Postcard: The Miracle Of New Flatbush

Wandering NYC dug up this awesome 1924 real estate advertisement, marketing “The New Flatbush,” a.k.a, “Sheepshead Bay-Harkness Estate,” a.k.a. Nostrand Avenue and Avenue U.

I personally like how the sea shell the mermaid is holding went into land into built homes.  Believe it or not, but a number of streets (including Shell Road) in the area were originally paved with sea shells, and a couple of readers have told us that during construction of their homes they’ve found these underneath the surface.

Also pretty nifty is the evolution of the property they’re selling, as depicted in the three images on top. It shows horses racing along the racetrack – which once occupied that territory – then a photo of the fields after it was razed. One year later, an entire neighborhood is built. That’s right, one year. Meanwhile, this piece o’ fugly has been under construction for a huge chunk of the last decade.

Go check out Wandering NYC’s post, which has a couple of other ads and info from the area, and some musings on “Old Brooklyn” versus “New Brooklyn.”