Search Results for: brooklyn history

Following the tragic events in Charlottesville, Va. last weekend, officials announced Tuesday that two plaques honoring Gen. Robert E. Lee outside of a Brooklyn church would be taken down. The plaques, tacked to a maple tree, belonged to St. John’s Episcopal Church in Fort Hamilton, although the church has been closed since 2014. As Newsday reported, the Episcopal Diocese of Long Island owns the church and will sell it.
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History

August 10, 2017

From oysters to falafel: The complete history of street vending in NYC

To fully experience New York City, you have to eat. And then eat some more. So inextricably linked with its food, the city’s social and cultural history requires an exploration of its endless cuisines. And while street food is not unique to New York, the city provides some of the most diverse dining options in the world, with over 10,000 people make a living by street vending. But this tradition dates all the way back to the 1600s when European settlers enjoyed eating shellfish on the streets. Food vendors took on a more formal incarnation in the early 1800s on the Lower East Side and have changed with every new immigrant group that's landed here since. From oysters and knishes to hot dogs and Halal, the city's street vendors reflect its constant evolution and also what brings New Yorkers together.
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History

U.S. Army won’t remove Confederate street names in Brooklyn

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

August 8, 2017

U.S. Army won’t remove Confederate street names in Brooklyn

Despite a push from advocates and politicians, the United States Army decided to keep the names of two streets in Brooklyn that honor Confederate generals. The streets, General Lee Avenue and Stonewall Jackson Drive, can be found in Fort Hamilton, the city’s last remaining active military base. Brooklyn Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, along with U.S. Reps Jerrold Nadler, Nydia Velazquez and Hakeem Jeffries, had written to the Army in June asking them to consider changing the street names. As the Daily News reported, the Army said the names will stay because they remain an “inextricable part of our military history.”
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In 1894, the first bike lane in America was built on Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway

Photo by Kai Brinker on Flickr

August 1, 2017

In 1894, the first bike lane in America was built on Brooklyn’s Ocean Parkway

While many New Yorkers can be seen trekking through Brooklyn on their bikes today, the borough’s infatuation with cycling actually dates back to the 19th century. On June 15, 1894, Ocean Parkway became the first street in the U.S. to have a designated bike lane. The nearly five-mile stretch of road was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the urban planning masterminds behind Central Park and Prospect Park. Originally, their design for Ocean Parkway was to be one of four spokes originating at Prospect Park and spanning across the borough. Today, the road doesn’t actually start at the park but runs parallel to Coney Island Avenue to reach the beach.
The full history this way

History

Photo via Wiki Commons

July 26, 2017

The history behind how Great Jones Street got its name

After 34 years of serving giant Cajun-Creole portions alongside obscure jukebox music, Great Jones Cafe is closing its doors for good tonight. The notorious Noho bar at 54 Great Jones Street opened in 1983 when the block was so empty patrons used be able to play whiffle ball in the street, but its closure serves as a reminder of the history of Great Jones Street. This superlative name dates way back to 1789 when politician Samuel Jones donated land to the city under the terms that they name any street within the property after him. But there was one little issue....
Where did the street name come from?

History

Brooklyn politicians want to decriminalize subway turnstile jumping

Image via WNYC

July 26, 2017

Brooklyn politicians want to decriminalize subway turnstile jumping

According to the Daily News, in 2016, roughly 92 percent of persons arrested for fare evasion were people of color, many of whom were also low-income and ended up spending at least one day in jail. With this in mind, State Senator Jesse Hamilton of Crown Heights and Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright of Bed-Stuy, both Democrats, will introduce legislation to decriminalize turnstile jumping cases. Instead of the offense warranting an arrest, misdemeanor charges, and a $100 fine, they propose the MTA's Adjudication Bureau handle it as a civil matter.
All the details ahead

July 19, 2017

The history of Fort George: Manhattan’s long-lost amusement park in Inwood

Did you know Washington Heights and Inwood used to be home to a giant amusement park? In 1895, the Fort George Amusement Park opened on Amsterdam Avenue between 190th and 192nd Streets, overlooking the Harlem River in what is now Highbridge Park. Located in the same spot as George Washington’s fight against the British, "Harlem’s Coney Island" rivaled Brooklyn’s Coney Island with roller coasters, Ferris wheels, a skating rink, fortune tellers, music halls, casinos, and hotels.
Learn more about the Fort George Amusement Park

