Midwood, Brooklyn
Encyclopedia
40.623334°N 73.961678°W
Midwood is a neighborhood in the south central part of the New York City borough
of Brooklyn
, New York, USA, roughly halfway between Prospect Park
and Coney Island
. The neighborhood is within Community District 14. It is patrolled by the 61, 66th and 70th precincts of the NYPD
.
It is bounded on the north by the Bay Ridge Branch
freight line tracks just above Avenue I and the Brooklyn College
campus of the City University of New York
, and on the south by Avenue P and Kings Highway
. The eastern border is Nostrand Avenue or Flatbush Avenue (depending on whom you ask), and Coney Island Avenue, McDonald Avenue or Ocean Parkway
to the west is the other boundary (again, depending upon whom you ask).
word, "Midwout" (middle woods), the name the settlers of New Netherland
called the area of dense woodland midway between the towns of Boswyck
(Bushwick) and Breuckelen
(Brooklyn). Later, it became part of old Flatbush, situated between the towns of Gravesend
and Flatlands
.
Settlement was begun by the Dutch in 1652, and they later gave way to the English (who conquered it in 1664), but the area remained rural and undeveloped for the most part until its annexation to the City of Brooklyn. It became more developed in the 1920s when large middle-class
housing tracts and apartment buildings were built.
Many Midwood residents moved to the suburbs in the 1970s, and the neighborhood and its commercial districts declined. Drawn by its quiet middle-class ambiance, new residents began pouring into Midwood during the 1980s; many of them were recently-landed immigrants from all over the world. The largest group were from the Soviet Union
, but substantial numbers also arrived from Jamaica
, Haiti
, Mexico, Guyana
, and elsewhere in South America; from Ireland, Italy, Poland, the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), and elsewhere in eastern Europe; and from Greece, Turkey
, Israel
, Syria
, the Persian Gulf states, Iran
, Pakistan
, India, Bangladesh
, China, and Korea. So, in a short time, Midwood was transformed, from a predominantly Jewish neighborhood with a smattering of Irish-Americans and German-Americans, to a remarkably polyglot section of the borough of Brooklyn.
Many people erroneously refer to Midwood as being "part of Flatbush
", an older and more established neighborhood and former township which in the 19th century included modern Midwood. Many also consider the nearby neighborhood of Fiske Terrace/Midwood Gardens to be part of Midwood, but, as in many cities, neighborhood boundaries in Brooklyn are somewhat fluid and poorly-defined.
established itself in the neighborhood in 1907, when the Vitagraph
company occupied a studio at Avenue M and East 14th Street. Scenes from films like "Hey Pop" and "Buzzin’ Around," starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
, were filmed on streets in Midwood. Warner Bros.
purchased the studio in the 1920s, using it for short subjects, and moved the studio operation to Hollywood in 1939. The building is now home to the Shulamith Yeshiva
School for Girls, but a large smokestack bearing the name Vitagraph is still on the property, visible from the BMT Subway line, as are two brick walls from the original studio. Many Vitagraph Employees resided within the community. After Warner Bros.
vacated the land (in the late 1960s-early 1970s), Yeshiva University
purchased it for Brooklyn Torah Academy, the Brooklyn branch of their high school. The Shulamith School purchased the property years later, when it merged BTA into Manhattan Torah Academy. Present day, many within the community have no clue that the Shulamith School building's and property were once a film studio in its heyday. The Brooklyn Historical Society
and the Museum Of The Moving Image (Astoria, New York) have a collection on The Vitagraph Studios. One private present-day longtime resident possesses a small but "private" collection (and wealth of history) on the Vitagraph Studios. An Old Vintage aerial photograph of The Vitagraph Complex (and its streets) hangs today on a wall in the Offices of the 'Midwood Development Corporation.'
The Vitagraph Studios were later featured in a New York Times Article (2007), and in the PBS
, WNET
-13 TV Special 'A Walk Through Brooklyn,' hosted by David Hartman
and historian Barry Lewis. Old historic photographs of the studio show that part of it also existed across the Brighton line
subway tracks where Edward R. Murrow High School
now stands.
"The Leading Male" Men's attire, which was once located at the corner of Kings Highway and East 12th Street, was the source for the disco
attire that John Travolta
and the other male cast members wore in the film Saturday Night Fever
. A duplicate of the white suit Travolta wore in the film was at that time displayed in one of the showcase windows.
to the '60s Hip Hullabaloo to 'The Cosby Show' to CBS daytime's 'As The World Turns'!"
In 1952, NBC
Television purchased part of the Vitagraph Studios
, which then became known as NBC Brooklyn. Studio 1 is along Locust Avenue. A new larger studio known as Color Studio 2 is at 1268 East 14th Street, on the northwest corner of its intersection with Avenue M. Programs such as The Perry Como
Variety Show, TV's adaptation of Broadway's Peter Pan
with Mary Martin
, The Sammy Davis, Jr.
Variety Show, the nighttime version of the quiz show Tic Tac Dough, Sing Along With Mitch Miller
(And His "Sing-Along Gang") (1961–1964) which featured a then-young singer named Leslie Uggams
, who years later became best known for her role in the historic TV epic Roots
, were all taped there for later broadcast. Old NBC press releases show that two of the earliest shows to emanate from there (both then considered early NBC "Big Specials") were The Esther Williams
Aqua Special (10/29/1956), and Satins & Spurs (10/12/1954). The same Brooklyn studios were used in more recent decades to broadcast the soap opera
Another World
, Another World "spin-off" soap drama Somerset (1971–1976), the situation comedy The Cosby Show
, and three 1975 episodes of Saturday Night Live
. There was also an NBC News
NASA
Apollo Space Mission Special taped here, a short-lived mystery detective drama, and a weekly circus variety show (the later two for another network). Bill Cosby
and crew after a period of time relocated the show to their new home at the Kaufman Astoria Studios
in Astoria, Queens
. The "second" NBC Cosby Show that followed (co-starring the late comedic actress Madeline Kahn
, most notably of Mel Brooks
hit comedy films Blazing Saddles
and Young Frankenstein
) was also taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios.
In 1965–66, the studios were also home to Hullabaloo
, a popular weekly NBC prime-time musical variety series, produced by Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion (Smith being best known for producing Barbra Streisand
TV specials). Hullabaloo first aired on NBC on the evening of 1/12/1965, and its final episode was aired on 4/11/66. The program featured bands at the top of the music charts, singers and other celebrity entertainers of the period such as Sonny & Cher
and Tina Sinatra
, and many performers from the so-called British Invasion
, like The Rolling Stones
, Herman's Hermits
, The Dave Clark Five
, Petula Clark
, Marianne Faithfull
, The Moody Blues
, and Donovan
. It first originated from the NBC Studios in Burbank, California
, and its premiere was hosted by Jack Jones. After a brief period of time the program was moved east to NBC Color Studio 2 in Midwood. Who can forget The Hip 'Hullabaloo' "A-GO-GO" Dancers featuring Lada Edmund, Jr.? During its New York heyday a few episodes were also recorded at NBC's headquarters studios in Rockefeller Center
. Brian Epstein
, manager of The Beatles
, also hosted a Hullabaloo program from London. Neither The Beatles nor Elvis Presley
were ever a guest or host of the aforementioned variety shows, however.
The Sammy Davis, Jr.
show was taped in the much smaller Studio 1 located along Locust Ave. The audience entrance was on the northernmost part of East 13th, opposite the outdoor scenic storage yard. In the early 1970s the NBC TV variety show Kraft Music Hall
was taped in Studio 2. Ed McMahon
, country music star Eddy Arnold
, and John Davidson
were frequent hosts. Guests included Johnny Cash
, Simon & Garfunkel, Woody Allen
, Wayne Newton
, Bill Dana, Alan King
, Bobby Darin
, Dionne Warwick
, her sister Dee Dee Warwick
, Mitzi Gaynor
, Roy Rogers
and his wife Dale Evans
, and many others. Desi Arnaz
hosted one episode. His ex-wife actress/TV icon comedienne Lucille Ball
and her kids specifically flew in from Hollywood to cheer him on, on this his return to TV. One memorable episode of the Kraft Music Hall program was hosted by comedian Don Rickles
, which featured him walking off a Coney Island
–bound Brighton Line
subway train at the Avenue M station, then speaking about old Brooklyn memories, old childhood street games of the past while walking the avenue, then playing a game of "Kick-the-Can" and New York-style stickball
, all actually filmed on location on E. 15th Street between Avenue M and the old Vitagraph Studios
building at Chestnut Avenue.
Many of the noted variety shows (with the exception of Mitch Miller
) had a live studio audience for both rehearsals and/or actual show recording. Often NBC Guest Relations staff could be found standing on the street outside the studio offering free tickets to the dress rehearsals and/or the actual taping of those 1960s programs, and sometimes even The Cosby Show. The only exception to that was the brief Saturday Night Live
stint at the studio (which was pre-filled to capacity) as well as "big name" guest or host show tapings (e.g. The Rolling Stones or Desi Arnaz, especially with the presence of Lucille Ball
at the studio to cheer on Arnaz). NBC Guest Relations operated a charter bus to/from their Rockefeller Center headquarters to the Brooklyn studio for pre-ticketed 1960s audience members, so that they did not have to travel by car or subway. They also did so for The Cosby Show. Fans in the know could always be found outside the studio entrance waiting to greet their favorite celebrity, many of whom in turn were happy to stop and chat, sign an autograph, pose for a photo, all without the hassle of present day out-of-control paparazzi
. From the 1950s through the original Cosby Show years, the NBC Brooklyn studio presence in Midwood basically transformed the community's Avenue M into Brooklyn's own versions of Broadway and Hollywood. Fond memories of the great many "A-List" celebrities that had performed inside the former NBC Studios and walked the local streets still exist today. Now, many within the community, and visitors alike, do not even know that a television production studio exists at the location, nor that the adjacent present-day Shulamith School property was once an early major silent film studio. A few old classic episodes of Perry Como, Hullabaloo, and Kraft Music Hall (taped at the studio) can be found on VHS and DVD, as well as on YouTube. The Museum of Television and Radio (New York and Los Angeles) has a collection on the noted television programs.
