At the beginning of the last century, Sunset Park was home to radical Finnish immigrants who set about constructing a cooperative alternative to capitalism. It’s nice to see that spirit endure today – in a different language, of course, the Finns having mostly moved on.

A few more snapshots from around the neighborhood follow.

This spectacular shutter is along Third Avenue, close to Bush Terminal Park.

This mosaic mural (!!!) shows that officially-sanctioned art doesn’t have to be bland. It’s titled “Roots of Knowledge,” and it’s a creation of the wonderful folks at Groundswell, whose work I’ve blogged about before, in partnership with the Brooklyn Public Library.

The intricate mosaic is hard to photograph (all the more so for being behind a fence on a high-traffic street). It really deserves to be inspected up close and in person, which you can do at the southwest corner of Fifth Av and 54th St.

Here’s a more detailed view that still doesn’t do it justice.