(upbeat music) - [Narrator 1] Coming up on Legacy List with Matt Paxton.

Matt is in Brooklyn to help a couple with deep roots in the community downsize their historic home.

- [Matt] Look at this place.

It's massive.

- [Narrator] The house is filled with items that tell not just their story, but the story of the neighborhood they love.

- [Matt] Department of Sanitation.

- [Jamie] There's a real sense of pride in that.

- Moving into a new home is exciting, but decluttering and downsizing can be in an emotional journey.

- We need your help.

- I can see, I see a lot of collections already.

- It's paralyzing.

- [Matt] That's why it's important to start with a legacy list.

It's a list of a few cherished items with high emotional value that help tell your family's story.

- Oh.

- Oh.

- [Matt] My name is Matt Paxton, and I have the best job in the world.

Me and my team of experts help people downsize their homes and move, but we also help them find their legacy list.

- [Speaker 1] You made my dream come true.

- I can't believe it.

- This is why we do this.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator 2] Funding for Legacy List is provided by Bekins Van Lines.

At Bekins our goal is to provide a smooth and simple moving experience.

No matter the size or distance of your move, Bekins is ready to help you get there.

You can find us at bekins.com.

Bekins.

This is Moving.

FirstLight Home Care committed to providing safe and compassionate home services for you and your family.

FirstLight believes personal relationships and engagement are as important as mobility, bathing, and personal hygiene.

Details at FirstLightHomeCare.com.

(upbeat music) (water rushing) (subway rumbles) (people chatter) - [Matt] Today we're in Brooklyn, New York to meet Richard and Ann, and help them downsize from a beautiful brownstone they've lived in for over 40 years.

They have a long life in this community, and I can't wait to see the treasures we find.

(soft knocking) (door clicks) - [Matt] Ann.

- [Anne] Hello Matt.

- How are you?

- Good to meet you.

- Good to finally meet you.

Richard, how are you, sir?

- Good to meet you.

- Good to finally meet you.

- Yeah.

- Thank you guys.

Well, listen, I wanna see this whole house.

Holy cow.

- [Richard] Okay.

Come on in.

(gentle cheerful music) - Look at this place.

This house is very understated, I feel like.

It's massive.

This is what, four stories?

- Yeah.

And we rent two stories upstairs.

- [Matt] Okay.

So both upstairs are rent.

You got a lot of art in here.

Where'd you get all your art?

- [Richard] Auction houses, antique shops.

- [Matt] How long have y'all lived here?

- We've been in the property for over 40 years.

- 1981.

- What was the neighborhood like when you moved in?

- 98% Black folks.

- Okay.

- Mainly from the south.

- Obviously gentrification took over this neighborhood, I think in the day.

What's the good and the bad of that?

Or is there good and bad in that?

- Well, when we moved here, you'd hear gunshots every night.

- Okay.

- But it's changed.

Brooklyn's always been very vibrant.

We have so many friends here who are in so many different professions.

- People like the trees, that's one thing we talk about Brooklyn, the park is nearby, the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

- [Richard] And we're half an hour from Times Square.

- As I read about you, I mean, you obviously have a little bit of history to you.

You didn't do anything small.

- No.

(Ann chuckles) - Everything's big and grandiose.

- Everything's first, first, first, first.

Good evening.

This is tennis hotline.

I'm your host, Richard Northern.

We're gonna be here with you all went along to help your tennis game survive in the city.

- Besides being a public access TV star, Richard Northern was a tennis player and teacher who in 1981, along with his wife Ann, established the South Oxford Tennis Club in Fort Green, Brooklyn.

Kids are gone.

Most of the friends are down south now, or where are they?

- Most of my family lives in North Carolina, in the triangle area, Raleigh-Durham area.

So we want more time to visit our friends in Florida and also be in North Carolina.

- Okay.

All right.

So, unfortunately it is what it is.

- [Ann] Mm hm.

- It's time to start thinking about downsizing.

- Right.

- The goal is get rid of some of the stuff, one level living.

- And rent this out.

- And rent it out.

Okay.

All right.

That's a good downsizing story.

This is easy.

Where is the real volume the reason you called me for?

- The real volume is in the cellar.

(upbeat music) - Look at this.

Whoa.

Got a lot of stuff in here.

Richard's not even here.

Right?

He's upstairs 'cause these steps are too tight for him.

- [Ann] Right.

Mm hm.

- [Matt] How do you think he's gonna feel about letting go of some of this stuff?

- I think he's going to be okay with it.

We've already done a couple of passes.

He was very open to letting a lot of the stuff go.

- [Matt] Both of you had really big careers and all that extra stuff got put down here.