NBC sold the studio in 2000. The facility is now known as JC Studios. The CBS
soap opera As the World Turns
was taped here from January 2000 until June 2010. The series was cancelled after 54 years. The final episode aired on September 17, 2010.
When NBC Brooklyn Color Studio 2 was built, the studio was at the time said to be "the largest color TV production studio in America", rivalling Pinewood Studios
just west of London.
According to the NYC Mayor's Office Of Film, Television and Theater, the present JC Studios building consists of Stage 1, which is 11,200 sq ft (163' × 70', w/a 24 feet (7.3 m) ceiling height), and Stage 2 which is 9,700 sq ft (130' × 75', with a 38'-10" ceiling height). There are 31 dressing rooms, two control rooms, hair, makeup and dressing areas, and one edit suite. Two very large and visible NBC 'N' logo signs were placed on the East 13th and 14th Street upper parts of the big Red Brick Studio 2 Building on Avenue M until The Cosby Show
years. To the dismay of many remaining long-time residents, both were taken down when NBC vacated the premises, prior to the studios being sold to JC Studios.
The nearby Edward R. Murrow High School
offers its students classes in television production and had its own student-produced local Public-access television
program on BCAT
called T.E.R.M. Many of its former students are currently employed in some form of television production, including news at WNBC
and Fox 5 WNYW
.
Among movies and TV shows that have been filmed in Midwood are:
's BMT Brighton Line
at Avenue H
, Avenue J
, Avenue M
, and Kings Highway
, and to the West the (F) IND Culver Line
with stations at Avenue I, Bay Pkwy, Avenue N, Avenue P and Kings Highway. There are also the 2 & 5 trains [Brooklyn College – Flatbush Ave.]
NYC bus lines serving the community include the B2, B6, B7, B9, B11, B31, B41, B44, B49, B68, B82, B100 Local buses, B6, B41, B44, B49 (southbound AM rush only), B103 Limited-Stop Buses and the BM2, BM3, and BM4 Express Buses. You can board a Mn. Bound BM 2,3,4 Bus at the N/E of Ocean Ave. & Ave. K. There is no Express Bus Service On Sunday. There is also a private bus line like Monsey Trails (Brooklyn to Monsey, NY vice-versa), and a private bus service between Midwood and Borough Park that both serve the local Jewish Community.
The main shopping streets in the area are Kings Highway
, Avenue J, Avenue M, Flatbush Avenue
, Nostrand Avenue, and Coney Island Avenue
.
In the 1960s and the early 1970s, Nostrand Avenue between Avenues M and N was considered one of New York's best streets for shopping by New York
magazine. The street was known for fashionable boutiques such as "Edna Nelkin's Jewelry," America's finest children's wear boutique, "Greenstone's" (now located on both Columbus and Madison Avenues in Manhattan), "Burton's", "Shirtland", and "The Shoe Box". As retailers retired, the street changed and became known for its automobile showrooms, including Plaza Honda. A U.S. Postal Service Facility (Zip Code 11210) can be found on Nostrand Ave. between Ave. I-J.
In its heyday, Kings Highway had Dubrow's Cafeteria
, a classic cafeteria where holes would be punched in patrons' printed tickets, which would total the cost of the meal. It was a popular place to eat and "schmooze". Also "Levine's" was the king of the bar mitzvah suit trade, and "Jimmy's" catered to high fashion customers. Kings Hwy. was "Home" to the now famed Crazy Eddie
Electronics Empire. The first Original Crazy Eddie
store was located on Kings Hwy., then moved to larger quarters just South Of Kings Hwy. On Coney Island Ave. A branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
can be found on the east side of Ocean Avenue just south of Kings Highway. In its heyday there were also two popular movie theaters on Kings Hwy. and they were the "Kingsway", and the "Avalon
" (it closed in 1982). Visitors to Kings Hwy. are amused by the pro-colored holiday-style lights that are strung across above the street and feature a lighted gold "Kings Crown" at a few intersections. In the fall of 2008, NYC DOT plans to implement an experimental "Congestion Parking Plan" along the Kings Hwy. Biz District, which may raise parking meter rates from 75 Cents, to as much as $2.50 an hour. Specific streets not designated yet.
Avenue M, which is "The Heart of Midwood", was home to "Cookie's", one of Brooklyn's best known restaurants and "hang-outs" (also popular with the NBC studio crowd) Back in the 1920s through the 1940s, the "Dorman Square Restaurant" was popular with the Vitagraph studios crowd, as well as played a role in a vitagraph film or two. And one of Brooklyn's most legendary Italian restaurants, "Restaurant Bonaparte," and it as well catered to the actors and actresses working on Avenue M in the NBC studio at that time. Restaurant Bonaparte was known for its "Three Musketeers." It also had a wishing well fountain in its lobby entrance, filled with customers coins. The Avenue has an elevated subway station. Up until the 1970s, Avenue M had its own movie theater, The Century "Elm" (now the "Emigrant Savings Bank"). Nearest the end of each June, the 'Midwood Development Corporation' Hosts the Popular 'Midwood Mardi Gras' Street Fair Along The Avenue, from East 12th St. to Ocean Avenue. Shoppers can find a municipal muni-meter parking lot on East 17th Street at Chestnut Ave. just north of Avenue M. Many of the retail businesses are closed due to the Jewish Sabbath and Higher Holy Days. Notable exceptions are 7–11, Pete's Pizza, Dunkin' Donuts, Chock Full O' Nuts, as well as some other non- Jewish owned establishments like Chinese restaurants, Russian bakeries, grocers, fruit markets and newsstands.
Avenue J is a low-key commercial strip, with many kosher restaurants, deli
, pizzerias, and butchers. DiFara's Pizza (at E. 15th St.) is cited by the recently released 2008 Zagat Survey
as "The Best Pizza in NYC." At $5.00 for a regurlar slice, DiFara's Pizza is the only non-Kosher pizzeria on Ave J, likely only thriving due to its high quality pizza, and there is usually a waiting line outside to get in. Others specialize more narrowly, such as one bakery concentrating on Russian bread. Ostrovitsky's Bakery sells gourmet cookies and cakes. A number of large fruit grocers such as Fruit Palace and Blue Ribbon offer high quality produce at competitive prices. A large selection of exotic dried fruit
s and nuts can be found at "Oh Nuts!" There was also once a "Cookie's" restaurant on the corner of East 16th St. & Ave. J (and even Ave. U as well). A branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
can be found on E. 16th. St. just North Of The Avenue. The Avenue had its own movie theater simply named The "Midwood" Theater (closed in the early 1980s). But Avenue J can also be hectic during weekdays. Much foot and vehicle traffic, and finding a parking spot is a big problem. A branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
is located on E. 16th St. just north Of Ave. J. Many of the retail businesses are closed due to the Jewish Sabbath and Higher Holy Days. Notable exceptions are Duane Reade, Walgreens, Associated Supermarkets and grocers or newsstands serving the Muslim community.
On Coney Island Avenue in Midwood, primarily between Avenue H and Avenue P, are the U.S. Postal Service Midwood station (Zip Code 11230), The "Kent Triplex Movie Theater", and other assorted retailers. Between Avenue O and Quentin Road are Turkish
restaurants and a hookah
bar. Near Avenue L what was believed to be the largest all-kosher supermarket in the United States opened in August 2008. The 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) Pomegranate was "also hoping to lure customers who don't keep kosher with its array of organic meats and chemical-free produce."
On Coney Island Avenue and Avenue K is Golan Dried Fruit well known for their fresh dried fruit and nuts.
Just off of Nostrand Avenue, along Avenue's J, K, L, M, N are a number of business establishments, many that also offer goods and services to the local Jewish community.
In the 1980s and 1990s, a wave of Orthodox Jews moved into the area from Borough Park
, attracted by Midwood's large homes and tree-lined streets. Today, in addition to European Orthodox Jews, the area is home to a burgeoning Sephardic population. Along Kings Highway from Coney Island to McDonald Avenues you will find Middle Eastern restaurants and take-out food shops.
East Of Ocean Avenue the community is also known as "East Midwood" and/or "Nottingham". The area between Ocean Parkway and McDonald Avenue is referred to as "West Midwood". A number of residential blocks within the community are patrolled by volunteers from groups such as the Nottingham Assn. Patrol, the Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol, and 24/7/365 private armed security response personnel on some streets. Alternate side parking rules(for street cleaning) exist within the community on designated days, so do read the signs. Two volunteer ambulance services serve Midwood, and they are Flatbush Hatzoloh, and the East Midwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The nearest hospital's are New York Presbyterian Community Hospital, and 'Beth Israel King Highway.' Both are certified "9-1-1 FDNY-EMS" Receiving emergency facilities. Presently many residential homes within the community are valued at about $500,000.00 to a million plus. One of Brooklyn's last remaining (then intact) old Farms was located on the site of a present day apartment complex at 1279 East 17th St. (just north of Ave. M) up until it was torn down in the mid 1960s. The ELM is the community's official tree (one local street is named Elm Avenue as a result).
