Brooklyn Heights is a hotbed of squash–not the kind you eat, but the kind you play. As this Eagle article notes, the Heights Casino “might well be called the squash center of the universe.” Despite the sport’s international popularity, it is as yet not recognized for the Olympics. To boost its chances of being added to the 2020 Games, a “flash mob” will assemble on the Promenade at the Montague Street entrance Monday at 5:30 p.m. More details after the jump.

This week 17 of the top 20 professional women’s squash players in the world are in Brooklyn Heights for a major tournament on their tour calendar. They hail from 14 countries and have traveled from as far away as Malaysia and Australia. In addition to their amazing on court performances they have organized an event on the Promenade in support of the sport’s bid to join the Olympics in 2012. Please come out and join them by showing off Brooklyn’s hospitality and global spirit. They will be hosting similar events in iconic locations across the globe.

As the official “Back the Bid” colors are red and white, participants are asked to please wear red or white shirts.

Image: Heartless Doll.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/48474

As part of its regular series “Brooklyn One Building At A Time,” Brownstoner’s Montrose Morris offers a detailed history of the Heights Casino at 75 Montague Street. The Flemish Revival building was constructed in 1905, designed to accommodate sports and club activities, as well as a reference to Brooklyn’s Dutch heritage. For its entire life, the Casino has been a “tony private club whose members had blood as blue as a yachtsman’s fine navy blazer,” Brownstoner says. It is also home to the first indoor tennis court in the nation, which can be transformed into a posh ballroom.

Historically, by the 1950s, the Casino’s restrictive policies—no Jews, no Negroes, no new money—had about driven it to bankruptcy. As with most organizations, policies evolved, leading to diversity that has kept the club alive & well today. Read more at Brownstoner here.

Bob Furman also wrote a history of clubs in the neighborhood last June for BHB. See his tasty read here.

Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/43195