How we captured the eclipse from a Brooklyn balcony

For many New Yorkers, the North American eclipse prompted a festive response, even though it wasn't expected to get completely dark here. Still, when moon crossed the sun, it certainly felt like something strange was happening, as the darkening sky was accompanied by an eerie drop in temperature. It was hard not to be enchanted by the once-in-a-lifetime experience and the sight of friends and neighbors with their faces turned to the sun, sheathed in protective glasses. Andrea Reese, a longtime New Yorker, shared this account of her experience in Brooklyn’s South Slope neighborhood.

Every day I walk three dogs, one at a time. On the day of the eclipse, I had access to the sixth-floor balcony of the building where the third dog, Leo, lives. While walking over to Leo’s building, my wife Alice and I saw lots of people walking in the direction of Greenwood Cemetery to watch the eclipse.

We also saw our friend, Ann Dolan, sitting on her stoop, ready to go. Everybody calls her Mrs. Dolan.

Alice figured out that she could take photos right through the eclipse sunglasses.

It wasn’t easy to get clear photos, but here’s one.

We also used a colander to make little moons on the ground.

It didn’t get as dark as we anticipated, but there was an increase in wind, and I noticed that the birds were tweeting more and flying around faster. A group of kids on the rooftop of another building liked waving at us and got so excited when we waved back.

Despite all the excitement, Leo fell asleep.