Our loose ends tour of Brooklyn finds us up against the west side of Jamaica Bay in the communities of Bergen Beach and Mill Basin. We'll also dip down into Gerritsen Beach, which we only grazed in previous walks. We'll pass through Brooklyn College on the way up as well as parts of Flatbush we didn't get touch before.
Horse Racing, also known as The Sport of Kings, has roots in NYC dating back to 1665. This week we'll do a loop visiting both Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park and Belmont Racetrack on the Queens/Nassau border, home of the final leg of the Triple Crown. Turning the corner, we'll get a chance to explore the parks and residential neighborhoods surrounding JFK International Airport.
Back in 2015, Heather Quinlan at Brooklyn Heights Blog stumbled upon a rather exciting map at the Brooklyn Historical society. Published in 1946 by historian James A. Kelly, it details all the Native America trails that cover the borough and their contemporary counterparts. This week we'll walk those existing routes, with a trip down Kings Highway, a walk along Shore Road, and up Division Avenue, among other paths. We'll also visit the peculiar Gravesend Square and the city's oldest cemetery.
Our look at NYC cemeteries continues with arguably its most famous: the historic Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Our route accounts for a whopping five miles daily to explore the grounds and visit the most famous residents at rest there. In between, we'll dip down to the bottom of Dyker Heights and work our way up through Borough Park, Kensington and Flatbush.
The Battle of Brooklyn was the largest conflict of the Revolutionary War in terms of troop deployment, taking place over three days in August of 1776. This week we'll visit all the key locations, including the British landing near Fort Hamilton, Greenwood Cemetery, Prospect Park, Fort Greene, and Fulton Ferry where the Americans made their last gasp retreat.
Our last survey walk of the near boroughs hugs the eastern side of Brooklyn, cutting through the Flatlands on the way to a thorough tour of Marine Park. While tracing the shore of Jamaica Bay on our return, we edge along Bergen Beach, Canarsie, East New York and Cypress Hills