- Right.

- What else is behind us?

- Richard used to have an antique store, so there's a lot of collectibles and stuff.

- [Matt] Sure, why not?

- [Announcer] We actually had the antique store and the South Oxford Tennis Club at the same time.

- I've read about the tennis club.

I've heard about it.

Tell me how it started, what you guys had there.

- The facility, the building itself was a old funeral parlor and the city of New York actually owned the building and the land that was surrounding it.

So Richard was able to obtain a lease in order to rehab the facility and also to put up tennis courts.

It was pretty exciting to be a part of something that we both developed.

And it turned into this beautiful facility.

We actually got married there too.

- You did?

- [Ann] Yes.

- [Matt] So the volume, it is what it is.

- [Ann] Yeah.

- All right.

So this space, we need to make an office again.

And then what's the goal?

- The goal for the back is to clear it out.

- [Matt] Clear it out.

- [Ann] Clear it out down to the wall.

- Okay.

All right.

Well, I can have my team come in and work on that.

I know Jamie and I are gonna come around and look.

But I don't know what we're looking for.

Tell me about your legacy list.

- The first thing on my legacy list is a badge that belonged to my dad.

- Okay.

- He worked for the New York City Department of Sanitation.

- [Matt] Okay.

- And he retired as a foreman.

- So how long was he there?

- Oh, at least 20 years.

- Yeah.

- I have that badge.

It's around here somewhere.

- What does that badge mean to you?

- It's a symbol of how hard he worked.

On the job at 6 o'clock in the morning, to deal with trash every day.

And he had more than one job.

He really worked hard for our family, and so that's important.

Another item is a quilt that my mother gave to me.

She was a very creative person, and she made that quilt.

She shared everything.

So I mean, I'd really like to have that quilt.

- Is she still with us or no?

- No, she passed.

- [Matt] She passed.

- Yes.

Yeah, she passed.

Another item belongs to Richard, and he was in a contest, the fastest serve contest, and so he does have some memorabilia about that, and so we like to be able to find it.

- [Matt] How did he do?

- Came in third.

- There we go.

Somewhere in this house, there's a certificate saying that he'd hit over a hundred mile hour serve with a wooden racket.

That's a heck of an athlete.

- One other item that's on our legacy list is to know some more about some of the pieces of art that we have around the house.

- [Matt] I'm walking around and I'm seeing a lot of really nice art.

- [Ann] Yeah.

- When you combine Ann and Richard's story in the community and then there's just amazingness of this house, there's something special about this one.

I got a lot of work to do, (Ann chuckles) so let's get back upstairs and I'll bring my team in.

- Okay.

Perfect.

(lively music) - You know, because of Jamie's expertise in real estate and the fact that she spent a lot of time here growing up, I am excited to bring Jamie in on this job.

- I grew up in Brooklyn.

I went to high school here.

I had lots of friends that lived in homes like this.

It's really, really rare to find a home that's been this well preserved to how it used to be when it was built back in the 1800s.

Oh, there you are.

- [Matt] Hey.

Hey.

How are you?

- Good.

Starting without me?

- Barely.

Someone in real estate, what would you think about a house like this?

- I mean, I would love to own it.

- Yeah.

You got the legacy list.

- [Jamie] I did.

- [Matt] Okay.

- Thank you.

We'll get started.

- Let me see what you find.

There's a lot of cool stuff, man.

- Is this...?

Oh yeah.

Super Mario Brothers.

- [Matt] Yeah, that's a cool hat.

- Do you know what the Mario Brothers' favorite type of clothing is?

- I don't know, what.

♪ Denim, denim, denim ♪ Ne ne ne ne - That's horrible.

- That's a good dad joke.

- I love it.

- [Jamie] You should know that one.

- [Matt] I should know that one.

- [Jamie] You should know that one.

- Oh, this is cool.

- What?

- A Martina Navratilova ball from Virginia Slims Championship.

Remember when Virginia Slims was like the sponsor of all things healthy?

- Yes.

- I think Richard knew how to have fun, man, back in the day.

His club was apparently very... - It seemed like that happened in place.

Like you would've felt really cool if you got invited to something there.

- It's not the kind of place I would've been invited to.

You probably would've gotten in, but... - Yes.

Oh, don't sell yourself short.

- Eh?

It is what it is.

- Ooh.

- I know my place in life.

What do you got?

- Look at this.

Well, I was trying to move all those boxes to get to this trunk.

- [Matt] Oh, is that the blanket?

- Well, it's a quilt.

- Let's open it up.

What do you think?

Wow.

- It's like pristine.

- [Matt] I know.

