Just a few steps from our campus City tech across Adams St there is a beautiful park that lets you experience both sides of Brooklyn. While standing on Johnson Street I could not help but notice a beautiful building facing Columbus Park. It was a court house with old architecture, something worth appreciating these days because the big fancy condominiums with huge windows are becoming very common in Brooklyn, Especially along the coast. Here you have this area with a mix of historic buildings and modern condominiums. The same goes for the residents, there are all kinds of people from broke college students to families buying clothing for their children. The area seems to be flooded with luxury buildings, vintage buildings, and Brooklyn natives shopping. Walking down Cadman Plaza I started to really notice how modern this area is and how the big pillars from the Brooklyn Borough president building add historic value to the neighborhood. The thing that really stands out about this area is how history and present mix and it shows that it’s a thriving neighborhood with a growing economy and diverse community.

With all the vintage buildings, countless small businesses and street vendors this area started to feel like a mini Manhattan. Even though every borough has its own distinction about it, every borough has a New York City influence. While standing on the corner of Court Street and Fulton, I decided to walk east towards the Fulton mall because that area was busy and there were a lot of people and I wanted to get an idea of what it’s like here. As I walked further down Fulton I came across a very busy intersection at the entrance of the Fulton street mall I saw many Latino and black families doing shopping for their children, there were a lot of clothing and shoe stores in old vintage Brooklyn style apartment buildings with fine details. It seems like the businesses adapted to the needs of the residents in this part of Brooklyn. Many of the businesses here target average families living in Brooklyn and do business with people from all over New York as well. It’s obvious that this area has grown a lot from what it used to be. The changes are in plain sight, based on the important court buildings and old Brooklyn style apartment buildings; this area was meant to be a busy area. It’s developed so much over the years you can see the newly built modern stores right next to iconic buildings that have been standing there for decades. Its slowly becoming modernized but the beautiful historic parts of Brooklyn are there to stay as a reminder of how our society is changing and always adapting to the present its true for everyone who has lived in New York that “we become New Yorkers the day we realize New York will go on without us” its shown by the rapid growth in this area nearby city tech, the same people living here going on with their daily tasks are the same ones who spent time building their lives and establishing themselves in this economy as New Yorkers and no matter how different the neighborhood may look decades from now it will be known for its community of New Yorkers who have lived through the changes and have seen the city grow and adapt.

Walking through the Fulton street has taught me a lot about the community surrounding city tech and as I reached the end of the shopping center I turned to DeKalb, I couldn’t help but notice a massive building with Greek style pillars and stunning detailed architecture, it was converted to a chase bank but the main focal points of the building stood out as a piece of history, they don’t make buildings like this anymore. The more I walked down DeKalb the quieter I noticed the street became, it was still a busy street but compare to Fulton, and it was very calm. There were still some modern stores and new business but the further I walked away from Fulton the more it felt like what Brooklyn used to be known for, rows of 3 floor apartment buildings, small businesses and countless corner delis. It was by the Brooklyn hospital where the change is most noticeable, just a block past the hospital I reached Fort Green park, it had big green landscapes and smooth hills, when I turned around there were streets with rows of iconic 3 floor subway apartments, it looked like they could go on forever. This is the part of Brooklyn that is forced to adapt to newer modern condominiums and a more diverse community with all kinds of people. So a walk through the shopping center in a busy part of the neighborhood will show you the innovations and plans the community has for the growth of the borough, but a few blocks further towards the heart of Brooklyn will show the roots of the community and where it all began, when a person looks at the luxury buildings built recently and next to it, an old vintage tower with incredible details the difference is obvious, its proof that it’s a growing economy that will continue to take over the historic roots and lay its own roots for future generations to see.

I said before that this area looks like a mini Manhattan, After stepping into the Fort Green park I began to see how much this place has in common with Manhattan Before it was one of the greatest cities in the world, Manhattan used to be a lot smaller, it wasn’t very much different from what Brooklyn is today. From walking here I believe this area is heading towards the same path as Manhattan. The city is growing larger and pretty soon areas around the city will take the identity as “the city” as well. There are already larger skyscrapers and busy streets with thriving business, and there’s even a park nearby to escape the busy streets similar to central park. Walking through here has shown me a transition from one old traditional neighborhood to a modernized city full of all kinds of people. Colson in City Limits stated that “you start building your New York the first time you lay eyes on it” I think the generations of families living here have successfully built a community that is influenced by Manhattan through all the hard work and dedication by living in Brooklyn and contributing to the changing times they unintentionally built their own New York.

Work cited:

[1] Whitehead, Colson. The Colossus of New York.2007. Print.

[2] Whitehead, Colson. The Colossus of New York.2007. Print.