Go to my Argyle Heights blog for posts on Brooklyn history, described as: “A series of observations about life in West Midwood as it is lived today…or more like yesterday…And how West Midwood’s existential crisis, created by naming itself in relation to somewhere else, would be solved by calling itself Argyle Heights…or Rugby Ridge…or Wuthering Westminster… Anything to suggest elevation since we are up to 40 feet above sea level here in our beautifully hilly Flatbush enclave, complete with nine very dead ends. Because let’s face it: elevation in your name = ka-ching, baby.
1894: Flatbush Avenue at Intersection of Farragut Rd & Rogers Avenue looking east down Farragut (“Ave F”) to Vanderveer Park, just developed by Germania Real Estate & Development Co. They would also develop South Midwood, Midwood Park and West South Midwood in the next few years. Note the overhead electric trolley wires just installed (those are NOT birds!). I was born a few yards from here in 1947, close to the “Jolly Rogers” firehouse out of frame to the left. The block wasn’t as dirty in 1947 but it had become more hard scrabble. The trolley still ran past our door to Ebbets Field (north) and to the beach (south) until 1953. And the Farragut Theater, fronting on Flatbush Avenue (part of the Century chain), across the street from our home, was a quarter for kids every Saturday. My parents (County Limerick & County Kerry) had nine kids and tried to adopt a 10th. A lot of our lives centered around St. Jerome Church, a few blocks away, and the grammar school there. My home got sold to a Haitian family in the 1970s and to be honest, it looks a lot better now. But they probably had less wild kids.
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