in general.

I look forward to my adventures and finding so much new information about my neighborhood, my borough and even my city. From learning that Cobble Hill was not named after a hill full of Cobblers to what makes a restaurant time and thrive in a neighborhood.

I’m realizing I like learning what has made this borough thrive in the past and how many different generations have occupied it. There have been so many things that have left their mark and so many that have vanished. It’s been incredible to uncover some of the little stones.

I do want to try for a bit more focus in my post, make them stand a little stronger; so that’s really what I’m going to try to do with the next few weeks. Make you feel the passion and the beauty of Brooklyn all in one literary sitting. Wish me luck.

I want it to keep going.

I don’t want to stop exploring.

I don’t want to give up my excuse to.

I want to move forward.

To honor the Doodle

“Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process, a new factor enters and takes over. A trip, a safari, an exploration, is an entity, different from all other journeys. It has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. Tour masters, schedules, reservations, brass-bound and inevitable, dash themselves to wreckage on the personality of the trip. Only when this is recognized can the blown-in-the glass bum relax and go along with it. Only then do the frustrations fall away. In this a journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”

-John Steinbeck

jump in without control

Stepped2. The Indecisive Pizza Lover.

Checklists just don’t work you, steps just don’t work for you and too many options just don’t work for you.

How are you ever going to make a decision about dinner? Or possibly about breakfast, again this is a judgment free zone.

You also never thought the day would come when pizza selection would force you to do some serious self-reflection, but that’s where you are. You need to figure out where the lack of decision-making really comes from. Pizza will guide you there.

It might be because you’re trying to impress or concede to a brand new paramour. If that’s the case, you need to think about how much pizza means to you. If Dominos will always be acceptable in regards to the possible love of your life – so be it, eat that American Legend pizza and be merry.

The group situation is a little more complicated. You need to figure out what your role in the group is. Realistically we already know you’re the indecisive one, but there are two very specific levels of Indecisions.

There is the one where you honestly do not care; and a piece of pie is put in front of you and the weight off – because it’s not on you if it’s terrible. You’re a team player and everyone appreciates it and knows your role here.

And then there’s the other – the secretly opinionated picky one.
(More commonly referred to as ‘The Worst’ by the group when said picky person is out of earshot.)

Figure out which you are and act accordingly. If you are secret picky person, own it and become the power player in your group. The other Indecisives in the group will appreciate you taking a leadership role.

If it’s a family situation, that’s tough, you live with those people. Realistically if you’re not trying to impress a new beau and these people love you unconditionally (so it doesn’t matter if they think you’re the worst); I would advise letting the person who seems to need the pizza the most make the deciding decision.

Your sister failed a class? Let her choose. Your dad’s favorite team lost? Let him choose. Just be a team player and rise up; embrace your lack of decision-making.

Last situation – you’re on your own and can’t make a decision?

Get a taco. Or a burger. Or Thai food. Maybe suishi?

I don’t really care, but if you can’t make a decision regarding your pizza choice then you don’t really want it.

Yum.

Wiki, Christ Church

Christ Church (or the Old Christ Church) is a Episcopalian congregation located on 326 Clinton Street in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. It was founded in 1835 when there was a call for a Christian organization in some of the newly incorporated towns in Brooklyn. It was then consecrated in 1842 and currently has a congregation from Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill neighborhoods.

History and Architecture

While building finished in the 1840s it was commissioned to be renovated in the 1910s. Christ Church then became well known for its Louis Comfort Tiffany altar, pulpit and windows. Tiffany was renown at the time for his work with Church windows. In 1939 a fire ripped through the church destroying most of its interior forming a need for further renovations. Most of the Tiffany interior, however, did remain in tact.

Along with most of Cobble Hill, Christ Church received historical preservation and landmark status in the 1960s.

In the early 2000s members of the congregation met when lightening first struck the roof causing damage and then met again after an earthquake shook the church in 2011. Concerns over the structure of the church were raised and renovations were made.

In the summer of 2012 heavy lightening storms initially damaged the roof of the church creating the need for further renovations. The strength of the storm caused part of the structure to fall and fatally injure a man in his 60s, once again calling the congregation to met about safety standards.

Then in the fall of 2012 Hurricane Sandy ripped off the part of the roof that was under construction, which cause significant damage to the interior. A group called the Friends of Christ Church help generate support for the restoration of their community parish.

