Did not see a topic for Brooklyn in the bottoms just across the Musial bridge. Likely because there is rarely news out of this small community.

It was nice to see an article written about the community recently in the Chicago Tribune. More than anything, I think activist attention needs to be brought to places like Brooklyn and East St. Louis.

It’s only about a 30 block area. I am hoping that an interested billionaire or group of philanthropists make it their cause and give the community an identity again and investment. It is small enough that some wealthy interest would go a long way quickly. I also think Illinois should step in and grant it state park status or something that could get it funding for improvements and possibly make it a destination for black history.

Article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/01/ ... lack-town/

Brooklyn actually has a decent opportunity ahead of it in the form of being the future nexus of three different greenways. 

The Levee trail will eventually connect to the East Riverfront path that runs along Front Street, it will run directly though the area I assume this article is referring to as Brooklyn's future riverfront development.

The Schoolhouse Trail also needs to be connected, Brooklyn needs to make sure that the future expansion route runs through town.

delmar2debaliviere2downtown wrote: ↑

Jan 24, 2025

Did not see a topic for Brooklyn in the bottoms just across the Musial bridge. Likely because there is rarely news out of this small community.

It was nice to see an article written about the community recently in the Chicago Tribune. More than anything, I think activist attention needs to be brought to places like Brooklyn and East St. Louis.

It’s only about a 30 block area. I am hoping that an interested billionaire or group of philanthropists make it their cause and give the community an identity again and investment. It is small enough that some wealthy interest would go a long way quickly. I also think Illinois should step in and grant it state park status or something that could get it funding for improvements and possibly make it a destination for black history.

Article: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/01/ ... lack-town/

Billionaires don't care about people of color. As evidenced by the current goings-on of American society... so, highly unlikely and not very probable in this city or any where else for that matter. Matter of fact, a billionaire would be the worst possible type of person to go in on anywhere that's historically predominantly an ethnic area. They would wipe it clean off the earth, with their scope of intentions. 

***** billionaires. They're no one to look up to and they should stop being raised up to a platform of admiration. They are the problem, not the solution.

Dave Steward?

^Agree that billionaires are for themselves by nature. But there are wealthy Black americans and Black philanthropic societies that may care about a community and cause like this. My point is that Brooklyn suffers from some of the same topography and historical issues as E StL without the evidence of a once booming city. Whereas EStL will need industry, infrastructure and downtown StL to probably be busting at the seams, Brooklyn is a very small place that a philanthropic venture of some millions in donations could establish a museum, historical trail, streetscaping, maybe a rebuilt 5th street that celebrated black history. It only has around 600 people. It really just needs preservation as a place in American history. It’s a concentrated area so a little money can go a long way.

I agree with Harv - the recreational trails provide an opportunity for someone to invest some money in making it a nice little place for an experience of history and recreation.