As a rule, I am a passing observer on the daily scene. I don’t discuss politics either here or on social media, as my opinions will infuriate everyone, and today, there is no reasoned discussion, just All Out War. But there are some things that will stir me into action. Take Coles Street, which exists in two pieces, one a dead end piece on Henry Street and 4th Place in Carroll Gardens, and the other, a one block stretch between Columbia Street and Hamilton Avenue in Red Hook. This is the spot where the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel Approach make a V, and the bulk of Coles Street was eliminated in the 1950s when the expressway was bruited through.
The Bible of Brooklyn streets, Benardo and Weiss’ Brooklyn By Name, says that Coles Street was named for Jordan Coles, a long-ago schools commissioner who owned several tide mills in the area. In July 2021, I was limping down Henry Street wrapping up a day of shooting in the heat and humidity, when I noticed that the new street sign had lopped off the “s” in Coles, making it Cole. So the street had already suffered the indignity of being nearly expresswayed out of existence, now the Department of Transportation had misspelled it on a new street sign.
The DOT has a way to report problems with signs, and Action Lad here sprung into duty, reporting it on the website. A few days went by and I actually heard from the DOT, telling me they had repaired the signs. However, I haven’t had the opportunity to return here and verify this. Carroll Gardeners, I’m asking you: has the DOT fixed the sign with the correct spelling?
As always, Comments are open.
11/25/21