Top 5 Stories on Brownstoner This Week: A Grotto in Williamsburg, Patti Smith in Brooklyn Heights
Popular stories this week included a look at the history of a grotto in Williamsburg and affordable housing in Flatbush.
Photo by Susan De Vries
The Curious Tale of Williamsburg’s Historic Abate Grotto
At the intersection of Woodpoint Road and Conseylea Street in Williamsburg sits a 20th century curiosity built on a tiny plot of ground with a centuries-old significance in the history of Brooklyn. The Vito Abate grotto at 219 Woodpoint Road was built in the late 1930s as a religious shrine associated with St. Francis of Paola Church, located across the street. While the grotto isn’t particularly old, it sits at the crossroads of one of the earliest settlements in Brooklyn, Het Dorp, dating from the 1640s.
_
How to View the North American Eclipse of 2017 in Brooklyn
On Monday August 21, North America will experience a solar eclipse, when the moon will cover the sun from Earth’s perspective. Although the places where the moon will fully cover the sun will be significantly further south than Brooklyn, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see the event from here.
_
166 Affordable Apartments Coming to Flatbush and Caton Near Prospect Park
An expanded market, community center and 166 units of affordable housing are now planned for the city-owned Flatbush Caton Market site at 794 Flatbush Avenue in Flatbush.
_
Patti Smith to Speak at Brooklyn Book Festival in September
Singer, songwriter and artist Patti Smith is set to read from her new book Devotion at the upcoming Brooklyn Book Festival.
_
Four Homes by Brooklyn’s Shore to See This Weekend, Starting at $699K
With August in full swing, this week we bring you four homes near the water. While not exactly located on the beach, all of these houses are near the shoreline. Two of the houses are relatively new — a 1990s detached brick house and a 1970s semi-detached townhouse. We’ve also found two early 20th century houses — one even has parquet floors and some original moldings. The homes are all along Brooklyn’s southern coast in Marine Park, Bay Ridge and Sea Gate.
Related Stories
- Top 5 Stories on Brownstoner This Week: Plans For Jehovah’s Witnesses HQ, Pier 5 Uplands Progress
- Top 5 Stories on Brownstoner This Week: Danish Design Company Hacks IKEA, Viewing the Eclipse
- Top 5 Stories on Brownstoner This Week: Fort Greene Public Plaza Opens, A Glass House Upstate
Email tips@brownstoner.com with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.
What's Your Take? Leave a Comment