(see Part 1 here)

I have driven the roadways around this metropolis for decades and, like anyone else who drives highways repeatedly, there are a myriad of familiar structures, most of which one has never actually visited. Over the years, a number of buildings have intrigued me, such as the enigmatic property with illuminated triangular trusses as seen from the Manhattan Bridge. This rooftop haunted me for decades until if finally occurred to me: why not get off the roadway one day, investigate and see what this landmark actually is about? You can find the mystery solved here.

The landscape as seen from the Gowanus Expressway (see Part 1 here) is generally of little interest, much of it commercial/industrial. However, as it runs through Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn, a beautiful green trimmed church spire makes its presence known. As I go fleeting by, a recurring thought to visit someday fleets by as well. I finally decided to bring these fleeting thoughts to an end after a recent excursion to nearby Green-Wood Cemetery, when I paid the church a visit.

Regardless of how significant a structure turns out to be, this type of exploration provides me with the necessary closure of a long-seated curiosity. As a side benefit, the experience also provides a resource which can be used when traveling with others to identify the landmark – wielding knowledge that you are not only familiar with the structure but also have visited said structure confers credibility that you know New York City. (Tip: Recount the most extraordinary details that you can remember in a nonplussed manner to be seen as a smug New Yorker. This insures that in the future, your authority will not be questioned.)

The church in question is Our Lady Of Czestochowa / St Casimir located at 183 25th Street in Brooklyn. The property spans the width of a city block, from 25th to 24th Street. I circumnavigated the block and was impressed by the gothic structure – so distinctive, contrasting against nondescript surroundings. In a previous post, I told of how one can see the spire of Czestochowa from the automobile graveyard and that good things are often found just around the corner, but Not Under the Gowanus 🙂

About the Church: The parish of Our Lady of Czestochowa Church was established in 1896 to serve Polish Catholics. A frame church was built on 24th Street but was destroyed by fire in 1904. On July 17 of the same year, construction began for the present church, designed in Gothic style and built with Belleville gray stone and brick. The steeple rises 175 feet, flanked by shorter towers on each corner. In 1980, the parish of St. Casimir’s was merged into Our Lady of Czestochowa.

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It took a trip to Italy to learn that the desire for respite from city life and the countryside was not unique to our time or to New York City. Romans built villas millennia ago. These lavish homes were built by the wealthy elite and were used to escape the city and summer heat. In Florence, the Medicis built villas – country homes that served as alternate living spaces to their urban palazzo. Not so much is new under the sun, particularly in the realm of basic human desires, and I suppose it was rather foolish and ethnocentric of me as a New Yorker to expect that escape from the stresses of urban life and the desire for a more spacious country home with grounds, etc., would be limited to recent times.

At one time, Manhattan was seen as a place to work and make money, not necessarily as a place to live. Many wealthy chose to live in the boroughs, particularly Brooklyn, seeing Manhattan as a place of business, but not necessarily the place where one would choose to live. One of those places was Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

At one time, Bay Ridge was just another Brooklyn neighborhood to me. I had not explored it enough to understand its identity. This is a typical problem for any outsider to a place. Cursory examination and reading will only give a surface knowledge. It will take many visits and substantial time to really understand the heart and soul of any place. Meeting residents is necessary to get a full picture.

This process started for me with visits to First Oasis restaurant, having known the owner for 30 years, starting when his restaurant was located in Manhattan. Over the recent years, I became more acquainted with the various features of the neighborhood: its architecture, parks, vistas, ethnic enclaves, and restaurants.
Western Bay Ridge fronts the Narrows, the strait that separates Brooklyn from Staten Island, spanned by the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. This is where Shore Road lies, originally fronting and following the shoreline. In the mid-1800s, the neighborhood functioned as a country resort for the wealthy who built huge mansions near the water. After 1940s, the Belt Parkway and accompanying landfill separated Shore Road from the actual shore.

