I worked in Flatbush in 1960s. Church and Flatbush Avenues. Used to be a Garfields Cafeteria on the corner. Building I worked in was behind the cafeteria. To the left of the church used to be a popular ice cream store it was where the "ice cream sink" was invented, a scoop of each flavor on a platter. Was usually ordered for special occasions.
Tom should create a history course for the colleges that teach the history of NY. That would be a great class. Can you imagine? And there could be field trips. 😁
Yay I'm the first one to comment. Thank you Tom for the video. I love traveling through your videos. During the corona years I started watching all your videos. Thank you for teaching me a lot about New York and other places you've done. Hopefully someday I'll get a chance to travel to New York. Hello from Helsinki
22:02 has a photo of my block!! Those guys outside the laundromat are the domino club and they’re there every day playing dominoes or cards, they all live in the surrounding buildings! That group makes the recycled trash sculptures you might have seen and they have a little “Domino Club Sign” They constantly grill up some yummy food and take care of the neighborhood cats too ❤❤❤
The Jackie Robinson fact really blew my mind, never knew he lived on Tilden Avenue. Along with the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer fact as well. This is why I love watching your videos, you could live in an area your whole life and still learn cool stuff.
Grew up in Flatbush and taught at Erasmus Hall HS. Even though my old neighborhood is now a middle-class Haitian and Caribbean area, ghetto crime is just as horrific today as it was in the late 1970's. I resent like hell that the area is called "Little Haiti." I grew up in a neighborhood that had Russians, Polish, Irish, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Jamaican, Black ... you get the idea ... but no one group claimed Flatbush as 'Little Whatever.' Glad I'm not there anymore to see how the area has become a dangerous slum and Erasmus Hall barely a shell of the excellent high school it once was.
Maybe you should slow your roll on that racist trash. As you said, you’re not here anymore, but if you were as I am (I live at Church and Ocean Ave.) you’d know it’s not a dangerous slum. It’s a rich, vibrant community full of wonderful people. Also, look at any crime statistics available before you go off. NYC crime levels are at historic lows especially in comparison to the 70s and 80s.
21:24 thank you for pointing out what everyone blatantly chooses to ignore. How were so successful here but can’t be over there and he just answered the hard question everyone’s confused about. Thank you
Hey, this is my home area and I grew up and live and still live around in that area (or close to it), born and bred in Flatbush, I love everything in there....even though some things are changing.
At 11 my family relocated from Jamaica to a couple blocks from eastern parkway between church avenue and Beverley road, you were in my old neighborhood; it’s shocking how many of my favorite stars grew up in the area.
I enjoyed looking at the beautiful architecture and learning about the history of the Flatbush neighborhoods in this episode. I think the historic houses and buildings had much more character and beauty than what was built later. This was a great film.
"Dodger" is slang for lazy bum, as in dodging responsibilities. In fact, they were called "them bums" alternatively. I'm a Brooklyn native, having grown up in that area, as well as my grandparents and most of my family. Still in Brooklyn to this day. Really exciting to see you feature this area. Lots of very interesting history
@18:04 That's the church that the DeFeo, family used to attend. When they lived in Brooklyn..They lived at 3501 East 31st street. The building were called Vanderve Estates. Now called Flatbush Gardens. Before moving to Amityville LI. It is a very well crime ridden area. Barbara Streisand, Also lived there as a child. Don't walk there after sundown.
Great Video. Other interesting facts - 1) The movie - the “Lords of Flatbush” filmed at Erasmus was Henry Winkler and Sylvester Stallone’s first movie. 2) Congregational Home for the aged on Linden Blvd. Between Bedford and Rogers Ave. It was declared a landmark - not sure if it’s still standing because they built a skyscraper high rise either over it or in front of it. They somehow skirted the landmark rules.
Hi Tom, thanks for doing this upload video of Flatbush Brooklyn, NYC !. You forgot to mention that the new Target building on Church Ave and Flatbush used to be a movie theater too !. Brooklyn college borderline Midwood and fake projects "Vandeveer Estates nka Flatbush Gardens" by Newkirk Ave and Nostrand Ave not under NYCHA ownership, but do take all Section 8 transfer vouchers !. Haitians aka little Haiti runs Nostrand side of Flatbush from Winthrop Ave to Newkirk Ave and the Jamaicans run the other side of Flatbush by Church Ave and Ocean Ave, Flatbush Ave main big roads and cross streets !.
What an interesting tour! As far as the hat goes maybe you should have left it in the trash. lol I see you as more of a beret type of guy:-) The artist-poet, Che' sort of look:-) 🧚♀
flatbush when the Dutch first started farming It was some of the most geologically fertile lands. pave it over and make a parking lot. flooding in other parts of brooklyn. erasumus
I first visited NYC in 2018 and one of the places I wanted to go to was Flatbush because my sister lived there when she first moved to America. It all looked very familiar to this South East London (UK) native - the same kinds of people, food and accents. I felt at home and seemed like somewhere I could live. @22:17, were it not for your leaning against the station sign, that could be a street in many a UK urban area.
18:08 Tom espousing the greatness of Caribbean gentrification of Flatbush as wave after wave of people crash onto the streets up from the subway. Howabout a tour of the Roosevelt Hotel. Tom to Phil for the twentieth time is there jizz on my beard. Phil: ... kinda long (winded) :)
I saw that you mentioned the home where Jackie Robinson once lived in Flatbush. Charles Ebbets, then owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers once owned and occupied 193 Ocean Avenue ..across the street from Prospect Park. 🌿
Flatbush neighborhood is another real estate hot area after Williamsburg. Flatbush Avenue is the longest Commercial Avenue connecting the Manhattan Bridge and Marine Parkway Bridge.
That's "Breukelen" (pronounced BROIK-elen) 1:22 or "broken land." Of course, the oldest churches in the city are those that are made of fieldstones-stones that were gathered up in tilling the fields.
Tom thanks for all the information on NYC. Now living in California it brings back many memories. However, your intro's and outro's on the video presentation leave a lot to be desired. The opening's sound like its a "bother" to do these videos'. And some how you don't know how to end videos. With all of your experience you should apply those traits and work on new approaches. and endings.
