champion-horse
Champion Horse Dead at 4
December 4, 2015
cricketheader
Frustration
December 26, 2015
Show all

Belmont & Brooklyn

3-in-brooklyn1

Did you know there were 3 racetracks in Brooklyn?

Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay and Gravesend… now they are the names of neighborhoods, but before and at the turn of the 20th Century they were busy, thriving, successful race tracks. By 1910, after New York (and many other states) railed against gambling, it was outlawed and the racing disappeared.

We visited our horses at Belmont before make our way to Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island. Here I am with each of them:

3-in-brooklyn1

Hay Field is really sweet. She likes to snuggle. She carefully sampled Mrs. Pasture’s Cookies, decided she liked them and enjoyed several more. Today she breezed in company with Allie N’ Kat. Seemed like a nice, easy workout.

3-in-brooklyn2

Here’s Allie N’ Kat. He was more interested in his hay and alfalfa than he was in cookies. He looks like a strong boy. Hopefully, he will like a route of ground, since he doesn’t flash the speed of a sprinter.

3-in-brooklyn3

FlatteryWillGetYou is a beautiful chestnut filly. She does show speed. We couldn’t get her to take a cookie… but there’s next time!

We enjoyed seeing Samantha, Luis, Rick, Taylor and Adam. The fun was just beginning.

I’m a Brooklyn boy and loved going to Coney Island as a kid, especially George Tilyou’s Steeplechase Park. So, we met Harvey and Barbara at Nathan’s for a quick bite (Nu, where else would we eat in Coney Island). The outside seemed like the same Nathan’s but they didn’t serve you through windows, they’s renovated to make the interior look like any other fast food restaurant. I never ate their hotdogs, since they weren’t kosher, but the french fries… they used to be delicious. Once again they were reminiscent of the those great fries of yesteryear but they were missing something. Still, it was nice to relive the past. (Too bad Mrs. Shatzkin’s Knishes are gone!)

Then, we walked over to the Coney Island History Project (under the Wonder Wheel) for a tour of their small site and an outdoor walking tour of the area. The photos and other printed materials were incredible.

I thought the Polar Bear Club only came out in January but apparently they come out every Sunday. Here they are gathering for the tourists.

3-in-brooklyn4

Only in Brooklyn…

Then, we went to the Brooklyn Museum in Crown Heights for a delightful exhibit of Coney Island 1861-2008. It was quite interesting with artists’ depictions of Copney Island, films featuring or using Coney Island as a backdrop and actual pieces of old Coney Island, like the Cyclops head from outside one of the parks and a plaque of Neptune from the Washington Baths. We even got to see the Museum Parking Lot which had been redesigned by Barbara and Harvey’s son!

What would the day have been without lighting the first candle for Chanukah?

3-in-brooklyn5

The Nachmans had us over for lighting and latkes (and brisket too). Food was much better than Nathan’s and it was nice to see Arielle and Josie with Rhoda above, as well as the rest of the family that could make it, including Kenny and Jeannie.

Happy holidays to all!

Comments are closed.