Dumont Ave (East New York/Brownsville)

Another early summer morning where I took the 3 train to the end of the line while many people were still sleeping. I walked to the east end of New Lots Ave and came back on Dumont, which I took back to the Sutter Ave station. It actually didn't seem like four miles. I did have to walk a little out of the way because Dumont is split by the L train, and there isn't a way across.

I didn't get too many looks of "what are you doing here?" that I recall.

New Lots Ave actually crosses Dumont and ends two blocks later at Logan Street, which runs parallel to Fountain Ave, where Dumont Ave begins. (Actually, there's a large complex, four blocks across and several avenues wide, interrupting Dumount. It continues on the far side. I didn't venture that far, choosing neither to cross it nor go around it.)

Before I start, I have no idea why my photos all say "Galaxy AS1" on them. I went back and checked and this is the only day that this happened. I don't know what setting I hit but it disappeared the following day.

The first photo was from the end of Dumont Ave. A woman at the bus stop did give me a little bit of look but since I didn't wait with her, she turned her attention elsewhere. The second photo is the triangle at Milford Street.

I don't know why I don't have any photos of Martin Luter King Jr Playground. Maybe I just thought I took one, but didn't? Who can say? The sun was behind me after all.

The more interesting building came between Wyona and Vermont, and that is The Dumont building. I took a photo of the entrance and then stepped back. It looks like they repurposed an old school building, but one would think that such a think would require extensive remodeled, not to mention all the plumbing required. It was interesting enough for a photo. From Facebook, I found that it was PS 182, which was around in 1930, and it now 74 apartments. It was converted to "low-income apartments" in 1999. I'm curious if it's still that, especially since it's so close to the subway, even if it's likely an hour to midtown.

The next photo, I believe, was taken at Alabama Ave, which doesn't exist between Dumont and Blake. I was curious if I could walk through this when I get to the north-south streets. I wouldn't want to walk through and find out that I can't exit on the far end and have to double back.

Dumont is interupted by the L train at Van Sinderen Ave, which basically separates East New York from Brownsville. I had to walk down this crawlspace, er, I mean, somewhat abandoned and very creepy street to get to Sutter Ave. Note that the buildings on the left (east) side creep out fill the sidewalk as does the fence on the right (west) side. And to make it more fun, I had to scoot over to the side as soon as I took this photo because there was traffic behind me.

That said, this was less creepy than the block between Livonia and Riverdale, which was out in the open (the sky and sun shining above) but full of weeds and whatever was living or deposited in them.

Either way, Junius is a much nicer street on the other side of the L train.

Back again on Dumont. A mural let me know that "We are Brownsville" just a couple of blocks before Imagination Playground at Betsy Head, which is a cool name for a playground. I didn't know that there was a public pool there. Again, I was there early in the morning -- in a few hours, that place was going to get a lot of use.

Since I'd already walked along Dumont from Saratoga to E 98 Street, I shifted up Saratoga to Blake Ave where the Sunkissed Garden is on the corner. Continuing on, I got to the block were Tapscott St, which is the continuation of Kings Highway if you don't turn, curves over to Howard Ave, if you're going northbound. I drove this way many times when I worked at Boys and Girls High School.

The final photos are of Howard Ave Garden on one side of Blake and the Howard Malls on the other. The latter is bordered by Tapscott St on both sides.

And finally back to Sutter Ave for the 3 train to get home. It didn't seem like a four-mile trip but it did seem like it was about a hour and half. Again, my walk was finished by 9 am, so, of course, it seemed early.

And that's it for this trip. Come back soon.

All of the above photos and videos, unless otherwise stated, were taken by Christopher J. Burke and are subject to copyright.

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