History

July 17, 2017

‘Mad Men’-looking studio along Brooklyn Bridge Park asks $810K

By Emily Nonko

This studio apartment at One Brooklyn Bridge Park looks straight off the set of "Mad Men." The owner managed to pack plenty of mid-century modern design into just 589 square feet while creating an inventive layout that creates some private spaces within the apartment. Best yet, the studio comes with a big wall of windows, a common feature throughout the Brooklyn Heights development, which leads out to a private terrace. After last selling in 2013 for $672,045, the studio is now on the market asking $810,000.
Check out the creative layout

Distinctive Homes

June 28, 2017

INTERVIEW: The NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project talks gay history and advocacy in NYC

"Where did lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) history happen in New York City? In what buildings did influential LGBT activists and artists live and work, and on what streets did groups demonstrate for their equal rights?" These are the questions that the NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project is answering through a first-of-its-kind initiative to document historic and cultural sites associated with the LGBT community in the five boroughs. Through a map-based online archive, based on 25 years of research of advocacy, the group hopes to make "invisible history visible" by exploring sites related to everything from theater and art to social activism and health. To mark Pride Month, 6sqft recently talked with the Historic Sites Project's directors--architectural historian and preservation professor at Columbia Andrew S. Dolkart; historic preservation consultant Ken Lustbader; and former senior historian at the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission Jay Shockley--along with their project manager, preservationist Amanda Davis, about the roots of the initiative, LGBT history in NYC, and the future of gay advocacy.
Read the interview here

Politicians push for Brooklyn’s General Lee Avenue to be renamed

General Lee Avenue and Robert E. Lee’s former home on Fort Hamilton, via Jeremy Bender/Business Insider

June 20, 2017

Politicians push for Brooklyn’s General Lee Avenue to be renamed

When four Confederate statues were removed in New Orleans last month, many sided with Mayor Mitch Landrieu's plan, but others felt it was an attempt to erase history. Nevertheless, the monuments all came down, prompting national elected officials to take notice--even here in NYC. As 6sqft previously explained, there exists a General Lee Avenue and a Stonewall Jackson Drive in Brooklyn's Fort Hamilton, the city's last remaining active-duty military base, and a group of local politicians has sent a letter to Army Secretary Robert Speer asking that they both be renamed, with Colin Powell and Harriet Tubman suggested as possible replacements (h/t Gothamist).
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June 7, 2017

The lost plan to connect Brooklyn to Staten Island with a ‘boulevard under the sea’

By Emily Nonko

Back when New York City planners were dreaming of building new tunnels and bridges, they set their sights toward Staten Island. It was the turn of the 18th century and the city was in the midst of a Brooklyn boom following the debut of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. In 1909, the Manhattan Bridge opened to accommodate the growth of Brooklyn residents who needed ways to get in and out of the newly-developed borough. So the city started thinking about Staten Island. Today, of course, the two boroughs are connected by the Verrazano Bridge. But according to Brownstone Detectives, "Before talk of a bridge began... there was talk of a grand tunnel."
Learn more about the tunnel and why it never came to be

History

Roasteries and refineries: The history of sugar and coffee in NYC

Arbuckle’s, via Brooklyn Historical Society

June 6, 2017

Roasteries and refineries: The history of sugar and coffee in NYC

By Lucie Levine

Brooklyn is properly known as Kings County. During New York’s Gilded Age, Sugar King Henry Osborne Havemeyer and Coffee King John Arbuckle made sure the borough lived up to its name, building their grand industrial empires on the shores of the East River. By the turn of the 20th century, more sugar was being refined in Williamsburg and more coffee roasted in DUMBO than anywhere else in the country, shaping the Brooklyn waterfront and NYC as a preeminent financial and cultural center. The history of coffee and sugar in this town is as rich and exciting as these two commodities are sweet and stimulating, so hang on to your homebrew and get ready for a New York Story.
The whole juicy history of sugar and coffee in NYC

