1 Prospect Park SW: The Stories It Could Tell
As we were walking–yes, walking–by last Saturday, 1 Prospect Park SW struck us as the kind of building that must be full of old-timers with a long collective memory of what Park Slope (or Windsor Terrace, take your pick) was like back in the ’60s and ’70s. From Property Shark, we see that the 77,000-square-foot…
As we were walking–yes, walking–by last Saturday, 1 Prospect Park SW struck us as the kind of building that must be full of old-timers with a long collective memory of what Park Slope (or Windsor Terrace, take your pick) was like back in the ’60s and ’70s. From Property Shark, we see that the 77,000-square-foot building was built in 1921. It doesn’t look that old to us but maybe we’re being unduly influenced by the aluminum windows and newer-looking balconies. So are we right in guessing that the demographic of this place skews to the senior citizen crowd? GMAP P*Shark
1 P.P.S.W. was built in the late 50s. I lived on 15th street so I remember when it was an empty lot – there was a bar called Langton’s on the right hand side of where 1 PPSW is now – it had blinking bar lights and there was a pizzeria attached to the bar. On the other side of the circle, where the restaurant Circle’s is now located, was an ice cream parlor called Lewnes (they also owned an ice cream parlor on the corner of 9th and PPW) and the backroom was a bar.
And to add to Anon 12:43’s nostalgia trip, Brooklyn neighborhoods were “small towns” all unto themselves and the residents did small-town things (like the outdoor movie theater). Everybody knew everybody, everybody looked out for each others’ kids, scolded them when necessary, AND the parents would agree and tell the kids they probably deserved the scolding. Fire hydrant parties on very hot summer days were a regular affair, and I’m not talking about poorer neighborhoods. This was in CG, now home to million dollar-plus b’stones. Everybody knew the beat cop who patrolled Smith St every day, as well as the shopowners…shoemakers, butchers, Chinese laundry, barber shops and beauty parlors, mom & pop grocery stores…all the establishments that are disappearing and giving way to boutiques and such. It was truly an era that will not return, and it WAS TREMENDOUS FUN.
Speaking of nostalgia, brooklyn.net (no pun intended) has lots of stories submitted by old-timers who used to live in brooklyn. Paints a different picture of your nabe:
http://www.brooklyn.net/my_bklyn/my_bklyn_001.html
Some of the stories are truly amazing (e.g., neighbors on a block getting together to set up an outdoor ‘movie theatre’; chairs on the sidewalk, film projector positioned on a window-ledge, movie projected on the building on the opposite side of the street).
Truly a different world from the one that we now live in.
Actually Eryximachus, by the time the “greatest generation” is dead, MY generation will be what you refer to as the “parasite class”; YOUR’S will be next, but by that time you may have thought of a more complementary description.
I’ve been visiting this building regularly for about 35 years–my dentist is on the ground floor. I’m quite certain that the building must have been built between the mid-50s and early 60s–it couldn’t be from 1921.
Well, at the risk of “misconstruing” the post by Erixymachus…I do hope, as Mr. Minerva suggests, that your post was merely in jest and not your true feelings. I’m not elderly and probably a bit older than you are, but really now….Just remember that one day you, too, will be elderly, and your fortunes might not turn out the way you plan. Nevertheless, it might be interesting to learn about the collective memories of the neighborhood from those residents…
Are these rentals or condos/coops. I always assumed that those apts were privately owned.
What’s that saying we rich, young people like? “Eat the old”, right? Then flip that effer into condos, baby!!
I can’t wait until someone stumbles along and thinks we’re all being serious and goes bat-s**t. It’s all fun and games until someone misconstrues a commenter’s intentions due to the inherent vagaries of online communication.
That was you on the balcony with the cauldron of boiling oil?