Hey everybody! Did you sell your chametz yet?
If “no”, then you’re either:
- a non-Jew, and thus have no idea what I’m talking about.
- a Jew, and more than likely have no idea what I’m talking about.
If “yes”, then:
- you actually did it.
- you didn’t and you feel guilty enough to lie to your computer screen.
- you thought it was Channukah and mistakenly lit candles instead.
- you named one of your kids “Chametz” and actually sold him.
Oh hush. The lil scamp is probably better off.
You monster.
Today we walked around Prospect Park.
Length: Approximately 5.5 miles
Navigation: Quite easy.
Weather: Not springy. Not at all.
Walked with: da wifey, whose alias for this post shall be “The Great Gatsby”.
Route:
This walk pretty much concludes the “Prospect” part of this blog. Prior to this, we did the park itself, the neighborhood north-west of the park and the one north-east of it. Today, we strutted through the western, southern and eastern adjacent neighborhoods of the park.
The path kinda gave the park a smile. A really nasty, jagged smile.
The walk can best be described in four sections: (1) South Slope, (2) Windsor Terrace, (3) Prospect Lefferts Gardens and (4) Crown Heights.
1. South Slope
When we last visited Park Slope, we mostly stuck to the central and northern parts of the well-to-do neighborhood. For whatever reason, the southern part of the neighborhood has its own separate identity.
Our first sight was Bartell Pitchard Square, which is not a square but a circle. It also has construction cones and caution tape around its center, which doesn’t make for a good photo. However, located across the way is one of Prospect Park’s fine entrances.
We then walked into the residential areas of ol’ Slopey. Much like the rest of Park Slope, it’s southern cousin is very monotonous. But we did find one collection of houses that stand out from the rest.
Following that, we found a school that has wire bugs scaling its walls.
Close up!
As Metroid mentioned in the last post’s comment section, the Park Slope Armory greeted us afterwards:
Statue close up!
That was pretty much it for “da Slope”.
2. Windsor Terrace
I used to think of lil’ Windy Terry as “almost Park Slope”. That was before I got to see some of WT’s distinct architecture:
There was also a sitting area that “The Great Gatsby” took an enjoyable picture of.
On our way out of the neighborhood, we were greeted by another park entrance that is flanked by these amazing horse statues.
Statue one, taken from the left.
Statue two, taken from the right.
3. Prospect Lefferts Gardens (henceforth PLG)
I am going to be honest here: I’ve been to this part of Flatbush and I was not expecting much. Why? Because when I think of this neighborhood, Flatbush Ave is what comes to mind.
Flatbush Ave is a dirty, loud, gross street where people drive like total a-holes. I hate to say it, but it reminds me of Broad Street in Elizabeth, NJ (our last city of residence). If you’ve never been, google map it and do a street view to see what I’m talking about. Feel free to do the same for Flatbush Ave for a comparison.
We started walking north on this accursed street. As the taste of disgust was beginning to form in my mouth, we luckily stumbled into a cul-de-sac that is home to charming Tudor houses. It was a much-needed, pleasant surprise.
The northern (right) side
The southern (left) side
We then crossed the avenue to enter Lefferts Manor, a mini-neighborhood whose residents insist on differentiating themselves from the rest of PLG.
I scoffed when I first read this, but now I see why:
One thing that I’ve noticed about Brooklyn is that the place is filled with lion statues. They love the lions here.
And why not? Lions are bad-ass cats that nobody wants to f&@k with.
We ran across some Lions at Lefferts Manor too. But these lions didn’t instill a sense of fear or awe…
This one looks like he could use a stiff drink.
"Please, make me your bitch".
4. Crown Heights
In last week’s post we explored a little bit of north-western Crown Heights. Today, we visited its south-west corner.
Our first stop was Ebbets Field! This was the location where the Brooklyn Dodgers played before they were moved over to the west coast. I am told that this place is very sacred to older Brooklynites.
Alright! Time for some baseball history! Zoom out!
WHA?!
Oh right. It’s now an apartment complex.
Further on, we found this cute playground that features small polar bear statues. In warmer weather, they become fountains.
But why should they have all the fun?
Our last stop was the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
We didn’t go inside, but I have been there several times before. I wholeheartedly recommend it.
I managed to dig up an old iPhone picture of the garden’s coy pond:
There. Now get your asses over there.
Next walk: Flatbush and Midwood!
Happy Passover/Holy Week!
A
[...] Walk X: Prospect Park Walk XII: Around Prospect Park [...]
Like the sumo-posing bears (except for that big one in the middle…)
So I’ll bite – what’s a chametz and why would I want to flog mine?
Hoo boy. Where to start?
When the Jews were escaping slavery from the Egyptians, they had no time to make leavened bread. Moses told them to just make the dough and throw it on their backs while fleeing, with hopes that the desert sun would do the baking. This meant that the end-product was a sun-baked flatbread that did not get a chance to rise (i.e. matzah).
Chametz is a term for leavened food-products that Jews are not allowed to eat during the eight days of passover, which began today. Most religious Jews “sell” their chametz, only to buy it back after passover ends.
More here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chametz
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[...] visited this neighborhood before in walks 11 & 12,. Whereas those walks clipped the edges of Crow-Ho, this walk primarily took place in the [...]