In his run for the White House
, Democratic
presidential candidate John F. Kennedy
held a massive campaign rally just outside Dubrow's Cafeteria
. A massive crowd of people turned out to hear this popular political icon speak. The crowd he drew stretched for blocks in all directions. Years later his brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy
("Bobby") held a similar campaign rally there for his run for President, with a similarly large audience. The community has long been known for being a Democratic stronghold.
Cablevision (subscription) Cable TV/Optimum Online
Internet is available within the community. (High-speed Fiber-optic service has yet to be offered)
s, near Edward R. Murrow High School
, and the track and playing field
s of Brooklyn College
and Midwood High School
. Local Yeshiva
boys often play basketball during lunch breaks at Kolbert Park. Kolbert is also very popular with many Russian male Seniors who can be seen heavily engaged in daily board games such as Chess
. Long-time and past residents alike still refer to Kolbert Park as simply "Avenue L Park." Another interesting park is 'Friends Field' at E. 2nd. St. and Ave. L. The park is popular with baseball-playing Yeshiva boys on Friday afternoons. 'Friends Field' features Baseball Diamonds and Tennis Courts. Just opposite Friends Field along McDonald Ave. is the Erasmus Hall High School
Football Field (Closed to the public when not in use). The Sprawling Square block-long Midwood High School
Field (E. 16th–17th Street, Avenues. K-L) features handball courts, tennis courts, a runners track and a field used for football, rugby and soccer. It is quite visible to passengers on the adjacent BMT Subway line. NYPD-FDNY Charity Sporting Games, as well as NY-based Daytime TV "Soap Opera" Cast Baseball Games are often held there- (The studios used for CBS TV's "As The World Turns" is nearby). Annual NYC Public School JV Varsity Football Championship and Playoff Games are held there as well. Students from adjacent Edward R. Murrow High School
also use the field during school hours. For historical purposes, in 1977, Current Borough President Marty Markowitz ("Mr. Brooklyn"), (then known as State Senator Markowitz), and other pols began the Annual "Midwood Field Concerts" Series at the Midwood High School
Field. The concert series was later moved to its present home at Asser Levy Park (along Sea Breeze Avenue) in Brighton Beach (opposite the NY Aquarium), and is these days is known as the "Seaside Summer Concert Series" (held Thursday evening's July and August of each year).
There are two popular public pedestrian "rest" spots within the community. The first is 'Corporal Wiltshire Square', named in Honor of Corporal Clifford T. Wiltshire, located at the intersection of Ocean Avenue where it merges with Ave. 'P' and Kings Highway. The other is 'Sgt. Joyce Kilmer
Triangle', located at the crossroads of Kings Highway and Quentin Road (E. 12th–13th Streets), so named in honor of American journalist and poet Sgt. Joyce Kilmer
(1866–1918). Kilmer is a second cousin of American Actor Val Kilmer
.
there, and Midwood is also home to several large orthodox synagogues, including the Young Israel of Midwood, Agudas Yisroel Bais Binyomin of Avenue L, The 'minyan factory' known as Landau's Shul, offering minyanim every 15 minutes on an average day, plus several Syrian Orthodox synagogues. Synagogues based out of homes, called Shtiebel
ach, are also common.
In November 2009 the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
, a beneficiary agency of the UJA-Federation of New York, partnered with Masbia
in the opening of a kosher
soup kitchen
on Coney Island Avenue.
The East Midwood Jewish Center
is a Renaissance revival
building listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2006. The Kingsway Jewish Center
was listed in 2010.
On Noveember 12, 2011, four cars were torched, many KKK, Nazi Swastikas and other hate symbols were spraypainted on benches and other items. The following day, state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, state Sen. Eric Adams and civil rights attorney Normal Siegal joined a protest march the against the hate crime. A reward of $30,000 was raised for any information leading to those who committed this hate crime.
The area between Avenue I and Newkirk Avenue is heavily populated by Muslims. Most of the Muslims are from Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. This area also has the largest Mosque in Brooklyn, the Muslim Community Center of Brooklyn Inc.; (also known as Makki Masjid).
St. Brendan's Parish and Our Lady Help of Christians are two Roman Catholic Church
congregations located in Midwood. The Church of 'The Three Hierachs' Greek Orthodox serves the Greek residents of the community. The Episcopal
'Church of the Epiphany' also serves the community.
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Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, USA, roughly halfway between Prospect Park
Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
Prospect Park is a 585-acre public park in the New York City borough of Brooklyn located between Park Slope, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Kensington, Windsor Terrace and Flatbush Avenue, Grand Army Plaza and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden...
and Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
. The neighborhood is within Community District 14. It is patrolled by the 61, 66th and 70th precincts of the NYPD
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
.
It is bounded on the north by the Bay Ridge Branch
Bay Ridge Branch
The Bay Ridge Branch is a rail line owned by the Long Island Rail Road and operated by the New York and Atlantic Railway in the U.S. State of New York...
freight line tracks just above Avenue I and the Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
campus of the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
, and on the south by Avenue P and Kings Highway
Kings Highway (Brooklyn)
Kings Highway is a broad avenue that passes mostly through areas in the southern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The west end is at Bay Parkway and 78th Street. East of Ocean Avenue the street becomes mostly residential, tending generally east, then northeast, then north through...
. The eastern border is Nostrand Avenue or Flatbush Avenue (depending on whom you ask), and Coney Island Avenue, McDonald Avenue or Ocean Parkway
Ocean Parkway (Brooklyn)
Ocean Parkway is a broad boulevard in the west central portion of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City.-Route description:Ocean Parkway extends over a distance of about five miles , running almost north to south from the vicinity of Prospect Park to Brighton Beach...
to the west is the other boundary (again, depending upon whom you ask).
History
The name, Midwood, derives from the DutchDutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
word, "Midwout" (middle woods), the name the settlers of New Netherland
New Netherland
New Netherland, or Nieuw-Nederland in Dutch, was the 17th-century colonial province of the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands on the East Coast of North America. The claimed territories were the lands from the Delmarva Peninsula to extreme southwestern Cape Cod...
called the area of dense woodland midway between the towns of Boswyck
Bushwick, Brooklyn
Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood, formerly Brooklyn's 18th Ward, is now part of Brooklyn Community Board 4...
(Bushwick) and Breuckelen
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
(Brooklyn). Later, it became part of old Flatbush, situated between the towns of Gravesend
Gravesend, Brooklyn
Gravesend is a neighborhood in the south-central section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA.The derivation of the name is unclear. Some speculate that it was named after the English seaport of Gravesend, Kent. An alternative explanation suggests that it was named by Willem Kieft for the...
and Flatlands
Flatlands, Brooklyn
Flatlands is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18.One of the original five Dutch towns on Long Island , this neighborhood was originally known as Nieuw Amersfoort, after the Dutch city of Amersfoort, but the name was changed to...
.
Settlement was begun by the Dutch in 1652, and they later gave way to the English (who conquered it in 1664), but the area remained rural and undeveloped for the most part until its annexation to the City of Brooklyn. It became more developed in the 1920s when large middle-class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
housing tracts and apartment buildings were built.
Many Midwood residents moved to the suburbs in the 1970s, and the neighborhood and its commercial districts declined. Drawn by its quiet middle-class ambiance, new residents began pouring into Midwood during the 1980s; many of them were recently-landed immigrants from all over the world. The largest group were from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, but substantial numbers also arrived from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Mexico, Guyana
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, and elsewhere in South America; from Ireland, Italy, Poland, the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), and elsewhere in eastern Europe; and from Greece, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, the Persian Gulf states, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, India, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, China, and Korea. So, in a short time, Midwood was transformed, from a predominantly Jewish neighborhood with a smattering of Irish-Americans and German-Americans, to a remarkably polyglot section of the borough of Brooklyn.
Many people erroneously refer to Midwood as being "part of Flatbush
Flatbush, Brooklyn
Flatbush is a community of the Borough of Brooklyn, a part of New York City, consisting of several neighborhoods.The name Flatbush is an Anglicization of the Dutch language Vlacke bos ....
", an older and more established neighborhood and former township which in the 19th century included modern Midwood. Many also consider the nearby neighborhood of Fiske Terrace/Midwood Gardens to be part of Midwood, but, as in many cities, neighborhood boundaries in Brooklyn are somewhat fluid and poorly-defined.
Education
Educational facilities:- Brooklyn CollegeBrooklyn CollegeBrooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
, - Edward R. Murrow High SchoolEdward R. Murrow High SchoolEdward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
, - Midwood High SchoolMidwood High SchoolMidwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students...
, - Shulamith School for GirlsShulamith School for GirlsShulamith School for Girls is a centrist Modern Orthodox Jewish, at one time Middle States accredited school currently located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York, in the building that originally housed...
, - Prospect Park Yeshiva
- Touro CollegeTouro CollegeTouro College is a sponsored independent institution of higher and professional education, in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by Dr. Bernard Lander, the College was established primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American community...
