Welcome to Brooklyn: How Sweet It Is!

   Once a separate city, Brooklyn today still preserves a separate identity and an almost mystical hold on the hearts and imaginations of its admirers.  Brooklyn occupies the western tip of Long Island and is bounded by the East River, the Narrows, and upper New York Bay on the west and north, by the Atlantic Ocean on the south, and the borough of Queens on the east.  For decades Brooklyn struggled with drugs, crime, the decay of the infrastructure, and other urban problems.  Recently things have changed, young professionals and families, priced out of Manhattan or seeking a less frenzied atmosphere, have moved to such neighborhoods as Park Slope and Cobble Hill, where new restaurants, shops, and other upscale businesses have followed them.

    Our first destination to visit in Brooklyn is the famous Coney Island, but to get there we took the F Train from the City which was a very long ride, which thankfully wasn't that packed and we all ended up getting a seat.  I always wanted to take the F Train to Coney Island because I've seen it in a few movies and also I don't live too far from Coney Island, just jump on the Belt Parkway and it's about a ten minute ride.  The ride on the train wasn't bad because of the view along the way.  One of the things I noticed was the Verrazano Bridge and from a distance in Downtown Brooklyn I was able to spot the office building I Interned at over the summer.  Unfortunately the rides were closed and we couldn't go on the Cyclone or the Go-Karts but that was quickly forgotten, because we walked a block up from the boardwalk and ate at the Nathan's Famous, the first Nathan's which opened in 1916.

During the 1920's and 30's huge crowds of people were on the boardwalk or laying on the sand.  But by the 1940's the crowds were thinning, thanks to the rise of automobiles, the development of air-conditioning, and the policies of parks commissioner Robert Moses, who built parks and beaches that would lure people to a more beneficial form of entertainment.
   Our second destination for the day was the Transit Museum located in Brooklyn Heights,  The Museum is built in an actual Subway, located at Court Street.  The Museum is full of historical artifacts of the New York City Subway.  The artifacts include trains from the first operating train to the present trains we ride around New York City today.  Some of the trains used back then look much nicer and are very comfortable, I was thinking they should replace the ones we have now with the older ones. Other exhibits on buses, bridges, and tunnels, but the emphasis is on the subway.

Walking through Brooklyn Heights on our way to the Brooklyn Historical Society, you can see these beautiful buildings that were constructed and built many decades ago, and to see how they are still standing and are in great shape.

   Last stop of the day which was the one thing I couldn't wait to do, walk over the Brooklyn Bridge.  The Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 25, 1883, it was considered one of the world's greatest wonders.  Before the Brooklyn Bridge, anyone wishing to cross the East River had to take the Fulton Ferry.    I have driven over it several times, but I heard driving over it and walking over are two completely different experiences.  The first thing you notice is the walkway filled with people who like us were walking across to see a great view and experience something most people haven't.  The others jogging, riding bikes or just crossing over to go to Brooklyn or the direction we were heading, Manhattan.     Crossing over the Bridge I took in the great view of Downtown Manhattan and the construction underway of the One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) where the World Traders once Stood.  On the other side the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn.

While crossing over the Brooklyn Bridge I saw the actor named Noah Emmerich jogging across.  Noah has starred in many films, most recent include Super 8 and out now Warrior and also the new Zombie television show The Walking Dead. It was the first time I had ever seen an actor who wasn't working on a set and just out enjoying the day as we were.

 One hundred twenty-five years later the bridge is still an important part of the city's transportation network, carrying approximately 145,000 cars per day and numerous pedestrians.  I can now say I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in to Manhattan.  Overall it was a great day, I went to places around Brooklyn that I have never been to and learned a lot about the 

Borough and it's History.