Brooklyn history

Here’s What’s Behind a Missed Piece of Brooklyn History

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS—Something was clearly missing from the exterior wall of the TD Bank branch at the corner of Montague and Court Street. Peter Duffy told Bklyner that it was “pretty obvious something had been there and was removed,” as he walked past the building in bustling downtown Brooklyn days

Announcements

Manhattan Beach Community Group Meeting Tomorrow Night

Photo via Google MapsIt’s that time of the month again, and the Manhattan Beach Community Group (MBCG) [/?s=manhattan+beach+community+group] will be meeting again tomorrow night to discuss the issues and concerns of Manhattan Beachers. The meeting will take place tomorrow, October 26, at 7:30pm and

Central Brooklyn

Two Great Events For Brooklyn Food & History Lovers

1917 photo of employees at the Defrancisci & Son Macaroni Machines factory at 219 Morgan Avenue in East Williamsburg. Standing right to left: Joseph DeFrancisci, Ignazio DeFrancisci and Cosimo Alati, and five others. Sitting right to left: unknown, Dominic LoPardo and Joseph Bontempi (with hand under chin). (Image courtesy Brooklyn Public

history

Lundy’s Continues To Deteriorate Despite Promises By Owner And LPC To Fix It Up

Blue tarps still dangle from the Lundy’s Building on Emmons Avenue. (Photo: Ed Cheney / Sheepshead Bites)The historic Lundy’s Building on Emmons Avenue continues to deteriorate, despite promises from the owner to patch up the property. We reported in March [/lundys-building-real-fixer-upper/] the landmarked building, constructed in the 1930s,

Bensonhurst

Rare Footage Of Loew’s Oriental Allows You To Explore The Lost 86th Street Theatre [Video]

For much of the early 20th Century, opulent movie theaters dotted the borough of Brooklyn [/chatting-brooklyn-theatre-index-author-cezar-del-valle/#.VyfCx6ODGkq] . We see can their ghosts every day on the streets, as we walk under the marquees and past ornate facades. These intricately carved relics of a different time can be found attached to

history

Throwback Thursday: A Ride Along The El Train As It Approaches Sunset Park

How cool is this black-and-white video, of a ride along the El[evated] line from Manhattan into Brooklyn, past Fulton Street and then the 5th Avenue Bay Ridge line, through Sunset Park? Fast forward to the 8:20 mark in the video, as the train approaches Green-Wood Cemetery. There’s

history

Green-Wood Cemetery To Embark On Digitizing Spectacular Archives

Courtesy of Green-Wood CemeteryWhile a visit to the 478 pastoral acres of Green-Wood Cemetery [http://www.green-wood.com/] provides a majestic and serene background to view architecture, sculpture, and an excellent lesson in city history, you’ll now have even greater access to millions of archival items dating back to

Arts & Culture

Throwback Thursday: Five Historical Treasures From The Pratt Institute Archives

Image courtesy of Brooklyn Museum [http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/home.php].The Pratt Institute Library was erected in 1896 as the first public library in Brooklyn — as well as the only one for the next 15 years — and has since continued in its mission of providing educational materials to anyone,

City Kid Corner

History At Home: Kids In The Brooklyn Daily Eagle

As we wander about our modern neighborhood, caught in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it’s easy to ignore the long and vibrant history of our community. Let’s remedy that. With a little help from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle archives [http://bklyn.newspapers.com/], we’re going

fort greene

Photo Finish: A Century Of Learning At Walt Whitman Library

1930s era Walt Whitman Library, then known as the City Park branch. (Photo via Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership [http://www.instagram.com/myrtleavebklyn].) The Walt Whitman Library branch has been serving our community and schoolkids for over a century — originally referred to as the City Park branch, until 1943 — and

fort greene

Flashback Friday: Selling Roof Pitch At The Fort Greene Houses

Image via Brownstone Detectives via Brooklyn Historical Society [https://twitter.com/BrownstoneDetec/status/671791435021176832/photo/1].The Fort Greene Houses — now known as the Ingersoll and Walt Whitman Houses — were completed in 1944 and considered a pioneering development for urban renewal and addressing the housing crisis. Nowadays, of course, the

Brooklyn history

General Washington Needs You! History And Technology Blend To Create Brooklyn 1776

Screenshot of Brooklyn 1776. (Courtesy of Creative Good)When was the last time you heard about a gaming app being developed by reading historical criticism and exploring the topography of Kings County? In comes Brooklyn 1776 [http://www.brooklyn1776.com/] — the newest project developed by New York-based Creative Good [http:

architecture

Watching From Above: The Hauntingly Beautiful Gargoyles Of Bensonhurst

School gargoyles. (By Daniel Frazer)The thing that perhaps most distinguishes one Brooklyn neighborhood from another is its unique architecture. Brooklyn, being one of the oldest sections of New York City, is home to a myriad of strange features from our past. Perhaps none are stranger than the many gargoyles

86th street chevrolet

A Car Dealership Grows In Brooklyn: The Evolution Of Benson Chevrolet

Source: Brooklyn Historical SocietyOur neighborhood Chevrolet dealership has been around for as long as most residents can remember. A few months ago, we were surprised to learn that 86th Street Chevrolet’s classic, 1950’s-style building would be torn down [/renderings-sleek-new-chevrolet-building-coming-86th-street/] and renovated by its new owner. But the truth

Brooklyn history

Dyker Heights Documentary: Beyond The Holiday Lights

Source: Youtube/Angelo BonsignoreWhen Angelo Bonsignore was a kid in Dyker Heights, he was always curious about the neighborhood. For one, what were those strange pillars he passed every day on the way to school at P.S. 201, seemly randomly placed on two corners of 11th Avenue near 79th

131 Buckingham Road

Debunking A Legend About The Japanese House & Other Historical Adventures

While our neighborhood has plenty of homes that easily adhere to memory, the pagoda-like structure at 131 Buckingham Road that is often referred to as “the Japanese house [/blog/photos/wait-were-in-brooklyn]” is one that, even among our grandeur-filled streets, sticks out. Tucked away among trees on Buckingham, just before Albemarle

Brooklyn history

Travel Back In Time To Historic Flatbush With Brooklyn Borough Historian Ron Schweiger

Credit: Sarro CollectionThe Friends of Historic New Utrecht presents an illustrated talk by Brooklyn Borough Historian Ron Schweiger, who will examine Historic Flatbush, its landmarks and Victorian homes, November 19 at 7:30 p.m. inside the Parish House of the New Utrecht Reformed Church, 18th Avenue and 84th Street.

argyle pharmacy

Ditmas History: The Best Parking Spot

On the northwest corner of Church Ave. and Argyle Rd. you’ll find Pimentel Grocery [http://www.yelp.com/biz/pimentel-grocery-brooklyn], where the people are nice, the emergency cat food supply is available early in the morning, the drinks are cold on the way to the park, and my dad,