Wakanda? Or Clinton Hill? An elaborate Black Panther Halloween display on Gates Avenue makes it tricky to tell the difference.
The decorative scene, located at 106 Gates Avenue, features King T'Challa guarded by six of his mighty women warriors, the Dora Milaje, making it one of the best Halloween set-ups the neighborhood has ever seen, according to passers-by.
The movie, which grossed over one billion dollars in box office sales worldwide in just 26 days, is one of Valentine Amartey's favorites. When the Bed-Stuy resident discovered the Black Panther display on his commute to work, he had to hop off his bike to take a picture.
"I'm actually on my way to work, and I just pulled over because I saw this," said Amartey. "I think it's so badass. It's the best Halloween- decorated stoop I think I've ever seen. Obviously, the person who made this has a deep connection with the movie, too. I had to stop and pay homage."
Commuter Zev Chevat, who passes by the house every morning on his way to Pratt University, snapped a picture earlier in the week. The display shows what a huge cultural impact the movie has made, he said.
"Black Panther is a cultural phenomenon," he said. "To the people who live here, it must obviously be a bigger deal than just the regular superhero reasons. It's a culturally impactful movie, especially to communities of color. And having such a fun, creative and very visible neighborhood display is just something guaranteed to bring smiles to peoples' faces."
The resident who spent hours making the display preferred not to be named. But she shared that she created it for the many children in the community.
To Chevat, the display alone is quite a sweet treat.
"I mean, who doesn't want to see a Brooklyn stoop covered in Dora Milaje? It's amazing," he said.
Clinton Hill trick-or-treaters will likely agree when they get to enter the kingdom of Wakanda this Halloween.
