Coming to Brooklyn, NY....

Ed L.

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The wife and I will be in Brooklyn, NY in the South Slope area for a few days at the end of March to meet our new granddaughter. When her parents finally get tired of grandma and grandpa butting in is there any must see things to do in the area?
 
Ed~

I'm a native Long Islander and Brooklyn is technically a part of Long Island...but...I am a lifelong urbaphobe. I would recommend bringing your binoculars and field guides and getting to Jamaica Bay NWR. You'll get to see plenty of saltmarsh, waterbirds, etc. Brant will still be around in big numbers.

Congratulations on grandparenthood!

SJS
 
;-) :-0 :-0.....Sorry Steve, but that's where I grew up, and Brooklyn ain't part of LI, technically or any other way ( past, present or future)..... and this is coming from an old Flatbush row-house kid. Now when people LEFT Brooklyn they went places like Floral Park and recreated the single family home streets you'll find in Brooklyn, but let's not ever annex Brooklyn into "the Island" verbally or otherwise. hehehe

Check your pm's, Ed. I can hook you up with a guy at Jamaica Bay NWR.
 
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During my Jersey exile my girlfriend lived in Park Slope. I'm another urbaphobe, but if you have to be there, Prospect Park is nice as city parks go, and I liked it a lot better than Central Park.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is also a nice refuge from the city.
http://www.bbg.org/

Not sure late March is the best time for either, but I bet some things will be blooming by then.
 
Always a must see, The Statue of Liberty, however it is closed due to "Sandy" You can investigate to see if there are sightseeing boats touring the harbor that will take you close to the statue.

You can take a party boat out of Sheephead Bay, fishing should be good then.

If you're around on the 17th, the St. Patrick's Day parade is always a blast.

The wife might enjoy the flower show at Macy's 34th Street Manhattan, it's FREE, starts around Easter week.

One more...The Bronx Zoo... It really is something to see.

Enjoy the family and you new new grandchild at one of the local Brooklyn restaurants, half the price of Manhattan and better.

Charlie
 
MLBob...got your PM...Thx. My son isn't far from Flatbush. Actually they got married in Flatbush. My son lives on the corner of 6th Ave and 11st. Real close to Prospect park. Last time we were in Brooklyn was for their wedding. I ended up jamming with the band they hired for the wedding the next day at a bazaar they played for at Prospect park. Great acoustic jazz band. I had a blast.

Steve,

I'm like you guys...hate the burbs. That's why I live on an island in the Mississipppi River!...;-) Like Bob, thanks for the suggestion. I had seen that on the map last time I was there but ran out time. I hope to make it this time.
 
During my Jersey exile my girlfriend lived in Park Slope. I'm another urbaphobe, but if you have to be there, Prospect Park is nice as city parks go, and I liked it a lot better than Central Park.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is also a nice refuge from the city.
http://www.bbg.org/

Not sure late March is the best time for either, but I bet some things will be blooming by then.




Agreed, albeit the last time I was there the roads outside the garden were knee deep in trash. It seems the locals liked to park, eat their lunch and throw the bags, wrappers, napkins, etc. on the curb and sidewalk. The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx) is also quite nice, though I don't know what you will see in March.
 
Bob,

My people got off the boat from Co. Cork in 1856 and my father grew up 3 blocks down the street from the Monument on Flatbush. His father was one of these Irish Yankee Soldiers in the 88th NY Vol. Inf. Regiment or the NY Irish Brigade. The 88th was the 3 Regiment of the Brigade and most of them were from Brooklyn.

Your are absolutely right about Brooklyn "The City of Brooklyn. and Boro of Brooklyn in the State of New York. My great Aunt died in the old family Appartment in 1977.
A good woman. Here father was a botinist and traveled all over the world for the guy who built Central Park. He shipped non-native trees and shrubs from all over the world in the 1880 & 90s for Central Park and parts of Prospect park. he was the first person to import tulip bulbs from Holland. I read his obit. and there was a picture of him striped to the waise with his dukes up. and the obit read "John Cleary, the Strongest Man in Brooklyn"

Your flatbush comment trigger the above. i was born in Washington Heights at the North End of Manhattan. After Brooklyn went to LA, I switched to the Red Sox. I hated the Yankees, and had an uncle, Fat Freddy Fitzsimmons who pitch for Brooklyn and was the pitching coasch of the Giants in 1957. I was staioned on thew west coast when the Dodgers came to LA. % of them came out to the Marine Base I was on to push Hamm's Beer and shake hands with any of their old fans. We, ignored them.

I called Uncle Fred and he told me the Giants were going to go to SF. I didn't like or trust the Phillys, so I became a Boston Fan. It was a lot like being a Brooklyn Fan, It took them 46 years top win the Series. It's good to see a basketball team wearing the Brooklyn letters.

See ya. Do you Carl the "Hammer" who teaches Tow Handed Spey Fly Casting at Floyd Bennet Field? He catches a few fish in Jamicia Bay.

ilook at Brooklyn and Manhattan from the north end of the Jersey Shore now day. Fishin is good and Clamming is better. A'Slauda.
 
