Slope Survey

The Slope Survey returns for its 33rd installment.

Diana Kane English is a long time Park Slope resident, having moved here in 1995. She owned her eponymous boutique, Diana Kane, on Fifth Avenue from 2002-2020. It’s now online at www.dianakane.com. 

She’s a jewelry designer, sometimes activist and community organizer, art appreciator, mom, friend, and NYC explorer.

What brought you to Park Slope? 

Love. My boyfriend’s, now husband’s, place was bigger, so I abandoned the Upper West Side and reluctantly landed in Park Slope. It felt like living in the ‘burbs back then and I wasn’t sure it would last. That was close to 30 years ago.

What is your most memorable Park Slope moment?  

I have lots. But I think watching my boys play little league baseball on perfect spring evenings in Prospect Park were just about heaven. Especially if they won. 

That, and as a long time kool-aid drinking member, listening to what people request over the PA at the Park Slope Food Co-op never gets old.

Describe your community superpower.  

I’m a connector. I love meeting people and discovering their super powers, and then connecting them with folks, or events, or shops, restaurants, experiences that I think they’d find fun or otherwise enriching. 

Park Slope is so rich in accomplished and interesting people. We’re lucky in so many ways, but in our neighbors and community especially. 

That, and my enthusiasm. I’m game try new things and I love to share what I find, if it’s worthy.

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?  

Old news, but the rats are gross. 

Also old news, but I’d make sure any new housing was genuinely affordable. If you’re a teacher in Park Slope schools you should be able to live in Park Slope if you so desire. 

What do you think Park Slope will look like in 10 years?

I’d rather tell you what I *hope* Park Slope looks like in ten years: 

I fervently hope it’s an inclusive neighborhood with tight community bonds who welcome new people. I hope we continue to prioritize independent businesses over chain stores, and are willing to go to the mat to keep opportunities open for new business owners to take the leap. 

I hope Prospect Park is still flourishing and has maintained its ability to feel like a wilderness in the city, that new manicured playgrounds, or other wise, haven’t been carved in to tame the forested parts. 

I hope kids feel safe in their schools and know their neighbors are looking out for them. This has been one of the joys of raising my kids here: I used to tell my boys that I had eyes all over the neighborhood, and they should keep that in mind! Because I did! A perk of owning a shop in the community for 18 years, and the kids going to the local public schools, meant a lot of people knew who they were, which was a comfort to me. It has always felt like a small town in the midst of the larger city.

I hope people continue to feel free to express themselves through their sartorial choices and gender expressions without concern. 

I hope we’ve found a way to make the neighborhood more accessible for working class people, which it was when I moved here. 

I hope people still wake up to birdsong.

What are you reading, would you recommend it?  

Currently inhaling the Court of Thorns and Roses series, by Sarah J. Maas. I picked up the first on my niece’s recommendation, and it’s totally fun to be sucked into a fantasy world— something I haven’t done for ages. Young women keep stopping me on the subways to rhapsodize about the books, which is a delight. 

This summer I loved Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe which far surpassed my judgements about both the title and the cover art and proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable, clever, slightly subversive, hilarious and very well written novel.

What is your greatest extravagance?  

Probably books. I buy a lot of books. More than I find the time to read, for sure. I find them luxurious and comforting to have around, and I love the experience of holding them, seeing them in tumbling stacks. 

We’re fortunate to have the Community Bookstore in our midst all these years. They host excellent author events, and always have signed copies, and local writers’ works on display.  More recently I love Fifth Avenue’s romance themed The Ripped Bodice, and Troubled Sleep, the used bookstore on 6th Ave which both opened just a year or two ago. 

Slightly further afield but still so close: Books Are Magic, Greenlight Bookstore, and the excellent feminist bookstore Cafe Con Libros… this town is a book lover’s paradise. 

If you couldn’t live in Park Slope or in Brooklyn, where would you go?  

Ugh. I don’t want to think about it! But probably I could find love in my heart for other Brooklyn neighborhoods… 

Or, you know, Paris.

Who is your hero, real or fictional?

Hero worship is a bad idea! But I admire a lot of folks.

I love what Jordana Martin is doing at Tatter.org, and the Tatter Blue Library, currently housed above the Textile Arts Center, but soon to become part of the expanding arts complex around BAM. Tatter is preserving human stories and traditions through the medium of textiles, while offering classes, and experiential learning opportunities. Jordana and her team are the bomb. Great style, great heart, community builders, environmentally conscious, and funny too. 

I’m always thrilled when a new book appears from Park Slope’s own highly decorated author Jacqueline Woodson, and love what she has built at The Baldwin Center for the Arts in Brewster NY, which offers artistic residencies to artists of African, Asian, Indigenous, Latin/Hispanic and dual-heritage backgrounds. Jackie is the embodiment of taking her success and using it to uplift those around her. Dreamy. 

