On May 11, 1968 the New York Times profiled the owners of 57 Hicks Street, Public Relations professionals William and Margaret Primavera. The young couple had come up with a unique way to pay for their $65,000 townhouse – an antiques store inside their living room open only on weekends and called The Saturday Shop.
Tag Archives | heights history
Heights History: The Library Vandal
The New York Times reported on a “mystery about whodunits” at the old Montague Street Library (197 Montague Street between Court and Clinton) on February 9, 1948. For a “period of several months” librarians noticed that someone was “systematically” crossing out all references to God in the library’s mystery book collection. Phrases such as “Oh […]
Heights History: 68 Hicks Street
The scaffolding has been up for a few weeks and renovation is in full swing at 68 Hicks. Built in 1820, the structure was originally a grocery store and tavern. The building is known for its gambrel roof and colonnettes in its entryway. In recent years its been home to the Washing Well Laundromat and […]
Heights History Program Wednesday Evening at BHS
This Wednesday, November 14, starting at 6:00 p.m., the Brooklyn Historical Society, located at Clinton and Pierrepont, in conjunction with the Brooklyn Heights Association and the New York Preservation Project, will present a discussion focusing on the importance of Brooklyn Heights as New York City's first historic district. Participants will be Francis Morrone, historian, journalist, […]
Heights History: Cops Clamp Down on Revelers
On November 12, 1937 the New York Times reported that 6 NYPD patrolmen and one sergeant were dispatched in plainclothes to crack down on unruly “revelers” on the streets of Brooklyn Heights. The special unit patrolled the area “bounded by Joralemon Street on the south, Middagh Street on the north, Fulton Street on the east […]
Heights History: Billy Goat
On September 20, 1970, the New York Times reported on a new addition to the neighborhood. Nicknamed, “Billy Goat” a huge vacuum cleaner that promised to “gobble up… dirt, paper, bottles, tin cans, cigarette butts” and most of Montague Street’s other garbage patrolled Brooklyn Heights’ “Main Street” 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. […]
Heights History: Retro Promenade
Brownstoner posted this photo today of a pre-BQE Promenade: This photo from the turn of the century shows a much different promenade in Brooklyn Heights. Until they were demolished in 1946 to make way for the expressway, this arched viaduct, greenhouse and buttressed wall were accessible by the stone stairways that led down from the […]
Heights History: If You’re Thinking of… Brooklyn Heights 1982
On November 21, 1982, the New York Times published If You’re Thinking of Living in Brooklyn Heights outling the benefits of living here in the nabe. We found a few passages to be of interest, especially this one which had us regretting selling our time machine: Real-estate people in the Heights report that a two-bedroom […]
Heights History: Songs for Drella
On this day in 1989, Velvet Underground founding members John Cale and Lou Reed paid tribute to their friend and co-conspirator, Andy Warhol by performing Songs for Drella at St. Ann’s Church on Montague Street. The songs were written as an homage to the artist, who died suddenly in 1987. “Drella” was Reed and company’s […]
Heights History with Pratt Professor
via Brownstoner: Some enterprising Pratt student had the presence of mind to bring a video recorder along when architecture prof Bob Pelosi gave a walking tour of Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope. Among other things we learn that the St. George Hotel was considered “one of the wonders of New York” in its time. Taking […]
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