On this week’s edition of “Look at all the Neat Stuff the Intern Found” we will be using this priceless artifact to welcome you one and all to the neighborhood which has housed Saint Joseph High School for 114 years; Downtown Brooklyn. The fresh smiling faces of the young women standing in the frame of the door are forever immortalized in this image from the 1983 SJHS yearbook. Unfortunately, while we don’t have access to their names what we can infer is that based off of their body language and facial expressions they sure are happy to have St. Joseph as a place to call home.
Having grown up in the Chicagoland area and now attending college in Oxford, OH I had no idea what to expect by committing to a summer stay in Brooklyn. With my only memory of New York City being from a long weekend trip my mom and I took way back when I was a small ten year old child I began to get a little nervous as my departure date came closer. I had spent nearly the entirety of my last summer in Washington D.C, so what was there to be nervous about right? Cities weren’t anything new, but in the back of my head a little voice kept telling me that NYC was a completely different game and nothing like I had ever encountered before.
Before I knew it the day had come, and the time came for me to tackle a new adventure out here in Brooklyn. So I boarded the plane, buckled my seatbelt, and gazed out the window as we took off from the tarmac in Chicago. As we were flying through the sky I decided to take a mental note of how I was feeling: lots of excitement and a tad bit of anxiety. Flashforward to waking up the next morning as I began to panic about what I was going to wear for my first day of work. After a ten minute debate with myself over what is perhaps the biggest dilemma of our time, to wear pants or not to wear pants, I decided on wearing pants.
On my walk to work I was delighted by all of the greenery that I encountered walking past Borough Hall, and everyday since I’ve tried to decipher whether or not that little farmer’s market will be making an appearance each morning as I stroll through the plaza. As I get closer to my destination I witness all of the hustle and bustle that makes up Downtown Brooklyn. The people I pass are hopping off the subway and quickly crossing busy streets heading towards their final destination; work. Looking around I take in all of the small businesses and restaurants that make up the few blocks between me and my final destination. Fifteen minutes later I have arrived, and almost instantaneously that little smidge of anxiety I was feeling on the plane less than 24 hours earlier has vanished leaving only excitement.
During my time here at SJHS I noticed how so many parents would come by and comment about how shocked they were about the schools location. Their stories always began with, “In my day, my parents never let me step foot in Downtown Brooklyn, it was extremely dangerous! But now … everyone wants to be here.” Which is so true! SJHS is located in the heart of downtown putting it smack dab in the middle of NYU, Makerbot, SFC, LIU, St. Josephs College, National Grid, JP Morgan Chase, and so much more. We are a hub for giving, especially to our students that work hard to meet their goals!
P.S. In all honesty Downtown Brooklyn is the place to be in my humble opinion 🙂
#waybackwednesday #sjhsbrooklyn #brooklynbest #bestborough