After revealing last week that Brooklyn Heights’ historic Bossert Hotel was returning to its roots as a hotel, Brownstoner reports today that city filings offer a confirmed buyer for the Jehovah’s Witnesses property. Continue Reading →
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Intro To Brooklyn Heights… From The 1939 NYC ‘WPA Guide’
As part of a government-sponsored project to put the nation’s talented writers back to work during the Great Depression, the “WPA Guide to New York City” was published in 1939 by Federal Writers Project. The travel triptych was deemed by the New York Times as “one of the best books ever published about New York.”
Its passage on Brooklyn Heights is a precious view into a bygone era. The full descriptor is below, but here are some choice passages: Continue Reading →
Is The Bossert Being Converted Back To The ‘Waldorf Astoria of Brooklyn’?
Consider this a potential game-changer for Brooklyn Heights: The magnificent Bossert at 98 Montague Street, owned & maintained by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, is apparently returning to its original domain as a hotel. Brownstoner reported Tuesday that according to a Public Hearing notice sent out by Community Board Two, a variance application has been filed to allow “reconversion of the existing community facility hotel back to its original, transient hotel use.”
What remains unclear is whether the flip is a maneuver on the part of Jehovah’s Witnesses to find an interested buyer for the building. Continue Reading →
Vintage Image: Key Food Market, 1976
The 1976 Montague Street Revitalization project offered grand plans for the ailing Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, and included numerous photographs of everyday life. Of course, some 36 years later, these casual B&W shots offer a cool triptych to a time gone by: the fashion, hairstyles and simply the way folks gathered back in the day.
We’re featuring Key Food here—nothing overtly dramatic, but entertaining for those very reasons. And below, the view at 106 Montague Street today. Who knows, a few decades from now, we’ll probably be smiling over how “vintage” these millennial images are. Continue Reading →
2012 Brooklyn Heights House Tour: A Preview Of Its Five Historic Townhouses
The 2012 Brooklyn Heights Assn. Landmark House & Garden Tour, which takes place Saturday May 12, has announced the five privately owned historic townhouses that comprise the annual event.
Highlights of the five homes include: Continue Reading →
Tour BHS Building Thursday Evening
The Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) will present a guided tour of its historic building this Thursday evening, May 3, starting at 7:00 p.m. The building, completed in 1881, is noted for its elaborate terra cotta exterior decoration, but its interior is also dazzling, including elaborately patterned tile floors, carved woodwork, and stained glass windows. The Othmer Library is a spectacular space. The building was designed by George B. Post, among whose notable surviving buildings are the New York Stock Exchange and the Wisconsin State Capitol. Continue Reading →
Memory Lane: Abraham & Straus Department Store, Born & Bred In Brooklyn
Without the commanding presence of Brooklyn’s heralded Abraham & Straus, we surely would not have today’s Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Filene’s or Stern’s.
In 1865, before the Brooklyn Bridge linked New York’s largest borough to the rest of the
city, Abraham Abraham and Joseph Wechsler opened dry goods retailer Wechsler & Abraham on Fulton Street in the heart of Downtown.
In 1893, the Straus family and Simon Rothschild bought out Wechsler’s interest in the company and renamed the joint Abraham & Straus—which also had controlling interest in R.H. Macy & Co. in New York. By 1900, A&S had 4,650 employees. In April, 1912, co-founder Isidor Straus and his wife Ida went down with the Titanic. Oops. Continue Reading →
Next Homer Fink ‘Hidden Brooklyn Heights Walking Tour’: April 21
The next jocular, wonderfully educational Homer Fink’s Hidden Walking Tour takes place this coming Saturday, April 21, at 11 a.m. Learn about the odd, weird, controversial and amusing history of America’s First Suburb over a sprawling 90 minutes of fun, led by the faithful kingpin of the Brooklyn Heights Blog, Cobble Hill Blog and Brooklyn Bugle. More info Continue Reading →
On This Day: April 12, 1816, Brooklyn Became a Village
On April 12, 1816, New York officially incorporated the village of… Brooklyn. The State of New York legislature passed an act of incorporation on this day—with the participation of Brooklyn Heights founding father Hezekiah B. Pierrepont—that gave Brooklyn its first charter, establishing its official boundaries.
Among the primary regions defined was Brooklyn Heights, which the Brooklyn Eagle says was once known as Clover Hill, and before that “Ihpetonga,” a Native-American name meaning “a long sandy bank.” The area was renowned for its fine fruits and vegetables, which were popular for sale in Manhattan. Continue Reading →
Heights History: 52 Livingston Street, Then & Now
The standout Gothic Revival three-story brick row house at 52 Livingston Street (between Court & Clinton streets) has changed precious little since this Brooklyn Public Library photograph was taken in 1953, nearly 60 years ago. (Then & Now pics below the jump.)
Among few changes following its construction in 1846 (despite conflicting reports of it being built in 1901), according to Clay Lancaster’s 1979 book “Old Brooklyn Heights: New York’s First Suburb,” are the addition of the structure’s humble third story and the signature Romantic-style lace-like ironwork, cornice, porch and fencing, likely added in 1854 to complement the Packer School, being built across the street at that time. The stucco facade was also removed post-1953. Continue Reading →
Heights History: Montague & Henry, Then & Now
The corner of Montague and Henry streets, at the current location of Andy’s Chinese, has no doubt seen a revolving door of businesses over the past 100+ years. But the actual building, constructed in 1900, has thankfully maintained its architectural integrity with surprising few changes, as we see from parallel Now & Then images from 1916 & 2008.
