Brooklyn - who knew it was so beautiful?

Driving toward New York City...

On a whim...

I decided to take a week mid-January to visit friends on the east coast for a multitude of celebrations and special occasions.

On a Saturday we decided to drive to Brooklyn to see a friend who resides in the Clinton Hill neighborhood before continuing to see another friend in New Jersey.

New York City from the car window as we crossed the bridge.

I was astonished that by the day's end I had traveled through FIVE states:

Massachusetts,
Rhode Island,
Connecticut, 
New York and
New Jersey!

A quiet street in Brooklyn.

This was my first visit to Brooklyn and I was impressed with how charming the Clinton Hill neighborhood is.  It is located in north-central Brooklyn, a borough of New York City.  

I was also impressed at how quiet the street on which my friend resides was.  

And, I was flabbergasted that we found a parking space just steps from her studio apartment!

I love the unusual trunk of this tree!

We decided to stroll the neighborhood so I could get a feel for this place that was known as "The Hill," because it had a maximum elevation of 95 feet--the highest in the area!  

According to Wikipedia, "The Hill" was supposed to have health benefits because many people believed that germs were more prevalent in low-lying areas. (Hard to imagine to one who lives at about 5,000 feet elevation!)

I couldn't resist the playful hearts!

Clinton Hill is named after Clinton Avenue, which was named after New York Governor DeWitt Clinton (1769-1828.)

The main thoroughfare is DeKalb Avenue, which was especially fun for me as I once lived in DeKalb, IL, a very different kind of DeKalb.

The doorways of Brooklyn.

I learned that the European history began in the 1640s with Dutch settlers creating tobacco plantations.  Dutch and French Huguenot settlers both purchased land in this area.

By the 1840s, Clinton Hill and neighboring Fort Greene had become fashionable neighborhoods for the wealthy of Brooklyn, who could commute to Manhattan by way of stagecoach to the Fulton Ferry, according to Wikipedia.

I had to stop to admire the circles and stars of this home.

Walt Whitman (yes, THAT Whitman, the author of Leaves of Grass) described this area as a get-away for those "determined to escape from the closeness of city life," while editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle.  

What a crafty tree/vine to adhere itself flat to the building!

After the Civil War, in the 1860s, Clinton Hill was developed with row houses. There are also a number of mansions in the neighborhood, some built by Charles Pratt, an oil executive, whose mansion is now part of the Brooklyn campus of St. Joseph's College and also mansions for his sons, which he gave to them as wedding gifts.  

Details add to the charm of the buildings.

Apartments began to be built in the 1900s, replacing some of the many mansions in the area, although many were converted to rooming houses.  

Although some of the historic brownstones were destroyed in an urban renewal project, the 1970s saw a brownstone revival in which many of the brownstones were saved and restored.  

I'm always on the lookout for lions!

The Clinton Hill Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1985. 

What a bright and festive way to present a map of the area!!

The Brooklyn Flea indoors for Winter Flea!

It was a perfect winter day to stroll the tree-lined streets and we decided to head to one of our friend's favorite Mediterranean restaurants,

Deniz Restaurant, 
622 Fulton Street
Brooklyn

We all chose the weekend lunch specials and indulged in humus, tabule, lentil soup, shepherd salad, lamb adana, chicken and falafel.  What a wonderful and delicious lunch!!!

From there it was a short walk to 

Brooklyn Flea indoors for 
Winter Flea

at Skylight One Hanson, 
Ft. Greene

For someone who is always up for shopping, for seeking out the funky and unusual, The Flea, as our friend referred to it, was a mecca of vintage, antique and other vendors--all inside a historic bank building during the winter months.

"One of the great urban experiences in New York."
           --New York Times

"The best reason to cross the river."
           --Time Out New York

"One of the World's Coolest Bazaars."
           --Travel & Leisure

In addition to a festive and crazy atmosphere, downstairs are located about 25 smorgasburg vendors, all selling food items one wouldn't normally (well, in my neighborhood at home) encounter everyday.

The Summer Flea is outside in a nearby park and is a favorite destination.   


(I know you're dying to know what found its way home with me--a wonderful essential oil blend in a roll-on container and the most winsome vintage leather gloves with fur cuffs!
Both wonderful purchases to remind me of a very special afternoon in a remarkable neighborhood of New York.)

[Be sure to check out my other blog,
http://TobyBakerSparklingStories.blogspot.com for updates on my next art exhibit,
"eARTh: the 4 elements."]