CROWN HEIGHTS

In the Borough of KingsBy Penelope Jordan

Crown Heights

Crown Heights is a neighborhood located in the central part of Brooklyn.

Originally called Crow Hill, the name was changed once Crown Street was created in 1918.

It is approximately one mile wide and two miles long.

Crown Heights

Neighborhoods surrounding Crown Heights are Flatbush (south), Brownsville (south east), and Bedford-Stuyvesant (north).

Crown Heights is also bordered by avenues and a boulevard. These include: Washington Avenue (west), Atlantic Avenue (north), Howard Avenue (east), and Empire Boulevard (south). Eastern Parkway is the main thoroughfare through the neighborhood.

Crown Heights

Crown Heights extends through Community Board 8 and 9.

Two police precincts are responsible for safety in the neighborhood.

The 77 precinct, Brooklyn North, covers Crown Heights, Prospect Heights, and the Weeksville neighborhood.

The 71 precinct is part of Brooklyn South and covers the southern end of Crown heights.

Housing

Housing in Crown Heights is a mixture of brownstone, town homes, 1-4 family homes, apartment buildings, co-ops and condos.

Most of the buildings are well kept and privately owned.

Some of the homes have front yards, but they are very small and do not include space for children to play

Housing

Home prices can be very expensive and vary according to which part of Crown Heights you are looking to purchase in.

A three family, limestone house on Eastern Parkway is listed on a Prudential Real Estate page for 1.2 million. Corcoran Real Estate has a multi family dwelling a few blocks away listing for 1.1 million dollars.

Rentals can range from $1,500 for a 900 square foot apartment to $ 4,975 for a 4 bedroom townhouse.

Housing

Tivoli Towers

Ebbets Field Apartments

Row Houses

Decay and Pollution

While Crown Heights has been under going spill over gentrification and a real estate up-swing, some of parts of the neighborhood are in transition. Buildings are in the process of repair, and some have been torn down completely.

Graffiti marks some buildings and store fronts, but as new shop owners move in, the neighborhoods is slowly being cleaned up.

Decay and Pollution

Decay and Pollution

Un-finished building

Decay and Pollution

The previous slide pictures a building that is directly opposite Ebbets Field Apartments. The building was originally slated to be condominiums. However, the developer ran out of money, and the structure sits unfinished and empty. At night, rats stream out of the structure looking for food. When maintenance workers from Ebbets Field put the garbage out for removal, it is banquet day for the rats.

Open Spaces

Crown Heights is one of the greenest neighborhoods in Brooklyn.

Homeowners regularly participate in the Greenest block in Brooklyn contest sponsored by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and home owners in Crown Heights score within the top 5.

Open Spaces

Prospect park is 585 acre open space where residents of Brooklyn can participate in a variety of activities from skating, tennis, bird watching, pedal boating, and picnicking. Prospect park has Brooklyn’s only forest, as well as the Prospect Park Zoo, and the Celebrate Brooklyn! Performing Arts Festival.

Prospect Park

Prospect Park

Farmers Market at Prospect Park

Farmers Market at Prospect Park

My Neighborhood Garden

Eggplant

Comfrey

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Central Library

Brooklyn Museum

Shopping Areas

Most of the major shopping areas are located “Downtown”.

In this neighborhood, stores such as Macy’s, The Children’s Place, Gap Outlet, Aeropostale, Armani Exchange, Foot Locker, and Models can be found.

Target is also located in a separate mall called Atlantic Center. This mall is directly across from the Barclay’s Center; Home of the Brooklyn Nets.

Shopping Areas

Shopping Areas

Local Shopping

Some residents can purchase food and supplies locally. Since the neighborhood has a strong Caribbean influence, many Korean markets will stock foods native to their home countries.

Recently there has been an increase in residents from Africa. Stores have opened supplying foods native to their home countries. The local supermarket sells FuFu flour which is used to make Fufu dumplings, a staple in the diet of Africans.

Local shopping

African Market

Transportation

Crown Heights is part of a transportation hub. Nearly every train within the NYC transit system can be transferred to or accessed in Crown Heights. The 2,3,4,5 trains as well as the B and Q trains are within walking distance in the Northern part of Crown Heights. Bus lines B41, 43, 16, 49, are less than a 5 minute walk from each other. Shuttle train to Franklin Avenue provides access to A & C trains with transfers to L, J, and F trains.

Transportation

At the Barclay Center stop, access to the Long Island Railroad is available and transfers to B 45, 67 and 103 bus are available.

With all the public transportation options available, people still drive.

Health and Social Services

The nearest hospital is Kings County Hospital Center and SUNY Downstate. Both of these institutions have free standing clinics that see residents of Crown Heights and Flatbush.

Hospitals nearby include Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn Hospital Center, New York Methodist Hospital, and Interfaith Medical Center. St Mary’s Hospital Center and Brooklyn Jewish Hospital were closed many years ago.

Health and Social Service Agencies

There are some free standing medical clinics and an optometrist. I did not see any senior centers. Ebbets field has a senior center for it’s elderly residents, but not for the general community.

There is one alternative medicine center on Bedford Avenue as well as a facility that specializes in counseling and therapy.

Child care centers

Five Block Day Care Center was recently closed by the Bloom berg administration. It is currently owned by Friends of Crown Heights Day Care Center. Haitian American Day Care Center is still open and has an after school program. Private child care centers are available as well as private baby sitting.

Economics

Other than local businesses, and supermarkets (Western Beef and Associated), Rite Aid pharmacy, most residents work outside the neighborhood.

Major employers for the neighborhood would be the health care facilities.

Religion

There are a number of churches and religious institutions in Crown Heights. Religions practiced include Muslim, Christianity (including Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics) are represented in Crown Heights.

Most well known are Chabad-Lubavitch Jews who’s world headquarters are located in Crown Heights.

Schools

There are a number of public, private, and charter schools in Crown Heights. Some are religious (Yeshiva and Baptist private schools). Some of the schools have been in existence for over 70 years.

Medgar Evers College, a senior college within the City University of New York (CUNY) is located on Bedford Avenue.

Schools

Prospect Heights High School

Base at Prospect Heights

Clara Barton High School

P.S. 241- Established in 1930

Medgar Evers College

General

While Crown Heights is one of the best neighborhoods to live in, it is not without problems.

1n 1991 the Crown Heights riots gripped the neighborhood and led to the murder of a rabbinical student.

General

Gang activity is not as prevalent as in some neighborhoods, but it is still seen.

Folk Nation ( Forever Over Latin Kings) leaders living in Ebbets Field were recently arrested on federal racketeering charges .

Distrust between the Jewish and African American residents still remain, but is getting better.

General

Apartment prices have increased due to “hipsters” and gentrification spillover from Prospect Heights.

Long time residents of Crown Heights North are being priced out of the apartments they have lived in for many years.

General

Despite the issues, Crown Heights is my home and a place I feel safe in. Besides, every year my neighborhood hosts the biggest block party in the world.

Where else can you go from this…..

Eastern Parkway

To this…

The End

References

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/nyregion/members-of-violent-brooklyn-gang-face-murder-charges.html?_r=0

http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/CROWN-HEIGHTS-BROOKLYN-NY-USA

http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Crown-Heights-Brooklyn-NY.html