American Dream: Fun, Fun, Fun in Coney Island

Tweet

Who Doesn't Want Fun?

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

I went from my apartment in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, to Coney Island, a 30-minute ride south on the D train. You begin to sense that Brooklyn is huge, both landwise and population wise.

And where do New Yorkers go for seaside fun? Many choose Coney Island.

In the Coney Island train station, I saw three of New York's finest standing next to the Hulk.

The original Nathan's hotdogs, in business 100 years this year, is reason enough to go to Coney Island.

Another good reason.

The rollercoaster, with the famous parachute drop.

I went in May, still off season.

Nothing like beach football with the Atlantic Highlands of New Jersey in the distance.

All this fun-making equipment is just waiting for the summer crowds.

How about you? Have you been to Coney Island? What did you think? Comment below!

American Dream: My New Life in Sunset Park, Brooklyn

Tweet

Lifelong Dream Fulfilled: to live in New York City

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

I've wanted to live in New York City ever since being a teenager in a boring, quiet suburb in New Jersey. I wanted most to live in Brooklyn. Because there, things happened.

So quite a few decades later, I'm living my dream!

By the way, there's four great coffee shops in walking distance of my new apartment. More on that later.

Say, if you like my blog, would you RT the tweet that brought you here? Thanks!

My room before I moved into it. The flowers on the windowsill were given to me by the former occupant.

The Sunset Park neighborhood in Brooklyn has a park in it named, strangely, Sunset Park. You can see all of Upper New York Harbor: Staten Island, Jersey, Jersey City. And the towers of the Financial District, here painted rosy pink by the setting sun.

This is a shot down Fifth Avenue in Sunset Park. Smack in the middle, in the sky, you can see one upright of the Verizano Narrows Bridge.

There's lots of bakeries in my neighborhood. They make wild, creative cakes for all occasions. This one's for a baby shower. It costs about $175.

For a kid's birthday.

A wedding cake in about 10 parts, with bridges between the parts. There's little bridesmaids and groomsmen on the bridges.

A metallic sunset from the park.

There's hundreds of cool brownstones in my neighborhood. More on that later. How about you? Would you like to live in NYC? How about in Brooklyn? Comment below!

American Dream: A Brownstone in Bed-Stuy

Tweet

American Dream: An Interesting Neighborhood to Live in Not Far from Manhattan

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

One last look at Bedford-Stuyvesant, and then I'll bring you to my new Brooklyn neighborhood, Sunset Park.

Believe me, you want one of these brownstones. They will shoot up in value soon, as gentrification spreads out in concentric circles from Manhattan through Brooklyn. As I've said before, it's not all good: many good people will be displaced as rents go up.

Say, if you like my blog, will you RT the tweet that brought you here? Thanks!

These have been here for generations. People have gotten up in the morning behind these windows, prepared themselves, and gone to work for, say, 100 years now?

Another attractive row.

A terrific mural...

And a close-up of its view of Shirley Chisholm, the first black American woman to be elected to Congress (it took us until 1969).

Some of the lovely doorways to these brownstones.

Very elegant...

Stunning.

I love the stoops. They'll be full of neighbors chatting on hot summer nights. How about you? Are you a stoop sort of neighbor? What do you think of the great doorways? Comment below!

American Dream: Not to Shovel Snow (expected again this weekend)

Tweet

American Dream: aren't you glad you didn't dream of owning a car in Brooklyn?

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

The day of the big blizzard, January 23, was mystical/magical in its intensity. When I walked to my favorite Brooklyn cafe at 7 a.m., I saw that I was in the city because there were already footprints in the snow, and there wouldn't have been in my hometown in New Jersey.

I watched out the cafe's huge windows as the wind drove the snow sideways. All. Day.

Sunday, the sun came out. Of course. And I took these pictures in Bed-Stuy (that's the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn).

Say, if you like my blog, would you sign up to follow it? Thanks!

And RT the Tweet that brought you here. Thanks so much!

Window ledges, and the famous stoops of Brooklyn, all capped with snow.

That's a car, with just a bit of its window showing, buried under fallen snow and plowed snow.

The mounds were higher than the SUVs.

Have fun digging out!

Another mystery car.

The white snow sets off the soft colors of the brownstones.

These brownstones really are brown. And that car really was stuck.

How about you? Looking forward to snow this weekend? Did your car look like this after the blizzard of 2016? Comment below!

American Dream: A Bed-Stuy Townhouse in Brooklyn

Tweet

American Dream: Increase Your Assets

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

The Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn is gentrifying. People with means are buying the brownstones, renovating them, and renting them out for much more than before -- $3,000 a month for a 3-bedroom, at least. 

This means that the poor who are hanging on there now will face raised taxes (if they own the townhouse) or raised rents themselves. If they can't meet it, they'll be forced to move. It's sad for them. It also will give some people, who can invest now, a much higher number in their "assets" column.

Is it right? But can anyone influence a better outcome?

Here's why it's gentrifying: The townhouses are lovely. Another reason: there's good subway service to the area.

An orange brownstone. Notice the details over the door and under the bay window.

It's in an attractive row of buildings.

Another street, another row of great houses. How about you? If you had $1 million, would you buy a brownstone? I wanted to until I found out the price. Then I felt relieved--I wouldn't be a part of ruining the neighborhood for the current residents. How do you feel about gentrification?

A Great City, Park and Library

Tweet

American Dream: To Wander New York City

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

What could be more romantic than New York City at night? And Bryant Park, which stretches behind the New York Public Library's main building, exudes romance.

Here's the carousel, with lights, music, and beautifully carved creatures.

Look at this beautiful horse. 

Here's a galloping horse.

This is the door to the Bryant Park Cafe, a great place to have your office party.

This is the front of the famous Schwartzman building.

Another shot of the imposing structure.

Here's one of the lions, guarding this palace of books and maps. Yes, this was taken at night. How about you? Do you love New York City at night? Comment below!

Bryant Park Skating Rink at Night

Tweet

By Norma Jaeger Hopcraft

Some scenes from New York at night coming up. But first, a moment of silence for a beloved backpack. It went all around the country with me, on my back for 10,000 miles and all over more than 20 cities.

Then it went to Paris with me: libraries, the Louvre, up the Eiffel Tower. It went up into the French Alps with me, through Provence, Nice, and other South-of-France cities, to the Atlantic coast of France. 

It went to Barcelona, through Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter, under the Arc de Triomphe. It watched the wild parrots flit through the palm trees with me and waited for me while I swam in the Mediterranean.

The only reason I tossed it was the back straps were badly frayed and looking very poorly. Don't anybody comment below that I could have replaced the back straps!

On to happier things. This is the fountain at Bryant Park, merrily babbling.

Here's an intrepid skater, very tall on his skates.

Showing a little footwork.

Here's one of the skate guards, telling the wild ones to slow down.

A glass pavilion overlooking the ice at Bryant Park.

More guards. Looking quite comfortable on skates.

A little love in the making?

And a last goodbye to the best ever backpack. How about you? Do you get fond of things and then wait years before you throw them away? Comment below!