Readers Report
my brooklyn is a dream
a comforting thought
a soothing melody
a poem half forgot
16 April 1999
Flatlands-Mill Basin: This small area really has no official name. It is stuck between Marine Park, Flatlands and Mill Basin. At one point I remember my mother being a part of the Mill Basin Home Association—we almost felt as if we belonged to a neighborhood. It was quite a unique area. It started at Flatlands Avenue and Flatbush Avenue and extended to Utica Avenue. In between was Avenue N, Quentin Road and unfortunately I don't remember one other street name. It included East 45, 46, Schenectady Avenue, 48 and then Utica Ave. Most of the homes were attached and the streets were tree lined. The area schools at that time was P.S. 207 or St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School. The nearest middle school was Marine Park Junior High School No. 278. At that time the high school was James Madison. Since then I recall kids being sent to Tilden. Our neighbors were very watchful of one another. Mostly blue-collar workers with very large families. The pizza in the world was right around the corner at Frank's on the corner of Quentin Road and Flatbush Avenue. I have lived in California for 22 years and still haven't found pizza as good as Frank's. Also, this neighborhood had the best Italian Bakery called Morett's on the corner of East 46 Street and Avenue N. On many a spring morning as we left for school the smell from the bread bakery just filled our lungs—we had to stop and get a fresh roll for the walk to school.
In other words, this neighbor, although somewhat obscure to most, is filled with many interesting worlds. It still seems to go on as if nothing is different. Proof of this was on my last visit two years ago when I stopped in front of my childhood home and noticed the fire hydrant that I painted in 1976 for the Bicentennial Block Party Celebration was still very much the same—the top of it was the stars of the US flag and the bottom the stripes. It has become somewhat of a local landmark.
Although I live 3,500 miles away, my memories are fond and my heart will always be a part of that neighborhood. Go see it for yourself.
16 April 1999
I played stickball on Himrod St. between Knickerbocker and Myrtle Ave. during the late 40s and early 50s. I went to P.S. 86 on Irving and Harmon from 1949 to 1954. From 1955 to 1957, I attended 162 Willoughby J.H.S. 1957 to 1960, N.Y. School of Printing. Are any of you guys or girls from this neighborhood out there? Please respond, we'll reminisce.
16 April 1999
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