- Yeshiva of Flatbush
- Masores Bais Yakkov
Film
Midwood has long played a part in both film and television production. The film industryFilm industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
established itself in the neighborhood in 1907, when the Vitagraph
Vitagraph Studios
American Vitagraph was a United States movie studio, founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. By 1907 it was the most prolific American film production company, producing many famous silent films. It was bought by Warner Bros...
company occupied a studio at Avenue M and East 14th Street. Scenes from films like "Hey Pop" and "Buzzin’ Around," starring Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle
Fatty Arbuckle
Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. Starting at the Selig Polyscope Company he eventually moved to Keystone Studios where he worked with Mabel Normand and Harold Lloyd...
, were filmed on streets in Midwood. Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
purchased the studio in the 1920s, using it for short subjects, and moved the studio operation to Hollywood in 1939. The building is now home to the Shulamith Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
School for Girls, but a large smokestack bearing the name Vitagraph is still on the property, visible from the BMT Subway line, as are two brick walls from the original studio. Many Vitagraph Employees resided within the community. After Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
vacated the land (in the late 1960s-early 1970s), Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
purchased it for Brooklyn Torah Academy, the Brooklyn branch of their high school. The Shulamith School purchased the property years later, when it merged BTA into Manhattan Torah Academy. Present day, many within the community have no clue that the Shulamith School building's and property were once a film studio in its heyday. The Brooklyn Historical Society
Brooklyn Historical Society
Founded in 1863, the Brooklyn Historical Society is a museum, library, and educational center preserving and encouraging the study of Brooklyn's rich 400-year past. The Brooklyn Historical Society houses materials relating to the history of Brooklyn and its people. These holdings supply...
and the Museum Of The Moving Image (Astoria, New York) have a collection on The Vitagraph Studios. One private present-day longtime resident possesses a small but "private" collection (and wealth of history) on the Vitagraph Studios. An Old Vintage aerial photograph of The Vitagraph Complex (and its streets) hangs today on a wall in the Offices of the 'Midwood Development Corporation.'
The Vitagraph Studios were later featured in a New York Times Article (2007), and in the PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
-13 TV Special 'A Walk Through Brooklyn,' hosted by David Hartman
David Hartman (TV personality)
David Downs Hartman is an American journalist and media host who began his media career as an actor. He currently anchors and hosts documentary programs on cable TV's History and on PBS. Hartman is best known as the first host of ABC's Good Morning America, from 1975 to 1987. As an actor, he...
and historian Barry Lewis. Old historic photographs of the studio show that part of it also existed across the Brighton line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
subway tracks where Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
now stands.
"The Leading Male" Men's attire, which was once located at the corner of Kings Highway and East 12th Street, was the source for the disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
attire that John Travolta
John Travolta
John Joseph Travolta is an American actor, dancer and singer. Travolta first became known in the 1970s, after appearing on the television series Welcome Back, Kotter and starring in the box office successes Saturday Night Fever and Grease...
and the other male cast members wore in the film Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever
Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 drama film directed by John Badham and starring: John Travolta as Tony Manero, an immature young man whose weekends are spent visiting a local Brooklyn discothèque; Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual friend; and Donna Pescow as Tony's former dance...
. A duplicate of the white suit Travolta wore in the film was at that time displayed in one of the showcase windows.
Television
"Midwood, Brooklyn, A Community From Which Great Television Entertainment Has Emanated ... from Perry ComoPerry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
to the '60s Hip Hullabaloo to 'The Cosby Show' to CBS daytime's 'As The World Turns'!"
In 1952, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
Television purchased part of the Vitagraph Studios
Vitagraph Studios
American Vitagraph was a United States movie studio, founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. By 1907 it was the most prolific American film production company, producing many famous silent films. It was bought by Warner Bros...
, which then became known as NBC Brooklyn. Studio 1 is along Locust Avenue. A new larger studio known as Color Studio 2 is at 1268 East 14th Street, on the northwest corner of its intersection with Avenue M. Programs such as The Perry Como
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with them in 1943. "Mr...
Variety Show, TV's adaptation of Broadway's Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
with Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
, The Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
Variety Show, the nighttime version of the quiz show Tic Tac Dough, Sing Along With Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
(And His "Sing-Along Gang") (1961–1964) which featured a then-young singer named Leslie Uggams
Leslie Uggams
Leslie Uggams is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for her work in Hallelujah, Baby! She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority.-Singing:...
, who years later became best known for her role in the historic TV epic Roots
Roots (TV miniseries)
Roots is a 1977 American television miniseries based on Alex Haley's fictional novel Roots: The Saga of an American Family. Roots received 36 Emmy Award nominations, winning nine. It also won a Golden Globe and a Peabody Award. It received unprecedented Nielsen ratings with the finale still...
, were all taped there for later broadcast. Old NBC press releases show that two of the earliest shows to emanate from there (both then considered early NBC "Big Specials") were The Esther Williams
Esther Williams
Esther Jane Williams is a retired American competitive swimmer and MGM movie star.Williams set multiple national and regional swimming records in her late teens as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team...
Aqua Special (10/29/1956), and Satins & Spurs (10/12/1954). The same Brooklyn studios were used in more recent decades to broadcast the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
, Another World "spin-off" soap drama Somerset (1971–1976), the situation comedy The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
, and three 1975 episodes of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. There was also an NBC News
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Apollo Space Mission Special taped here, a short-lived mystery detective drama, and a weekly circus variety show (the later two for another network). Bill Cosby
Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
and crew after a period of time relocated the show to their new home at the Kaufman Astoria Studios
Kaufman Astoria Studios
The Kaufman Astoria Studios is an historic movie studio located in the Astoria section of the New York City borough of Queens.-History:It was originally built by Famous Players-Lasky in 1920 to provide the company with a facility close to the Broadway theater district. Many features and short...
in Astoria, Queens
Astoria, Queens
Astoria is a neighborhood in the northwestern corner of the borough of Queens in New York City. Located in Community Board 1, Astoria is bounded by the East River and is adjacent to three other Queens neighborhoods: Long Island City, Sunnyside , and Woodside...
. The "second" NBC Cosby Show that followed (co-starring the late comedic actress Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn
Madeline Kahn was an American actress. Kahn was known primarily for her comedic roles in films such as Paper Moon, Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, What's Up, Doc?, and Clue.-Early life:...
, most notably of Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
hit comedy films Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 satirical Western comedy film directed by Mel Brooks. Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, the film was written by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger, and was based on Bergman's story and draft. The movie was nominated for three...
and Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein
Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. The supporting cast includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard...
) was also taped at Kaufman Astoria Studios.
In 1965–66, the studios were also home to Hullabaloo
Hullabaloo (TV series)
Hullabaloo is an American musical variety series that ran on NBC from January 12, 1965 through August 29, 1966. Similar to Shindig! it ran in prime time in contrast to ABC's American Bandstand.-Overview:...
, a popular weekly NBC prime-time musical variety series, produced by Gary Smith and Dwight Hemion (Smith being best known for producing Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
TV specials). Hullabaloo first aired on NBC on the evening of 1/12/1965, and its final episode was aired on 4/11/66. The program featured bands at the top of the music charts, singers and other celebrity entertainers of the period such as Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher
Sonny & Cher were an American pop music duo, actors, singers and entertainers made up of husband-and-wife team Sonny and Cher Bono in the 1960s and 1970s. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector....
and Tina Sinatra
Tina Sinatra
Christina "Tina" Sinatra is the youngest child of Frank Sinatra and his first wife, Nancy Barbato Sinatra. Christina's parents divorced when she was three years old...
, and many performers from the so-called British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
, like The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
, The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five
The Dave Clark Five were an English pop rock group. Their single "Glad All Over" knocked The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964: it eventually peaked at No.6 in the United States in April 1964.They were the second group of the British Invasion,...
, Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
, Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Faithfull is an award-winning English singer, songwriter and actress whose career has spanned five decades....
, The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
, and Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
. It first originated from the NBC Studios in Burbank, California
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in Los Angeles County in Southern California, United States, north of downtown Los Angeles. The estimated population in 2010 was 103,340....
, and its premiere was hosted by Jack Jones. After a brief period of time the program was moved east to NBC Color Studio 2 in Midwood. Who can forget The Hip 'Hullabaloo' "A-GO-GO" Dancers featuring Lada Edmund, Jr.? During its New York heyday a few episodes were also recorded at NBC's headquarters studios in Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National...
. Brian Epstein
Brian Epstein
Brian Samuel Epstein , was an English music entrepreneur, and is best known for being the manager of The Beatles up until his death. He also managed several other musical artists such as Gerry & the Pacemakers, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, Cilla Black, The Remo Four & The Cyrkle...
, manager of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, also hosted a Hullabaloo program from London. Neither The Beatles nor Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
were ever a guest or host of the aforementioned variety shows, however.
The Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
show was taped in the much smaller Studio 1 located along Locust Ave. The audience entrance was on the northernmost part of East 13th, opposite the outdoor scenic storage yard. In the early 1970s the NBC TV variety show Kraft Music Hall
Kraft Music Hall
The Kraft Music Hall was a popular variety program, featuring top show business entertainers, which aired on NBC radio and television from 1933 to 1971....
was taped in Studio 2. Ed McMahon
Ed McMahon
Edward Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer. He is most famous for his work on television as Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on The Tonight Show from 1962 to 1992. He also hosted the original version of the talent show Star Search from 1983 to 1995...
, country music star Eddy Arnold
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
, and John Davidson
John Davidson (entertainer)
John Hamilton Davidson, Sr. is an American singer, actor and game show host known for hosting That's Incredible!, Time Machine, and Hollywood Squares in the 1980s, and a revival of The $100,000 Pyramid in 1991....
were frequent hosts. Guests included Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, Simon & Garfunkel, Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
, Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton
Wayne Newton is an American singer and entertainer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He performed over 30,000 solo shows in Las Vegas over a period of over 40 years, earning him the nicknames The Midnight Idol, Mr. Las Vegas and Mr. Entertainment...