I deeply admire Fonda Sara at Zuzu’s Petals on Fifth Ave. Her flowers are exceptional, as is her devotion to her customers. But mostly it’s her perseverance and dedication to keeping her small business afloat through fires, and plague, and all that life has thrown at her. She’s brilliant and engaged in the community and beyond. We’re lucky to have her lo these many many years. 

I could go on… Kim Maier at Old Stone House, Amy Suplina at Brooklyn Flow… I admire the people who bring us together and offer opportunities to connect, while keeping the larger world in mind. 

Last Word, What’s is turning you on these days?

I’m thrilled to have recently rekindled my love of pottery by taking classes at BKLYN Clay. My Instagram feed is awash in instructional clay videos, and I itch to get into the studio. My technique is improving, and it’s super fun. 

That, and spending the next couple of months working toward a Harris/Walz victory— the best gift we can give ourselves, our kids, and everyone else too.  Let’s secure a brighter future and a cleaner planet for all of us. 

The Slope Survey returns for its 32nd installment.

Maddy Samaddar Johnson (B.Arch., M.Arch., M.L.Arch.) is an architect, landscape architect and urban planner and has worked in design and project management for over sixteen years, with works spanning in over a dozen countries in four continents (Asia, Africa, Europe, Americas), under her own consultancy and with esteemed architecture firms. Educated in England, India, Canada and the USA, Maddy comes from a multi-ethnic,  multinational background and speaks six languages.  

Trained in classical dance (ballet and Bharatanatyam) she was a lead dancer in several stage productions, and also active in English-language theater as a performer and set designer in her earlier years. An avid high altitude mountaineer, in recent years that sport has taken a backseat. She still has one foot in the music, film and art world with another firmly in ecological urbanism and design. Her lifelong work both locally and globally with animal-rescue and animal rights on her own and with various non-profits, has led her to launch the group Park Slope Cats in this neighborhood.

What brought you to Park Slope? 

When I first moved to NYC – I lived in the Upper East Side. Although I had brief stays at Park Slope in the aughts, my more frequent visits commenced around 2010 when I started editing a book for a dear friend who lived here, and also started collaborating on an extensive world music project (Planetary Coalition) with guitarist Alex Skolnick who is a long time Park Slope resident. One thing led to another, including helping with cat-adoptions in the area, and soon I was residing here in North Slope…I’ve lived in several different cities and countries now, including Canada, Italy, India, UK and other cities in the US – with some 20+ addresses prior, and surprisingly, Park Slope has always remained the home-base for many years now.

What is your most memorable Park Slope moment?  

There’ve been more than one! There’s that time in the midst of the pandemic-year, I suddenly found myself raising three tiny dumped neonatal motherless kittens which were barely a week old. I’ve raised others but in this case, I felt like Diogenes, practically living in a bathtub bottle-feeding them hourly with no sleep for several weeks – imprisoned in the Slope! (They all survived and were adopted together.) 

Other memorable moments have been the tranquility I find in the midst of the trees here – be it in Prospect Park, in the small community gardens, and especially under that lovely weeping willow tree on 15th street or the gorgeous cherry blossom tree during peak bloom on President Street close to where I’m at – both along 6th Avenue. I cherish  les petits plaisirs de la vie and these are easy to find in the Slope – the sunflowers at the farmers’ market, the festive mood during the 5th Ave fairs, concerts or parades, or just sitting in some local resto’s patio or inside a cozy coffee shop. And of course – in the independent bookstores – my favorite. In the fall and spring I absolutely treasure the walks under the changing foliage and filigreed sunlight along the picturesque streets lined by old  townhomes.

So it’s hard to pin just one particular moment.

Describe your community superpower.  

Despite being an extremely private introvert, with an unfiltered and blunt candor and a finely-tuned BS detector when it comes to people, I’ve been able to embark on effective community outreach for many years when it pertains to animals. This includes rescuing, educating, finding loving foster and forever-homes over the years in Park Slope and beyond, even in countries far away – individually or through rescue organizations. In other cases (through my professional work) I’ve been able to galvanize community intervention to stop a few old-growth forests in Quebec from being bulldozed and certain wetlands in Florida from being built over. Also, professionally, I’ve always spoken up about greater visibility for women in architecture and engineering and on occasion, when asked to, delivered speeches on a podium against social injustices.

I’m not really sure if that’s a “superpower” but this feels like one:  the instant affinity all dogs, even the shy ones – instantly have for me!

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?  

I’d like to say the awful drainage situation on 4th avenue which has led to flooding woes for many, even though I’ve not been personally affected, and providing elevator access in all the subway stops in Park Slope. However, something that can be more easily changed for the voiceless – simply through compassion and education –  would be raising heightened awareness of the state of homeless, stray, abandoned or unfixed cats (and dogs) in the neighborhood. There are also neglected store and bodega cats who are trapped lifelong in windowless basements –  the latter situation being one that most don’t wish to talk about, but rescuers and insiders know well.  

