Ms Whynot and Whynot lead a walking tour of western Crown Heights, Sunday, May 4th, noon.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Greetings Brooklynian readers-
    I am pleased to announce that for the 2nd year in a row, Ms Whynot and I will lead a walking tour of western Crown Heights!

    At noon on Sunday, May 4th, meet at the Franklin Avenue 2/3/4/5 station.

    We will be on the Eastern Parkway median, on the North East side of the intersection.    

    So far, confirmed attractions include:
    -Conversations with new and long term business owners.
    -Pointing and jabbering about residential and commercial developments in the area.
    -Our dog.

    Last year's tour was a success!    Over 30 people attended.   The weather was lovely.

    The tour will take about 2 hours, and allow you to meet your neighbors as well as people interested in the area. 
    E989E3A8
  • RandalVRandalV
    Ooh. I'll be there. Can I bring my dog as well?
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    If your dog gets along with other dogs and can walk as part of a crowd, yup.

    Note, the goal for this year is 65 people.
  • lilern
    This sounds interesting - can you confirm what the boundaries are for this walk?
  • RandalVRandalV
    Yep. He can loves other dogs and people. We'll be there.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    We will see sights located within the rectangle formed by Franklin, Pacific, Nostrand and Crown.


    Some of the sights are already "set".

    Additional sights will be arranged tonight, when I ask those in attendance at the CB8 meeting if they'd like "us" to stand outside their business for 5 minutes while they tell us:  

    -What has happened over the last few years.
    -What they expect to happen over the next few years.

    Keeping them each to five minutes will be difficult, but key.

     
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Photos of last year's walk:


    3
    2
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    1
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    I am pleased announce that people would like to join us for a beverage, may do so immediately following the walk.

    The walk will end around 2 PM.
    Location TBA.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Ms Whynot and I have given the walking tour a name:

    "Western Crown Heights, Where Change is Happening"

    The tour will involve most of the big developments occurring in the area, and discussed here:



    Today, I learned that the Municipal Art Society has stated they will list it as one of their featured walks. 

  • xlizellxxlizellx
    How many years before the tour is themed "Western Crown Heights, Where Change Happened" ? 
  • xlizellxxlizellx
    p.s. to others: I went last year and it was a great tour.
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    @xlizellx -

    We are allowed to rename the tour in response to changing conditions.

    For example, in 2015, we might walk around the area defined by Kingston, EP, Utica and Atlantic.

    We'd call it something like "Eastern Crown Heights, Where Change is Happening", and then have a beverage at one of the Coffeehouses or pubs located on Kingston or Schenectady. 
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    I just thought I would give readers an update on businesses that have been approached and volunteered to give the group a 5 minute talk on:

    -Their business
    -Why they chose to open in the neighborhood, and
    -What they are doing to adapt to the neighborhood's changes...

    On Franklin:
    Dockland's
    Stork
    Hodiah Davidson, Accountant
    Lily and Fig
    Lazy Ibis
    Calabar Imports
    A Tivoli Towers resident

    On Rogers
    Roger That Garden

    On Nostrand:
    Gloria's 
    Lula Bagel
    Bicycle Roots
    Mosque at corner of Park Place
    Nostrand Pub
    Tinto's
    Exquisite restaurant



     
  • travelriter
    This sounds fantastic! How do you sign up, do you need to sign up in advance or just show up, is there a fee/tickets, more details please. Thanks!
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Just show up.   

    It is free.

    If we get a really big group, we will divide it into smaller groups of about 30 people.

    For example, Group 1 would be led by Ms. Whynot, Group 2 could be led by yours truly, and Groups 3 (?) and 4 (?) would be led by persons known to us.

    Group 1 could go "from Start to finish"
    Group 2 could go "from Finish to start"
    Group 3 could be staggered 15 min behind the route of Group 1
    Group 4 could be staggered 15 min behind the route of Group 2.  

    ...or something like that
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    The walking tour just received some good press:

    http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20140422/prospect-heights/neighborhood-walking-tours-highlight-new-development-green-spaces
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    The route has now been finalized, and the discussion points can be viewed by clicking on the icon on this map:

  • whynot_31whynot_31
    More press: http://crowhillcommunityassociation.cmail1.com/t/ViewEmail/r/64E5D7218CE814FE2540EF23F30FEDED/B53F2E6E2368B7F0A7F290B8E8FDC6A0
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    And, even more press:

    http://www.brownstoner.com/blog/2014/05/closing-bell-crown-heights-development-tour/

    Plans are in place to accommodate what may be a large crowd...
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    By our court, 73 people attended the walk.     

    75 if you include Ms Whynot and I.   

    Due to the number of people, Ms. Whynot lead one group, and I led the other.    The weather was lovely, and I had a fine afternoon.   

    Note, the photos were taken so that people were not in more than one shot:


    photo 1
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    photo 3
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    photo 2
  • [Deleted User]
    Tour was splendid, enlightening and downright interesting, thank you both!

    Here is a poem to celebrate:

    gentrification is no novel scheme
    developers are as ghastly as they seem
    and at day's end it comes down to means -
    and preferences. 
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    The tour's success was largely due to the businesses that agreed to take time to talk with us today, and then actually did so:

    Bob and Betty's
    Docklands
    HAD Associates
    Lily and Fig
    Stork
    Calabar Imports
    Kelso
    Mosque at Nostrand and Park
    Exquiste
    Tinto
    Roger That garden
    Reclaimed Home

    Thanks also to the residents of Tivoli who spoke with us.

    ...change is happening.


  • whynot_31whynot_31
    Brooklynian business cards were distributed to all of the attendees.    Hopefully those who read this site, but don't post on it, will do so...

    Business Card-1
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    image
  • willjenn
    Thanks Mike and Lisa for this very excellent tour - we toured with Lisa. My partner and I live in Windsor Terrace and are fairly new residents of Brooklyn. Your tour was a great intro to a neighborhood we knew very little about and offered interesting insights into what I see as general issues regarding gentrification for the borough as a whole. We also enjoyed meeting the various shop and restaurant owners (Calabar, Stork, Esquisite, etc.) and getting their thoughts and views. We'll definitely be back in the 'hood in the future for some dining and shopping. 
  • whynot_31whynot_31
    other comments:

    "Good tour.  We stopped in to Roscos to feed the hunger.  It was sometimes a little problematic to hear the store owners (lily and Fig)  but great trunout.!"

    "Thank you both for leading the tour yesterday--I was with Ms Whynot's group. I am a long time Crown Heights resident--really from birth, and in our own home for the last 26 years. It is always good to see the neighborhood from a new perspective. And I have some new businesses to go back and visit!"

    "Today's Crown Heights#JanesWalkNYC walking tour was the best I've ever been on. I learned so much! Loved how it engaged the community, too."
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