I enjoyed working and learning with the faculty and Brooklyn Historical society staff this semester; I would like to reflect especially on one of our assignment papers, which was called Overlapping New Yorks. This assignment was the one I enjoyed the most because in this essay I used everything we have learned this past months such as our walking tour, visits to BHS and class readings which all related to Brooklyn’s history. I was interested in the point professor Rosen wanted us to get across in this essay. This point being that we can see overlapping New Yorks everywhere. It is amazing how by just crossing a street there is an extreme change of neighborhoods such as the transition from Downtown Brooklyn to Brooklyn Heights. For this essay I chose The Brooklyn Heights Promenade not only because it is a beautiful place but because I had been there before but knew little of its history. When I learned that this promenade lies above the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) I was surprised, how such a peaceful place can be above a noisy highway and wanted to learn more. I learned that the idea of building this promenade was part of a resolution plan to the creation of the BQE. Since many Brooklyn Heights Residents opposed the idea that the BQE should be built to cut right through the middle of the neighborhood; the resolution plan was to build it on the edge and build this promenade to insulate the neighborhood from the noise. Visiting this place again after learning some history was amazing it is such a beautiful place and has an amazing view. It is clear that this is the perfect place to see overlapping New Yorks. First there is this peaceful promenade located in a quiet neighborhood and it is not until you look down on the edge that you realize it is located right above a busy and noisy highway.
