Forgotten New York is in Association with the Greater Astoria Historical Society, a non-profit organization supported by the Long Island City community.
Davit lampposts, which are a single curved mast instead of a shaft with a mast attached, are becoming the new black in New York City lampposts. A flock were installed along Columbia Street in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens, they dominate the streets surrounding Barclays Center, and they took over Houston Street in Manhattan [...]
Categorized in: One Shots Street Lamps Tagged with: Brooklyn DUMBO
Sunday, September 9th, 2012 turned out what you might expect, weather-wise, from that date: sunny and 78 degrees. So far in 2012 not a drop of rain has fallen on a ForgottenTour, though admittedly two tours had to be postponed because of 95-degree temperatures. This was the best-attended of any tour thus far this year, [...]
Many visitors to the DUMBO, Brooklyn area mistake the numerous tracks found in the Belgian-blocked streets for old trolley tracks. However, since until a few years ago DUMBO was almost entirely given over to warehousing and manufacturing (except for the small Vinegar Hill neighborhood on the eastern end) trolley lines never troubled it north of [...]
Categorized in: One Shots Subways & Trains Tagged with: Brooklyn DUMBO
While shuffling past a grand old brick factory building on Bridge and Front Streets in DUMBO, Brooklyn, I noticed scaffolding protecting the sidewalk, a sure sign of renovation. I noted with dismay that the pair of hand-lettered signs on the corner saying STAR FASTENER DELIVERY etc. that had been there for decades had been blasted [...]
Sometimes, I’d rather be in Philadelphia. Or Boston. Or even Albany, Newark or Jersey City. I’ll explain. Manhattan, once you get north of 14th Street, just doesn’t have the sheer number of dead-ends or one-block alleys block by block that other northeast cities have. Philadelphia has a main network grid of streets — numbered north and [...]
Categorized in: Alleys Neighborhoods Tagged with: Brooklyn Brooklyn Heights Downtown DUMBO
Even though the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Fort Greene has not served the U.S. military for decades (it was a naval shipbuilding enclave from 1801 to 1966), it remains a zealously guarded private enclave featuring industrial businesses and movie studios. The Navy Yard reached peak production just before and during World War II: On the eve of [...]
Categorized in: Forgotten Slices Tagged with: Brooklyn DUMBO Fort Greene
BROOKLYN starts with Fulton Street, and almost ends with it, as well. Brooklyn began as a small Dutch settlement along the East River, with easy passage to Manhattan by ferry. In the early 1700s, an Indian trail was officially named Kings Highway and extended south and east. At one time, every vehicle and conveyance traveling to or [...]
Categorized in: Street Scenes Tagged with: Brooklyn DUMBO Fulton Street
On October 25, 2003, 56 Forgotten fans…our largest turnout to date…roamed through what used to be called Downtown Brooklyn, an industrial region blessed with spectacular views of two of the most spectacular bridges in the world. Follow us as we explore DUMBO, Vinegar Hill and Fulton Ferry. After two previous low-rated weather Forgotten Tours, we had [...]
Categorized in: Neighborhoods Tours Tagged with: Brooklyn DUMBO
The Brooklyn Bridge as seen from Fulton Ferry Empire State Park In Disneyland, Dumbo* means a flying elephant, but in Brooklyn, a new acronym was coined in the 1980s to refer to the mostly industrial area located beneath the Manhattan Bridge: “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.” It’s rather awkward but gets the job done. Recently, [...]
Categorized in: Neighborhoods Tagged with: Brooklyn DUMBO
BROOKLYN’S HARBORSIDE RAILROADS Years ago, the bustling Brooklyn waterfront,notably in Williamsburg, under the Manhattan Bridge, and Sunset Park, was home to a number of railroads that served busy shipping and freight interests. The past couple of decades, however, have seen active railroads dwindle down to only two. We’ll have a look at a pair of [...]
Categorized in: Subways & Trains Tagged with: Brooklyn DUMBO Sunset Park
