WEST WOOD, Greenpoint

by Kevin Walsh

Here’s a close up look of the remaining wood block sidewalk on West Street near Oak Street in Greenpoint. It’s likely the only remaining place in the city where you find a wood block sidewalk; this one stretched along the now-mostly-destroyed  Greenpoint Terminal Market, which faced the East River on Greenpoint’s western shore.

Author Kate Christensen used the wood sidewalk for local color in her 2011 novel The Astral, which was set in Greenpoint, and she reportedly used FNY in her research.

8/22/13

4 comments

RM August 23, 2013 - 11:15 am

Excellant find!

Reply
Jeff B. August 24, 2013 - 11:48 pm

Having worked at and visited that part of West St many times in the mid-70’s, I never knew this was there. My best friend’s Dad owed 2 businesses down there, DTI – Driver Training Institute (Sandwiches again?!) at 50 Greenpoint Av and U-Do-It Center (self service auto repair) at 26 West St. West St between Milton and Oak was a very, very spooky place, even in the middle of the day. The Greenpoint Terminal Market buildings, the various building bridges, the generally run-down condition of West St and garbage all over made driving the preferred method of going between the 2 businesses. I have a vague memory of having to walk that stretch once – and doing it as quickly as possible. An aside about the area – I saw and spoke with FDNY as they removed the old, wide based, fire alarm box at West and Milton. I asked what they did with the old boxes and the firemen said “It weighs 900 pounds, if you want it , you can have it.” I knew I could get it home to NJ, but still in college and living at home for the summer, I knew there was no way I could take them up on their offer and told them “No Thanks.” Sniff.

Reply
Chris August 25, 2013 - 10:56 pm

Thank you. I will go there and take a look at it.

Reply
Spike June 7, 2015 - 5:26 pm

Alas, paved over now.

Reply

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