RJ -

Both sets of my gradparents came over from Sorrento through Ellis Island. Maternal granddad was a master carpenter & cabinet maker- on Dad's side, my grandfather was an instrument maker (mandolins, violins, cellos, guitars, etc) . My youngest boy did some research for a class at college last year, and traced all their records back through the Eliis Island passenger manifests. Pretty cool. Also uncovered a patent that my paternal grandad filed in 1920 on a dual neck instrument (....Hey! Come to think of it, since it's a Furia "concept" maybe the family is due royalties from Gibson and Jimmy Page on the EDS 1275)

Early in elementary school, I can remember going to see the Dodgers play at Ebbets (Campanella , Hodges, et al.). Gil's boy "Gilly" was a classmate. We lived right down from the intersection of Flatbush and Flatlands - not all that far from Marine Park. Huge mix of Irish & Italian Catholics all through our neighborhood (St .Thomas Aquinas was the parish). Before he passed at 33, Dad owned a restaurant in Manhattan called "Girel's." My Mom always used to kid me about knowing early-on that I wanted to leave Brooklyn, and I used to tell her, "That's right; they'll put it on my tombstone: 'He got out of Brooklyn!' " I ran a tiller- steered marine tender boat for the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club right down the street from Lundy's when I was home from College in the summer (ran boat owners back and forth from their moorings all day), and also worked for "Al Roon's." My Uncle Johnny was the bartender at "The Artist & Writer's Pub."

Seriously though, in those days it was a great place to grow up; although my visits as an adult convinced me it had sadly become a good place to be from. Could never get over seeing all the storefronts down Flatbush and all through the old neighborhood now "gated; " and the buildings (as well as cars and vans) covered with "tagging."
 
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Bob,

My oldest Son Thomas Aqunas was given that name because his uncle, my 8th grade Classmate was a young priest at that Parish. He is a Monsngr. with a Parish of his own in hills of Dutchess County. When he decided to go to Catherial College and then Dunwoodie, I decided to join the Marines.

We will both be 74 in May. Mathew Peter, my youngest son is the Managing Dir. for a large German Containership Line Pacific Region. Tom is a retired Navy Pilot My oldest is a Jersey Girl and a great Oncology Nurse with 2 kids. My grand daughter is a Junior in College and spending a semester in Granada Spain and here little brother is is moving up to the 5th in June. His very best friend is a beautiful, strong willed Italian young lady called Sofia. They have been buddys since they were 4 years old. Not boy friend/Girl friend. They both insist it is FRIENDS. Andrew is a hell of a fisherman caught his first keepa striped bass last June at The Stage Harbor Inlet, Chatham, MA on a bucktail. 29 inches.

SW Ohio sounds like Cinncinatti. Are you shooting ducks on the Ohio River or the Great Miami River. how was your season?
 
I spent my childhood in Brooklyn.
My father owned a stationary store on Hoyt Stret and DeGraw St
a)the best Italian bread:Caputo's oncourt Street in Carroll Gardens(if you go tell the owner Tommy Conigliaro
says hello--he was my best friend growing up)
b)best Italian pastery:Court Stret pastry shop off DeGraw st
c)olives,cheeses,etc:sahadi Imports on Atlantic Ave

As you can tell I'm a "foodie".
My dogs names also reflect that:Chip,Pretzel, and now "Cookie" :)
 
I spent my childhood in Brooklyn.
My father owned a stationary store on Hoyt Stret and DeGraw St
a)the best Italian bread:Caputo's oncourt Street in Carroll Gardens(if you go tell the owner Tommy Conigliaro
says hello--he was my best friend growing up)
b)best Italian pastery:Court Stret pastry shop off DeGraw st
c)olives,cheeses,etc:sahadi Imports on Atlantic Ave

As you can tell I'm a "foodie".
My dogs names also reflect that:Chip,Pretzel, and now "Cookie" :)

Tom,

Thanks for the suggestions. That's the first thing my wife and I scope out is the food joints! I'll be checking this thread out when we get there and we're plan our days out. She asked me last night if I was packed yet. I asked her how many pairs of shoes she was taking. I know that limits what I get to take which correlates to what kind of restaurants I'm allowed in....hehe
 
Ed, just pack the suitcase half full with your stuff and tell her she gets the remaining space........



....If you listen to me don't worry, that knot on your head from the frying pan will go away one day! :~)
 
Ed, just pack the suitcase half full with your stuff and tell her she gets the remaining space........



....If you listen to me don't worry, that knot on your head from the frying pan will go away one day! :~)

Mark,

I should be good. That's all I ever get!...LOL
 
Hey Ed, you're right about Court Street Pastry, the best! I love the Regina Cookies, and in the summer the lemon ice.
Charlie Charlie:Court Street Pastry was my recommendatio to Ed. Let's keep attributions correct:I want to make sure I get my commission :) BTW:Try their Italian rum cake and the cannoli.OMG, no wonder I gain 3 lbs every time I visit the old neighborhood!!!
 
Wow all the local highlights have already been mention. Butif you'd like to drive a 120 miles to the east and visit me in Montauk we can go fo lunch and you can see the oldest lighthouse in the country
 
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