, Bill Dana, Alan King
Alan King (comedian)
Alan King was an American actor and comedian known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. King became well known as a Jewish comedian and satirist. He was also a serious actor who appeared in a number of movies and television shows. King wrote several books, produced films, and...
, Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, her sister Dee Dee Warwick
Dee Dee Warwick
Dee Dee Warwick was an American soul singer. Born in Newark, New Jersey as Delia Mae Warrick, she was the sister of Dionne Warwick, niece of Cissy Houston and cousin of Whitney Houston....
, Mitzi Gaynor
Mitzi Gaynor
-Life and career:Gaynor was born as Francesca Marlene de Czanyi von Gerber in Chicago, Illinois to Pauline Fisher, a dancer, and Henry von Gerber, a violinist, cellist, and music director. The family first moved to Detroit and when she was eleven to Hollywood, California.She trained as a ballerina...
, Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers, born Leonard Franklin Slye , was an American singer and cowboy actor, one of the most heavily marketed and merchandised stars of his era, as well as being the namesake of the Roy Rogers Restaurants franchised chain...
and his wife Dale Evans
Dale Evans
Dale Evans, was an American writer, movie star, and singer-songwriter. She was the third wife of singing cowboy Roy Rogers.-Early life:...
, and many others. Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz
Desi Arnaz was a Cuban-born American musician, actor and television producer. While he gained international renown for leading a Latin music band, the Desi Arnaz Orchestra, he is probably best known for his role as Ricky Ricardo on the American TV series I Love Lucy, starring with Lucille Ball, to...
hosted one episode. His ex-wife actress/TV icon comedienne Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
and her kids specifically flew in from Hollywood to cheer him on, on this his return to TV. One memorable episode of the Kraft Music Hall program was hosted by comedian Don Rickles
Don Rickles
Donald Jay "Don" Rickles is an American stand-up comedian and actor. A frequent guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Rickles has acted in comedic and dramatic roles, but is best known as an insult comic....
, which featured him walking off a Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
–bound Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
subway train at the Avenue M station, then speaking about old Brooklyn memories, old childhood street games of the past while walking the avenue, then playing a game of "Kick-the-Can" and New York-style stickball
Stickball
Stickball is a street game related to baseball, usually formed as a pick-up game, played in large cities in the Northeastern United States, especially New York City. The equipment consists of a broom handle and a rubber ball, typically a spaldeen, pensie pinkie, high bouncer or tennis ball. The...
, all actually filmed on location on E. 15th Street between Avenue M and the old Vitagraph Studios
Vitagraph Studios
American Vitagraph was a United States movie studio, founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York. By 1907 it was the most prolific American film production company, producing many famous silent films. It was bought by Warner Bros...
building at Chestnut Avenue.
Many of the noted variety shows (with the exception of Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
) had a live studio audience for both rehearsals and/or actual show recording. Often NBC Guest Relations staff could be found standing on the street outside the studio offering free tickets to the dress rehearsals and/or the actual taping of those 1960s programs, and sometimes even The Cosby Show. The only exception to that was the brief Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
stint at the studio (which was pre-filled to capacity) as well as "big name" guest or host show tapings (e.g. The Rolling Stones or Desi Arnaz, especially with the presence of Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
at the studio to cheer on Arnaz). NBC Guest Relations operated a charter bus to/from their Rockefeller Center headquarters to the Brooklyn studio for pre-ticketed 1960s audience members, so that they did not have to travel by car or subway. They also did so for The Cosby Show. Fans in the know could always be found outside the studio entrance waiting to greet their favorite celebrity, many of whom in turn were happy to stop and chat, sign an autograph, pose for a photo, all without the hassle of present day out-of-control paparazzi
Paparazzi
Paparazzi is an Italian term used to refer to photojournalists who specialize in candid photography of celebrities, politicians, and other prominent people...
. From the 1950s through the original Cosby Show years, the NBC Brooklyn studio presence in Midwood basically transformed the community's Avenue M into Brooklyn's own versions of Broadway and Hollywood. Fond memories of the great many "A-List" celebrities that had performed inside the former NBC Studios and walked the local streets still exist today. Now, many within the community, and visitors alike, do not even know that a television production studio exists at the location, nor that the adjacent present-day Shulamith School property was once an early major silent film studio. A few old classic episodes of Perry Como, Hullabaloo, and Kraft Music Hall (taped at the studio) can be found on VHS and DVD, as well as on YouTube. The Museum of Television and Radio (New York and Los Angeles) has a collection on the noted television programs.
NBC sold the studio in 2000. The facility is now known as JC Studios. The CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
soap opera As the World Turns
As the World Turns
As the World Turns is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS from April 2, 1956 to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created As the World Turns as a sister show to her other soap opera Guiding Light...
was taped here from January 2000 until June 2010. The series was cancelled after 54 years. The final episode aired on September 17, 2010.
When NBC Brooklyn Color Studio 2 was built, the studio was at the time said to be "the largest color TV production studio in America", rivalling Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a major British film studio situated in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, approximately west of central London. The studios have played host to many productions over the years from huge blockbuster films to television shows to commercials to pop promos.The purchase of Shepperton...
just west of London.
According to the NYC Mayor's Office Of Film, Television and Theater, the present JC Studios building consists of Stage 1, which is 11,200 sq ft (163' × 70', w/a 24 feet (7.3 m) ceiling height), and Stage 2 which is 9,700 sq ft (130' × 75', with a 38'-10" ceiling height). There are 31 dressing rooms, two control rooms, hair, makeup and dressing areas, and one edit suite. Two very large and visible NBC 'N' logo signs were placed on the East 13th and 14th Street upper parts of the big Red Brick Studio 2 Building on Avenue M until The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
years. To the dismay of many remaining long-time residents, both were taken down when NBC vacated the premises, prior to the studios being sold to JC Studios.
The nearby Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
offers its students classes in television production and had its own student-produced local Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
program on BCAT
Brooklyn Community Access Television
Brooklyn Community Access Television is the Public, educational, and government access cable television network in Brooklyn, New York City, operated owned by BRIC|Arts|Media. BCAT TV Network has four channels on the Time Warner, Cablevision, RCN and Verizon FiOS cable networks, which broadcast...
called T.E.R.M. Many of its former students are currently employed in some form of television production, including news at WNBC
WNBC
WNBC, virtual channel 4 , is the flagship station of the NBC television network, located in New York City. WNBC's studios are co-located with NBC corporate headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in midtown Manhattan...
and Fox 5 WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
.
Among movies and TV shows that have been filmed in Midwood are:
- AméricaAmérica (TV series)América is a Brazilian telenovela that was originally broadcast in 2005 by Rede Globo. The telenovela focused on the life of an illegal immigrant to the United States and the lives of those she left behind in Brazil. It stars Deborah Secco and Murilo Benício...
(1972) – TV series - The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
(1972) - Just LookingJust LookingJust Looking is an American feature film from the year 1999. It starred Ryan Merriman, was directed by Jason Alexander and received a limited theatrical release....
(1999) - The Squid and the WhaleThe Squid and the WhaleThe Squid and the Whale is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach and produced by Wes Anderson. It tells the semi-autobiographical story of two boys in Brooklyn dealing with their parents' divorce in the 1980s. The film is named after a giant squid and sperm whale diorama...
(2005) - The Lords of FlatbushThe Lords of FlatbushThe Lords of Flatbush is a 1974 American drama film about a street gang in leather jackets from the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York....
(1974), scenes filmed at James Madison High School and along Bedford Avenue, Avenue P, Quentin Road and Kings Highway - The Cosby ShowThe Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
Avenue L entrance, and school name sign of E.R. Murrow High School, various episodes - SeinfeldSeinfeldSeinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
Episode 134 – "The Abstinence" (11/21/96) Avenue L entrance of E. R. Murrow High School, school name sign changed to "E. R. Murrow Jr. High School" - Scenes from the film The Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of CairoThe Purple Rose of Cairo is a 1985 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. Inspired by Sherlock, Jr., Hellzapoppin, and Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author, it is the tale of a film character who leaves a fictional film of the same name and enters the real...
(1985), directed by Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
and starring Mia FarrowMia FarrowMia Farrow is an American actress, singer, humanitarian, and fashion model.Farrow first gained wide acclaim for her role as Allison Mackenzie in the soap opera Peyton Place, and for her subsequent short-lived marriage to Frank Sinatra...
and Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
, inside the Kent Theater on Coney Island Avenue
Bus and subway
The area is served by the New York City SubwayNew York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
's BMT Brighton Line
BMT Brighton Line
The BMT Brighton Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway in Brooklyn, New York City, United States. Local service is provided at all times by the Q train. The Q is joined by the B express train on weekdays...
at Avenue H
Avenue H (BMT Brighton Line)
Avenue H is a local station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Avenue H between East 15th and East 16th Streets on the border of Midwood and Flatbush, Brooklyn, it is served by the Q train at all times. The campuses of Brooklyn College and Midwood High School are...
, Avenue J
Avenue J (BMT Brighton Line)
Avenue J is a local station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway, located on Avenue J between East 15th and East 16th Streets in Midwood, Brooklyn. It is served by the Q train at all times....
