Historic Houses Tour Honors Fort Greene's Musical Roots

FORT GREENE, BROOKLYN — The time of year has come when Brooklynites can get a look inside some of the neighborhood's most distinctive homes — this time, with music.

The annual Fort Greene House Tour, now in its 34th year, will kick off on Sep. 22 with a new jazz theme that will bring live music to some of the featured homes.

For $25, or $30 on the day of, ticket holders can explore eight interesting houses. Among this year's featured houses are several historic brownstones and a tack house that was turned into a cottage.

"Whether putting a working juke box in the dining room, a bath tub in a library or choosing to cook on a 1930’s Chambers stove, these creative homeowners are not afraid to follow their own rules when it comes to designing their homes," the Fort Greene Association, who sponsors the event, said.

Some of the homes on the tour have been featured as movie or television locations, the group added.

This year’s tour is dedicated to Howard Pitsch, a former FGA chair who has since passed away. Pitsche was a longtime Fort Greene resident and a neighborhood historian. He wrote the book “Images of America FORT GREENE.”

Some ticket holders for the self-guided house tour will get the chance to also participate in a 90-minute walking tour featuring some of Pitsch’s favorite places in Fort Greene. There is an opportunity to sign up after purchasing tickets on the house tour website.

Also special this year will be live music at some of the house locations to go with the theme "Houses, History & All That Jazz." The theme honors Fort Greene’s long tradition as a home to world class musicians, organizers said.

It will also celebrate the naming of a new park on St Felix and Lafayette after jazz legend and long-time Fort Greene resident, Betty Carter.

The tour begins at the corner of DeKalb Avenue and Washington Park in front of the entrance to Fort Greene Park. Tickets can be purchased online or at one of the locations around the neighborhood listed on the website.