I wish more local residents would become advocates for spaying/neutering and rescuing, instead of leaving it to the greatly overwhelmed handful of local TNR/rescue folks to do so.

I also wish more people in Park Slope would look up the horrific barbaric and heinous atrocities in the fur industry and educate themselves on where real fur trims, pompoms and such other products come from. Animals skinned alive brutally for the sake of a fashion accessory. Turning away from the truth does not make facts or suffering disappear.

What do you think Park Slope will look like in 10 years?

With zoning changes that have occurred and will continue, several more high-rise buildings like those popping up on 4th Avenue will sprout along 5th Avenue too. Park Slope in 10 years  will become more crowded, more traffic-jammed and more expensive. I also think some of its character may get lost – as family-run stores and eateries will get priced out with rising rents and national chain-stores may take their place more frequently – hope not! I do hope the community stakeholders unite to preserve its green spaces.

What are you reading, would you recommend it?  

There are a bunch of books I’m currently rotating during subway commutes or before bedtime and the first three are re-reads after a few decades. They’re not recently-written but their wisdom is timeless. The first is by philosopher Bertrand Russell… he was my late mother’s favorite philosopher. Mom had a PhD in philosophy with a minor in mathematics, and Russell as you know was a mathematician-philosopher and quite a polymath. The next two are by astrophysicist Carl Sagan who I adored since childhood: his Pulitzer prize winning book The Dragons of Eden and his last book Billions and Billions: Thoughts on Life and Death at the Brink of the Millenium. A fourth book I’m reading very slowly was written by my own paternal great grandfather who was an archaeologist and historian specializing in Buddhist civilizations. Funnily enough, it was recommended by a writer I met at a book talk who said she was reading his book for her research. And lastly, I just finished a quick short book Rosalind Franklin and DNA by Anne Sayre.

If you couldn’t live in Park Slope or in Brooklyn, where would you go?  

The world is so vast and there are always options! This may be daydreaming, but I wish I could live in the top rooms of Shakespeare & Co. bookstore in Paris with books and cats as company! (rent-free if possible!) Or in southern France, the Liguria region of Italy, or in solitude (with lots of animals) in Finland or Iceland. I also love several parts of Canada and the UK and there are enclaves in NY state & Vermont that are very nice too. I’ve done a lot of mountaineering in the Himalayas and other ranges with some of the most stunning landscapes, but the infrastructure can get tricky there, so that’s not on my retirement options!.

What is your greatest extravagance?  

I’m generally a frugal person, so I’d say the cost of living in New York City, including in Park Slope itself, is likely the greatest extravagance! And of course, the unavoidable vet bills when you have to help an animal in need.

Who is your hero, real or fictional?

I think the romantic notion that one-man/one-woman can single handedly save the world is a fantasy, as several achievements by individuals have been proven more to be a case of team-work; and there’ve been too many instances of exposing the huge disparity between the public facade of “heroes’’ vs their private shortcomings. 

When I was a kid, I used to adore fictional crime-solving men and women of “logic” like Spock, Sherlock, Tintin et al. 

 As I grew older my list got more realistic. The oft-forgotten “heroes”  to me are the scientists, engineers, inventors who make our lives so easy we take it for granted: the sanitation engineers and inventors of functioning plumbing and sewage systems; (People tend to glamorize the past forgetting it was the time of chamber pots and dumping waste on the streets!) Others include the structural engineers of buildings and bridges, train systems, electrical systems, good aviation engineers, researchers who made vaccines against life-threatening diseases possible, those who contributed to surgical advancement in human and veterinary medicine…

Frankly, unless we’re living completely off the grid – none of us can claim to be some ultra-ethical, “purist” who is removed from our urban lifestyles. So, as long as we’re dwelling in cities, it’s important to thank the ones who keep our pampered lives smoothly running.

And, of course, those who selflessly rescue and defend animals, and fight for their rights, despite the ridicule they face. And, this is important, those who are not hypocrites while they’re at it. 

Those who stand against bullies are heroic.

Well, now you’ve opened Pandora’s box – because the writers, artists and musicians whose ideas and creativity have soothed our souls are admirable and inspiring too.

Last Word, What’s is turning you on these days?

Wish I could come up with something more erotic, but the honest answer is good music – mainly jazz and classical; the beauty of trees; the way the sunlight filters through leaves as you look up at an azure sky; the allure of well-strung written words; kindness;  nature documentaries such as BBC’s Planet Earth; nuanced rationality; as a fact-nerd since childhood, I always get a high when I find out how things work or evolve – whether it’s something related to geology, primatology, neuroscience, ecology….I suppose the pursuit of knowledge and the poetics of art-forms turn me on. As does objectivity and fact-based truth. 