History

The history of New York’s Newspaper Row, the epicenter of 19th century news

Image via Library of Congress

May 10, 2017

The history of New York’s Newspaper Row, the epicenter of 19th century news

By Michelle Young

While the news industry today continues to shift from bustling offices to laptops in coffee shops, it may be hard to imagine that the publishing industry was at the epicenter of some of the world's most important architectural feats. But this was the case in late 19th century New York City, when the daily newspaper industry was centered at Park Row, near City Hall. Such institutions included The New York Times, The New York Tribune and The New York World.
Take a trip back in time with us and explore Newspaper Row

Did you know the idea for G.I. Joe was created in Brooklyn?

Photo via Wikipedia

May 9, 2017

Did you know the idea for G.I. Joe was created in Brooklyn?

Did you know G.I. Joe, considered the world’s first action figure, was first conceptualized in Brooklyn? The famous toy was invented by NYC native Stanley Weston, who passed away this month at 84 years old. Weston, born in Brooklyn in 1933, sold his idea for a military-themed toy to Hasbro for $100,000 when he was just 30 years old. Hasbro later turned it into a $100 million success, with more generations of the dolls, comic books, a television series and movies following it.
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History

May 8, 2017

Where to buy affordable art in Brooklyn

By Lori Zimmer

Our ongoing series Apartment Living 101 is aimed at helping New Yorkers navigate the challenges of creating a happy home in the big city. This week, Art Nerd New York founder Lori Zimmer shares her top spots for scoring affordable art in Brooklyn. Brooklyn has become the place to be for creatives, especially as artists have migrated from Soho and the East Village to Williamsburg, Bushwick, and beyond. Now, blue-chip galleries are sprouting up Brooklyn locations, art fairs have Brooklyn outposts, and artists studios are thriving in neighborhoods all over the borough. Despite the rise of Brooklyn arts (and rents), there are still places to procure affordable art, all while supporting the artists struggling to survive in a very competitive market.
our list here

April 28, 2017

Five million dead in Queens: The history of New York City’s ‘cemetery belt’

You may have noticed when driving from Queens to Brooklyn that at some point you find yourself surrounded by a sea of headstones in every direction. The city's "cemetery belt"–reportedly visible from space–stretches for two and a half miles along the Queens/Brooklyn border and is so populous that there are more than twice as many dead people in Queens than living ones. What's up with this cemetery city?
Find out why the dead outnumber the living in Queens

History

+POOL may come to Brooklyn Bridge Park, scores a big-name backer

Renderings by PlayLab, courtesy of +POOL.

April 25, 2017

+POOL may come to Brooklyn Bridge Park, scores a big-name backer

Seven years ago the team behind +POOL floated the fanciful–but completely fun–sounding idea of building a pool submerged in NYC's East River that would filter the polluted waterway in addition to being a cool-off spot for New Yorkers. Curbed reports that though the official line is that all options are still being looked at, project designers hope the city will allow +POOL to be located off a pier at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
More the floating pool's progress and new renderings this way

The history of NYC’s Quonset Huts, Robert Moses-era veterans housing

A row of Quonset huts in Canarsie, via Brooklyn Public Library

April 21, 2017

The history of NYC’s Quonset Huts, Robert Moses-era veterans housing

When veterans returned to NYC from WWII, they were met with a Depression-era housing shortage that resulted from a nearly 15-year lack of new development. To immediately address the issue, "master builder" Robert Moses (who by this time was reigning over the city's public housing projects) proposed erecting Quonset huts on vacant land in Brooklyn and Queens. These curved, corrugated steel "shacks" were used in the Pacific as barracks and offices, as they were lightweight and quick and easy to assemble. As the Brownstone Detectives tell us, after much debate, the city agreed to use more than 500 Federal surplus huts as temporary public housing on land along the Belt Parkway in the South Brooklyn neighborhoods of Canarsie and Jamaica Bay, as well as in Jackson Heights, Middle Village, and Corona in Queens.
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History

