We took a brief prowl the other night, starting off on Jamaica and Woodhaven around 2 AM.  Popeye's was just closing.  The newsstand near the Boulevard is open round the clock, as were a few other delis and groceries we passed by.  We encountered a few young men who asked what we were up to.  We spoke about the neighborhood and the various things that have been going on.  After they left, we set our tripod up right in the middle of Jamaica Avenue and took some shots. 

We moved down to Forest Parkway where it was silent - the only noise you could hear was the cord banging against the flagpole in the wind.  And then you could hear the train rumbling way off in the distance.  It's funny how in the daytime, the train is on top of you seconds after you first hear it.  But at night, when there's less competition for your ears and your attention, you hear the train 30 or 40 seconds before it roars overhead.  And at night, when the train's doors open, you can hear the conductor's announcements from a block away.

Then we zipped over to the other side of the Boulevard, stopping off at 96th and Jamaica, overlooking Le Cordon Bleu.  A few times during the evening, the police passed by -- showing some interest in what this nut was doing out there with a camera and tripod in the middle of the night.  By the 3rd time they passed, we were waving hello at each other. 

And finally, the wind was starting to act up -- it was pretty cold and by morning we'd see some light snow flurries here in Woodhaven.  But we had one last spot to hit, and it was all the way on the other side of Woodhaven, near where we had just been.  But that's the thing about a late night prowl -- you don't have to plan them out too much.  And you don't have to worry about traffic.  So we made our way to "The Rock."  I love the way a passing car's headlights illuminate the rock, and the houses behind it. 

Then we headed home, but not before stopping off at one of those delis we mentioned earlier.  You have to be thankful to these proprietors, who stay open all night long.  And if there's anything tastier than bacon and egg on a roll at 3 AM, we've yet to encounter it.  Here's the video we put together, showing the above locations and a few others we stopped off at along the way - see how many of them you recognize.  It's the sights and sounds of Woodhaven, between 2 and 3 AM.