On this particular visit, I was accompanied by a friend who grew up in Bay Ridge.  She told me stories of her childhood and of her vivid memories. We strolled along Shore Road, where the photos were taken. This gave me a real human connection to the neighborhood for the first time. As we left at sunset, a moon shone brightly over one of the streets. I’m sure for her, it was no less than Moonrise Over Hernandez 🙂

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Generally speaking, finer things cost more money, with surcharges for cachet, panache, name, and convenience. Some will say that these are not premiums but rather part of what makes them finer. However, these views are often held by those who find the greatest comfort in the greatest price and believe that quality is always measured in dollars. For those that feel this way, any world-class city will be a good choice to divest of some cash. New York City comes highly recommended.

In most of the world, outside of large cities, if you have enormous wealth, you will find it difficult to spend enormous amounts of money on ordinary goods and services. So if you would like to spend $8 for an eight ounce bottle of Schweppes Ginger Ale or five dollars for a small bag of potato chips in a hotel room where rates range from $975 to $16,000 per night, I suggest a visit to the Peninsula Hotel.
These minibar prices seem a little high. But ultimately, this is only a New York City hotel renting rooms for the night, and there is only so much luxury that one can offer. So, in a place where everything needs to be special, perhaps everything has to be priced this way, even a bottle of Schweppes.

Admitttedly, the location of the Peninsula New York at 700 Fifth Avenue at 55th Street cannot be beat. The location on Fifth Avenue, often heralded as the world’s most expensive street, is neighbor to many of the most recognized flagship stores, including Cartier, Tiffany’s, De Beers, Fendi, Armani, Prada, Saks, Bergdorf, and Abercrombie & Fitch. The Peninsula is also located near many well known attractions such as Rockefeller Center, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Radio City Music Hall, and Central Park. The hotel has a 3-floor spa, outdoor terraces, and a glass-enclosed swimming pool.

I was privy to see a room facing Fifth and able to free a window, open it wide, stick my head out, and get some spectacular views, up and down Fifth Avenue. As I turned back towards the elegantly appointed room, I glanced at the minibar, where on top lay an unfinished ginger ale. No matter how I tried to justify it, there’s still a thrifty New Englander inside, and it bothered me to see that bottle of Schweppes…

A hamlet is a rural settlement that is considered too small to be a village. One distinction often made is that a hamlet does not have a church, whereas a village does. These details trouble me not, because I love hamlets and small villages. In England, the countryside abounds with small towns, villages, and hamlets, some so picturesque as to be incredulous. Places like Snowshill in the Cotswolds.
However, I have never heard of anything in the confines of New York City referred to as a hamlet until I read an article in the New York Times about Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn. The very concept seems insane until you travel to this tiny enclave, only a few blocks in size, with cobblestone streets paved in Belgian Brick. See my full photo gallery here.

The neighborhood is bounded by Bridge Street, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, York Street, and the river. The main thoroughfare is Hudson Avenue. There are virtually no shops, and one restaurant is open in the evening. At 54 Hudson, I ran across a business that identified itself as Not An Office. Peeking into the window, I did see evidence of a some sort of workplace.
In spite of the snowfall, the neighborhood did exude charm, and I can easily see how some would be attracted to this place, which abuts Dumbo and the East River, only one stop from Manhattan on the F train.

In 2010, the New York Times ran an article about Vinegar Hill called “The Little Town That Prices (Almost) Forgot.” Some readers were furious with all manner of accusations in the comments section, e.g. that the article would ruin the neighborhood and that the Times staff was out of touch with pricing.
I think articles are more of a barometer of trends and messenger than trendsetters. Anyone investigating the area carefully will realize this place is going to appeal to very few – the serious dearth of services and high prices of real estate there will be a deal breaker for nearly all who chose to live in a city.

Vinegar Hill feels almost like a hamlet. Almost, until you notice that the neighborhood is circumscribed by the Brooklyn Navy Yard, an huge Con Ed power generating plant, and the BQE (Brooklyn Queens Expressway). But this is New York City, and Vinegar Hill comes awfully close to a hamlet. It has no church, only one restaurant, and just when you think you have located a business, you find that it’s Not An Office 🙂