At the intersection of 4th Ave and 7th street you will find the first official cheer zone.
Right on the corner is St. Thomas Aquinas, a former parish school that now rents its building to the NYC Board of Education and is now the home of PS 133. The building was established in the late 1800's.
A block east you will find a bustling shopping district along 5th Ave.
"You got everything you want and it's on 5th ave. You want food, eating ,coffee, 7/11,shoes, everything you need is here," said Marty DiPasquale.
Another favorite is called the Old Stone House. "It was the sight of some of the most intense fighting of the battle of Brooklyn of August," said Maggie Weber, Director of Education. She adds, "It was actually the largest battle of the American Revolution.
We lost that battle, but of course won the war. And in the 1880's the house served as a club house for the Brooklyn Baseball Club, later moved to eventually become the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Today, the house sits in the center of newly renovated parl. that offers a play space for young children and astroturf for soccer and other sports.
But if history takes a back seat to your sweet tooth, then La Dolce Café may be for you. It's located one block from east of the first marathon cheering zone.
The bake house is new to the neighborhood, but already has a following. It's specialty cakes bringing in customers from all corners of the city.
"We can create just about anything you imagine in cake. We have done everything from 3 story Toy Story cake to lacy convection wedding cakes," said Jordan Gant.
Sweet discoveries, shopping, and lots of history can all be found within 7 blocks of the first cheering zone on the marathon route.
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