Fort Greene to Williamsburg Walk (May 10)

Description: We'll walk from Fort Greene to Williamsburg, Brooklyn. First, we'll walk through Fort Greene (tree-shaded streets lined with beautiful Victorian-era townhouses) and Clinton Hill (once a fashionable suburb for the wealthy Gilded Age families.) Along the way, we'll walk past some free-standing Gilded Age mansions of a scale rarely seen in New York City. If it is open, we'll then briefly stop at Pratt Institute to look at the Pratt Institute's Sculpture Garden Park, the largest in New York City. Afterwards, we'll go to South Williamsburg, which is the center of activities for the reclusive large Satmar sect known for their social isolation from most forms of secular culture. In South Williamsburg, we'll then walk up Lee Avenue (lined with Satmar businesses/stores and baby carriages) and stop in a delicious Satmar bakery if someone wants to buy something. If we have time, we'll take a brief walk around the Hipster section of Williamsburg. (The Satmars call the Hipsters the Artisten—the Yiddish name they use for the bewildering newcomers.)

If you are registered for this walk and can't attend, please change your RSVP online. Thank you.

Bring sun protection (But we'll be walking on the shady side of the street as much as possible.)

This is a sociable walk along a very scenic route filled with interesting places. Although I will comment on some things (Gilded Age mansions, Satmar versus Hipster lifestyles, etc.) along the way, this is not one of my walking tours.

This walk is about 4 1/2 miles and moderate paced (not slow paced). If you think that you will be lagging behind, then this type of walk is not good for you.

Below is Pratt Institute's Sculpture Garden Park.

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Below are the Satmars shopping on Lee Avenue in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This was during the Meetup's Fort Greene to Williamsburg walk on September 22, 2014. (Photo JB)

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Below are the Hipsters shopping on the North Side of Williamsburg.

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Cost: The cost of this event is $2 per person, which is paid at the start of the This is for the organizer's Meetup preparation costs and fees.

Meeting Time: The meeting time is (after lunch) at 1:30 PM.

Meeting Place: The meeting place is outside of the side entrance to the Atlantic Terminal Mall in Brooklyn, NY. This side entrance is on the right side of the Mall, which has the spacious plaza with the metal benches. This side entrance is next to the Guitar Center Store. This side entrance is also right across the street from the front entrance to the Barclay Center Arena.

Before the walk, restrooms are available in the Target Department Store in the Atlantic Terminal Mall. These restrooms are located upstairs near the cashiers.

(For some reason, when you click on the address of the meeting location on the google map, you might get a map pointing to the wrong location. This is a computer glitch, so just ignore it. Please read carefully the instructions in the above "Meeting Place" paragraph and see the photo below for the exact location of the meeting place.)

Below is the side entrance of the Atlantic Terminal Mall. The Guitar Center Store is to the right of this side entrance. We are meeting in front of this side entrance.

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Transportation Options: Take the D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, or 4 subway train to Atlantic Avenue. The Atlantic Avenue/Pacific Street station has many subway platforms, stairways, and tunnels, so allow extra time to get to the meeting place. The Atlantic Terminal Mall is above the subway trains and LIRR.

Finishing Time: This walk will finish about 4:30 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Finishing Place: At the end of the walk, we'll be at the M or J subway lines on Marcy Avenue and Broadway.

Rainy weather cancels the walk. Therefore, if it is raining, or the forecast is for rainy conditions, I will post a cancellation notice Sunday morning. If I don't post a cancellation notice, I plan to be at the meeting place.

If you are registered for this walk and can't attend, please change your RSVP online. Thank you.

Below is an old photo of the Gilded Age mansion at No. 241 Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. This was built for Standard Oil businessman Charles Pratt's son Charles Millard Pratt. Today it is the residence of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Brooklyn. (Photo Office for Metropolitan History [Unidentified Photographer, circa 1900])

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Below is an old photo of another Gilded Age mansion at 229 Clinton Avenue In Clinton Hill. This was built for Standard Oil Businessman Charles Pratt’s son Frederic and Frederic’s wife, Caroline Ladd Pratt. Today it is the home to the President of Pratt Institute. (Photo Brooklyn Museum [Unidentified Photographer circa 1905] )

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Below is an old photo of another Gilded Age mansion at 245 Clinton Avenue in Clinton Hill. This was built for Standard Oil Businessman Charles Pratt’s son George Dupont Pratt. The house was purchased by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1918. (Photo Wurts Bros, circa 1905)

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