Comments on: Tracing Bushwick’s Roots in Williamsburg Soil

By: Frank Vitagliano

Frank Vitagliano — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:16:43 +0000

Wow, you just took me back 50 years with the pictures of St. NIcholas. I was an alter boy at St. NIcholas in 1955, and also went to St. Nicholas School. With these photo’s and stories you are bringing back so many wonderful memories. Great Work

By: MoyJoy

MoyJoy — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:06:47 +0000

I’ll be there next time!!!!!!!

If there’s an email list that you use for updates please add me!

bushwickbc@gmail.com

By: John Dereszewski

John Dereszewski — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:58:37 +0000

Moy Joy, I am very sorry that you missed the tour. (Though being in Hawaii was not that shabby!) I have enjoyed reading your comments over the past months and really want to meet the “mug behind the mug.” So, I hope you enjoy Diego’s terrific article and pictures, and I look forward to meeting you at the NEXT walking tour.

By: MoyJoy

MoyJoy — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:20:10 +0000

GOT DAYUM IT!!! HOW THE HELL DID I MISS ANOTHER ONE!!?!?!?!

well… I WAS in Hawaii so. LOL!

By: John Dereszewski

John Dereszewski — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:03:31 +0000

No Becky, while the horrible overcrowding occurred during the 1910′s it was only in the 1930′s when the new buildings were constructed.

By: Becky

Becky — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:49:41 +0000

“The Williamsburg Houses were the first major housing projects in the nation and the setting for much of “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.” The complex was built in 1936 in response to heavy overcrowding in the area and its design still receives praise for its Modernist design.”

But “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” was set during the turn of the 20th century. Doesn’t make sense.

By: John Dereszewski

John Dereszewski — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 03:07:48 +0000

Diego, thanks so much for your terrific article. I had as much fun reading it as I did conducting the walking tour. I also look forward to planning another tour like this in the near future.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:21:07 +0000

Thanks John for a great tour. I am looking forward to future outings. Maybe the area east of Flushing Ave. would be interesting.

By: Elena Alayeto

Elena Alayeto — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 02:38:12 +0000

I thoroughly enjoyed our Bushwick-Williamsburg tour last Saturday and
I would agree that Mr. Dereszewski displayed remarkable composure in spite of some of the chaos and noise of the surroundings (for one thing, the neighborhood is obviously an airplane corridor).
At one point, a neighbor approached us quite spontaneously and showed us a photograph of her block taken in the 1920′s.
Mr. Dereszewski shared many interesting historical details about Bushwick, from seventeenth century history, to the transformation of a lofty building to a juvenile hall during the economic devastation of the 1970′s.
I found Mr. Dereszewski’s references to literature to be very thoughtful. I was especially captivated by to his comments on the disappearance of the residential areas mentioned in the book “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”, such as Bogart Street. This sparked a discussion on the need to make peace between residential and commercial space in order to preserve viable communities.
What more can I say except that there were no drop outs and our group was forty strong!

By: gimme

gimme — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 17:58:11 +0000

there’s a goldenrod beer coaster on ebay now.

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