In 1909 Chicago’s lakefront beaches were strictly segregated. On a hot July day a young Black man, Eugene Williams, was swimming and accidentally drifted into water off a “Whites Only” beach. A White man on the shore threw stones at him, and he drowned. Several Black bystanders who witnessed this asked a policeman to arrest […]
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A Non-Resident’s View of Hunts Lane
Joey Hadden, in Insider, describes her visit to Hunts Lane in Brooklyn Heights, a short, dead end street that goes eastward from Henry Street between Joralemon and Remsen. She took lots of photos, and quotes an Eagle story from 1944 that tells of residents’ children loving to watch when the police, whose horses were stabled […]
Normandie Doors at Our Lady of Lebanon
Untapped New York has a story about the doors on Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral at Henry and Remsen streets. The doors were taken from the great French ocean liner Normandie, which burned and sank in 1942 while in the process of being converted to a troopship while docked on the West Side of Manhattan. […]
New Staten Island Ferry Named for Dorothy Day, Brooklyn Heights Native
The newest Staten Island Ferry boat is named for Dorothy Day. Ms. Day was born in Brooklyn Heights in 1897, but her father, a journalist, took a job in San Francisco in 1903. The family later moved to Chicago, where she reached adulthood. As a young woman, she returned to New York and lived a […]
Of Addresses Renumbered and Other Curiosities of Brooklyn Heights History
I like to take walks through Brooklyn Heights. I’ve lived here going on 38 years, longer than I’ve lived anywhere, and there is no block in the neighborhood I haven’t traversed many times. (Well; Love Lane and College Place only a few. I’ll remedy that.) Still, I seldom take a walk on which I don’t […]
Long Line for Covid-19 Vaccine Leads to Hope for More Time with Grandkids
There was a long line-up this afternoon at George Westinghouse High School, down Tillary St. and around the corner onto Flatbush Ave., for the first day of Covid-19 vaccine distributions at the location. The crowd was diverse, with people of all ages patiently waiting their turn. A man in a neon vest spoke through a […]
Center for Brooklyn History Presents Discussion on Authoritarianism Wednesday
This Wednesday evening, January 13 at 6:30 p.m. the Center for Brooklyn History, formerly the Brooklyn Historical Society, will present a free on-line discussion between Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen – Authoritarians from Mussolini to the Present, and New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik, on the timely topic “The Authoritarian’s Playbook.” There are more details, […]
Work Has Begun on Emily Roebling Plaza, Final Portion of Brooklyn Bridge Park
Work began this month on the last portion of Brooklyn Bridge Park, the space beneath the Brooklyn Bridge that has for some time been a vacant lot, occasionally used for events like Photoville (this year Photoville was presented in various locations throughout the Park). The lot was previously occupied by the City’s Purchase Building , […]
Brooklyn Heights Association’s Survey for the Future of Montague Street
Dear Neighbors – Two things you need to do this weekend: 1. Fill out Brooklyn Heights Association’s community survey to add your voice for the future of Montague Street. 2. Read Mary Frost’s (as always) rich and fascinating report in the Eagle on the history of Montague Street retail, and the many reasons for its past and current struggles. […]
Public Programs and Exhibit at Center for Brooklyn History, formerly Brooklyn Historical Society
Yes, the Brooklyn Historical Society is now the Center for Brooklyn History, part of the Brooklyn Public Library system. While the Center’s building remains closed to the public during the pandemic, it presents on line events and exhibitions, all free of charge. Tomorrow (Tuesday, November 10) starting at 6:00 p.m. the Center, in honor of […]
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