The Slope Survey for its 31st installment, this time with Park Slope resident and musician/entrepreneur Matt Garrison.

Born on June 2, 1970, in New York, Matthew Garrison, son of Jimmy Garrison (John Coltrane’s bassist), immersed himself in a vibrant artistic community during his early years. After his father’s death, the family moved to Rome, where Matthew studied piano and bass guitar. Returning to the U.S. in 1988, he lived with godfather Jack DeJohnette, honing his skills with DeJohnette and bassist Dave Holland. Earning a Berklee College of Music scholarship in 1989, he launched his professional career, collaborating with notable artists and projects, like Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Joni Mitchell, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, John McLaughlin, the Saturday Night Live Band and many others

In 1998, Garrison founded GarrisonJazz Productions, overseeing his music projects. In 2012, he co-founded ShapeShifter Lab, a renowned Brooklyn venue. In 2021, ShapeShifter Lab Productions Inc emerged, focusing on groundbreaking software platforms “TuneBend” and “Matt Garrison”. Garrison, alongside Ravi Coltrane and Fortuna Sung, established the non-profit ShapeShifter Plus in 2014, aiming to advance cultural projects. In 2023, ShapeShifter Lab reopened post-COVID at a 837 Union Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn, marking the next phase of Garrison’s multifaceted career as a musician, entrepreneur, and community leader. Explore more through their websites: shapeshifterlab.com, shapeshifterplus.org, and shapeshifterlabpro.com.

What brought you to Park Slope? 

I was living in Boston and around 1993 I had some family issues that required me to make a swift move to Brooklynto provide a helping hand. That first location was on 9th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. 415 9th street to be exact. I was just kind of in the beginnings of my music career so it was both a difficult period but also incredibly inspiring to finally be back in the city where I was born, to be part of an exciting and energetic music scene. I was born in Manhattan at Lennox Hill Hosptial, initially lived on the Upper West Side and eventually moved to SoHo, Crosby Street in the early 1970s with my mother Roberta Escamilla Garrison and my sister Maia Claire Garrison. We eventually moved to Italy where I grew up until 17, then I moved to Woodstock for over a year, then Boston then Park Slope! I’ve lived in other cities off and on over all these years (San Francisco, Paris, Aarhus, Copenhagen) but always kept a firm home base in Park Slope.

What is your most memorable Park Slope moment?  

It just happened in August of 2023! That was when we were handed the keys to 837 Union Street and got our venue/event space ShapeShifter Lab and non profiting ShapeShifter Plus 501(c)(3) headquarters up and running again. I frequented and performed at the old Tea Lounge, I live on Berkeley Place and have been in Park Slope since 1993, so opening a business in this neighborhood was probably one of the most important moments in my life and I’ve participated in some pretty incredible things in my years on planet earth. I also love seeing my grown sons hanging around all the Park Slope areas I’ve come to love and admire over the years. I love seeing them set important memories on these blocks, spaces, businesses, parks, streets and avenues.

Describe your community superpower.  

Realizing that without one’s community, we are nothing. We all need to feel a sense of connection, purpose, love and I understand and want that deeply for you and for me. This may be less of a super power and more of a sticking point; we have to achieve those goals through common respect for one another otherwise we’re off the mark. I’ve been part of some incredible things, with incredible human beings, but I never feel as if I’m better than anyone. I’m just another version of you with different experiences. My basic and absolute premise is to respect you, and I require the same to engage in a healthy and long lasting co-existence.

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?  

When I first moved here, I knew quite a few Black property and business owners and that seems to have changed dramatically. Would be wonderful to see a resurgence of that in the coming years. Gives vibrancy, character and value to this little piece of our planet.

What do you think Park Slope will look like in 10 years?

Given the amount of traffic that has become a serious issue, I’d say over the last 6-7 years, I see that only becoming more of a situation. All the new buildings coming up in Gowanus will certainly add to the “crowded space” factor as well. In some ways Park Slope and surrounding areas seem to look more and more like Manhattan. I see the good and bad in all of that. As a business owner, it’s always wonderful to have more potential customers and folks who enjoy music, arts and all the crazy works we help present. As a neighbor, who has seen the Slope in it’s quieter days, it’s gonna get rough!

What are you reading, would you recommend it?  

Lots of material on coding, particularly related to Swift, SwifttUI, visionOS, Javascript, some late breaking info on AI architectures. Nothing really interesting, just work related. My mother firmly disapproves!

If you couldn’t live in Park Slope or in Brooklyn, where would you go?  

Most likely back to Italy, particularly to live on the seaside in the southern parts of the country. I’ve been slightly fascinated with the idea of living somewhere in Japan! Don’t know why…

What is your greatest extravagance?  

I’m not much of a person that delves on anything extravagant. If I had the full resources I’d put a great deal into camera and audio recording systems to greatly enhance any and all of our live presentation/production work. Aside from that I’m a man that enjoys the simple things in life.

