Williamsburg
Photo by Ezra Zeitler
Williamsburg originally purchased by Richard M. Woodhull in 1792, the region was directed at New Yorkers drawing them to the suburban lifestyle. Eight years later after establishing a few necessities, Woodhull dedicated the name Williamsburgh to the area. In 1811, Williamsburgh did not prevail and Woodhull hit a financial wall when his ideas were ahead of the times. It wasn’t until the early 1800’s construction of the Wallabout and Newtown Turnpike which allowed for an easier commute that the land became a commodity. Williamsburgh was considered to be its own city but on 1 January 1852, Williamsburgh received a city charter which in turn merged the area into the City of Brooklyn in 1855. During this exchange, for unknown reasons, the region lost the “h” in its name resulting in Williamsburg. The 1830’s – 1850’s were a period where many established prosperous businesses and homes, particularly the Irish, German and Austrian capitalists. The construction of the Williamsburg Bridge allowed many Jews to cross over in 1903 seeking a better life. Soon enough multifarious enclaves called Williamsburg home by 1917. Due to attraction to the area, the population doubled from 1900 to 1920. In twenty years, the population doubled. This was due to the Eastern Europe, Lithuania, Poland, Russia and Italy immigrant arrival. The allure of factory jobs attracted immigrants all over. Unfortunately, the construction of Brooklyn-Queens Expressway destroyed an abundance of lower income housing and the resident’s ability to sustain their lifestyle. In the recent years artists, also known as new age “immigrants”, adapted to the former industrial site creating lofts and shops from the vacated infrastructure. As a result of the land being transformed by the artists, Williamsburg is currently undergoing gentrification. The hipsters are no longer able to afford the lifestyle that is being created to accommodate with the renovations of the area. The sustainability of their being is deteriorating at an exponential rate.
Coney IslandConey Island, which is actually now a peninsula, is found on the southern tip of Brooklyn. With a population of nearly 60,000, Coney Island has seen a large influx of Russian and Ukrainian immigrants over the past twenty years. Russian can be heard spoken daily on the Coney Island boardwalk or from fishermen on the pier. Coney Island is best known for its amusement parks that boast The Wonder Wheel and the Coney Cyclone roller coaster. Recently Coney Island’s popularity has increased with the building of MCU Park in 2001 which hosts the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league baseball affiliate to the New York Mets. Due in part to an increased interest in competitive eating, international attention is turned to Coney Island for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest every 4th of July. Taking place at Nathan’s Famous on Stillwell Avenue, nearly 40,000 people watched the 2011 championship in person with another 1.949 million on TV. All in all, Coney Island has become a unique escape for many New Yorkers.
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Coney Island Cyclones
MCU Park, Brooklyn Cyclones. Photo by Ryan Weichelt
The Brooklyn Cyclones, a Short Season Single A affiliate of the New York Mets, have played in Coney Island’s Municipal Credit Union (MCU) Park since it opened in 2001. The Cyclones, named for the famous rollercoaster located just off the Coney Island boardwalk, are one of the most popular Minor League Baseball teams in regards to game attendance. In 2011, the team averaged 7,002 fans per home game, which ranked 18th out of 350 Major League Baseball-affiliated and independent minor league baseball clubs. The atmosphere of MCU Park is designed to emulate Coney Island’s carnival atmosphere – bright colors and neon lights decorate the stadium.
Prospect Park
Photo by Corrin Turkowitch
Designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1867, after the creation of Central Park, the park includes Brooklyn’s only lake and only standing forest as well as various sports facilities, an Audubon Center at the Boathouse and a zoo! The park was meant to create and capture a sense of place in nature for the wary urbanite in order to deal with the overwhelming city life. It can be described as a 585 acre living work of art in the middle of Brooklyn. Currently the park still serves the same intended function, providing refuge and recreation for vast city population. Near the end of our trip, many of us found ourselves deprived of nature and free time so we traveled to Prospect Park to lie down in the grass, throw the Frisbee around and for at least one hour escape hectic city life
Brooklyn Bridge
Photo by Hillary Johnson
The Brooklyn Bridge connecting downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn across the East River was built in 1869 and completed 14 years later in 1883. It was in the early 1800’s that people of New York were interested in a bridge to cross between the two boroughs due to overcrowding in Manhattan and frustrations with the Atlantic Avenue-Fulton Street Ferry. In 1855, John Roebling the bridge designer, proposed a suspension bridge to the city governments and it became the largest suspension bridge in the world at that time while also being the 1st to use steel for cable wire and pneumatic caissons. The 3,460 foot bridge was finished by 600 workers and cost $15 million totaling about $320 million dollars today. When first built the bridge included 2 railroad tracks in the center and two lanes on the outer edges for carriages and horseback riders, with an elevated promenade for pedestrians. Today the outer lanes along with the inner railroad tracks were converted to a 4 lane bridge for automobiles. Now the bridge carries about 145,000 vehicles daily, is the 44th longest suspension bridge span in the world and is a National Historic Landmark, which inspires artists, writers and poets still today. During our trip we ate amazing pizza at Grimaldi's in Brooklyn, then after dark made the trek across this iconic bridge at night heading towards the Manhattan skyline, one of the most spectacular scenes you will ever see in your life.
Cover Photo by Hillary Johnson