, Avenue M
Avenue M (BMT Brighton Line)
Avenue M , is a local station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway. It is located in Midwood, Brooklyn, at Avenue M between East 15th and East 16th Streets. It is served by the Q train at all times....
, and Kings Highway
Kings Highway (BMT Brighton Line)
Kings Highway is an express station on the BMT Brighton Line of the New York City Subway. Served by the Q train at all times and by the B on weekdays, it is located at Kings Highway between East 15th and East 16th Streets on the border of Midwood and Sheepshead Bay neighborhoods of Brooklyn.This...
, and to the West the (F) IND Culver Line
IND Culver Line
The IND Culver Line is a rapid transit line of the B Division of the New York City Subway, extending from Downtown Brooklyn south to Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, United States...
with stations at Avenue I, Bay Pkwy, Avenue N, Avenue P and Kings Highway. There are also the 2 & 5 trains [Brooklyn College – Flatbush Ave.]
NYC bus lines serving the community include the B2, B6, B7, B9, B11, B31, B41, B44, B49, B68, B82, B100 Local buses, B6, B41, B44, B49 (southbound AM rush only), B103 Limited-Stop Buses and the BM2, BM3, and BM4 Express Buses. You can board a Mn. Bound BM 2,3,4 Bus at the N/E of Ocean Ave. & Ave. K. There is no Express Bus Service On Sunday. There is also a private bus line like Monsey Trails (Brooklyn to Monsey, NY vice-versa), and a private bus service between Midwood and Borough Park that both serve the local Jewish Community.
Shopping
Kings Highway (Brooklyn)
Kings Highway is a broad avenue that passes mostly through areas in the southern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The west end is at Bay Parkway and 78th Street. East of Ocean Avenue the street becomes mostly residential, tending generally east, then northeast, then north through...
, Avenue J, Avenue M, Flatbush Avenue
Flatbush Avenue (Brooklyn)
Flatbush Avenue is one of the major avenues in the New York City Borough of Brooklyn. It runs from the Manhattan Bridge south-southeastward to Jamaica Bay, where it joins the Marine Parkway Bridge, which connects Brooklyn to the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens...
, Nostrand Avenue, and Coney Island Avenue
Coney Island Avenue
Coney Island Avenue is a roadway in the New York City borough of Brooklyn that runs north-south for a distance of roughly five miles, almost parallel to Ocean Parkway. It begins at Brighton Beach Avenue in Coney Island and goes north to Park Circle at the southwest corner of Prospect Park, where...
.
In the 1960s and the early 1970s, Nostrand Avenue between Avenues M and N was considered one of New York's best streets for shopping by New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine. The street was known for fashionable boutiques such as "Edna Nelkin's Jewelry," America's finest children's wear boutique, "Greenstone's" (now located on both Columbus and Madison Avenues in Manhattan), "Burton's", "Shirtland", and "The Shoe Box". As retailers retired, the street changed and became known for its automobile showrooms, including Plaza Honda. A U.S. Postal Service Facility (Zip Code 11210) can be found on Nostrand Ave. between Ave. I-J.
In its heyday, Kings Highway had Dubrow's Cafeteria
Dubrow's Cafeteria
Dubrow's Cafeteria was a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Miami Beach. Dubrow's was established in 1929 by an immigrant named Benjamin Dubrow . Dubrow was married to Rose Solowey, from the country now known as Belarus...
, a classic cafeteria where holes would be punched in patrons' printed tickets, which would total the cost of the meal. It was a popular place to eat and "schmooze". Also "Levine's" was the king of the bar mitzvah suit trade, and "Jimmy's" catered to high fashion customers. Kings Hwy. was "Home" to the now famed Crazy Eddie
Crazy Eddie
Crazy Eddie is the name of a consumer electronics retailer conducting business through the internet and by telephone. The venture is the most recent to be doing business under the Crazy Eddie name, with the most well known being a chain of retail stores that operated throughout New York, New...
Electronics Empire. The first Original Crazy Eddie
Crazy Eddie
Crazy Eddie is the name of a consumer electronics retailer conducting business through the internet and by telephone. The venture is the most recent to be doing business under the Crazy Eddie name, with the most well known being a chain of retail stores that operated throughout New York, New...
store was located on Kings Hwy., then moved to larger quarters just South Of Kings Hwy. On Coney Island Ave. A branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. Like the two other public library systems in New York City, it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the...
can be found on the east side of Ocean Avenue just south of Kings Highway. In its heyday there were also two popular movie theaters on Kings Hwy. and they were the "Kingsway", and the "Avalon
Avalon Theater (Brooklyn)
The Avalon Theater was a now defunct theater that opened in Brooklyn, New York on January 25, 1928 and was located on Kings Highway at the northwest corner of East 18th Street in the United States of America....
" (it closed in 1982). Visitors to Kings Hwy. are amused by the pro-colored holiday-style lights that are strung across above the street and feature a lighted gold "Kings Crown" at a few intersections. In the fall of 2008, NYC DOT plans to implement an experimental "Congestion Parking Plan" along the Kings Hwy. Biz District, which may raise parking meter rates from 75 Cents, to as much as $2.50 an hour. Specific streets not designated yet.
Avenue M, which is "The Heart of Midwood", was home to "Cookie's", one of Brooklyn's best known restaurants and "hang-outs" (also popular with the NBC studio crowd) Back in the 1920s through the 1940s, the "Dorman Square Restaurant" was popular with the Vitagraph studios crowd, as well as played a role in a vitagraph film or two. And one of Brooklyn's most legendary Italian restaurants, "Restaurant Bonaparte," and it as well catered to the actors and actresses working on Avenue M in the NBC studio at that time. Restaurant Bonaparte was known for its "Three Musketeers." It also had a wishing well fountain in its lobby entrance, filled with customers coins. The Avenue has an elevated subway station. Up until the 1970s, Avenue M had its own movie theater, The Century "Elm" (now the "Emigrant Savings Bank"). Nearest the end of each June, the 'Midwood Development Corporation' Hosts the Popular 'Midwood Mardi Gras' Street Fair Along The Avenue, from East 12th St. to Ocean Avenue. Shoppers can find a municipal muni-meter parking lot on East 17th Street at Chestnut Ave. just north of Avenue M. Many of the retail businesses are closed due to the Jewish Sabbath and Higher Holy Days. Notable exceptions are 7–11, Pete's Pizza, Dunkin' Donuts, Chock Full O' Nuts, as well as some other non- Jewish owned establishments like Chinese restaurants, Russian bakeries, grocers, fruit markets and newsstands.
Avenue J is a low-key commercial strip, with many kosher restaurants, deli
Delicatessen
Delicatessen is a term meaning "delicacies" or "fine foods". The word entered English via German,with the old German spelling , plural of Delikatesse "delicacy", ultimately from Latin delicatus....
, pizzerias, and butchers. DiFara's Pizza (at E. 15th St.) is cited by the recently released 2008 Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey
Zagat Survey was established by Tim and Nina Zagat in 1979 as a way to collect and correlate the ratings of restaurants by diners. For their first guide, covering New York City, the Zagats surveyed their friends. As of 2005, the Zagat Survey included 70 cities, with reviews based on the input of...
as "The Best Pizza in NYC." At $5.00 for a regurlar slice, DiFara's Pizza is the only non-Kosher pizzeria on Ave J, likely only thriving due to its high quality pizza, and there is usually a waiting line outside to get in. Others specialize more narrowly, such as one bakery concentrating on Russian bread. Ostrovitsky's Bakery sells gourmet cookies and cakes. A number of large fruit grocers such as Fruit Palace and Blue Ribbon offer high quality produce at competitive prices. A large selection of exotic dried fruit
Dried fruit
Dried fruit is fruit where the majority of the original water content has been removed either naturally, through sun drying, or through the use of specialized dryers or dehydrators. Dried fruit has a long tradition of use dating back to the fourth millennium BC in Mesopotamia, and is prized...
s and nuts can be found at "Oh Nuts!" There was also once a "Cookie's" restaurant on the corner of East 16th St. & Ave. J (and even Ave. U as well). A branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. Like the two other public library systems in New York City, it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the...
can be found on E. 16th. St. just North Of The Avenue. The Avenue had its own movie theater simply named The "Midwood" Theater (closed in the early 1980s). But Avenue J can also be hectic during weekdays. Much foot and vehicle traffic, and finding a parking spot is a big problem. A branch of the Brooklyn Public Library
Brooklyn Public Library
The Brooklyn Public Library is the public library system of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is the fifth largest public library system in the United States. Like the two other public library systems in New York City, it is an independent nonprofit organization that is funded by the...
is located on E. 16th St. just north Of Ave. J. Many of the retail businesses are closed due to the Jewish Sabbath and Higher Holy Days. Notable exceptions are Duane Reade, Walgreens, Associated Supermarkets and grocers or newsstands serving the Muslim community.
On Coney Island Avenue in Midwood, primarily between Avenue H and Avenue P, are the U.S. Postal Service Midwood station (Zip Code 11230), The "Kent Triplex Movie Theater", and other assorted retailers. Between Avenue O and Quentin Road are Turkish
Turkish cuisine
Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighbouring cuisines, including that of western Europe...
restaurants and a hookah
Hookah
A hookah A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) (Hindustani: हुक़्क़ा (Devanagari, (Nastaleeq) huqqah) also known as a waterpipe or narghile, is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled by water. The tobacco smoked is referred to...
bar. Near Avenue L what was believed to be the largest all-kosher supermarket in the United States opened in August 2008. The 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) Pomegranate was "also hoping to lure customers who don't keep kosher with its array of organic meats and chemical-free produce."
