Canarsie

I want to go home — well, at least for a day or two...

I had thought about (and still do think about) joining fellow Brooklynite and FlyerTalk member dhammer53 on his world-famous dhammer53 Brooklyn Reality Tour... during the Freddies weekend. Friday April 29, 2005 but perhaps may do so in 2006.

I then thought about how nice (?) it would be for other former Brooklynites to join in, but could that distract from dhammer53’s tour? Imagine a bunch of former and current Brooklynites tawking about da ol’ neighborhood in loud voices in front of a bunch of uninitiated (and perhaps frightened) onlookers, uttering terms and words of which they may never have heard.

My idea is to start from scratch: let’s have a separate gathering of former and current Brooklynites who are also FlyerTalk members and spend a day or two back home. There would be no “leader” for this gathering, as basically everybody would be equally savvy (I eschew that word) about Brooklyn. The idea was first mentioned here:Perhaps you may also want to invite friends from Brooklyn with whom you have grown up? Then we can perhaps take over someone’s block (“YO! Yeah, you! Get outta heah! We’re takin’ over now!”) and have one big block party!

People who are not from Brooklyn or have never been to Brooklyn are certainly welcome to join in on this idea and be present at this gathering if it actually solidifies — at their own risk, of course...

This is not intended to be a gathering of FlyerTalk members to rival dhammer’s Brooklyn Reality Tour, which is really meant as an introductory initiation to Brooklyn to those not from Brooklyn. This gathering of FlyerTalk members would be more “hard-core accelerated advanced” Brooklyn — whatever the **** that means...

I have no dates, itinerary or activities in mind at this time. This is merely the genesis of what could be a potentially great idea.

Fellow Brooklynite FlyerTalk members, what do you think?

meducate

Count me in! Although I am not sure I would advocate visiting my old block and using those lines...

Dovster

Can we hold it at Ebbets Field?

Canarsie

Stop trying to be a topic-dodger.

Dovster

Why, you little pee wee. I'd love to duke it out with you but you are probably stewed to the gils.

I can see us now -- fighting it out on the sandy beaches of Coney. Of course, it wouldn't last too long -- you would run away faster than you can say 'Jack Robinson'.

Dorlee

If Junior's on Flatbush Ave. is considered Brooklyn, I'm in. I bet you guys know some fabulous delis who serve fantastic corned beef sandwiches.

Now, about hotels.....would we actually stay in Brooklyn???

meducate

Actually, there is a nice Marriott not far from Junior's. But then again, Manhattan is just so close it might be nice for the out-of-towners to stay there, and then travel in for the festivities...

As for Ebbets Field, we'd have to pick an apartment to meet at...not too appealing...kind of a reverse field of dreams

dhammer53

Do I even have to respond?
Just name the time, since I know da place.

Since this is your idea Canarsie , you pick the date.

Canarsie

Of course that is considered Brooklyn, Dorlee!As I said, there will not be a “leader” in this thread, as this gathering is meant for experienced Brooklynites. However, I will attempt to coordinate this event as much as I can and update the first milepost in this thread as necessary.

What I would like everybody to do is to please submit ideas in this thread about how we should best spend our time in Brooklyn. I might even write a story pertaining to this event (with photographs) and submit it to the weekly newspaper at which I used to work, the Canarsie Courier. What is it that everybody would like to do the most? What neighborhoods in Brooklyn would you like to visit? Do you want to pass by (or perhaps even visit) the house in which you used to live? What are you interested in eating? Dorlee already mentioned Junior’s.

I would also like those who come from places that are the farthest away from Brooklyn to submit dates that would be good for them, if they intend to attend this event.

Please submit those ideas and preferred dates!

meducate

I believe that I noticed online that Chuck Rogers still writes for the Courier!

Mary2e

^^^ Excellent idea. Perhaps we could use a current resident's home for a game of stoop ball. ^^

Dovster

I can't wait. Just think of it!

**Going out to Steeplechase to enjoy the rides.

**Downing a Kitchen Sink at Jahn's.

**Rooting for the Dodgers at Ebbets Field.

**Getting a hamburger at Cookies on Ave M.

When do we start?

Marysunshine

Well I don't have a stoop but I do have a few steps you may feel free to use for a game.
As for me, I would never feel I am trying to rival Dan's tour as most of the places he goes are not what I consider "Brooklyn". Park Slope?????????? Nah...........My life grew up around Brownsville...Saratoga Avenue and walking on Eastern Parkway for the holidays. Shopping on Pitkin Avenue... (of course most of these areas are NOT for walking through now)....Then to east new york.....where I attended Thomas Jefferson High School....NOT TILDEN ,YOU SNOBBY PEOPLE..........for those who don't know there was quite a rivalry between those two schools...........then of course moving up the social ladder....east flatbush on E. 52nd and Snyder....off Church Avenue. Finally....achieving the ultimate......moving to CANARSIE, lol.....where I have remained ever since.
So.....you guys name it and I am there.....eager to celebrate this borough ^

Canarsie

If we could do all of that these days, all of the New York newspapers would cover that story, not just the Canarsie Courier.

Cooky’s Steak Pub also had a location at Kings Plaza, from whose salad bar is where I tasted “pesto” (on pasta shells) for the first time and loved eating it ever since. I believe this became a Red Robin restaurant; I am uncertain as to what it is today.

Jahn’s had a location on Avenue U near Marine Park, just around the corner from Leon’s Bake Shop. If memory serves me correctly, it was located next to The Flame restaurant.He most certainly does!

I just spoke to him via telephone not long ago to discuss covering the story of dhammer53’s Brooklyn Reality Tour. I know they have communicated to each other since then.I would be up for that!I did not know you currently live in Canarsie, Marysunshine!

You are correct — Park Slope was a world away for me when I was growing up in Brooklyn.

Now, I do not know these days where to get a good egg cream (I always wondered why they called it that, as there is no egg nor cream in an egg cream) or charlotte russe or frappe that would rival Jahn’s, nor do I know as to whether or not Kirsch or Hammer sodas are still in business with the seltzer trucks that used to frequent the streets of Brooklyn. I even remember when the one-way streets currently in Brooklyn handled two-way traffic and when milk was delivered in glass quart bottles and stored in the metal box outside the front door of the house with the name of the dairy on it!

Just from the small sampling contributed to the mileposts in this thread until now, it is obvious that there is a rich history of the favorite New York City borough we all know and love. We need to share that collective rich history with each other!

Please keep the ideas and memories coming, as well as suggest some dates. One date I received via e-mail requested the July 4th weekend, but I remember the streets of Brooklyn covered inches-deep in fireworks residue as a thick smoky fog enveloped the entire borough on a humid night, as it usually did every year on the Fourth of July. Is this still true?

Dovster

Including my favorite -- The Brooklyn Eagle?