As one of the most influential voices in social media, Baratunde Thurston has what publishers call a major platform to promote his new book, How to Be Black. In it, Thurston takes apart the idea of “post-racial” America, explains the crucial role of the Black Friend and examines race through a personal, and seriously funny, lens. We talked to him over the phone, and he told us how much he loves Brooklyn, meat, whiskey and, yes, Twitter. Read More »

By the 1830s, Brooklyn Heights ha d already become one of New York’s elite enclaves, studded with lavish townhouses and easily accessible to Manhattan (first by the steam-powered Fulton Ferry, introduced in 1814, then by subway), but cut off from the average New Yorker. Today, the neighborhood remains a world apart, guarding its Victorian sensibility, multimillion-dollar brownstones and serene streets from the rest of the city. In the early 20th century, however, the neighborhood experienced a decline that persisted until after World War II. Back then, Brooklyn Heights had a tawdry air, its derelict grandeur attracting some of the 20th century’s most notable writers to its shores. Read More »

A few summers ago Chris Arnade noticed flocks of pigeons flying above Maria Hernandez Park in Bushwick. As an avid amateur photographer, the birds’ graceful movements caught his eye, and Arnade tracked the flocks to rooftops around the neighborhood, where he met a thriving community of pigeon keepers. Pigeon fanatics have been tending rooftop coops for years, explained Arnade, who lives in Brooklyn Heights and works as a Wall Street trader when he’s not snapping photos on his Nikon D70. Read More »

Green-Wood Cemetery existed before there was a Metropolitan Museum (founded in 1870), a Central Park (created in 1857), or a Prospect Park (proposed in 1859). When it opened its Gothic gates in 1838, Green-Wood was where artists... Read More »