Bike to the beat of a different drum - Part II

So that was yesterday. And this is today,Sunday. Even though it was a fabulous summer day, I didn't leave the house until 2 p.m. That's very late even for the procrastinative me. I had another one of those debates with myself, thus: Should I get on my bike and go for a ride on such a beautiful day as today? Or should I stay home, clean out the camper that's parked in my driveway for the last 20 years so that it can be towed away and junked? Now that was a hard one. Right. Why bother with a debate? Bike it! In retirement, it seems, one would much rather play than work, right? Tomorrow for the camper. Today, it's 2 p.m. and I'm off.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I would like to show you some of the wonderful old houses that line the streets of Prospect Park South. That's the area from the Parade Grounds south to about Avenue H and from Coney Island Avenue east to the train trench of the B line. If there's anyone out there who disagrees with that definition let them speak now. (I don't think anyone is actually reading my daily BLOG. However, throwing this jauntlet provides a test to see if you all are paying attention).

So I took my usual route up East 13th Street which is relatively traffic-free and runs all the way to Avenue H, then a quick right-left-left-right (to clear the railroad trench at Avenue H) and the Parade Ground without interruption. Other northbound streets have one obstacle or another, creating annoying detours. East 13th becomes Argyle Road after Avenue H and it's here that I took these photos. On my return down Rugby Road(which becomes East 14th Street south of Avenue H) I took some more. So these photos are of the houses on Argyle and Rugby. There are hundreds of more beautiful houses on the other blocks of the area. These are just a sampling. Highly recommended for a days outing, exploring ol' Brooklyn.

These streets are magnificent and harken to an earlier era. As I've mentioned, Albermarle Road was often featured on postcards of the early 20th century. It was an elegant thoroughfare, with a planted mall down its middle and lined with the mansions of wealthy doctors. The area retains its ancient trees. They tower above the street and form a virtual tunnel with a cool shade that keeps these streets a good 5 to 10 degrees cooler compared to the car-fume-polluted and blisteringly-hot and parched Coney Island Avenue (for example) which forms the western boundary of the area and runs parallel to Argyle and Ruby Roads.


The trees form a tunnel of coolth on Argyle Road north of Ditmas -- one of my favorite blocks.

Most of these houses have big front porches and many of them wrap-around to the side, making them very appealing. Memories of hot summer days lolling on a porch come to mind as your bike up these blocks.


Some of the street ends in the district are marked with posts that date to the early 20th century (or maybe earlier - I really don't know). But the bricks look like replacements and newer. The logo stands for Prospect Park South (i.e. PPS)


Argyle Road.


Argyle Road.


Argyle Road.

If you'd like to see more houses, check my photo site on Smugmug.com.

After I finished my photography I decdided to hit Cafe Luluc for lunch (it was about 4 o'clock already) so I headed for my usual digs: Smith Street, where I discovered still another street fair in progress. But that'll wait for Bike to the beat of a different drum - Part III. Just too tired right now...it's 1:15 a.m and I'm headed to bed. To dream a good dream. Know what I mean?