Ditmas Park – Flatbush-Ditmas Ethnography Project!

Ditmas Park really starts after Ocean Ave, while walking towards Coney Island Ave.

Immediately, the residential area shifts over from apartment buildings and brownstones to single family homes.

Many of the houses are built in a Victorian style, and almost all have a front porch of some type.

The houses come in a variety of colors. They are by and large surprisingly big.

The streets become treelined and the air is almost noticeably lighter.

The walk is lovely, and often you will see dog walkers or people pushing strollers. There are front lawns, gardens and lots of green. It is also noticeably quieter, without the sounds of loud traffic.

Take the Walk

Architecture

According to a report from 1981 by the New York City Landmark Preservation Commission on the Ditmas Park historical district, houses in the area at the time featured the “Colonial Revival” architectural style, taking design elements from houses of the 18th and 19th centuries, resembling rural villa homes in design. These elements included “a use of clapboard and shingles, dormer windows, hipped and peaked roofs, and classical details.” They are usually asymmetrical and have “interesting and unexpected architectural details.” The key word of the Colonial Revival style is romanticism, with a design harkening back to the bygone era of early modern history from which it takes its name.