New York has always been a city with a large population of immigrants. In 1947, Flatbush, like much of the United States, found itself in a state of flux. It became a popular destination due to its low rents and accepting attitude towards a diverse working populace. It also provided, as an alternative to slum tenements, Victorian homes with owners seeking to make additional income by renting out individual rooms, offering a more hospitable environment to both tenants and owners alike.
As returning military servicemen searched for opportunities to restart their interrupted lives, people became much more mobile, and the younger generation began to seek alternatives to the lives they had known prior to World War II. New York became a magnet for the high influx of Jewish refugees, seeking an escape from the refugee camps of Europe following their liberation from the Nazi concentration camps. Flatbush became a haven for the Jewish population, and a Jewish center in Brooklyn.
This Old House: Victorian Flatbush
Prospec Park - Credit: GK tramrunner229
Prospect Park lies on the site of the Battle of Long Island, which took place during the American Revolution. It covers 585 acres, and was first conceived in 1860.
Reformed Dutch Protestant Church Cemetary - Credit: Jim.henderson
The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church is one of the oldest churches in Flatbush. Originally established and built in 1796, the Church was added to the National Historic Register in 1983.
Manhattan Bridge - Credit: David Torres
A suspension bridge that crosses the East River, connecting lower Manhattan with Brooklyn at Flatbush Avenue. Originally built in 1909, it is 6,855 feet long.
During the 1940s, one of New York's biggest attractions was Coney Island. Providing beautiful beaches, amusement rides, and a general air of entertainment that was so desperately needed after the war, Coney Island became a regular getaway, not only for the returning GIs flocking to the Flatbush area, but for the immigrant population as well. Coney Island provided a great weekend escape for everyone.
