Bensonhurst Brooklyn is proud of their natives. In my old part of the hood one of the most notable residents was actor Vincent Gardenia
You would find him early in the morning getting bagels and coffee and walking his dog.
If you honked your car horn or called out to him you were always greeted with a smile and a wave.
If you stopped him to engage in a bit of conversation he was always gracious and friendly.
There are some really lovely homes around Mr. Gardenia's boulevard
A few blocks over is a street named for (in my opinion) a much less worthy person. There was a bit of a battle over honoring Columbus considering his less than humane treatment of just about everyone but in the end the old timers won. I take pleasure in the fact that his street is mostly commercial and far from pretty.
In fact it's mostly known for being impossible to navigate. You might as well try with three ships and a prayer from the Queen. I got caught up on Cris's street. The truck on the right is double parked. The truck in the middle is trying to squeeze through. The car coming in the opposite direction is oblivious (a well known way of driving in Brooklyn) and just kept coming. Lots of honking and middle finger exercises later we all proceeded on our merry way.
If only someone would discover a new route to the bakery.
