Program Description
Toni Williams, Host
Beginning in the 1800’s as an upper-class neighborhood with transplants from Manhattan’s growing bourgeoisie, Crown Heights is now home to a diverse population of residents that includes the most varied populace of Caribbean immigrants outside the West Indies, African Americans whose ancestors migrated to the area from the south, and a thriving Orthodox Jewish community that settled there after World War II and created the worldwide headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Jewish movement. The architecture is reflective of its aristocratic past with beautiful brownstones and famous cultural institutions along Eastern Parkway including The Brooklyn Museum and The Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Each year the Parkway comes alive with the sights and sounds of the Caribbean in the Annual West Indian Carnival also known as the “Labor Day Parade.” Like many communities, Crown Heights has its challenges forging relationships with disparate cultures but has persevered to become a wonderful ethnic and social mélange of residents, cultural activities, and thriving businesses.
Neighborhood Beat is a series featuring Brooklyn's diverse neighborhoods. The programs are produced and directed by neighborhood reps.