Get out and see Bay Ridge this weekend

By Alex Rush

This historical tour is much more than a walk in the park.

A walking tour this Saturday will showcase some of Bay Ridge’s oldest sites, from a cemetery where Revolutionary War soldiers are buried to a park that was once the 19th-century estate of the first editor of the original Brooklyn Eagle (no relation to today’s publication).

“We wanted to pick a tight-knit area with a cluster of interesting places,” said Josephine Beckmann, district manager of Community Board 10, which organized the free tour with the Bay Ridge Historical Society.

In Bay Ridge, there’s no better place to begin than on Senator Street. The three-block stretch between Fourth Avenue and Colonial Road is lined with brownstones built at the turn of the 20th century. History buffs will then visit Owl’s Head Park, Barkaloo Cemetery and the Narrows Botanical Gardens, which was transformed from a weed-strewn lot into a vibrant conservatory by volunteers.

“It’s a magnificent site,” Beckmann said.

Bay Ridge historical tour [meet at 69th Street near Fourth Avenue in Bay Ridge, (718) 745-6827], June 4 from 10 am–1:30 pm. Free. RSVP to communitybd10@nyc.rr.com.

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One hot exhibit

By Alex Rush

Calling all Coney history buffs.

Learn all about the amusement area’s biggest disaster -— which, ironically, became its greatest attraction — in a new museum exhibition opening this month.

The Coney Island History Project will present a photo exhibition and offer a walking tour to mark the centennial of a fire that nearly destroyed the whole neighborhood.

The 1911 fire, which sparked after hot tar leaked from a water slide — go figure — burned down three amusement parks, and its aftermath was nearly as thrilling as the rollercoasters it destroyed.

“After the fire, everybody came to Coney Island to see the ruins,” said History Project founder Charles Denson. “Photo booths were even set up to take pictures of people standing in the rubble.”

Denson’s gathered old newspaper photos for the display — the more bizarre the better. One highlight includes the image of a police officer shooting an escaped lion that was climbing a roller coaster.

Visitors can also listen to pre-recorded interviews with the living relatives of the police and fire fighters who battled the blaze. And, for an extra $20, you can follow Denson on a walking tour of the area where one of the amusement parks, Dreamland, once stood. Its Surf Avenue address is now home to the New York Aquarium, but Denson has collected many artifacts, including beer bottles, so you can step back in history.

Dreamland Fire exhibition and walking tour at the Coney Island History Project (3059 W. 12th St. near Bowery Street in Coney Island, no phone), May 27 and 29 at 12:15 pm. Tickets $20. For info, visit www.coneyislandhistory.org.

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Gates opened on Navy Yard

By Meredith Deliso

Hop on your fixie and explore one of the most exclusive spaces in Brooklyn this month.

On Sept. 26, Urban Oyster leads a bicycle tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a historic naval shipping yard on the East River — an enticing, yet off-limits, paradise for cyclists.

The tour gives you a chance to explore the grounds, get a behind-the-scenes look at the Navy Yard’s transition from a prominent shipbuilding facility to a model of sustainable urban industrial parks, thanks to hosting the nation’s first multi-story green industrial building; solar- and wind-powered street lamps; building-mounted wind turbines; and other green features.

There are also some wonderful views of the waterfront.

The bike tour comes ahead of the Navy Yard’s visitors and community center slated to open next fall. At that point, the Yard won’t be as frustratingly exclusive, so get in while you still can’t.

Brooklyn Navy Yard Bicycle Tour [meet at Sands and Gate streets in Fort Greene, (347) 599-1842], Sept. 26 and Oct. 17 at 1:45 pm. Tickets $24, $20 for members of the Brooklyn Historical Society and the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative, advance purchase required, as is a helmet. For info, visit www.urbanoyster.com.

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Sound walk

Thinking of heading south to Coney Island this summer? Veer a little bit east and check out Brighton Beach with your very own tour guide.

Todd Shalom leads a walk through the neighborhood that focuses as much on sound as sights, keeping with Ukranian-born Futurist Aleksei Kruchenykh's poetic ideal of Zaum, where the sounds of words are holier than the things they represent.

What does that mean? Using a variety of techniques pioneered by acoustic ecologists as well as experimental poetry exercises, you'll listen to sounds often tuned out and create your own poetry in motion.

While this is all about the aural, you're encouraged to bring a camera.

Brighton Zaum walk (starting point at Brighton Beach Avenue and Brighton 7th Street), July 10 at 6 pm, July 22 at 7 pm, July 24 at 6 pm, July 29 at 7 pm, and July 31 at 6 pm. $25.

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Hidden history

History buffs, take note.

