St. Frances Xavier Church - Church in Clinton Hill. Queen of All Saints Church, Clinton Hill.
Brooklyn, NY. Photo Credit: Jim Henderson Brooklyn, NY. Brooklyn, NY. Photo Credit: nycago.org
A sunny pleasant Saturday afternoon I had three condos waiting for my visit in Brooklyn, the last one being Faith’s place.
The first stop was a house in Boerum Hill. The owner, an eclectic, overly gentlemanly artist married to an Argentine dancer, seemed to like us: he was making endless conversation and persistently invited us to sit down or go to the backyard or have something to drink. His interesting character-like personality and the awesome location could not make up for the unrelenting smell in the house- as if they had not washed any fabrics in quite some time. Needless to say, we were ready to go to our second appointment, in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene area.
This area was not quite like the fried-chicken zone, yet neither like Boerum Hill. After waiting for twenty minutes and making unanswered phone calls, no one showed up to show us the unit. Although the photos I had seen from inside were attractive, the neighbourhood was nothing to hold my breath for. We walked to Hope’s place which was about ten blocks from the no-show. We could see as we approached Hope’s place how the area was transforming again, for good.
I was tired from subway hoping, which coupled with the condo-fishing roller-coaster can be quite a mix. And the clock ticking. Those moments when you wish that the principle that time and space are ‘relative concepts’ and ‘mental constructions’, were more massively embraced and more practically applied, other than in Physics and in Buddhism.
We were about half an hour ahead of our appointment with Faith so we decided to explore the neighbourhood. A strongly residential area, with walk-up houses, trees, a few parks and a massive church every other block –temples of all architectural styles and of all religions (*). A few spots where one-of-a-kind restaurants and coffee-shops were concentrated, most of them with outdoor patios. People of all ages, religions and ethnicities on the streets, with a majority of young couples with kids. Two parks within walking distance: Fort Greene Park overlooking Manhattan from the top of a hill and Prospect Park, which felt like being transported to France or yes, to Buenos Aires, with its massive extension and it impressive monuments escorting the entrance to this green field. Other than the Columbia flat in the Upper West Side, this was the best location we had been to. The vibe of the neighbourhood was a perfect mix between lively and quiet, exciting and down-to-earth.
The third time's a charm?
Prospect Park- Grand Army Plaza.
Photo Credit: R. Kessler.
(*) I later learnt that Brooklyn is called "the city of churches".
No comments:
Post a Comment