Midwood, Brooklyn
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Midwood is a neighborhood in the south central part of the Borough of Brooklyn, New York, USA, roughly halfway between Prospect Park and Coney Island.
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[edit] History
The name Midwood derives from the Dutch word Midwout (middle woods), the name the settlers of New Netherland gave the area of western Long Island, between the towns of “Boswijck” and "Brueckelen," because of its thick forests.
Settlement began in 1652, but the area remained undeveloped for the most part until the 1920s, when large tracts of developed houses 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, the area underwent a resurgence in the 1980s. New immigrants to the neighborhood came from the Soviet Union (the largest group), as well as from China, Haiti, Israel, Pakistan, Guyana, Jamaica, Iran, and India.
[edit] Notable residents
Famous people who grew up in the neighborhood were novelist Erich Segal and Woody Allen, both of whom graduated from Midwood High School, and Arthur Miller who went to James Madison High School. Director Darren Aronofsky attended Edward R. Murrow High School, also in the area. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg also grew up in the neighborhood, attending Madison.
[edit] Film
The film industry established itself in the neighborhood in the 1920s, 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.
NBC purchased part of the Vitagraph Studios in 1953, from which the programs of Perry Como, Peter Pan with Mary Martin and The Sammy Davis Jr. Show were broadcast.
The same studios were used in more recent decades to broadcast the soap opera Another World, the situation comedy The Cosby Show, and a few 1976 episodes of Saturday Night Live.
The CBS soap As the World Turns currently tapes in the studio.
Among movies and TV shows that have been filmed in Midwood are the following:
- "America" (1972) -- TV Series
- Just Looking (1999)
- Squid and the Whale, The (2005)
[edit] Subway
The area is served by New York Subway's Q Service at Avenue J, Avenue M, and Kings Highway, the latter of which is also served by the B Line.
[edit] Shopping
The main shopping streets in the area are Kings Highway, Avenue J, Avenue M, and Flatbush, Nostrand, and Coney Island Avenues.
In the 1960's and the early 1970's 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 childrenswear 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... and is today home of Plaza Honda.
In its heyday Kings Highway had "Dubrow's," a classic cafeteria where patrons would have holes punched into printed tickets that would total the cost of your meal. Also "Levine's" was the king of the bar mitvah suit trade; and "Jimmy's" catered to high fashion customers (as it does to this day).
Avenue M was home to "Cookie's," one of Brooklyn's best known restaurants and "hang-outs." And one of Brooklyn's most legendary Italian restaurants, "Restaurant Bonaparte," was located on Avenue M; and 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," a dish that featured chicken, veal and steak which still elicits comments.
In the 1980's and 1990's a wave of Orthodox Jews moved into the area from Borough Park, Brooklyn, in search of Midwood's large homes and tree-lined streets. Today, in addition to European Orthodox Jews, the area is home to a burgeoning Sephardic population. Much of the area closes down on Friday evening until Saturday evening in observance of the Jewish Sabbath.
[edit] Boundaries
It is bounded on the north by Avenue I and the Brooklyn College campus of the City University of New York, and on the south by Kings Highway. Its other boundaries are Flatbush Avenue to the east, and Ocean Parkway to the west.
[edit] References
- A Virtual Tour of New Netherland Consulted December 14, 2004
- Echoes Down the Corridor Consulted December 14, 2004
- Midwood section of Congressman Anthony D. Weiner Consulted December 14, 2004
[edit] External links
- e-midwood web site Click on one of the red lines on the map and see a panoramic view of what's across the street.
- Avenue J List of stores, community services, etc. by category.
- Avenue M List of stores, community services, etc. by category.