One of Brooklyn’s prized historical sites – the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims in Brooklyn Heights — will be open to the public this month to learn about its role during in freeing slaves during the Abolition movement in the first annual “NYC Underground Railroad Festival.”

Held fittingly this Saturday on June 19 — aka Juneteenth, Emancipation Day — the day-long celebration will offer unique tours of the church, a place where both Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. have worshipped, providing a glimpse into the church’s role as a stop on the Underground Railroad.

“People can’t wait to hear more,” said Lois Rosebrooks, director of history ministry services for the church, who usually gives the tour to school classes.

Founded in 1847, the church’s first minister was Henry Ward Beecher — brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” — who as minister spearheaded Plymouth’s anti-slavery activity. A documented stop on the Underground Railroad, thanks to memoirs and history books from the time, the church would hide slaves en route to Canada presumably in the tunnel-like, block-long basement beneath its sanctuary. The church became such a major stop that it was known as Brooklyn’s “Grand Central Depot.”

Vienna Carroll was so impressed by this history that she decided to organize the festival, which will also feature a performance of her musical, “Singin Wid A Sword In Ma Han: An Underground Railroad Love Story,” which pulls from real-life characters, sites and spirituals.

“The festival and the show highlight unsung heroes of the Underground Railroad,” said Carroll.

From the Beechers and beyond.

“NYC Underground Railroad Festival” at Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims [75 Hicks St. at Orange Street in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 624-4743], June 19 from 1-5 pm. Admission is $20. For info, visit www.undergroundrailroadfestival.org.

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Walt Whitman was beat, man

Allen Ginsberg and Walt Whitman have more in common than impressive beards.

This month, academics will explore the esteemed poet’s influence on the Beat Generation in such areas as sexual identity, power and politics, media, technology and art, notions of time and space, and poetic form and style.

The influence of Brooklyn’s favorite son can even be seen in such non-poetic products such as the TV show “M*A*S*H,” organizers say.

“We hope to break new ground in addressing Whitman’s presence in the works of Beat writers and the reception of Whitman’s poetry by the Beats,” said Scott Weiss, co-chairman of the conference and a professor of Communication Arts at St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights.

“Our panelists will explore, in depth, how the legacy of the Beats, their perspectives of their era and artistic innovations can be traced to Whitman’s influence on American literary culture.”

In addition to the conference, a walking tour will bring you through Whitman’s Brooklyn, as he knew it living here more than 100 years ago. You dig?

Whitman & Beats Conference at St. Francis College [180 Remsen St. between Clinton and Court streets in Brooklyn Heights, (718) 489-5200], March 27 at noon. The walking tour is March 28, also at noon. For info, visit www.stfranciscollege.edu.

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Come on in: Doors open on some of the most fascinating homes in Brooklyn

An example of a Victorian style home. Photo: Judith Angel

By Helen Klein

(Published in the 4.30.09 issue of 24/Seven)

The doors of stately Brooklyn homes will be swinging open in welcome, as house tours in historic neighborhoods around the borough get underway in May.

In all, eight neighborhoods will host the popular annual events, which give prospective homeowners, as well as interior design junkies and the merely curious, the opportunity to peek beyond the curtains of borough houses with a pedigree. In addition, glorious gardens in Brownstone Brooklyn will be open to view during a tour in the communities of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Prospect Heights.

First up is the Clinton Hill house tour, scheduled for Sunday, May 3rd, from noon to 5 p.m. Sponsored by the Society for Clinton Hill, the tour features an inside look at some of the neighborhood’s glorious residences, dating to the 19th century, when the neighborhood was the borough’s esteemed Gold Coast.

This year, the tour includes three mansions, as well as several other venerable homes, and the Queen of all Saints Church, at Vanderbilt and Lafayette Avenues. In addition, there will be an organ concert at the church, as well as a chamber music concert at the Charles Pratt Mansion, 232 Clinton Avenue, and a beer tasting courtesy of Kelso Brewery, a microbrewery located in the neighborhood.

For the first time, tour-goers will be able to download an audiotour from the society’s website ($10.00 additional) onto their MP3 players.

Tickets are $20 in advance; $25 on the day of the tour. For further information, including how and where to purchase tickets, email Wash308@aol.com, call 917-292-8042, or log onto http://www.societyforclintonhill.org/.

On Saturday, May 9th, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., the Brooklyn Heights Association will hold its 23rd annual house and garden tour, which offers tour-goers the opportunity to enjoy an inside look at some of the area’s Greek Revival homes, including one on the neighborhood’s prestigious Mansion Row. The oldest home on the tour dates was built around 1839 and is replete with period details.

Tickets cost $30, and can be purchased in advance through the Brooklyn Heights Association, or on the day of the tour at 129 Pierrepont Street. The price includes tea and pastries at the Plymouth Church of the Pilgrims, on Orange Street, between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. For further information, call 718-858-9193 or log onto http://www.brooklynheightsassociation.org/.

