Fort Greene

Down each avenue, around every corner, the colorful – often inspiring – history of Fort Greene cries out to be remembered. There are statues, monuments, and historical sites dedicated to keeping the past alive. And yet, Fort Greene also represents the new face of Brooklyn: highly-diverse, culturally-inclusive, and artistically-stimulating.

Not far from where Walt Whitman and John Steinbeck once penned literary masterpieces, where Eryaka Badu and Patti Smith heard beautiful music in their heads and Robert Mapplethorpe found inspiration in photography, is a forward-reaching neighborhood with a dizzying mix of things to do and see.   

On Willoughby Avenue is Pratt Institute and its stunning Sculpture Garden, recognized as one of the top college and university art collections in the nation, and on Myrtle Avenue is Fort Greene Park, known for the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument, winter sledding opportunities, and a year-round greenmarket. The Brooklyn Academy of Music on Lafayette helped turn Fort Greene into a cultural destination and continues to produce world-class shows, while the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts on Hanson Place pays homage to the essential role African-Americans played in building the neighborhood.

Fort Greene also distinguishes itself through notable architecture, significant enough to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Take, for example, the Grand Italianate row houses on South Portland Avenue. Each brick, cornice, and bay window represents the craftsmen who labored here. The fact that nearly 150 years later people still stop to admire that work is testament to the immense talent that went into building the neighborhood. 

Perhaps the greatest jewel in Fort Greene's crown is its diversity, with residents of all races and from every walk of life working together to create a tight-knit community where everyone can play a role. With its lush landscape, quaint shops, restaurants, and vibrant nightlife, Fort Greene does not appear to be slowing down. There is simply more history to be made.