Who is your hero, real or fictional?

My father and my mother.

Last Word, What’s is turning you on these days?

Music. With all the experiences I’ve had, all the things I’ve learned along the way all the music I’ve been part of, I still cannot describe what it is. I don’t really know what Music is… I can’t describe why hearing an ordinary note, played or sung by someone in an ordinary moment will bring me to tears, my heart beats faster or slower, i get goos bumps. What is that? Why is this medium that deals with frequencies and pulses so deeply moving and life altering? I cannot explain it, but I LOVE that! It blows me away. There’s ALWAYS more to learn, never ending and perhaps that sense of infinity of possibilities excites me. Reminds one that we are part of something so much larger than our fragile egos.

Ed Pilkington is the chief reporter of the Guardian in the US. He’s worked for the Guardian for more years than he cares to mention, initially in London where he was a general news reporter and then became an editor, running the newspaper’s international news and domestic news coverage. He’s the author of Beyond the Mother Country: West Indians and the Notting Hill Race Riots of 1958. He lives in the North Slope with his three kids, his dog Jazzy and tortoise Henry.

What brought you to Park Slope? 

We came out to the Slope from London in 2006 when my newspaper, the Guardian, sent me to report from the US. I felt I couldn’t miss the golden chance to write from New York, but I think more importantly my wife Jessica Morris and I felt it would be a great adventure for us and for our three children. And here we still are. It was Jessica who led us within New York to Park Slope – she was attracted by the combination of a great elementary school, PS 321, and a glorious park where the kids could run wild. That turned out to be prescient – Jessica died two years ago and half her ashes are buried under a tree near the dog pond in the park.

What is your most memorable Park Slope moment?  

I’m a huge fan of the Prospect Park Soiree. One of the party’s a few years ago was just perfect – it was a balmy night, everyone was dressed in white, the music was fantastic, and we just couldn’t stop dancing.

Describe your community superpower.  

I’ve learned how to prevent my gorgeous dog Jazzy, a soft-coated wheaten terrier, from visciously attacking other dogs and people in the Slope. A bit like Bruce Wayne, I use my power to make the neighborhood a much safer place.

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?  

I’ve just spent the past five years living amid sewerage hell, the streets all around us torn up, rats everywhere, as a result of the water works around 6th Avenue which never seem to end. I truly can’t believe that it has taken all this time, and counting – but then, what do I know?

What do you think Park Slope will look like in 10 years?

Pretty much like it does now, I fear. What it should look like is many of the streets turned into carless pedestrian walkways, cycle lanes on every street, and charging stations for electric cars everywhere. If a relatively wealthy neighborhood like Park Slope can’t become carbon neutral, what hope is there?

What are you reading, would you recommend it?  

An amazing novel from Mexico called Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor which my mate Eduardo raved about. You need to get over the weirdness that it has no paragraph breaks, but after that it’s really gripping – a sort of literary whodunit set in a poor area of Mexico.

What is your greatest extravagance?  

An AirBnB for the weekend up in the Catskills, going on long hikes in the woods with my kids and Jazzy, then grilling corn and chops and an evening in front of a good movie trying not to fall asleep. Bliss!

If you couldn’t live in Park Slope or in Brooklyn, where would you go?  

My spiritual home is the mountains of North Wales around Snowdon where I’ve been going since I was six. It’s beautiful sheep farming land, with dark looming mountains and a strong Welsh-speaking culture. I adore it and miss it.

Who is your hero, real or fictional?

Jessica. She was ill with glioblastoma, the most vicious form of brain tumor, for five years and in that time she not only helped our kids to grow strong enough to be without her, but she wrote a book All In My Head: A Memoir of Life, Love and Patient Power. It’s an account of the human ability to overcome aversity, and truly inspirational. She also set up an amazing non-profit OurBrainBank which gives GBM patients and families a voice and a community. To do that while facing the most terrible illness, to me that’s heroic.

Last Word, What’s is turning you on these days?

I’m really into Masalawala & Sons, the amazing new Indian restaurant on 5th Avenue and 5th Street. I’d already been to two other sister restaurants – Adda in Queens and Dhamaka in the Lower East Side. They are all sublime. Masalawala is a huge treat, and a great addition to 5th Avenue dining which I feel is still a little lacklustre after the pandemic. I just wish it was easier to secure a table, it’s so popular. 

The Slope Survey returns for its 28th installment, this time with resident and writer/performer Michael Hearst.