Long ago, on the lower level of 128 Montague was Kreinbrink & Steich Tailors. Above: John Wallace Insurance, a “New York Underwriters Agency.” Also note in this wintry image (there’s snow on Henry Street) the street sign and interesting light pole at the corner, which has certainly changed over the past 100 years. Continue Reading →
Take A Look At Me (Then &) Now: 109 Montague Street
This is why we treasure Brooklyn Heights’ landmarked status, which, as many know, became the first community in the nation to mandate a cease fire on decimating the facades of historic buildings, in 1965. Let’s take an historic look at 109 Montague Street (full photo views are below the jump)…
Our first pic is from 1916, when the location between Henry and Hicks streets offered locals The Brooklyn Valet. The words on each side of the window advertise “Dyers” and “Cleansers,” while signs 
promote “Gloves Cleaned 5 cents” and “Ladies & Gents Garments cleaned, pressed, dyed and repaired.”
Our second reminiscence is the once-beloved Heights Books, which opened at 109 Montague in 1999 as a treasure trove of used and new volumes, packed to the ceiling amid its narrow aisles. Continue Reading →
Nelson George on Brooklyn’s African American Bohemia at BHS Thursday Evening
Nelson George, author, most recently of The Plot Against Hip Hop (published by Brooklyn based Akashic Books), and film director will be at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont Street (corner of Clinton) this Thursday evening, March 15, starting at 7:00 p.m., for a screening of his new documentary Brooklyn Boheme. Continue Reading →
Historic 1820 Townhouse At 31 Middagh Street Hits The Market
The Federal-style three-level single family townhouse at 31 Middagh Street, built in 1820, has hit the market with a price tag of $1.795 million. The listing with Prudential Douglas Elliman (here) characterizes the property as “one of the oldest houses in Brooklyn Heights,” with 4 bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths and a basement/rec room. In all: 1,626 square feet.
According to a plaque on the building, 31 Middagh was registered in the City Directory as a paint store and a men’s hairdressing parlor, with living quarters upstairs. Some public records show it being built in 1847, but the sales listing stands by 1820. Continue Reading →
Historic Facade Restoration Completed At 177-179 Columbia Heights
The meticulous facade restoration at 177-179 Columbia Heights—where residents discovered lavish ornamentation adorning the first two floors of the 29-unit co-op building, comprising fruit, flowers and mythical creatures, dating back to 1920—has been completed.
Six months and some $300,000 later, “It feels wonderful to have finally finished the restoration,” says Joe Levine, the resident who spearheaded the facade’s research after its discovery. He received an award for the project from the Brooklyn Heights Association in February. Continue Reading →
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Brooklyn Bugle
- 84th Precinct Community Council Meets Tuesday Evening
- Let’s Make It Happen: Rename Squibb Park to Adam Yauch Park
- Squadron (Figuratively) Pours One Out for Beastie Boy, Brooklyn Heights Native Adam Yauch in NYS Senate
- Temporary ‘Photoville’ Village Coming To BBP Pier 3 This Summer
- Brooklyn Daily Eagle Tries to Create Controversy Where There Is None
- Open Thread: Wednesday, May 16, 2012
- Stabbing At Brooklyn Heights Library
- 30 Henry Street Reaps $500K Above Asking Price
- June 14: Annual Montague Street District Mgmt Assn Meeting
- Quote Of The Day: 1966 Heights Was ‘Brought Back From Slum Death By Influx’ Of Gays
Cobble Hill Blog
- NYC Bike Share Program: Cobble Hill Shunned Until At Least Spring 2013
- Booze & Books: NYC Lit Crawl Coming To Brooklyn For First Time May 19
- SUNY Downstate to Slash Jobs, but LICH May Gain
- ‘Bayou n’ Brooklyn’ Cajun Festival This Weekend In Red Hook
- Luxury 85-Unit Rental Coming To Boerum Hill @ 316 Bergen Street
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NYC Bike Share Program Includes Multiple Locations Across Heights, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Downtown
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Open Thread: Wednesday, May 16, 2012
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Brooklyn Daily Eagle Tries to Create Controversy Where There Is None
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Stabbing At Brooklyn Heights Library
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SOLD! Historic Bossert: Plan In Place To Convert Back To Hotel
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Let’s Make It Happen: Rename Squibb Park to Adam Yauch Park
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Century 21 Department Store Commits To Fulton Mall: Opening In 2015
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Quote Of The Day: 1966 Heights Was ‘Brought Back From Slum Death By Influx’ Of Gays
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Karl Goes Foraging with Tony of Noodle Pudding
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30 Henry Street Reaps $500K Above Asking Price
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Reminder: Brazilian Dance Party Tomorrow on Pier 1
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84th Precinct Community Council Meets Tuesday Evening
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Let’s Make It Happen: Rename Squibb Park to Adam Yauch Park
-
Squadron (Figuratively) Pours One Out for Beastie Boy, Brooklyn Heights Native Adam Yauch in NYS Senate
-
Temporary ‘Photoville’ Village Coming To BBP Pier 3 This Summer
-
Brooklyn Daily Eagle Tries to Create Controversy Where There Is None
-
Open Thread: Wednesday, May 16, 2012
-
Stabbing At Brooklyn Heights Library
-
30 Henry Street Reaps $500K Above Asking Price
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June 14: Annual Montague Street District Mgmt Assn Meeting
Nabe Chatter