It's been buried in that trunk for a long time.

- Yeah.

This is beautiful.

I think the quilt is really important to Ann because it serves as a connection to her mother.

It's something that her mother actually made with her own two hands, and that's really, really special.

Look, it's a picture of the quilt and the pillow on a bed.

- [Matt] There you go.

- [Jamie] That's so sweet.

Awesome.

- [Matt] Boom.

First legacy list item.

I love it.

(gentle upbeat music) (paper crinkles) - [Jamie] I feel like this whole rack of clothes are just transported back to the 80s.

- Finding some good furs.

- It's like, this is an example of how to not keep a fur.

- [Matt] Yeah.

- It's not conditioned.

It's shedding quite a bit.

- Look at these cool old lighters.

- [Jamie] Oh, those are cool.

- [Matt] Richard had a cigar bar and a pool table at his tennis club.

- Of course he did.

- [Matt] Yes.

Just boxes and boxes of buttons.

- Not in a soldier's can though, huh?

- [Matt] No, they're normally in a red soldier's can, you're right.

- I know.

- Uh oh.

Uh oh, come here.

Look at this.

(Jamie gasps) "Foreman, Department of Sanitation.

New York City."

This is her dad's badge.

- To be a child and have a parent do a job like this, that's so critical to make a city operate, there's a real sense of pride in that.

And I can totally understand why she would want to keep something like this.

- [Matt] And as you get older, you really start to appreciate these things.

- Absolutely.

Being part of the municipal workforce is really like being part of something that's just way bigger than yourself.

Without people like her father, this city really would cease to exist.

- All right.

Boom.

- Awesome.

- We got another legacy list item.

- [Jamie] One for you.

One for me.

- All right.

Let's keep looking.

(upbeat music) I think we've picked everything we can here.

And now we're gonna go to the back room to see what else we can find in all the boxes out there.

A lot of books.

They got a whole lot of books, man.

- Look.

- What do you got?

Oh, the wedding.

- Their wedding album.

- [Matt] So, they got married at the tennis club.

- Of course they did.

- Look at that.

She got a hat.

- [Jamie] That was fancy.

- They were very fashionable.

All right, Jamie.

- Yes.

- Difference?

- Badminton.

Tennis.

- [Matt] Correct.

(light music) - [Narrator 1] Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world, but who was the first to, serve it up?

An early version of the game dates back to medieval times when French monks played a form of handball called Jeu de paume.

The new sport left the monastery, added rackets and bounced around Europe.

It was played in many royal courts, and was often referred to as the sport of kings.

By 1874, British inventor Walter Clopton Wingfield drew up rules and patented equipment for an updated outdoor game, lawn tennis.

It was a smash hit.

Soon balls were flying everywhere, from fancy tennis clubs to neighborhood courts.

Professional tennis also became quite popular.

At the inaugural US Open, Arthur Ashe took home the trophy, making him the sport's first black male grand slam champion.

A few years later, 90 million people tuned in to watch a historic tennis match, known as the battle of the sexes between male chauvinist, Bobby Riggs and reigning women's champ, Billie Jean King.

King's convincing win helped advance women's rights and got them equal prize money at the US Open.

Today, tennis is enjoyed by millions of people from all walks of life.

And here's the best part.

You don't have to be a king to play it.

(crowd applauds) (upbeat music) - [Jamie] Did you play tennis?

- [Matt] I played a little bit with my neighbor, Eric, and that was about it.

- So my dad, when I was growing up, he used to take me to the tennis courts, and I thought growing up that he was some great tennis player.

I mean, turns out he wasn't, but... - [Matt] God my dad couldn't even throw a Frisbee.

He was so unathletic.

- The best part was... Oh, look at that.

It's the fast serve.

- [Matt] Holy cow.

- [Jamie] Yeah.

- [Matt] Look at this, the National Fast-Serve Tennis Tournament.

- [Jamie And Matt] 104 Miles per hour.

- [Jamie] With a wooden racket.

- [Matt] Yeah.

- It's like a business card.

- Yes.

- Out of all of the magazine articles, and all of the things that he did for the community, he's really tied to this one tiny little card that is significant to him because it takes him back to that time in his life when he was that young athlete.

- You just found a legacy list item.

Way to serve it up.

(Jamie chuckles) You keep looking.

That's pretty good.

The joke and the find.

(lively music) - Now that Matt and I have found all of the legacy list items, I'm really looking forward to chatting with Ann about what is their vision for the future of this home, and how can I help them get there?

So tell me, what are your thoughts and feelings around leaving this place?

- It's always good to come home, and we've been here so long that it really is a home for us.

