Customer Reviews

The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn (Neighborhoods of New York City)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We Brooklynites (yes, I STILL live here) do love to carp about our neighborhood boundaries and histories, don't we? I enjoy reading books about Brooklyn, and The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn is about the best I've come across in the last 30 years. The maps and the sidebar-style neighborhood profiles are great, and I like the eclectic mix of history, old and new photos, and contemporary comments. I don't usually keep books on my coffee table, but I find I've been leaving this one there because I come back to it again and again and look through it a little at a time. The Committee and editors did a beautiful job.

Perhaps my expectation were too high. I lived in Brooklyn (Williamsburg) during the 30's-60's I was hoping for more! The author seemed unable to make up his mind on what he wanted to write about several of the neighborhoods I am familar with. He does supply information, some excellent pictures and history, but the "whole" lacks a cohesiveness that makes the neighborhoods come alive. It seems to me he spans the 30's to the 80's with lightweight strokes when the actual history was so much richer.

One of the most accurate portrayals of Brooklyn ever. Accurate neighborhood borders and fantastic descriptions. I was especially fond of Professor John Manbeck's historic "time line" added to this book. Well worth the price!

Under the guidance of Professor John Manbeck and using the resources of the Citizens Committee for New York City, THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF BROOKLYN is a survey of Brooklyn that is as colorful and diverse as the borough itself. Examining the nearly 100 neighborhoods of Brooklyn, each section is part history, part tour, part reference. (It even tells you how to get there by mass transit! It even tells you the local police precinct!) Maps of each neighborhood are great for walking tours you can take on your own. And the abundant illustrations really put a face on everything. One time Brooklyn resident, Columbia University Professor Kenneth Jackson, provides the introduction which is both appropriate and enjoyable.

Listen, I was born and bred in Brooklyn, and lived there most of my adult life, though I've voluntarily exiled myself to the southland, just had enough of winter. But when I was given "The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn" as a sort of goodbye and look what you'll be missing book, I was kind of skeptical. How could anyone else know Brooklyn as well as I did?

Brooklyn, of course, is a big and important place. If it were considered on its own, it'd be one of the largest cities in America, and a remarkably high percentage of Americans trace their families back through Brooklyn.

As the authors write in the preface,"Why begin with Brooklyn? Because everyone, everywhere has heard of Brooklyn...Brooklyn is one of the best-known place names in the United States. In addition, it is one of the city's oldest settlements: many of its neighborhoods date back to before the beginning of our nation. Indeed, Brooklyn was present at the creation of the nation, the site of the Revolutionary War's Battle of Brooklyn. And for millions of immigrants it was--and is--their first home in America. If we are a nation of immigrants, Brooklyn, which boasts residents of 200 nationalities, is America's quintessential home town."

So it ain't just about the Dodgers leaving town in the mid-50's, though believe me, I was there at the time, and it was quite a blow.

At any rate, the writers of this book have obviously done a lot of first hand research. They have learned a lot about Brooklyn's neighborhoods, and transmit their knowledge in a highly readable fashion. There are also a lot of interesting photographs: their photo editor is really one of the book's unsung heroes. But I do wish they'd splurged on color, although that might, perhaps, have made the book too expensive for most people.

This book will interest many sorts of people, those who've never lived in Brooklyn, those who are contemplating living in Brooklyn, those who have just moved there, and those who have left the place.

That being said, I won't miss winter at all, but boy, I still miss the Dodgers.

The first thing I did (natch') was to zero in on my home turf, Flatbush. I found enough doubtful information in a few pages to poison the entire book for me.

First, I lived for 15 years (1950-65) smack in the middle of a two block square area it styles "Caton Park." During that time I knew just about everyone in that area (at least everyone that had kids, which was a lot, there being PS249 in the middle of it), and I _never_ even heard the term "Caton Park." So the name is either an old real estate term that never caught on, or a recent affectation.

Second, they show the borders of Prospect Park South as way bigger than it is. PPS is a distinct turn-of-the-century development with beautiful mansions and a motto "Rur in Urb" (forgive if I misspelled the Latin): "Country in the City." Its residents included the Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. and the heir to the Ex-Lax fortune. Its borders are Church Ave on the north, the backyards of the houses on Buckingham Road, then the Brighton Line on the east, Beverley Road on the south, and a point between Stratford Road and Coney Island Avenue on the west.

They have PPS as going as far east as E.19 St. about three blocks too far) and all the way to Coney Island Ave. If you look at the housing stock in the "extended" areas you'll see why this is more than a harmless error.

Third, they identify "Albemarle Terrace" as a neighborhood area, then provide a picture of it which is actually of Prospect Park South, some blocks distant.

I haven't even started to review the book systematically, these are only my casual observations. It's possible I found the only three errors in the book in my first few minutes, but somehow I don't think so. Part of their research technique is to ask residents where they think they live, but this methodology is somewhat like the recently popular "oral history," which produces colorful reminisences, but very unreliable history.

I like the book even so, but read it as you would a horoscope, with a few grains of salt. Please don't use it to try to win arguments.

As a couple of other reviewers, I was disappointed in the lack of information about the neighborhoods in the 50s and 60s, when I grew up in East Flatbush. Even still, it is fascinating to learn of the full history of each neighborhood. How and when the original Dutch settlers bought the various sections from the Canarsee and Rockaway Native Americans. It is also interesting to learn of the fates of the various neighborhoods and their changing ethnic faces. I ALSO recommend the book "It Happened In Brooklyn: An Oral History Of Growing Up In The Borough In The 1940s, 1950s, And 1960s." The two books are VERY different. While this book is also light on the 50s and 60s, it brings back wonderful memories of Coney Island. It is actually a compilation of anecdotal memories from many people who grew up in Brooklyn, some of whom are world famous for various reasons!

Although it's a little light on the 50's and 60's overall this is a good read. Great presentation. Nice photography.

This book gave a great overview of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn. However, if you are someone who is not at all familiar with Brooklyn you might be better off using this book in conjunction with other resources.

This lovely little book discusses dozens of Brooklyn neighborhoods. Although it is too focused on pre-1950 history for my tastes, it nevertheless gives lots of current information on transportation, neighborhood landmarks, and even (in one of the appendices) the demographic makeup of each neighborhood. I am moving to NYC in August, and look forward to using this book as I explore Brooklyn!