Are we in Kansas?

It feels like a tornado is about to send our little home into Oz!! My landlord suffered leaks and now some pretty strong winds are pounding against our windows. Ahh the pitfalls of living near the ocean I suppose.

Grinch mood

Hard to get into the spirit of things when there are finals to worry about... This has nothing to do with Gravesend but I felt like sharing.

Holiday Spirit in Gravesend

Dubious Herstory

Apparently the house that stands on 27 Gravesend Neck Road opposite Gravesend Cemetery is Lady Deborah Moody's. I find it hard to believe that the house could survive hundreds of years when the neighborhood has changed so much and the house itself has passed through so many hands. I found this New York Times article from 2003 reporting on the current owners trying to give the home historical landmark status. I tried finding something more current but I guess the petition never made it.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E0DD113CF931A35750C0A9659C8B63

Slow news month

Every time I log on to this site I keep seeing the same bit of news about that love triangle gone awry. Isn't there anything else that has been happening in Gravesend?

Cinema history in Gravesend

I was curious to know what studios were in the area after I read the New York Times story (see previous post) and I found an article on Vitagraph Studio which existed more than a hundred years ago. It was acquired by Warner Brothers in the 1920s and today is the Shulamite School for Girls. Across the street on 1268 East 14th Street is JC Studios, built by Warner in the 1920s as well. Today As the World Turns is filmed there. Technically the area is not Gravesend, I thinks its Midwood but its pretty interesting. For cool photos and a more in deph look check the site out.

http://www.editorsguild.com/v2/magazine/archives/0506/features_article01.htm

"If you're thinking of living in Gravesend"

This is the title of an August 16, 1986 feature in the New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DEFD61039F933A2575BC0A960948260

Some interesting facts listed:

- School children corresponded with children from Gravesend, England and they even exchanged basketball teams.

- Bill Cosby filmed a television show on East 1268 East 14th Street.

- One family homes sold for $200,000!

Interesting to get a glimpse of the old neighborhood.

Sahara Restaurant

I came across this review in New York Magazine of this Turkish Restaurant in the hood. http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/sahara/. I can't wait to visit or order takeout from them. By now you probably figured out I am not a cook, which is why I thought living in Manhattan was perfect but Gravesend is turning out to be full of surprises.

For nerdy amateur historians

Like me, a perfect gift could be the Gravesend Brooklyn: Coney Island and Sheepshead Bay by Eric Ieardi. This would of course be part of a large collection of gifts not the sole gift for this Holiday season.

Ch-ch-changes

Everywhere I look I see condominiums rising which is all fine and good for Manhattan but here they are a sore sight. They look like giant bullies squeezed in next to one family homes.

Useless trivia

According to the New York Times City Room section the cheapest price for a quart of milk (only 99 cents) can be found in Gravesend. Must be the influence of all of those 99 cents stores.

Snowy day in Gravesend

Wow it actually snowed on the first day of December.