Forty six years ago, our block, Sterling Place was devastated by the one of the most horrible aviation accidents to ever take place in New York City. On Friday, December 16, 1960, two passenger jets collided in mid-air and crashed just at the intersection of 7th Avenue and Sterling Place. You can read a terrific history of the crash and the subsequent events (with more pictures, too!) here.
Incredibly, the beautiful landmark mansion at the southeastern corner of Sterling Place and 7th was unharmed. But the crash destroyed the brownstones on both sides of the north intersection of Sterling and 7th Avenue.
The plane crash marked the low point in the history of our block. For the next twenty years, as the Park Slope neighborhood declined, our little block suffered some of the worst neglect in the area. The crash site on the northwest corner became a weed-choked vacant lot, and stayed that way for decades. Meanwhile, fires gutted several brownstones on Sterling between Flatbush and 7th Avenues.
How long ago and far away all that seems now.
Today, Sterling Place, steps away from convenient transportation, the green oasis of Prospect
Park, and many excellent restaurants and shops, is the thriving hub of a new, bustling neighborhood. One that we are proud to call home.
But, as we launch this blog, and with it, our new Sterling Place Block Association, it's good to remember how time changes things--for the better, and sometimes for the worse. Our block, and our community face problems, big and small, that may not be as cataclysmic and sudden as that 1960 plane crash, but which nevertheless threaten to upset our block's quality of life.
That's why we are joining hands, to work together as neighbors and friends, to make sure our community remains a great place to live, and to work to make it even better. There is strength in numbers. Together we can make things happen for Sterling Place.
This blog is a way for us all to keep in touch. We hope that it will be a way that we can generate ideas, identify problems, and work on solutions together. And we'd also like to get to know our Sterling Place neighbors better. So feel free to write your comments, your stories, and just say hello and let us know who you are, and what you think could make our block a better place to live.
If you do not have a Google email account, we can post your comment here if send your comments in an email directly to the blog administrators at:
sterlingplaceba@gmail.com
We look forward to hearing from you!