Michael Hearst is a composer, multi-instrumentalist, and writer. His most recent project is a four-part book series, each book geared toward a grand theme: Unusual Creatures, Extraordinary People, Curious Constructions, and Unconventional Vehicles. Each book includes a companion album, and Unusual Creatures was also made into a PBS Digital series, hosted by Hearst. His previous album, Songs For Ice Cream Trucks is currently blared by at least 50 ice cream trucks around the world. And Songs For Fearful Flyers, which includes voicework by fearful flyer Whoopi Goldberg, has soothed many nervous travelers. Hearst has also composed soundtracks for the movies To Be Takei, Magic Camp, Chicken People, and The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin among others. Michael Hearst is also a founding member of the band One Ring Zero, who released nine albums. Hearst has performed and given lectures and workshops at universities, museums, and cultural centers around the world. He has toured with The Magnetic Fields, performed with The Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall, and has appeared on such shows as NPR’s Fresh Air, A+E’s Breakfast With The Arts, and NBC’s The Today Show.

What brought you to Park Slope? 

At the turn of the millennium I was still living in Virginia, however, my band, One Ring Zero, was performing regularly with an Off-Off-Broadway production called The Pumpkin Pie Show. I would come up just about every weekend to perform with the show in the East Village. The main guy from the company, Clay McLeod Chapman, lived in Park Slope on 17th street, and I would often stay at his place. When a room in his apartment became available I made the big move to NYC. Soon thereafter, my girlfriend moved up, and we found an apartment together on 11th Street, signing the lease just days before the attacks on the World Trade Center. Being in the neighborhood at that time and seeing how everyone was handling the insane situation made me never want to leave. In fact, I haven’t. We’re still in that same apartment.

What is your most memorable Park Slope moment?  

It was probably the night of the blackout in 2003. One Ring Zero was slated to play at Barbès, which was still a relatively new venue at the time. I actually walked over to Barbès moments after the blackout, freaking out, with a small radio in my hand. My panic was contagious, and Olivier (the owner) and I, considered getting in his car and skipping town. We then realized it wasn’t another terrorist attack, and convinced the bodega next door (now Colson) to give us their thawing ice cream. Since there was no power, and no air conditioning, performing in the back room at Barbès was out of the question. Instead, we played an acoustic set out front, and a ridiculous amount of people showed-up packing the sidewalk and overflowing into the non-working-stoplit traffic of 9th Street. Most of the restaurants on 7th and 5th Ave were practically giving away their food. It was like one massive block party (with no street lights).  Incredibly fun and exciting . . . especially since the power in Park Slope came on the next morning, privileged bunch we are.

Describe your community superpower.  

I would say it’s becoming friends with neighborhood shops, and helping them out. It sounds highfalutin, but I do feel a bit like I’ve been somewhat of an important liaison to several places over the years: the original McSweeney’s shop on 7th ave (where my band performed weekly between 2001-2003); then the Superhero Supply Center (which I helped conceive, and helped build the cape tester among other things); Barbès (I met the owners just before they opened the venue, and my band was among the first to play there. (I also built the stage, and a One Ring Zero banner still hangs in the back room to this day); and Colson Patisserie, where I worked shifts for the first few years, helping to introduce the neighborhood to the shop. Currently I’m having a lot of fun with Leroy’s Place. Serene, who runs the shop is awesome, and the stuff they sell is so much fun (including my books).

Ultimately, it’s a selfish act; finding places that can help with my career. Hopefully, I’m also giving something in return. I’m so grateful for all these places that have taken such huge risks in our neighborhood. One of the main reasons I’m still here is because of these places.

Oh, I’m also the dude who sets up the block parties on my block. Though that’s not much of a superpower. Besides, it’s also selfish. I truly love my neighbors and our block parties!

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?  

Affordability! I’ve lived here for 23 years, and I’ve never been able to afford to buy anything. I feel like I’m constantly living on the edge of being kicked out of the very neighborhood that I’ve helped build. It’s incredibly frustrating, and it’s the one thing that makes me feel like I’m still a little kid living among a bunch of grown-ups. I’m grateful that I’ve been in this neighborhood as long as I have, and I’m incredibly thankful for my landlord and my neighbors. But damn it, why can’t I buy a place too! I long for housing stability. Especially since my nine-year-old child is getting bigger, and my 700 square-foot apartment isn’t.

What do you think Park Slope will look like in 10 years?

Five-thousand vape shops. Oh wait, that’s now.

I’d guess it will look pretty much the same, though with even less artists. The rents can keep going up and up, however people like me won’t be able to afford them. And the shops will slowly become more chain and corporate. The ever-increasing gap between the wealthy and the not so wealthy is very apparent in Park Slope. One by one, the multi-family buildings are being renovated into single-family homes, and any remotely affordable apartment units are getting turned into luxury condos. I keep thinking it’s got to bust at some point, but I’ve been thinking that for twenty-plus years now. Maybe the rat infestation will help? I hope. Yep, that’s what it’s come to. I’m counting on the rats to keep it affordable!

What are you reading, would you recommend it?  

