Forgotten New York is in Association with the Greater Astoria Historical Society, a non-profit organization supported by the Long Island City community.
During my recent walk from downtown Brooklyn to Crown Heights, I was meandering down Montgomery Street when, just past Nostrand Avenue I spotted an odd little part-dirt, part Belgian blocked path issuing forth toward the southeast. Actually I was doing more than meandering because I had chosen to walk Montgomery Street specifically so I would go by [...]
Categorized in: Alleys Cobblestones Tagged with: Brooklyn Crown Heights
According to the late, legendary Bronx historian John McNamara, writing in History in Asphalt, West 230th Street in KIngsbridge Heights and Riverdale has had an active history. It once led to an island: Hummock Island (Native American name Paparinimen) was part of the estate of Alexander Macomb, scion of a milling family who operated a dam bridge [...]
Categorized in: Cobblestones Forgotten Slices Tagged with: Bronx Kingsbridge Heights
ForgottenFan Dennis Harper recently found one of those rarest of birds in the NYC street paving canon — a red bricked street with a median shown by alternating bricks in white! I had only seen this treatment done on a couple of streets in Jamaica, Queens, and, though I have made a number of visits to Bedford [...]
Categorized in: Cobblestones Forgotten Slices Tagged with: Bronx Norwood
It was way back in the pre-Forgotten New York era — about 1994 or 1995 — (I know that’s ancient history now that your webmaster is becoming ancient) — when I first saw block after block of glorious red brick pavement on 89th Avenue between Jamaica Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard. It wasn’t long after that that the [...]
Categorized in: Cobblestones Tagged with: Jamaica Queens
Before poured concrete became the de rigueur material for New York City sidewalks, they boasted unique slate bluestone plates that made a distinct hollow noise when trod upon. Older parts of town can still be recognized, in part, by the presence of such distinct and handsome bluestone slate sidewalks, as we’ll see on this page… [...]
Categorized in: Cobblestones Tagged with: Astoria Brooklyn Brooklyn Heights Carroll Gardens Flushing Maspeth Queens
In the heart of Jamaica, on a 4-block stretch of 89th Avenue between Jamaica Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard, there’s some gorgeous original red brick pavement that has never been sullied by macadamizing or blacktopping. Though undoubtedly once common, extant remnants of this kind of street pavement are rather rare in New York City. I’ve [...]
Categorized in: Cobblestones Tagged with: Jamaica Queens
Safety considerations have forced the demolition of a Staten Island bridge that had pretty much remained unchanged for the last forty years. It had its original railings, 1960-vintage mercury lamps, and of course, its original Belgian block roadbed. Of course, here at Forgotten NY, it lives on… The Bank Street Bridge spanned the now-unused northern [...]
Categorized in: Cobblestones Tagged with: New Brighton Staten Island
Jumel Terrace in Washington Heights is not only the home of some pristine NYC Belgian bricks, and is the former home of actor/singer/activist Paul Robeson, but is also dominated by the Morris-Jumel Mansion, where Washington made his headquarters when he was leading revolutionary forces in northern Manhattan in the Battle Of Harlem Heights. Built by Roger Morris, [...]
Categorized in: Cobblestones Tagged with: Harlem Manhattan
Categorized in: Cobblestones Tagged with: Bay Ridge Brooklyn Brooklyn Heights Cobble Hill Red Hook
The streets of New York City used to be paved with bricks. The term ‘cobblestones’ refers to uneven stones of varying shapes and sizes. This style of paving went out of style nearly a century and a half ago, to be replaced by even stones with a smoother finish known as “Belgian blocks.” They were [...]
Categorized in: Cobblestones Tagged with: Bay Ridge Brooklyn Manhattan Meatpacking Queens Red Hook Ridgewood
