Travel to New York

The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn (Neighborhoods of New York City)

Format: Paperback
Author: Kenneth T. Jackson
ReleaseDate: 11 July, 2004
Publisher: Yale University Press
Rating:

It ain't just about the Dodgers
But when I was given "The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn" as a sort of goodbye and look what you'll be missing book, I was kind of skeptical. Listen, I was born and bred in Brooklyn, and lived there most of my adult life, though I've voluntarily exiled myself to the southland, just had enough of winter. How could anyone else know Brooklyn as well as I did?

Brooklyn, of course, is a big and important place. If it were considered on its own, it'd be one of the largest cities in America, and a remarkably high percentage of Americans trace their families back through Brooklyn.

As the authors write in the preface,"Why begin with Brooklyn? Because everyone, everywhere has heard of Brooklyn. . . Brooklyn is one of the best-known place names in the United States. In addition, it is one of the city's oldest settlements: many of its neighborhoods date back to before the beginning of our nation. Indeed, Brooklyn was present at the creation of the nation, the site of the Revolutionary War's Battle of Brooklyn. And for millions of immigrants it was--and is--their first home in America. If we are a nation of immigrants, Brooklyn, which boasts residents of 200 nationalities, is America's quintessential home town. "

So it ain't just about the Dodgers leaving town in the mid-50's, though believe me, I was there at the time, and it was quite a blow.

At any rate, the writers of this book have obviously done a lot of first hand research. They have learned a lot about Brooklyn's neighborhoods, and transmit their knowledge in a highly readable fashion. There are also a lot of interesting photographs: their photo editor is really one of the book's unsung heroes. But I do wish they'd splurged on color, although that might, perhaps, have made the book too expensive for most people.

This book will interest many sorts of people, those who've never lived in Brooklyn, those who are contemplating living in Brooklyn, those who have just moved there, and those who have left the place.

That being said, I won't miss winter at all, but boy, I still miss the Dodgers.

The Neighborhoods of Brooklyn
However, if you are someone who is not at all familiar with Brooklyn you might be better off using this book in conjunction with other resources. This book gave a great overview of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Wonderful historical description of the sections of Brooklyn
Even still, it is fascinating to learn of the full history of each neighborhood. As a couple of other reviewers, I was disappointed in the lack of information about the neighborhoods in the 50s and 60s, when I grew up in East Flatbush. How and when the original Dutch settlers bought the various sections from the Canarsee and Rockaway Native Americans. It is also interesting to learn of the fates of the various neighborhoods and their changing ethnic faces. I ALSO recommend the book "It Happened In Brooklyn: An Oral History Of Growing Up In The Borough In The 1940s, 1950s, And 1960s. " The two books are VERY different. While this book is also light on the 50s and 60s, it brings back wonderful memories of Coney Island. It is actually a compilation of anecdotal memories from many people who grew up in Brooklyn, some of whom are world famous for various reasons!.

Related products:
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	Brooklyn Then and Now (Then and Now)
	Brooklyn! The Ultimate Guide to New York's Most Happening Borough, 3rd Edition
	Brooklyn: A State of Mind
	Streetwise Brooklyn (Streetwise)