Flatbush at its Finest

Last night, as I sat on a bench near Picket Fence, taking in the sounds of the jazz band wafting from the restaurant's rear garden, the whole neighborhood just seemed to come alive in exactly the way I love. It was a balmy Saturday night, and men, women and children of all ages, from all kinds of backgrounds, some local and some from outside the immediate area, were heading to their various destinations, the air charged with just a hint of electricity. Coexistence not only seemed possible...it was really happening. One of those spontaneous moments when everything just seems to snap into place. A parade of beautiful, smiling faces in every flavor imaginable, from deep chocolate to peaches 'n' cream, and everything in between, floated by, their conversation and laughter filling the night with a rich sense of warmth and connection, of home and hearth, of unity in diversity, of...neighborhood. As the area continues to evolve in fits and starts, I received a glimpse of an increasingly probable future, different - and better - than quite what any one person or group has previously experienced or envisioned. Last night, there was no "them"...every last person was one of "us."