As promised, here’s a quick peek at our new neighborhood.  These photos were taken last weekend just after our freaky October snowstorm.  The snow only lasted a couple of days.  The dogs and I have moved a couple of weeks ago.  Less than a mile away, still Brooklyn, but technically from Park Slope to Prospect Heights.  With all the headaches and expense of moving a hundred miles away.  But it’s all done, unpacked and organized, and I hope to not go through it again for a long time.

The new place is a fraction of the size of the previous.  But with some perks including an el-e-va-tor for the first time in my life.  And, most importantly, it’s right across the street from The Park (Prospect Park) where I spend every morning with the dogs.  A mandatory ritual with my high energy dogs for the past 15 years or so.  Before 9am, dogs are allowed off leash in a good chunk of the nearly 600 acres.  More about all that here if you’re interested:
http://www.fidobrooklyn.org/

So, here’s my block — the glassy, brand new Richard Meier building with million dollar condos:
http://www.onprospectpark.com/
If you ask me, pretty dull, for such a cutting edge architect.  I’m on the corner on the right in the little tan building:

 

Although my building has sort of a streamline look, all the records I’ve found say 1961.  The entrance door pulls certainly fit the era:

 

My block abuts the quite grand, Grand Army Plaza with one of Brooklyn’s most famous landmarks — the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch from the 1890s:
http://www.brooklynlibrary.org/civilwar/cwdoc101.html

 

Just north of the arch is the nifty Bailey Fountain (not on this time of year).  The standing figures look towards Manhattan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_Fountain

 

And just off the circle is our park entrance — with a much smaller arch — the Endale Arch.  Just through it marks the point where the leashes come off each morning.  This morning though — flooded and downed trees & branches:
http://www.museumplanet.com/tour.php/nyc/pp/36

 

Just across the street from my building, the stunning Art Deco library:

 

Some not-famous architectural details from my block:

 

While Park Slope is famous for its brownstones and limestones, there’s plenty of that here in “the Heights” as well.  Functioning gas lights as well (see foreground):

 

Signs?   Not so many here — or much elsewhere in NYC for that matter.  Sure, Manhattan has some neon — but sadly not nearly the quality or quantity of even a medium-sized city anywhere in America.  Here’s a super cute plastic sign a few blocks from me at King Laundry:

 

And some other fun signs at my local hardware store.  Which smells like a real hardware should, with super friendly staff, and loose nails for sale by the pound.  They opened in 1964:

The neon skeleton (window) signs might be from the 1960s — or they might be much more recent — but still, all the hardware classics are here:

The hammer works in 3-part animation:

 

Exploring the main shopping street in the slush last weekend, I encountered this little thing parked on a newspaper machine:

 

Three Mexican restaurants, a big beer store, a friendly auto mechanic — I’m set!  And I discovered what I believe are the world’s best bagels.  And god knows, I’ve had thousands!  From the “Olde Brooklyn Bagel Shop”, this is a multi-grain with vegetable cream cheese:

 

The dogs are adjusting well.  Although the view sucks compared to the one we had, there’s no street noise and still loads of sun for basking:

 

OK — one more gratuitous doggie photo — Nik thinking he’s oh so invisible:

 

Hope you enjoyed the quickie tour.  I’m back at work on the website, adding the rest of the Oklahoma photos.  Hoping to finish them by Thanksgiving and then start on the Upper Midwest photos.  No roadtrips on the calendar til the next biggie in Spring.  But I’m sure there will be some little getaway before that and I’ll be blogging to you then.