On Coney Island Avenue and Avenue K is Golan Dried Fruit well known for their fresh dried fruit and nuts.
Just off of Nostrand Avenue, along Avenue's J, K, L, M, N are a number of business establishments, many that also offer goods and services to the local Jewish community.
In the 1980s and 1990s, a wave of Orthodox Jews moved into the area from Borough Park
Borough Park, Brooklyn
Borough Park , is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City in the United States....
, attracted by Midwood's large homes and tree-lined streets. Today, in addition to European Orthodox Jews, the area is home to a burgeoning Sephardic population. Along Kings Highway from Coney Island to McDonald Avenues you will find Middle Eastern restaurants and take-out food shops.
East Of Ocean Avenue the community is also known as "East Midwood" and/or "Nottingham". The area between Ocean Parkway and McDonald Avenue is referred to as "West Midwood". A number of residential blocks within the community are patrolled by volunteers from groups such as the Nottingham Assn. Patrol, the Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol, and 24/7/365 private armed security response personnel on some streets. Alternate side parking rules(for street cleaning) exist within the community on designated days, so do read the signs. Two volunteer ambulance services serve Midwood, and they are Flatbush Hatzoloh, and the East Midwood Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The nearest hospital's are New York Presbyterian Community Hospital, and 'Beth Israel King Highway.' Both are certified "9-1-1 FDNY-EMS" Receiving emergency facilities. Presently many residential homes within the community are valued at about $500,000.00 to a million plus. One of Brooklyn's last remaining (then intact) old Farms was located on the site of a present day apartment complex at 1279 East 17th St. (just north of Ave. M) up until it was torn down in the mid 1960s. The ELM is the community's official tree (one local street is named Elm Avenue as a result).
In his run for the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
presidential candidate John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
held a massive campaign rally just outside Dubrow's Cafeteria
Dubrow's Cafeteria
Dubrow's Cafeteria was a chain of cafeteria-style restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Miami Beach. Dubrow's was established in 1929 by an immigrant named Benjamin Dubrow . Dubrow was married to Rose Solowey, from the country now known as Belarus...
. A massive crowd of people turned out to hear this popular political icon speak. The crowd he drew stretched for blocks in all directions. Years later his brother Senator Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
("Bobby") held a similar campaign rally there for his run for President, with a similarly large audience. The community has long been known for being a Democratic stronghold.
Cablevision (subscription) Cable TV/Optimum Online
Optimum Online
Optimum Online is a broadband Internet service provider subsidiary of Cablevision.Optimum Online serves some parts of the New York City metropolitan area, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Westchester, and parts of the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.-Standard offering:The basic...
Internet is available within the community. (High-speed Fiber-optic service has yet to be offered)
Parks
Parks consist of Kolbert Park and the Rachel Haber Cohen Playground and adjacent handball and basketball courtBasketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
s, near Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
, and the track and playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
s of Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
and Midwood High School
Midwood High School
Midwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students...
. Local Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...
boys often play basketball during lunch breaks at Kolbert Park. Kolbert is also very popular with many Russian male Seniors who can be seen heavily engaged in daily board games such as Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
. Long-time and past residents alike still refer to Kolbert Park as simply "Avenue L Park." Another interesting park is 'Friends Field' at E. 2nd. St. and Ave. L. The park is popular with baseball-playing Yeshiva boys on Friday afternoons. 'Friends Field' features Baseball Diamonds and Tennis Courts. Just opposite Friends Field along McDonald Ave. is the Erasmus Hall High School
Erasmus Hall High School
Erasmus Hall Campus High School is a four-year public high school in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, United States operated by the New York City Department of Education....
Football Field (Closed to the public when not in use). The Sprawling Square block-long Midwood High School
Midwood High School
Midwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students...
Field (E. 16th–17th Street, Avenues. K-L) features handball courts, tennis courts, a runners track and a field used for football, rugby and soccer. It is quite visible to passengers on the adjacent BMT Subway line. NYPD-FDNY Charity Sporting Games, as well as NY-based Daytime TV "Soap Opera" Cast Baseball Games are often held there- (The studios used for CBS TV's "As The World Turns" is nearby). Annual NYC Public School JV Varsity Football Championship and Playoff Games are held there as well. Students from adjacent Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School
Edward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
also use the field during school hours. For historical purposes, in 1977, Current Borough President Marty Markowitz ("Mr. Brooklyn"), (then known as State Senator Markowitz), and other pols began the Annual "Midwood Field Concerts" Series at the Midwood High School
Midwood High School
Midwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students...
Field. The concert series was later moved to its present home at Asser Levy Park (along Sea Breeze Avenue) in Brighton Beach (opposite the NY Aquarium), and is these days is known as the "Seaside Summer Concert Series" (held Thursday evening's July and August of each year).
There are two popular public pedestrian "rest" spots within the community. The first is 'Corporal Wiltshire Square', named in Honor of Corporal Clifford T. Wiltshire, located at the intersection of Ocean Avenue where it merges with Ave. 'P' and Kings Highway. The other is 'Sgt. Joyce Kilmer
Joyce Kilmer
Alfred Joyce Kilmer was an American journalist, poet, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Though a prolific poet whose works celebrated the common beauty of the natural world as well as his religious faith, Kilmer is remembered most for a short poem entitled "Trees" , which was published in...
Triangle', located at the crossroads of Kings Highway and Quentin Road (E. 12th–13th Streets), so named in honor of American journalist and poet Sgt. Joyce Kilmer
Joyce Kilmer
Alfred Joyce Kilmer was an American journalist, poet, literary critic, lecturer, and editor. Though a prolific poet whose works celebrated the common beauty of the natural world as well as his religious faith, Kilmer is remembered most for a short poem entitled "Trees" , which was published in...
(1866–1918). Kilmer is a second cousin of American Actor Val Kilmer
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer became popular in the mid-1980s after a string of appearances in comedy films, starting with Top Secret! , then the cult classic Real Genius , as well as blockbuster action films, including a supporting role in Top Gun and a...
.
Religious groups
Midwood is a heavily Jewish neighborhood. There are several branches of Touro CollegeTouro College
Touro College is a sponsored independent institution of higher and professional education, in New York City, New York, United States. Founded by Dr. Bernard Lander, the College was established primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American community...
there, and Midwood is also home to several large orthodox synagogues, including the Young Israel of Midwood, Agudas Yisroel Bais Binyomin of Avenue L, The 'minyan factory' known as Landau's Shul, offering minyanim every 15 minutes on an average day, plus several Syrian Orthodox synagogues. Synagogues based out of homes, called Shtiebel
Shtiebel
A shtiebel is a place used for communal Jewish prayer. In contrast to a formal synagogue, a shtiebel is far smaller and approached more casually. It is typically as small as a room in a private home or a place of business which is set aside for the express purpose of prayer, or it may be as large...
ach, are also common.
In November 2009 the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty
The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty is a New York-based non-profit social services organization. It offers services to help needy New Yorkers.-History:...
, a beneficiary agency of the UJA-Federation of New York, partnered with Masbia
Masbia
Masbia is a network of kosher soup kitchens in New York City. Its four locations in the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Boro Park, Williamsburg, and Midwood, and Rego Park, Queens, serve over 500 free, hot kosher meals nightly. Masbia is the only free soup kitchen serving kosher meals in New York City...
in the opening of a kosher
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
soup kitchen
Soup kitchen
A soup kitchen, a bread line, or a meal center is a place where food is offered to the hungry for free or at a reasonably low price. Frequently located in lower-income neighborhoods, they are often staffed by volunteer organizations, such as church groups or community groups...
on Coney Island Avenue.
The East Midwood Jewish Center
East Midwood Jewish Center
East Midwood Jewish Center is a Conservative synagogue located at 1625 Ocean Avenue, Midwood, Brooklyn, New York City.Organized in 1924, the congregation's Renaissance revival building typified the large multi-purpose synagogue centers being built at the time, and was from the 1990s until 2010 the...
is a Renaissance revival
Neo-Renaissance
Renaissance Revival is an all-encompassing designation that covers many 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Grecian nor Gothic but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range of classicizing Italian modes...
building listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2006. The Kingsway Jewish Center
Kingsway Jewish Center
Kingsway Jewish Center is a historic synagogue at 2810 Nostrand Ave. in Midwood, Brooklyn, New York, New York. The Center complex includes the synagogue , school block , and catering hall wing . The synagogue features a series of 18 windows designed by Abstract Expressionist artist Adolph Gottlieb...
was listed in 2010.
On Noveember 12, 2011, four cars were torched, many KKK, Nazi Swastikas and other hate symbols were spraypainted on benches and other items. The following day, state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, state Sen. Eric Adams and civil rights attorney Normal Siegal joined a protest march the against the hate crime. A reward of $30,000 was raised for any information leading to those who committed this hate crime.
The area between Avenue I and Newkirk Avenue is heavily populated by Muslims. Most of the Muslims are from Azad Kashmir and Pakistan. This area also has the largest Mosque in Brooklyn, the Muslim Community Center of Brooklyn Inc.; (also known as Makki Masjid).
St. Brendan's Parish and Our Lady Help of Christians are two Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
congregations located in Midwood. The Church of 'The Three Hierachs' Greek Orthodox serves the Greek residents of the community. The Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
'Church of the Epiphany' also serves the community.