Community Events

Christ Church host a variety of community events and is an active participant of the Cobble Hill Asscoaiton, some of its partners include:

The Canoni Chorale
The Cobble Hill Tree Fund
The Cobble Hill Association
The Clinton Street Block Association and annual Block Party
Linden Tree Pre-school
The Vertical Players Repertory Opera Company
The Cosmic Bicycle Theatre and the ClockWorks Puppetry Studios
The Cobble Hill Ballet School
Opera Feroce
The Young Actor’s Workshop
Music Together
July 4th annual neighborhood BBQ
Dalcroze Music
Integrity-Brooklyn
The Children’s Shadow Puppet Workshop
Gymstars
Summer Ballet Camp
The Cobble Hill C.S.A. Food Co-Operative
The Cobble Hill Health Center
Long Island College Hospital
Alcoholics Anonymous
Food and Winter Clothing Collection with C.H.I.P.S. (Christian Help in Park Slope)
CHANYS Assemblywoman Joan Millman

Christ Church celebrates all seasonal religious events. The parish uses a garden on Clinton Street that it maintains with its “Garden Volunteers”.

The parish is a part of the Gotham Early Music Society series, and yearly Christmas caroling through Cobble Hill.   The church also provides counseling for families, and has an attached school for special needs children.

The church hosts weddings, baptisms and regularly holds weekly services.

As of February 2014, parish services are still being held at the Kane Street Synagogue until the renovations and repairs are fully completed.

Photos:

Originals, Bklyntenant 2014

Sources:

http://cchf.tripod.com/index.html

http://www.fccch.org
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323848804578605850058471288

Walking Brooklyn:, 30 tours exploring historical legacies, neighborhood culture, side streets and waterways. Onofri, Adrienne; 2nd Edition 2009; Wilderness Press, Berkeley, CA

Sam’s

This weekend I did not waste the 50-degree and sunny weather.

I walked a bit, I thought a bit, I researched a bit, snapped a bit and ate a bit. I could feel myself reacquainting with that old #cobbled feeling and all I could think was “Thank god I didn’t forget how to type properly formed sentences because of perpetual darkness”.

I am realizing as I look more into Cobble Hill, I am finding one dominating fact – “Historically an Italian neighborhood.” Having a community with a common cultural identifier is not unique to any one city, but some have stronger roots than others.

Why is Cobble Hill historically an Italian community?

There are certainly other neighborhoods that blare their Italian roots in all five boroughs; from Little Italy (obviously) to Staten Island, their origins as cultural enclaves are pretty clear.

I want to find out about Cobble Hill.

Long story short, I didn’t get any immediate answers this weekend. But I did start somewhere fun.

Sam’s.

I wrote about picking a pizza place so I decided to use my list and pick a pizza place. Except I didn’t actually get pizza, and I got distracted by a very talkative bartender.

Sam’s is old school. The waiter knew all the little kids sitting at the booths, chatted amicably with the parents about a variety of things from church to soccer (or football; even though I’m pretty sure the parents had no idea he was talking about European football). The bread was put on the table with a warning not to eat it – you better make sure you have room for the pasta. A phrase and warning I had only ever heard from my friend’s Sicilian grandmother. I loved every minute of it.

I went for comfort. I went for meatballs. No regrets.

Sam has been around since the 30s and it shows; years of history could be felt on its walls. It’s one of the last comfortably warm and low key Italian places on a street that is slowly filling with trendy upscale restaurants; but it was a start for me to see why Cobble Hill is a historically Italian because it’s historically Italian.

So starting the search, figured some historically Italian food could only inspire me.

Pizza? Pizza. 5 Steps!

How to pick your perfect pizza place in South Brooklyn in 5 easy steps:

A. Know your neighborhood. What are your options? Make a check a list of each place and its various attributes:

How old is the pizzeria?

-Is it brand new with a gourmet style pizza chef de cuisine?
-Has it been family owned and has a secret sauce you would need to marry into to find out the ingredients? (Think Sam’s, in Cobble Hill)
-Or are willing to try the neither “highly” reputable nor old place but has a several different options.
-Or is Dominos an acceptable choice? – No judgment, but you are at the end of my checklist.

Does it deliver?

-Is it cold out? Will they come to you?
-Can you get a seat in the restaurant if you are trapped in a polar vortex?
-How long are you ready to wait for a table or conversely wait for it to be delivered?
-What is the risk of take out in terrible weather related conditions if the situation is that you have to leave to get your order?

Knowing the various styles and types you can find in Brooklyn is important. You have your pick of the litter here; knowing your brand is the only way to begin. You always have to know yourself, what are you willingly to do to get the pizza? Otherwise you’re opening yourself to a wormhole in which you will not be able to escape and end up eating Ramen for dinner.

B. Know what you like. This one is very important, and may seem like style/type but is actually drastically different. Once you have made a choice from the four variables above, you then will have a multitude of options in which to choose. Here they are!:

1. Are you a sauce person?
2. Are you a cheese person?
3. Are you a toppings person?
4. Are you a bread person?

Now granted some of these categories overlap, I’m leaving it up to you to prioritize. Personally I hate cheese, white pizza is never on the table for me, I know many of you will think I’m crazy for this; but I can only change so much about myself. Lets move on.

