Friday, October 28, 2011

A Cold Day in Brooklyn

This was the coldest day we've had here so far but it was sunny. I think the high was 47 or 48. We decided to revisit a few places in Brooklyn Heights and also go to Park Slope near Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Prospect Park was designed by the same guy who designed Central Park so they look similar but this one is smaller. When we left the apartment we had to put on the warm coats and gloves. I was sorry I hadn't put on my long johns! Anyway, we had walked around the Brooklyn Heights area before and it was really pretty and decided to do it again. We went down some of the same streets but also some different ones. We ended up down by the Brooklyn Bridge. It is a gorgeous view of lower Manhattan there and a great view of the bridge also.

I could stand here all day and just look at the skyline and the bridge!

We decided to try out Grimaldi's Pizza which is supposed to be the best pizza in NYC and are baked in coal-fueled ovens. They say no matter what time you go there, there is always a line to get in. Well, they were right. We stood in line for about 40 minutes but since we didn't have anywhere we had to be at a certain time, we just wanted to experience this place. It's a small place and it only serves whole pizzas (most places here you can buy it by the slice) and it's cash only. There's a guy who stands out front and tells you when a table is available. We ordered a small (that was a 16") with Italian sausage and mushrooms for $16. We thought it would be more than that since everyone wants to go there. It was really good but we wouldn't say it's the best we've ever had.

After lunch we headed over to the Park Slope area. We were surprised at the houses there. The whole area was brownstone after brownstone and it was a really clean area. These looked a little bigger than most of the ones we've seen and you could just tell it was a wealthier area than some. They date from the turn of the 20th-century when Park Slope had the nation's highest per-capita income.

It was just block after block of brownstones. There were a lot of them that had these bay windows and they had nice plants and flowers in front.

Have you ever wondered where Thomas Adams Jr lived or wondered who he is? Well, neither have we but now we know where he lived and that he was the inventor of Chiclets chewing gum, and of the automatic vending machines that dispensed it!

The red house on the corner was his. Many critics consider this house the finest example Romanesque Revival residential architecture in NYC. Mr Adams commissioned this double house in 1888 for himself and his son.

See, you learned something today too! Here's another one for you. I love Bon Ami cleanser and use it all the time at home. Well, we saw William H Childs' home too and he is the inventor of Bon Ami. This Elizabethan-style mansion was built in 1900.

William H Childs' Home

We walked several blocks in this area and most homes were the same brownstone style. I took a lot of pictures but have had a hard time trying to narrow it down and only post a few. We decided to walk the width of the park to catch the G train, the one that comes closest to our apartment. We didn't know that area at all and didn't want to be there after dark. We got back about 6:00 and stopped at a Chinese place between here and the subway to pick up something to eat. Got back to the apartment and it was COLD! We tried to contact the landlord but had to leave messages on both phones plus an email. The guy showed up about 45 minutes later and said the pilot light had gone out and he relit it. It was down to 59 degrees in the apartment but seems to be warming up now. It's up to 66 degrees! I certainly don't like this steam heat!!

Tomorrow it is supposed to rain and snow and only get up to 45 degrees. We plan to go to the Bronx and meet Brent's friends Eric and Denise again and, depending on the weather, will either take their little boy to the park to play or if it's raining, we'll just hang out at their place and visit and eat. We'll probably be back earlier than usual so we can start gathering up our stuff and packing some. Sunday is to be nice and we want to get out to Central Park again and I have to say goodbye to the big buildings. We'll be leaving Monday morning.

So, here's one more picture from Park Slope. It was a nice day to walk just to keep warm!

Park Slope area

We walked 9.30 miles today for a total of 210.95 miles! I certainly wouldn't want to do that for a living! Until tomorrow....

Conrad and Linda

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