The Park Slope Reader, of course. Everyone should read it! That, and The Atlantic. I mean, the two magazines pretty much go hand-in-hand. I did just read David Sedaris‘s newest collection– easy and fun stuff–that I could actually get through at 10pm without falling asleep. I also have a copy of David Milch’s memoir that I’ve just begun. I’ll keep you posted.

What is your greatest extravagance?  

Living in Park Slope, Brooklyn!

(Okay, I’ll stop with these jokes.)

I do like to get pedicures with my girl-friends. (I would also go with my boy-friends, but none of them seem to have interest.) Honestly, it’s more about sitting in the massage chair. Someone should really open a massage chair place. No need for anything else. Just the chairs. And maybe a cocktail. And wifi.

If you couldn’t live in Park Slope or in Brooklyn, where would you go?  

Back to Richmond, VA or maybe the Hudson Valley? New Orleans? Connecticut? I think about this all the time, and I never can quite come up with the answer. I don’t want to leave Park Slope!

Who is your hero, real or fictional?

I have so many heroes, and they are all very tangible people. Basically, anybody who has been generous in supporting the arts, critical thinking, education, etc. Certainly, anybody who has helped support me is my hero! My parents, my friends, my neighbors, the owners of all my favorite places in Park Slope. You are all truly my heroes!

Last Word, What’s is turning you on these days?

Travel! I’ve always loved to travel, however there’s been a combo of hindrances over the past few years, in particular the pandemic and raising a child. But now my child is becoming old enough that it’s become a little easier. And well, the pandemic seems to no longer exist. I just turned fifty in December, and my goal for the year, my way of celebrating, is to travel more. So far I’ve been on a dumb cruise, gone to New Orleans and Chicago, and am heading to England in a few weeks … just for fun! And this is just the beginning. Look out world!  θ

The Slope Survey returns for its 27th installment, this time with Park Slope resident and writer/performer Tami Sagher

Tami Sagher is a television writer (Life and Beth, The Great, Orange is the New Black) and performer (Search Party, The Babysitters Club, Don’t Think Twice). She has a monthly improv show with Chris Gethard (creatively titled Sagher and Gethard) at the Brooklyn Comedy Collective.

On Instagram @tamisagher

What brought you to Park Slope? 

I’ve loved Prospect Park ever since training for a half marathon there with Team in Training. It’s such an amazing park, no matter the season. Living within walking distance is such a gift.

What is your most memorable Park Slope moment?  

I spent eight months of the pandemic in London for a job. Within 24 hours of coming back, there was a stoop concert going on in front of my neighbor’s home. This terrific jazz trio playing, all these masked neighbors lining the sidewalk… I felt so lucky to be here.

Describe your community superpower.  

It’s more my dog’s super power, and I benefit by being the one on the other side of the leash. Mabel is a 12 year old pitbull, and was used for puppies until she got dumped 5 years ago. She’s still got this incredible mama dog energy, very calm and loving and gentle with every dog and kid. She’s also really arthritic and moves slooooooowly so when I’m out with her it’s like walking a celebrity tortoise. I’ve ended up knowing everyone on our block as a result. I actually scored an invitation to Thanksgiving one year because the family loved Mabel. I was basically her plus one.

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?  

Have the B train run on the weekends.

What do you think Park Slope will look like in 10 years?

Picturing how anything is going to look in the future makes me queasy. 

What are you reading, would you recommend it?  

The last couple of books I read and loved were Vladimir by Julia May Jones and Weather by Jenny Offill, I recommend them both highly.

What is your greatest extravagance?  

I always have way too many Coke Zeroes on hand. I love opening the fridge and seeing at least a dozen cans there. I don’t worry about finishing off a can that’s gone flat, I just crack open a new one like I’m the Queen of France or something.

If you couldn’t live in Park Slope or in Brooklyn, where would you go?  

Somewhere near good friends —unless those friends live in LA. I’ve had to live there for years, and there’s something about it that drains me. Mark McAdam has a great song about being allergic to Los Angeles, and that’s what it feels like.

Who is your hero, real or fictional?

There are plenty of people I admire, but hero feels like too much pressure to put on anyone’s shoulders — even for a fictional character.

Last Word, What’s is turning you on these days?

Troubled Sleep bookstore on 6th ave. My tortoise-dog pulls me in there every time we pass by, and they’re always so sweet to her. They sell new and used books, and I’m always amazed by the range of titles they carry, especially considering the size of their store.

The Slope Survey returns for its 26th installment.

Laura Broadwell has viewed the world from five Park Slope apartments in the past 38 years. She also observes life through the lens of a writer, editor, child advocate and content creator. Her essay “Life in Balance” appeared in the collection “Tick Tock: Essays on Becoming a Parent After 40” (Dottir Press, 2021) and her essay “What Would I Wear?” will be published in “Gray Love: Stories About Dating and New Relationships After 60” (Rutgers University Press, 2023). For the Spring 2022 issue of the Park Slope Reader, Laura wrote “Loyalty to Place,” an essay that weighed her views on living in the neighborhood against a future living elsewhere.

