My windshield survey

1. By Penelope Jordan

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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.

7. Housing

8. Tivoli Towers

9. Ebbets Field Apartments

10. Row Houses

11. 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.

12. Decay and Pollution

13. Decay and Pollution

14. Un-finished building

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Prospect Park

19. Prospect Park

20. Farmers Market at
Prospect Park

21. Farmers Market at
Prospect Park

22. My Neighborhood Garden

23. Eggplant

24. Comfrey

25. Brooklyn Botanic Garden

26. Central Library

27. Brooklyn Museum

28. 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.

29. Shopping Areas

30. Shopping Areas

31. 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.

32. Local shopping

33. African Market

34. 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.

35. 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.

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. 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.

42. Schools

43. Prospect Heights High
School

44. Base at Prospect Heights

45. Clara Barton High School

46. P.S. 241- Established in
1930

47. Medgar Evers College

48. 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.

49. 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.

50. 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.

51. 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…..

52. Eastern Parkway

53. To this…

54. The End

55. References
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/nyregion/me
mbers-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