Victorian Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York

There is a section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn that is comprised of large homes from the late 1800's to early 1900's period, built when the town of Flatbush, which is what that area was called, was still a sleepy village deeply rooted in its Dutch colonial past. The bucolic setting at the time attracted the educated professional classes, as well as wealthy industrialists including the Gillette, Guggenheim, Hellman, Carter Ink and Fruit of the Loom families, among others of prominence at the time.

(All photos enlarge when clicked on)

They had majestic residences built designed by the top architects of the time.
Recently, the editors of the magazine "This Old House" choose Victorian Flatbush as one of the most desirable areas in which to buy a Queen Anne, Tudor, or Victorian era house.

The entire article can be read online: This Old House: Best Places to Buy an Old House: Editors' Top 12 Picks

The neighborhoods of Victorian Flatbush are located in a 2.5 square mile area bounded by Prospect Park to the North, Avenue H to the South, Ocean Avenue to the East, and Coney Island Avenue to the West. Today Victorian Flatbush is a dynamic community located in the heart of Brooklyn. Each of the eleven neighborhoods is unique, with their own architectural styles and histories.

Single family homes are beautifully maintained with spacious yards and wrap-around porches on tree lined streets.

The beautiful house above was recently sold for $1,850,000.

A local ABC news station interviewed the top realtor in the area about the "This Old House" magazine article in a segment called "More Bang For Your Buck" which can be seen at this link , which also contains some more views of these homes.

Victorian Flatbush has been used for many movie and TV show location shots, and one famous one was the poignant movie adaptation of the William Styron novel "Sophie's Choice," which starred Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Peter MacNicol.

I loved one of the first lines of dialogue in the movie when the young southern writer named Stingo narrates: "Even back then cheap apartments were hard to find in Manhattan. And so began my voyage of discovery... in a place as strange as Brooklyn."

The house below is for sale! See the listing here.
It is a Grand Colonial with 15 rooms, plus a five room private office, and has Tiffany stained glass windows, all original wood detail and six fireplaces.

Isn't it exquisite? I'm sure it's full of window seats, alcoves, staircases and landings, gables and turrets, and all sorts of nooks and crannies to explore. I would just like to be able to sit on the large front porch in a wicker rocker and sip some lemonade. Truly an elegant home from a bygone era.

Even the street in front is beautiful, a wild boulevard divided by a middle mall consisting of trees, grass and flowers, and the street lights are antique in style!

There is a mix of all kinds of architecture in this area, and the homes which are smaller in stature are still large and imposing compared to others usually found in New York City, and therefore they are very desirable for large families.



The house below was built in 1903 by John J. Petit, and the design is a Victorian interpretation of a Japanese temple.

The trees and shrubbery were very overgrown, so it was hard to get a photo of the whole house but its roof was shaped in a pagoda style, and you can see all the ornamental moldings and trim, and the unusual colors it is painted.

I don't live in this area -- I wish I did-- but I've been inside this lovely home, below, quite a few times, and I know it has been used as a location for many TV commercials plus a few "Law and Order" TV show tapings. It is a very well cared for and beautiful home.

The following few homes are all on the same block as the house above, so as you can see they are all architecturally diverse, and very colorful!




There are many Tudor style homes and the following photos show some of the different styles.





Some more uniquely styled homes.

Sadly, hungry post WWII developers, intent on maximizing their profit from property lots to accommodate the population boom, tore down literally hundreds of majestic residences, some even more magnificent than the ones I've shown, and built high rise rental apartments in their place. Urban sprawl and the city's economic depression in the 1970's caused some decline. The crime rate increased and school conditions deteriorated in some areas, but generally these neighborhoods have worked hard to bring back a sense of desirability and safety.

The past ten years has seen an economic boom in Brooklyn, rejuvenating these areas, and landmarks preservation designation has prevented more homes from being torn down, and has brought residents eager to protect what is a remarkable, and in some cases irreplaceable, architectural history.

So, yes, you were right, Stingo. Brooklyn is still a strange, yet wondrous, place!

Tomato Tart

I have a bounty of tomatoes ripening all at once, so I am trying to find new ways to use them.

This recipe was delicious!

Tomato Tart

Pastry:

2 cups flour, plus more as needed

(I used whole wheat flour, but you can use white if you prefer)

1 egg yolk

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup ( one stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Filling:

1/2 cup Grated fontina or mozzarella cheese

4 medium red and yellow tomatoes if available, about two pounds total.

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

0ne tablespoon dried chopped basil -if desired

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano - if desired

One 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1) Prepare pastry. Combine flour, egg yolk and salt in a large bowl. Quickly mix in butter with your hands until evenly blended. Add ice cold water by the tablespoon - 2 to 3 total --until you can gather the dough into a ball. Wrap ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or longer ( up to one day)

2) Heat oven to 450 degrees Coat a 10 to 12 inch pizza pan or tart pan with oil or butter -- I used a cast iron frying pan. Roll out dough on a floured board and place in pan making a rim. Bake at 450 degrees of 12 to 15 minutes, or until it just begins to color. Remove and cool in pan on a rack ( can be made and hour or two ahead of time)

3) reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees.

Make filling:

Sprinkle grated cheese over cooled crust. Core and slice tomatoes 1/4 inch . If very juicy allow excess juice to drain, along with excess seeds. Layer the tomatoes over the cheese and crust, slightly overlapping. Season with salt and pepper, basil and oregano, drizzle with oil.

4) Bake at 400 degrees for 30 - 45 minutes or until tomatoes are hot and crust is browned. Transfer to wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, and serve warm.

Buon Appitito!