What brought you to Park Slope?

I was born in Park Slope in the late 1950s – in Methodist Hospital. I lived with my parents, grandmother and great-aunt in a two-bedroom apartment on 16^th Street until I was about 7 months old. After that, our family moved to a house on Long Island, where I grew up. 

For years, I rarely stepped foot in Brooklyn, eager to explore other places around the world. But in my late 20s, I moved back to New York and began searching for an apartment in the city. As luck (or fate) would have it, I stumbled onto an apartment in Brooklyn, with a room renting for $200 a month. It was right off Flatbush Avenue, bordering Park Slope. The day I emerged from the subway and looked up at Grand Army Plaza, I was struck with the most auspicious feeling — I was home! That was in 1984, and I’ve been here ever since. 

What is your most memorable Park Slope moment?

Park Slope has been part of my life for decades, so of course I have a world of memories. I remember a beautiful spring day in 2000, when my daughter Eleni sat up in her stroller and waved to every single passerby on Third Street. She said “Hi! Hi! Hi!” as if she were campaigning to be mayor of Park Slope. 

On September 11, 2001, I recall coming home from Manhattan and seeing burnt paper and ash all over the street. Neighbors, strangers, everyone walked in a daze, all sharing a collective grief. In March 2020, I watched cars pull away at the start of the Covid pandemic, leaving behind an emptiness soon filled by the sounds of ambulances and birds. Later that summer, I heard the very loud calls to justice by Black Lives Matter protestors in the streets — and in the early days of November 2020, I witnessed an entire neighborhood erupt in joy when Joe Biden officially won the election.

Describe your community superpower.

Even though I didn’t grow up in Park Slope, I have deep ancestral ties to the neighborhood. In the 1930s, my paternal grandmother — a Lebanese immigrant — became a young widow and left her home in Mobile, Alabama, with two small children in tow. She, my father and aunt moved to Park Slope to be closer to family. I moved to the neighborhood in my late 20s and eventually raised my daughter here, also as a single parent. After my father died in 2004, my mother came to live in Park Slope, spending her last years in the neighborhood, close to me and Eleni. My mom died in Methodist Hospital, more than 50 years after I was born there. My community superpower is that I can walk down nearly any street in Park Slope, or any part of Prospect Park, and evoke a family memory. 

If you could change one thing about the neighborhood, what would it be?

For all of what I love about Park Slope, I’ve seen the character of the neighborhood erode over the decades. There’s more traffic, more congestion, more blandness, more affluence, far less diversity. Real estate prices are prohibitive. People and establishments who have been at the soul of this neighborhood for generations are being driven out for all the wrong reasons. There’s definitely more transience here than ever before. If I could change one thing, I would somehow create beautiful blocks of affordable housing, so that the neighborhood could be a place for everyone — not only the wealthy. 

What do you think Park Slope will look like in 10 years?

For the past 38 years, I’ve routinely passed certain brownstones that were built in the 1800s. These buildings are like family to me — steadfast, loyal, stately. In 10 years, I hope that these beautiful homes would still be here, watching over all the changes in the neighborhood. I’m not sure who’ll be living in them or what the vibe of Park Slope will be like then, but I have faith that — visually at least — some sense of history will be retained. 

What are you reading? Would you recommend it?

I just picked up a book at the Community Bookstore called “Listen, World! How the Intrepid Elsie Robinson Became America’s Most-Read Woman.” It’s co-written by Allison Gilbert, an author I know, and it’s gotten great reviews. So go pick up a copy!

What is your greatest extravagance?

Living in Park Slope!

If you couldn’t live in Park Slope or Brooklyn, where would you go?

I really love warm weather and the sea, so ideally, I’d live somewhere that has both. My mother was born in Greece and I have relatives there, so I always dream of living on a Greek island…at least for part of the year. 

Who is your hero, real or fictional?

My father died in 2004, but I think of him every day. He was the most humble, hardworking, down-to-earth person I’ve ever met. He moved from Mobile, Alabama, to Park Slope when he was six and arrived with a strong Southern accent. The kids in Brooklyn made fun of him — but soon he sounded just like them. When he was 32, my dad relocated our family to Long Island, but he always retained his Brooklyn accent. I loved that about him!

In 2011, my dear friend Michael and his family contributed to a commemorative tree in Prospect Park, planted in honor of my father. It’s a beautiful burgundy belle maple — and it’s grown so much in the past 11 years.

Last word: What is turning you on these days?

The sky. Whenever I get off the subway from Manhattan, I look up at the sky and am so glad to be home. I love the movement, color and shape of the clouds, and the varying intensity of the sun. Looking up at the sky brings me to a place outside of my own thoughts and fixations. It gives me a sense of peace.