A week later, the scene shifts to Park Slope, where the Park Slope Civic Council hosts its 50th annual house tour, from noon to 5:30 p.m.

Tours start at the Poly Prep Lower School, 50 Prospect Park West, and include a bevy of the neighborhood’s distinctive late 19th and early 20th century rowhouses that display a variety of architectural styles, including Queen Anne, Neo-Grec, Neo-Georgian and Neo-Classical, as well as a Victorian villa dating to 1878. Also included in the tour is a slide show, “The Architecture of Park Slope,” narrated by Francis Morrone, scheduled to begin at Congregation Beth Elohim, Garfield Place and Eighth Avenue, at 6 p.m.

Tickets cost $20 in advance; $25 on the day of the tour. For information on purchasing, call 718-832-8227 or log onto http://www.parkslopeciviccouncil.org/.

On Sunday, May 31st, from noon to 5 p.m., the 39th annual Prospect Lefferts Gardens house and garden tour will be held. The event, sponsored by the Lefferts Manor Association, provides an overview of the neighborhood’s varied architecture. Included in the tour’s 11 stops are a 1905 brick home, a 1907 limestone, a 1915 neo-Tudor rowhouse, as well as an apartment and a Southern-themed garden complete with waterfalls. There will also be complimentary refreshments.

Tickets cost $20 in advance; $25 on the day of tour. For further information, call 718-284-6210 or 718-462-0024, email plghousetour@earthlink.net or log onto http://www.leffertsmanor.org/.

Urban oases are the highlights of the Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District Garden Walk, which will take place on Sunday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Among the highlights of the tour are a double garden that has been designed to mimic a Roman ruin, and another double garden, shaded by flowering trees, designed in collaboration with jazz singer Betty Carter.

Tickets cost $15 in advance, $20 on the day of the walk. For further information, including details on purchasing tickets, log onto http://www.bbgd.wordpress.com/.

The large, free-standing homes of Victorian Flatbush -- replete with details galore -- are featured on the Victorian Flatbush house tour, organized by the Flatbush Development Corporation (FDC), which will take place on Sunday, June, 14, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Ten homes in Prospect Park South, Albemarle-Kenmore Terrace, Ditmas Park, Ditmas Park West, Beverley Square West, Beverley Square East, Caton Park, West Midwood, Midwood Park, Fiske Terrace and South Midwood will be open to view on the tour, including examples of Colonial Revival, Tudor and Greek Revival architecture, built around the turn of the 20th century to appeal to urban dwellers who craved a country-in-the-city lifestyle, complete with spacious interiors, broad front porches and over-arching trees.

Tickets cost $20 in advance; $25 on the day of the tour. For further information, call 718-859-3800, or log onto http://www.fdconline.org/.

There will be three house tours held in the fall.

The first, on Saturday, October 3rd, from noon to 5 p.m., will be the Crown Heights North house tour.

Sponsored by the Crown Heights North Association, the event will feature a variety of structures that exemplify the diverse architectural heritage the neighborhood enjoys including Neo-Grec, Italianate, Queen Anne, Renaissance Revival and Romanesque Revival.

The starting place will be St. Gregory’s Church, at Brooklyn Avenue and St. John’s Place. The goal, according to organizer Suzanne Spellen, is to include properties from the portion of the neighborhood now seeking landmark status.

Tickets cost $20 in advance; $25 on the day of tour. For further information, call 917-748-4664, or log onto http://www.crownheightsnorth.org/.

Next up is the 31st annual Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant house tour, which will take place on Saturday, October 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There are “typically 10 buildings” on the tour, noted organizer Crystal Bob-Semple, who said that this year’s tour would start with the annual home-buying workshop. The structures open to view generally exemplify the community’s diverse housing stock, mostly dating from the 1880s through the early 1900s, including brownstone and limestone townhouses as well as buildings in the Romanesque style.

Tickets cost $15 in advance; $20 on the day of the tour. For additional information, call 718-953-7328 or log onto http://www.brownstonersofbedstuy.org/.

Rounding out the house tours for the year is the Prospect Heights House Tour, scheduled for Sunday, October 18th, from noon to 5 p.m.

Sponsored by the Prospect Heights Association, the event will start from 659 Vanderbilt Avenue, and is expected to include about 10 Victorian-era brownstones -- many with original details -- that feature the styles prevalent in the neighborhood such as Neo-Grec, Neo-Romanesque, Italianate, Eastlake, Queen Anne and Second Empire.

Tickets cost $20 in advance, $25 on the day of the tour. For further information, call 718-393-7653, or log onto www.phndc.org/house-tour.

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