We started out this morning at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (FREE!!! on Tuesdays--one of the perks of being here and not being on a tight schedule) They are celebrating their 100th Anniversary, and the grounds were bigger and more peaceful than you would expect in the middle of the city.
One part of the gardens was a "Walk of Fame". It was made up of people who were born in Brooklyn, or made themselves "famous" in Brooklyn. There were tons of famous names on the walk (Barbara Streisand, Neil Simon, Sandy Koufax, Woody Allen etc etc ) but Gary's fave was the 3 Stooges. After we left the gardens, we walked thru the "Park Slope" neighborhood in Brooklyn. It has a very "neighborhood feel" as opposed to being in the city. The brownstones were very elaborate with picture windows and ornate carvings/trim. We ended up in a crossroads area that seemed like you were in Paris. There was a big Arc Monument (saluting the victory of the North in the Civil War), then on the same piazza was the Brooklyn Public Library, and some tall tower monuments marking in grand style the entrance to Prospect Park. We found it notable that these impressive structures are so close to Manhattan..... in any other US city they would be huge tourist attractions on their own, but because they are here, they seem to be a bit overlooked. It just makes you think about how many people live in this area, and how much there is to see.
But even though the day was fun, my favorite memory was back here in our neighborhood. ( I have no photos, cause I'm trying not to look like a tourist.) First, we had dinner at a great place called Extra Virgin. Sat on the sidewalk and just had the perfect perch to "people watch". Mostly, I notice how the girls are so "smartly" dressed. It isn't like high fashion, but they just look very put together and "smart" is the best way to say it. Also, EVERYoNE has cute dogs, and it is simply fun to watch them walk around in this environment.
When is the last time someone on a Razor Scooter ran into you in the grocery store ????? After we ate we stopped in "Gourmet Garage" grocery store (just like the name implies) and this little girl nearly scooted into Gary. As we left the store, we saw this same girl, and her dad --- he was also on a Razor Scooter--. They had come in to pick up a ready made dinner, and then were taking it home to eat.....The scooter was their means of transportation. It is so interesting to see how differently the people in our neighborhood here live differently than anywhere else we have lived. This is why I feel lucky to be doing this whole thing.