Notable residents
Famous people who grew up, formerly lived, attended or Graduated From A School in Midwood include:- Woody AllenWoody AllenWoody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
(1935–), writer & director, graduated from Midwood High SchoolMidwood High SchoolMidwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students...
, and once resided at Avenue K and Ocean Avenue. - Darren AronofskyDarren AronofskyDarren Aronofsky is an American film director, screenwriter and film producer. He attended Harvard University to study film theory and the American Film Institute to study both live-action and animation filmmaking...
, director, attended Edward R. Murrow High SchoolEdward R. Murrow High SchoolEdward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
(though he grew up in Manhattan Beach) - Didi ConnDidi ConnDidi Conn is an American film, stage and television actress.-Personal life:Conn was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of a clinical psychologist. "Didi" was her childhood nickname...
, actress, graduated Midwood High SchoolMidwood High SchoolMidwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students... - Lou FerrignoLou FerrignoLouis Jude "Lou" Ferrigno is an American actor, fitness trainer/consultant, and retired professional bodybuilder. As a bodybuilder, Ferrigno won an IFBB Mr. America title and two consecutive IFBB Mr. Universe titles, and appeared in the bodybuilding documentary Pumping Iron...
(1951–), actor, bodybuilder, grew up and lived In West Midwood. - Patrick FitzgeraldPatrick FitzgeraldPatrick J. Fitzgerald is the current United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and a member of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Special Counsel...
, Special prosecutor - Phillip J. Fry, fictional, but elaborations on his origin in the television series FuturamaFuturamaFuturama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
prove this as his origin point (e.g. the stop on the Q he used to go home). - Ruth Bader GinsburgRuth Bader GinsburgRuth Joan Bader Ginsburg is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Ginsburg was appointed by President Bill Clinton and took the oath of office on August 10, 1993. She is the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice.She is generally viewed as belonging to...
, Supreme Court Justice, attended East Midwood Jewish CenterEast Midwood Jewish CenterEast Midwood Jewish Center is a Conservative synagogue located at 1625 Ocean Avenue, Midwood, Brooklyn, New York City.Organized in 1924, the congregation's Renaissance revival building typified the large multi-purpose synagogue centers being built at the time, and was from the 1990s until 2010 the...
and James Madison High SchoolJames Madison High School (New York)James Madison High School is a public high school located at 3787 Bedford Avenue, in the Madison section of Brooklyn, New York, and educates grades 9 through 12. It is part of Region 6 in the New York City Department of Education... - Annie GoldenAnnie Golden-Career:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Golden began her career as the lead singer of The Shirts . During the early 1990s she performed as part of the duo Golden Carillo with Frank Carillo. They released three albums,Fire in Newtown, Toxic Emotion, and Back for More. She then returned to The Shirts...
(1951–), actress, lead singer of the Late 1970s Band The ShirtsThe ShirtsThe Shirts are a New York-based American power pop band, which was formed in 1975. The band’s early existence was closely linked with CBGB, a music club in the Bowery, but it reformed with many of the early members in 2003 and is currently active.-The CBGB years, 1975-1981:The Shirts had their...
, Grew Up and Lived In Midwood. - Elliot GoldenthalElliot GoldenthalElliot Goldenthal is an American composer of contemporary classical music. He was a student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, and is best known for his distinctive style and ability to blend various musical styles and techniques in original and inventive ways...
(1954–), contemporary Classical Music Composer, attended I.S. 240-Andres Hudde Junior High School. - Yosef GoldmanYosef GoldmanYosef Goldman is a scholar of American Jewish history and the author of the two-volume reference work, Hebrew Printing in America 1735-1926: A History and Annotated Bibliography . This work is usually cited by auctioneers and rare-book dealers...
, author - Gil HodgesGil HodgesGilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, baseball player and manager. Was a parishioner of Our Lady Help of Christians Church located at E. 28 St. & Avenue M. In 1978, the Marine Parkway Bridge was renamed the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial BridgeMarine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial BridgeThe Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge in New York City is a vertical lift bridge that crosses Rockaway Inlet and connects the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens, with Marine Parkway to Floyd Bennett Field, Flatbush Avenue, and the Marine Park neighborhood in Brooklyn...
.Public School 193 in Midwood and a bowling alley in Mill Basin is named after Hodges, and on April 4, 2001 a portion of Bedford AvenueBedford Avenue (Brooklyn)Bedford Avenue is the longest street in Brooklyn, New York City, stretching and 132 blocks from Greenpoint south to Sheepshead Bay, and passing through the neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, Flatbush and Midwood....
from Ave's. 'L' To 'N' (near his home) was renamed Gil Hodges Way. - Lainie KazanLainie KazanLainie Kazan is an American actress and singer.-Personal life:Kazan was born Lanie Levine in Brooklyn, New York City, the daughter of a Russian Ashkenazi Jewish father who worked as a bookie and a Turkish Sephardic Jewish mother, Carole, whom Kazan has described as "neurotic, fragile and...
, singer, actress ('My Big Fat Greek Wedding'), (1940–) - Arthur MillerArthur MillerArthur Asher Miller was an American playwright and essayist. He was a prominent figure in American theatre, writing dramas that include plays such as All My Sons , Death of a Salesman , The Crucible , and A View from the Bridge .Miller was often in the public eye,...
(1915–2005), playwright, Death of a SalesmanDeath of a SalesmanDeath of a Salesman is a 1949 play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was the recipient of the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Premiered at the Morosco Theatre in February 1949, the original production ran for a total of 742 performances.-Plot :Willy Loman...
. - Erich SegalErich SegalErich Wolf Segal was an American author, screenwriter, and educator. He was best-known for writing the novel Love Story , a best-seller, and writing the motion picture of the same name, which was a major hit....
, novelist, graduated from Midwood High SchoolMidwood High SchoolMidwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students... - Tony SiricoTony SiricoGenaro Anthony "Tony" Sirico, Jr. is an American character actor who is most famous for his role as Paulie Gualtieri in the television series The Sopranos.- Background and career :Sirico was born in Midwood, Brooklyn...
(1942–), actor, "Paulie Walnuts" of HBO's "The Sopranos" was born in Midwood. - Peter SteelePeter SteelePeter Thomas Ratajczyk , better known by his stage name Peter Steele, was the lead singer, bassist, and composer for the gothic metal band Type O Negative...
(1962–2010), lead singer, bassist, and composer for the Gothic Metal band Type O NegativeType O NegativeType O Negative was a gothic metal band from Brooklyn, New York City. The band also incorporated elements of doom metal and thrash metal. Their dramatic lyrical emphasis on themes of romance, depression, and death resulted in the nickname "The Drab Four"...
. He graduated from Murrow High school. - Chris SteinChris SteinChristopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
of the pop band Blondie (band)Blondie (band)Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
attended P.S. 199 in the 1960s. - Sy SymsSy SymsSy Syms was an American businessman, entreupreneur and philanthropist, who founded the SYMS off-price clothing chain in New York City in 1959....
(born Seymour Meninski) (1926–2009), philanthropist, founder and Chairman of the discount men's clothing retailer SYMS, graduated from Midwood High School. - Marisa TomeiMarisa TomeiMarisa Tomei is an American stage, film and television actress. Following her work on As The World Turns, Tomei came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987...
, actress, attended and graduated from Edward R. Murrow High SchoolEdward R. Murrow High SchoolEdward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
. - Adam YauchAdam YauchAdam Nathaniel Yauch , , is a founding member of hip hop trio the Beastie Boys. He is frequently known by his stage name, MCA, and other pseudonyms such as Nathanial Hörnblowér.-Early life:...
, singer, attended Edward R. Murrow High SchoolEdward R. Murrow High SchoolEdward R. Murrow High School, is located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York and is part of the New York City Department of Education....
, member of the Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
Sources
- Midwood section of Congressman Anthony D. Weiner Consulted December 14, 2004
- Interview (with resident) Michael T. Wright- News 12 NetworksNews 12 NetworksNews 12 Networks comprises seven regional cable news television channels in the New York metropolitan area. The channels offer local news 24-hours a day and reach approximately 3.8 million television households in the tri-state area...
'News 12 Bklyn.' 'On The Road In Midwood' Live Broadcast Re: Midwood Celebrities, Vitagraph and NBC Bklyn. History Consulted August 16, 2007, and Sept.- Nov., 2007. - www.Tv.com/Kraft/Kraft Music Hall Consulted October,2007.
- IMBd/Hullabaloo Consulted October,2007.
- Hullabaloo TV Show http://home.att.net/~outasite/hullabshindig.html
- NBC Brooklyn Studios Camera- www.kingoftheroad.net/colorTV/TVcams-in-action.html Consulted Nov.,2007
- JC Studios- NYC Mayor's Office Of Film, Television and Theater Consulted November 2, 2007.
- vidaphone/warner bros. studio http://www.picking.com/vitaphone44.html Consulted April 16, 2009
- Morty Gunty- www.tvparty.com/lostny2funnyco.html Consulted 11/13/2007.
- Dubrow's Cafeteria- www.dubrows.blogspot.com Consulted Nov.,2007.
- NY Times May 2, 1999 Article 'Neighborhood Report:Midwood; Soap Opera Leaves A Ring' Consulted Dec. 6, 2007.
- Fall 2008 Kings Hwy. Expiremental "Parking Congestion Plan"- NYCDOT; News 12 Bklyn. Consulted July 10, 2008.
External links
- NY Times 2003 article about Midwood
- Avenue J List of stores, community services, etc. by category.