- [Jamie] How does your daughter feel about it?

I know she's on the West Coast.

- [Ann] Right.

- Does she have attachments to the place?

Would she ever come back here and live?

- I think that she might.

I think everybody's circumstances change over the years, so there could be a time in her life when she would wanna come back and live in New York.

- That is such an amazing gift to be able to give your family, to keep it in the family because you've, like you said, you've been a caretaker for so long.

- I don't know when we would ever, kind of let it go.

- Well, and you're in a position where you don't necessarily have to let it go.

- Right.

Sure.

- How could you leave New York forever?

- Absolutely.

As a native New Yorker, this is my home.

(cheerful music) - [Narrator] Brooklyn, it might be one of New York's five boroughs, but it has a swagger all its own.

Originally inhabited by the Lenape people, Brooklyn grew as a Dutch settlement in the 1600s.

It fell under British rule and stayed that way until the Revolutionary War was over.

The continental army was almost destroyed at the battle of Brooklyn, but narrowly escaped to fight another day.

By the 19th century, Brooklyn transformed from sleepy farmland to the country's first commuter suburb and then a bustling manufacturing center.

Neighborhoods like Flatbush, Bushwick, and Williamsburg spring to life with working class energy and toughness.

When it was completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world.

But how to convince a skeptical public that the bridge was safe?

Circus Promoter PT Barnum marched 21 elephants across the Brooklyn Bridge to prove it was sturdy enough for New Yorkers.

The Tootsie Roll was invented in Brooklyn, as was the teddy bear.

Jackie Robinson played here.

And this is where Barbara Streisand and Biggie Smalls grew up.

Despite being in the shadow of the Manhattan skyline, Brooklyn has forged its own identity.

New York without Brooklyn, forget about it.

(bright music) - Now that Jamie and I have found all the legacy list items, we're gonna send the move managers in to clear out the space.

- [Ann] We have more corner than leg room.

- [Matt] When you walk into a house like this, everything looks super valuable.

You get overwhelmed very quickly, like, "How are we gonna get rid of any of this?"

But very quickly you find out they got a story for everything.

So if they lose a hundred items, that's okay.

They still got a thousand stories.

- This stuff is over here.

You may have to go.

- My hope for Richard and Ann, is that they keep this process moving forward.

I know that this is a really hard thing for them to let go of, but I really feel like we've given them a good jumpstart on it and I really hope that they continue on the path.

(bright music) - Now that we're done organizing the house, Jamie and I wanted to sit down with Richard, and really learn more about the tennis club and its impact on the neighborhood.

All right man.

We're back in your park.

- Yeah.

Part of it anyway.

- How does it feel?

- You know, this is the first time I've actually sat down in this area.

- Yeah, I mean you built these courts, right?

- [Richard] Yeah, I built these two courts.

- [Matt] Yeah.

- Tennis was a huge part of the club, but the club did so much for the community.

What do you think the club ultimately did for this community?

- It was very helpful because people would walk up to me, and they'd say, "We met here," "Did a dance," or "We got married here."

- Yeah.

- So it brings back a lot of nice memories.

- So it brought a lot of different types of people together.

- Yes.

- And really created a sense of community.

- Yes.

- [Jamie] Yeah.

- Did you know that you made such a big difference by creating that space?

- People miss it.

A lot of people miss it.

That's what I could tell you.

It was one of the few spaces that you could go to.

It's beautiful.

It's convenient.

- Do you miss it?

- Initially.

Sometimes I miss it, but life moves on.

You know, you gotta keep on moving.

- That door closed and another one opened.

- There you go.

One door closes, the other one opens.

- Richard and Ann really built a place of community.

There are people that didn't belong anywhere else in this neighborhood except at the tennis club.

And that is their legacy.

(upbeat music) This is my favorite part of this experience.

We get to hang out with you a couple of days.

We get to dig through all your stuff, and we get to know you and help you clear out some space.

How does that feel knowing that some of that's taken care of?

- Sigh of relief.

- [Matt] Yeah.

- Relief.

It feels cathartic.

- My job is to make people get rid of stuff and not everybody enjoys that scenario.

It's really fun when they do.

First item, was this quilt.

- Ah yes.

- [Matt] Is this the quilt?

- Yes.

- [Matt] Why is this so special?

- I mean, just look at the detail.

I mean, this just typifies what my mother, Millie Cor was all about.

She was about making everything right.

It just had to be right.

She just really loved us all.

- [Matt] We actually found a picture with it.

- Oh wow.

It was all together.

- Yep, it was right with it.

- [Richard] I've never seen this before.

(Ann laughs) - Stick around for another 40, you might learn some more stuff.