C. Crust. You can never have too many crust varieties, but your choice can change everything. What sort of cheese you put on, or how much sauce there is -your options:

1. Thin – generally more calorie friendly. This choice lends itself to a sub-choice:

– Thin and crispy, more often than not using a coal oven in Brooklyn; you need to think about if you like burnt edge
-Thin and chewy

Both respectable but both have different sauce and cheese distribution.

2. Regular, speaks for itself, New York style pizza
3. Deep dish, this Midwestern style pizza is harder to find in New York. Realistically you’ll find it at Dominos or a specialty pizzeria.
4. Sicilian, Grandma or any other such styles demand a completely separate check list and will not be discussed here

D. Know what you want. Is pizza your only choice? This isn’t about picking the perfect pizza; it’s about picking the perfect pizza place. I could even abbreviate that to #PPP.

Do you have any Vegans?
Some of you may think this a strange thing to consider. But those Vegans don’t want any of your dairy. Not on their pizza, or salad or anywhere else for that matter. It’s your choice of company, but Vegan pizza exists, and it does deliver. That being said this is still number 3 because dairy is more than welcome in my apartment.

Do you want a salad?

-Will house salad be acceptable with a mild and rather bland dressing? Loosely thrown olives with maybe an awkward cucumber on the top? This is once again is a household based decision.
-My household prefers a rich creamy Cesar that is in no way good for your diet but tastes amazing. If it’s a pretend diet day in my apartment, we like to choose the place with a rich Cesar salad. The more Parmesan cheese the better!

Are any other sides on the table?

Wings? This one is tough because wings can range from unseasoned frozen Purdue chicken nuggets posing as wings to smothered delicious meaty Buffalo wings.

Garlic bread?
-Parmesan Garlic Bread?
-Bruschetta Garlic Bread?
-Truffle oil Garlic Bread?

Pasta dishes? –If you have a family (or group of friends) full of young gentlemen, you may need more and different types of Pizza related foods.

E. Are you the only one ordering? The process I described above is my personal checklist for both my mood and setting. When you involve others, my list can be helpful – but it also takes some thoughtful negotiating. My personal advice for group ordering:

Choose your (one and only) priority [see #2] and stand your ground with it. Don’t ruin the pizza for everyone, and don’t let anyone ruin it for you. Pizza should only be a joyful experience.
Always order more. This nonsense is fine cold or fine after a fast broil in the oven.
Toppings realistically should only be discussed amongst closest friends. Don’t be that guy who comes in strong with the anchovies, unless you know your peers.

Pizza is some of the best stuff we got – go in bite first and just enjoy the ride.

———-

Purposely played with formatting. Wanted to look at for a bit and see what I liked. As always, let me know your thoughts, suggestions or rationale. It’s all about the experience.

The Devil on your Left Shoulder

What can I really say about Brooklyn?

There is not much that hasn’t already been said, it’s a borough that is and has been filled with aspiring (and inspiring) writers. Writers who grew up with a Brooklyn voice, writers who let Brooklyn flood them with inspiration and writers who knew this borough was where they needed to be.

But – its also trite, it’s a cliché, and its been done -especially by the Yupster.

What is there to say?

Who am I to say it?

Some of said residents have enough money to not do anything besides write, and I do not mean for work, but for pleasure – as in they receive no monetary gain for their writing. Imagine that voice that comes from pure creativity. Aside from the fact some of these writers can scribble, or type, away all day long – their craft is apart of them. It fills their lives. Their voice is Brooklyn.

I fill my head with thoughts that are far away from Brooklyn.

I’m detached, not as focused. My voice withering away, if it ever existed. Not to be compared to those who live and breathe talking about #cobbled streets, artisan foods and the new fused specialty place that now sells cupcakes made with booze. I’m a fraud.

Authenticity, how can you tell if you have it? Can you find it? Can you gain it?

Can I really understand the older authentic brownstone laden neighborhoods compared to the new ones created by a culture of shiny fresh high rises? I’ve barely been there a year; some people have never known anything but Brooklyn. Some could tell you that their family stepped into America and right into Brooklyn’s arms and never looked back. Or that their family has been making the same sauce in their restaurant for at least three generations. Authentic. This has never not been their lives, they can talk about it. Can I?

Who am I?

Brooklyn has a culture of arts and want-to-be artists who all want to talk about their new spaces, their new work – their new everything and anything.

My voice isn’t special. I’m not that interesting. I don’t have that much to contribute.

Where is the voice that is worth paying attention to? Do I even have it is as a writer, or at the very least as a person? My metaphorical voice that is, I am generally very vocal.

Or do I fall into the realm of other persona non grata that has flooded its buildings following the real artists in on their coattails? The shallow, the vain or those looking to pretend they have some to contribute to a vibrant community –the ones who are really just there for a flashy and hip zip code. Not there for the community. Not there for the spirit, art, culture or dynamic that has shaped Brooklyn for all these years.

