Fort Greene Park Conservancy- Learn About Walk Whitman's Contribution to Fort Greene; 7/12; 2PM

To honor Walt Whitman's contribution to establishing Fort Greene Park (which we get nerdy about when given the opportunity), the Fort Greene Park Conservancy and The Walt Whitman Project are sponsoring an afternoon of poetry reading, music and discussion. The event will include two original pieces by composer Gilda Lyons and conclude with a walk up Myrtle Avenue to 99 Ryerson Ave, the last existing building in Brooklyn that was a residence of Walt Whitman.

Those interested should note the following event information:

Sunday July 12, 2009, 2:00PM- Meet at the Visitors Center Top of the Hill, Fort Greene Park
- Enter at the Myrtle Avenue, Washington Park, or DeKalb Avenue entrance

This is a FREE event. For more Information & Reservations (limited to 25 people) call: 718-391-8824.

Toni On! New York Travels to Fort Greene!

We hope that you checked-out Toni On! New York when it aired on the CW, Saturday, April 11th, at 7:30PM. Fort Greene was the focus of this episode, and viewers got a healthy dose of knowledge about the history, culture, and life of the local area.

For instance, did you know that Fort Greene Park was Brooklyn's first park?, named (like the area) after General Nathaniel Greene, an aide to President George Washington (whom he served with during the Battle of Long Island, better known as the Battle of Brooklyn) [If you want to learn more about the history of battles fought in Fort Greene, we very much suggest you contact the Fort Greene Association and Fort Greene Park Conservancy].

The area was originally meant to serve the wealthy society of the (former) City of Brooklyn, including writer Walk Whitman, former U.S. Senator and Governor DeWitt Clinton (after whom Clinton Avenue is named), and the businessman Charles Pratt (who founded Pratt Institute).

Today, though, Fort Greene is home to a diverse community of people. The show did a great job of exploring this, mentioning our neighborhood gems like Vespa Brooklyn, South-African restaurant MADIBA, and local churches such as Emmanuel Baptist and Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian.

We love Fort Greene, and although it's not uncommon to see the neighborhood recognized in the local media as a great place to live, we very much appreciate the fact that Toni On! New York paid special attention to our rich history and growing diversity in their segment!

Lastly, according to Toni On! New York, Fort Greene is the home to the most French-speaking residents in all of Brooklyn! Merveilleux! (We would've bet money that distinction belonged to our Haitian-American population in Crown Heights:)