Mr. Junkersfeld’s Plea for Pier 4

By on August 19, 2010 4:15 pm in brooklyn bridge park, History, Maritime, Video


Karl, Heights history buff extraordinaire, gives us a visual tour of Pier 4, lying below and just to the north of the foot of Montague Street, showing its bustling past as an essential element in a commercial and industrial waterfront, its disuse, decay, and present decrepitude.

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  • GHB

    Sometimes, things just deteriorate beyond repair. Let it go…

  • jorale-man

    Interesting archival footage. Really gave you the sense that the piers were an active place at one time. Would be nice if the park engineers could acknowledge the old use in the new design.

  • http://inklake.typepad.com Peter Kaufman

    Great post.

    One of the side-effects of a cleaner harbor, is that among the creatures who are enjoying the clean water, are wood-boring worms.

  • Big Dave

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shipworm
    http://njscuba.net/biology/sw_worms.html#Teredo

    Interesting insights into shipworm, which is actually a mollusk.

  • Ursula Hahn

    I share Mr. Junkersfeld’s enthusiasm about Brooklyn Bridge Park and enjoyed his archival photos of what was once Pier 4. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Community Council is engaged in preserving another remnant of Brooklyn’s vanishing waterfront commerce. It recently issued a reasonable plan to preserve the Tobacco Warehouse in its current state as a “ruin” that is open and accessible to the public year-round while some adjustments to provide shelter from the elements would make it suitable for a wide range of events. The emphasis is to preserve the Tobacco Warehouse’s open-space and open-air character, which is threatened by an RFP to be issued shortly by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation. I believe the BBPCC’s proposal was posted on this Blog.

  • Arch Stanton

    Thanks for the link Big Dave, I never would have known Shipworms went well with chili peppers and onions…

  • sue yellin

    Karl we met at the Lobster stand at Dumbo the day the park opened up.we work at the Brooklyn Visitors Center in Borough Hall.we are trying to remember the name of the pizza place which you told us, about around the corner from Grimaldi’s..I looked on the blog but could’nt find it..

    If we did’nt thank you for your wonderful tour and information that day,please accept this as a big shout out to you..

    sincerely Eileen and Sue(we are here thursday mornings,stop in and say hello)s

  • Karl Junkersfeld

    Hi Sue and Eileen,

    I remember you well. The pizza that I prefer over Grimaldi’s is Ignazio’s around the corner on Water Street next to Pete’s.

    Crust is crunchy and the sauce delicious and generally no line.

    Nice hearing from you.