Who am I?

——-

This feels a little different than the assignment, but it was a post I was going to do on my own in the upcoming weeks. Or maybe I just freely interpreted the assignment. But I always tend to have both those Angels on my shoulders making me double think my choices. So let me just argue amongst my self doubt.

Back to being #Cobbled

So we’re back to the Cobble Hill Towers. Frank Farella sees the possibility of these towers in the late 1970s/early 1980s – at a time when many people had given up on these once important now decrepitating gems.

He buys the Towers then goes into business with these guys, Hudson Inc. This company also saw the potential in revitalizing the New York skyline. And bringing back housing that wasn’t filled with prostitutes or drug users, but most importantly, was affordable.

These buildings were a bit of challenge though. They had gone through several rough decades, and had multiple apartments that were uninhabitable. A big reason for these destroyed apartments was the buildings original layout – it had been designed with open stair layout. This, back in the 1800s, was to prevent fires. In a crowed tenant with only one staircase – fire was a regular visitor and it quickly meant death.

But these apartments were costly “fixer-uppers”.

But with the combination of a major NYC real estate group and a developer who saw both the potential and historical significance – the Cobble Hill Towers were born again.

The Towers are interesting not only for their long history and importance; but they were also one of the beginning projects for the Hudson group. Hudson has had a significant impact not only on the Manhattan skyline, but has rapidly been increasing the Brooklyn one as well.

Bringing housing that is affordable, but also has proper living conditions is like giving a neighborhood a ridiculously good makeover – maybe one like Beyoncé would get on her day off.

This is what changes neighborhoods. This is how it begins. So I’m glad we got started. Let’s see what’s next.

———–

I’m thinking something about food. Anyone interested in a specialty? I’m kind of in the mood for some jalapeño maple corn bread…

Staples in the Neighborhood

A bird chirped in Brooklyn! Yesterday morning I woke up to a bright window and the normal BQE (Brooklyn-Queens Expressway) noises and then realized some of the sounds I heard had been a bird. I listened further and sounds of tiny little baby birds! Polar vortex surviving baby birds!

Groundhogs can say what they want about the spring coming, but PVS baby birds sing the rest.

So like I said, I had a whole post planned that just didn’t work out. It should be noted that at some point Port Authority history is coming your way. Now that might not sound particularly interesting – I realize its heavily large ship related; but some gangster stuff, some old school political machine stuff (think Tammany Hall) and some other stuff-stuff might be included. These are all just thoughts until the weather allows me to wander around without fear of slipping on cobbled streets.

So I scrambled for something new to say, did some errands and looked around. I had a photographer friend once tell me, look for the shapes that will form the picture. I figured this post could be similar, let me see the shapes in my writing.

————

I live near a number of pretty impressive buildings, one of which are The Cobble Hill Towers. Originally built by Alfred Tredway White, who was a developer and architect that created a number of housing buildings (not projects) for city dwellers in the latter part of the 19^th century. These buildings were intended to house workers who were in the shipyard, building unions or a variety of other menial jobs in the metro area.

You have to remember the other choices at this time included Lower East Side (LES, going forward) tenements. It doesn’t really seem like a tough choice when these buildings in Brooklyn included backyards and other open air spaces not as easily found in Manhattan during the 1800s.

These buildings were both an architectural statement and a statement that New York City stood for all of its inhabitants; and that they all deserved a decent place to live and play. It was a game changer for both new immigrants, but also those who had faced the dreary life of the LES. These Towers wanted to show there was a place where the American Dream was possible to all those who wanted to reach for it.

These Towers gave their inhabitants hope, and created a neighborhood along with it. Children were able to play in their inner courtyards, a novel feature in the late 1800s for NYC’s poor citizen; and all tenants could lend a hand. There was also protection for the outside dangers and exposure to violence, drugs or other street professions.

Things change.

The 1970s affected Brooklyn the same as the rest of the city. Long time dwellers of the Towers were secured in their rent-controlled apartments (meaning what they paid for rent did not match the inflation value of their apartment), coupled with the rising cost to heat the buildings because of the gas/oil crisis made it difficult to financially cover the routine maintenance. Apartments were empty, residents were cold, there was no money. Squalor had returned to #cobbled Brooklyn.

But where there is a developer with a dream, there is a possibility.

Next we’ll talk a bit more about Frank Farella, the actual architecture of the buildings and what happened to the towers. Pictures included!

Simply wandering,
bklyntenant

————

I’m definitely looking for constructive criticism on this post – was it boring? Not informative? Too long? Too short? No direction? No theme? Weird transition? No interest in hearing what happened to these staples? No idea why they were/are important to Brooklyn? (well that one will be more clear in the next post)

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