And this is my favorite one.

Your father's foreman badge.

- Wow.

Oh man.

Hmm.

- [Matt] What do you remember about that with your dad?

Did he wear it?

Did he... - Oh yeah.

- [Matt] flash it?

- Yeah.

He wore it.

He flashed it.

And he earned it.

You know, I was born here in New York.

He wasn't born here.

And so he just symbolizes people who come here to work hard.

- [Matt] Yeah.

- And make the city what it is today.

- That exemplifies a legacy list item.

- Okay.

- Right?

It's not something you can buy.

You have to earn it.

- [Ann] Mm hm.

He worked hard.

- Both Ann and Richard truly appreciate hard work.

I mean, they're so proud of their family from the past and their family now.

And this badge really pulls that all together.

We're gonna transition from hard work to art work.

- Oh excellent.

- You guys really, really, really have some great art here.

I sent a lot of pictures out to people.

Most are by unknown artists that have a lot of potential.

(Ann chuckles) Kind of like your athletes.

(Ann chuckles) - Yeah.

I know.

- It's the up and comers.

Think I wanna summarize the art with this.

Really nice 19th century Japanese ceramics.

This is worth about $300.

Without the chips, it'd be worth about $500.

- [Ann] Mm hm.

- But my hunch is, you like the chips.

- [Richard] Well that's the way I bought it.

I think it's a pretty old piece.

- I think that's what I like about you, despite the chips, it's still beautiful.

- Yes it is.

Yes, it really is.

- You find the beauty in everything.

And this was your last legacy list item.

- [Ann] Yeah.

Yes.

Mm hm - Here it is.

The fast serve certificate.

(Richard chuckles) You're looking at him with a lot of pride.

(Ann chuckles) - [Richard] That's amazing.

- Of all the things you've done in your life, I was surprised this was on that list.

- [Richard] Yeah.

- It was important to him because it was an accomplishment for him.

This was in 1976.

You know, that was a long time ago.

And to be able to have that, and find it, I think it's amazing.

(cheerful music) - All right, here we go.

The club.

Y'all are such a part of the rebirth and the growth of Brooklyn.

I think of all the people that got to go to parties, got to go to weddings, people that got free lessons, I mean, thousands of people were affected in a positive way.

And y'all clearly did this together.

And that's what I think is so important.

Everything I saw downstairs was both of you.

Y'all ain't leaving Brooklyn.

You couldn't pull y'all outta Brooklyn ever.

It's who you are.

And I just think it's amazing when I think about your art that you love and the reasons you love the art.

- [Ann] Mm hm.

- And the reason you loved coaching.

I think I get it.

You love it 'cause it represents the hours spent, - Right.

Right.

- [Matt] on each piece.

And that's what makes it beautiful.

And I think for you guys, it's the hours spent over 40 years in this neighborhood.

- [Ann] Yeah.

- [Matt] And y'all wanted to make this neighborhood better.

- [Richard] Well, thank you.

- I think of the space you gave to this community and then all the community that came outta that space.

That's an amazing lesson for all of us.

So thank you guys for making that space, and thank you for making space in your home this week for us.

- It's been a wonderful process for us.

You know, it really feels as if we really accomplished something.

Thank you for coming.

- This is a downsizing story that's gonna take years, not days, but they're gonna have a really good time wherever they are, doing whatever they do, 'cause that's who they are.

(upbeat music) - [Narrator 2] Funding for Legacy List is provided by Wheaton Worldwide Moving.

Wheaton's number one goal is to help you, your loved ones, and your belongings get to your new home quickly, and safely.

You can find us at wheatonworldwide.com.

Wheaton Worldwide Moving.

We Move Your Life.

FirstLight Home Care committed to providing safe and compassionate home services for you and your family.

FirstLight believes personal relationships and engagement are as important as mobility, bathing, and personal hygiene.

Details at FirstLightHomeCare.com - [Jamie] Matt thinks that he's the best at everything, but he's got something coming for him.

- [Matt] I think Jamie should stick to selling houses.

Let me serve up the winds.

(suspenseful music) (ball thuds) (ball thuds) (playful music) It's my Easton grip.

- [Jamie] You gotta do the Continental.

(ball thuds) (playful music continues) - [Matt] Ah.

(Jamie chuckles) - [Jamie] Good game.

- That was the set.

Good game.

Good game.

(playful music continues) - [[Narrator 1] Visit MyLegacyList.com to learn more about the tips, tools, and professionals to help make your own big life move easier.

Learn more about this episode, or submit your story to be featured on the show at MyLegacyList.com.

(bright chime) (upbeat music)