April 18, 2017

INTERVIEW: Co-founder of the Brooklyn Home Company, Bill Caleo

By Michelle Sinclair Colman

The Brooklyn Home Company (THBCo) is a family-run cooperative of artists and builders that develop unique residential spaces in booming Brooklyn. Best described as white and wood but never cookie cutter, their work is always light and airy, and blend modern style with historic elements. It's this signature style that's made THBCo a favorite amongst both renovators and Pinterest enthusiasts alike. But what inspires their designs and how do they decide where to develop projects? Ahead, 6sqft speaks to THBCo's co-founder and Head of Operations, Bill Caleo, about the business. Find out how this family-run establishment firmly roots itself in working with local makers, how they've grown their business model to include sustainability, and why they always add a custom piece of art to all their homes.
our interview with bill here

MAP: How old are the buildings in each Brooklyn neighborhood?

Photo via Brooklyn Historical Society

March 30, 2017

MAP: How old are the buildings in each Brooklyn neighborhood?

Photo via Brooklyn Historical Society One of the most exciting things about exploring Brooklyn is seeing the unique architecture of each neighborhood. Now, thanks to an interactive map from urban_calc, you can also learn the age of these structures in the borough with the oldest buildings in the city. Using the city’s OpenData project and Pluto dataset, urban_calc found the median age of buildings in each census tract. The oldest neighborhood is Ocean Hill at 1911, followed by Cypress Hill, Park Slope and Stuyvesant Heights, all with a median building year of 1920. On the other hand, the newest neighborhoods include Coney Island, West Brighton, East New York, Canarsie and Williamsburg.
Find out more here

History

February 1, 2017

The history of Little Syria and an immigrant community’s lasting legacy

In the light of Donald Trump's ban on Syrian refugees, 6sqft decided to take a look back at Little Syria. From the late 1880s to the 1940s, the area directly south of the World Trade Center centered along Washington Street held the nation's first and largest Arabic settlement. The bustling community was full of Turkish coffee houses, pastry shops, smoking parlors, dry goods merchants, and silk stores, but the Immigration Act of 1924 (which put limits on the number of immigrants allowed to enter the U.S. from a given country and altogether banned Asians and Arabs) followed by the start of construction on the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel in 1940, caused this rich enclave to disappear. And though few vestiges remain today, there's currently an exhibit on Little Syria at the Metropolitan College of New York, and the Department of Parks and Recreation is building a new park to commemorate the literary figures associated with the historic immigrant community.
The full history and details on the new developments

History

January 19, 2017

$10.5M Federal-era house in Brooklyn Heights was Truman Capote’s muse

When he penned an essay about his neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights in 1959, it was this wood-frame house at 13 Pineapple Street that inspired Truman Capote. "Cheerfully austere, as elegant and other-era as formal calling cards, these houses bespeak an age of able servants and solid fireside ease; of horses in musical harness," he wrote, referencing the 1830 Federal-era home that was around the corner from his personal house. The Wall Street Journal reports that, for the past 26 years, the residence has been preserved by a couple who were drawn to its grey shingles as a reminder of the old houses in Nantucket they love. But now that their children are grown, they're looking to downsize and have listed the storied property for $10.5 million.
All the history right this way

December 6, 2016

Pretty Cobble Hill carriage house boasts history of circus zebras–and Norah Jones as neighbor

Though this 1830s livery stable on a picturesque Cobble Hill block offers seemingly endless charms on its own, the three-story, 4,300-square-foot home may have one of the more unique carriage house histories we've heard: It's believed that between 1915 and 1920 the stable was used to house zebras when what is now the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus was in town—the building next door was used to hold the elephants. If that's not enough distinction, the adorable carriage house belonging to singer Norah Jones—it also appeared in the Julia Roberts film "Eat, Pray, Love,"—sits directly across the street. But this particular carriage house, on the market for $5.6 million, is eclectic enough without past-life zebras or celebrity neighbors, from its expansive owners' duplex to its cozy upper floor apartment. Two decks overlooking a gorgeous rear garden and parking at the front have already won us over, and that's before we've even gone inside.
Explore this eclectic former stable

November 11, 2016

It will cost a whopping $811M to repair the Brooklyn Bridge