Experience 60s South Slope In New Novel, Brownstone Dreams

South Slope as we know it today is nothing like the stickball and gang-filled streets of the 1960s, according to the new novel, Brownstone Dreams, based on author Kevin McPartland’s experiences growing up on 5th Avenue, between 11th and 12th Street.

Gangs out here were known as South Brooklyn, and then 7th Avenue was the Jokers. The Jokers and Tigers were up there. Downtown, like Butler Street, you had the Butler Street Gents, and then if you went up around Prospect Park, there were a lot of racial troubles… It was distinct borders. My world was very small. Living between 11th and 12th on 5th, I had no business going on the other side of 9th Street. I had no business crossing Prospect Avenue, or particularly going up to 7th Avenue.

Don’t miss the full interview on our sister site, Park Slope Stoop.