Need recs for Park Slope tour
Just got off the phone with my parents who have decided to come visit for Thanksgiving. Mother said she wants to go walk around “that neighborhood I keep reading about in the times, Park Slope?” (oh gawd). Anyway, I am really only familiar with the retail avenues of the slope, but she wants to see…
Just got off the phone with my parents who have decided to come visit for Thanksgiving. Mother said she wants to go walk around “that neighborhood I keep reading about in the times, Park Slope?” (oh gawd). Anyway, I am really only familiar with the retail avenues of the slope, but she wants to see some classic brownstone side streets. Can folks in the know please clue me into exactly which blocks are not to be missed? Thank you! BoD
I do think the Christmas lights go up in Dyker Hts at Thanksgiving but I’d suggest starting a separate post in Forum asking the Bay Ridge & Dyker Hts people when the light go up and which are the best streets. Sounds like a fun tour this year for your parents!
If you’re driving around as well, and they’ve heard of the history of Bed Stuy, take a swing through there as well…back and forth between Lewis Ave & Stuyvesant Ave from Fulton up to Macon.
The people are friendlier in Bed Stuy than they are in PS. 🙂
LOL. I live in Brooklyn Heights too and whenever my mother-in-law is in town, and we’re in the car, she’s always asking, “NOW are we in Park Slope? It’s VERY nice there, right?”
Vinca and everyone, thank you for the great suggestions. Their visit is short – we only have Friday to sightsee but they are city people themselves and can pound pavement. I am going to do the PS walk and a drive thru Vict. Flatbush in the same day. They have been to Brooklyn before, when I lived in bklyn hts, so thankfully that’s off the list.
But nowawdays it’s Bay Ridge, so they are in for a culture shock (“We just netflixed Saturday Night Fever so we will be ready!”). Geez. Dad wants to go see the OTT xmas lights in dyker hts, does anyone know if they start immediately after T’giving?
Thank you again, BoD
I agree with Denton and ilovebrooklyn that 3rd Street between 8th Ave and the park is a great walk. There are brownstones and limestones both, with eclectic and rich details in the facades. It’s nice too because when you reach PPW you can walk along PPW to the Lichfield mansion, then walk around the mansion into the park and over to the Picnic House (which has clean-enough useable public bathrooms – older ladies need to use the bathroom periodically) and there are always families and kids and people playing games around the Picnic House so your mum can get a good sense of the people and culture of Brooklyn. From there you could cross the Long Meadow that lays in front of the Picnic House and take a left turn on the footpath that takes you all the way back up to Grand Army Plaza and over to North Slope to those blocks people mentioned.
If you eat at the Montaulk Club, leave lots of time (not great service), and don’t arrive too hungry (not great food). The place does look good though! (Does your mother know your Brownstoner name?)
Make sure she wears steel tipped boots on your walking tour. Those Bugaboos and Double Mountain Buggy Urban Strollers can take a toe just like that.
Square bounded by Carroll Street, seventh avenue, first street and prospect park. Polhemus/Fiske places. President between 8th and the park. Woodhull mansion and ethical culture society on ppw between 1st and 2nd. Agree with third street and montauk club as well. Maybe the Litchfield villa in the park too.
On a block for block basis, the North Slope is definitely a beautiful and compact area for a walking tour of Park Slope. The Brooklyn Historical Society’s got this brochure (though parts, like the mention of Henington Press, are outdated): http://brooklynhistory.org/publications/download/BHSParkSlopeGuideTours.pdf
If your walk extends late enough in the day, you’ll enjoy the advantage of early nightfall and be able to peak at interiors too. A really great site with photos and other information about Park Slope is: http://www.nyc-architecture.com/PS/PS.htm