Search Results for: brooklyn history

August 25, 2022

From neglected mud patch to outdoor oasis, a Brooklyn backyard gets a garden makeover

After a top-to-toe renovation of their 1870s Clinton Hill two-family townhouse that spanned two years (read all about it here), 6sqft writer Michelle Cohen and her husband, Stanley Peck, decided to relegate sprucing up their brownstone backyard to “phase 2.” They’d already added a rear terrace with steps to the yard and created a small roof deck above their lower extension. The couple certainly planned to address the neglected outdoor space–even though the existing weed-jungle-meets-mud-patch had a certain overgrown charm. Below, hear from Michelle about the results, along with professional advice for creating a verdant outdoor space in the city.
How to create an urban garden retreat
July 8, 2022

Brooklyn Heights’ oldest home is back on the market with refreshed interiors for $4.25M

The oldest home in Brooklyn Heights is once again for sale, following an update to its interiors. The history of the Federal-style corner property at 24 Middagh Street is fuzzy, but reports date the home's construction between 1790 and 1829. The five-bedroom home, which also includes a separate two-story carriage house and a private courtyard, was last on the market in 2018 for $4,500,000; it is currently listed for $4,250,000.
Take a look inside
July 7, 2022

In Brooklyn, Fred Wilson’s first large-scale public sculpture examines concept of freedom

Bronx-born conceptual artist Fred Wilson last week unveiled his first-ever large-scale public sculpture. Located within Columbus Park in Downtown Brooklyn, Mind Forged Manacles/Manacle Forged Minds features the use of ornamental gates, fences, and 10-foot-tall statues of African figures as metaphors for systematic racism and "acts in conversation" with the neighborhood's nearby landmarks and buildings. Presented by More Art, Wilson's sculpture is on display through June 2023.
See more here
June 28, 2022

The ultimate guide to Dumbo, a neighborhood that led the way to Brooklyn’s 21st century

Brooklyn's 25-block Dumbo neighborhood gets its name from where it can be found: Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, which explains not only the neighborhood’s location, but its cultural and residential evolution. The waterfront district’s iconic East River and Manhattan views and its stunning bridge-framed architectural vistas have defined it long before its current acronym and status as a coveted residential choice. Unlike many other Brooklyn neighborhoods, the area it occupies is quite small, but its architecture, infrastructure, and economic status are formidable.
Your guide to Dumbo, this way
May 18, 2022

10 places with ties to New York City’s maritime history

Next week is Fleet Week, and soon New York will be awash in sailors. If you're moved by all the festivities and want to get in on the maritime merriment, there are sites exploring New York's links to the sea throughout all five boroughs. From barges to schooners to yachts to dry docks, here are 10 sites where you can celebrate New York's seafaring spirit.
Check them all out
May 4, 2022

From NYC’s first gated community to Woody Guthrie: A history of Sea Gate

What do Woody Guthrie, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Frank Schubert (the nation’s last civilian lighthouse keeper) have in common? They all lived in Sea Gate, a private community at the westernmost tip of Coney Island. Sea Gate began as a 19th-century playground for the rich, turned into a hotbed of Yiddish literature and Socialist labor activism in the 1930s, and sported at least one commune in the early ‘70s. Today, Sea Gate is home to about 8,000 residents who enjoy private beaches and expansive views of the Verrazano Bridge. If you want to “get in the Gate,” as the locals say, but aren’t ready to relocate west of the Wonder Wheel, you can snag a summer membership at the Brooklyn Beach Club, where even non-residents can while away the hours under a cabana. Or, you can read on for the history of a Coney Island beach town you’ve probably never visited.
READ MORE
April 20, 2022

The history of New York City’s original rooftop bars

How many summer evenings have you spent at a rooftop bar? While the rooftop bar was indeed born and bred in New York City, it’s nothing new. Even before New York was a city of skyscrapers, denizens of Gotham liked to take their experiences to vertical extremes. And when it comes to partying, New Yorkers have been conquering new heights, drink in hand, since 1883. That year, impresario Rudolf Aronson debuted a roof garden on the top of his newly built Casino Theater on 39th Street and Broadway. The rooftop garden was soon a Gilded Age phenomenon, mixing vaudeville and vice, pleasure and performance, for well-heeled Bon-Vivants who liked to spend their summers high above the sweltering streets.
Get the scoop
April 19, 2022

The ultimate guide to Greenpoint, a Brooklyn waterfront neighborhood on the rise

Situated in Brooklyn's northernmost corner, bridging the popular enclaves of Williamsburg and Long Island City, Greenpoint is an eclectic star in the North Brooklyn neighborhood constellation. A somewhat sleepy industrial neighborhood for much of the 20th century, Greenpoint was settled by Polish immigrants who came here to work along the waterfront nearly a century ago. In the 21st century, having been made irreversibly famous by the hit TV series Girls, it has become one of the most desirable residential areas in Brooklyn.
Your guide to Greenpoint, this way
April 11, 2022

Brooklyn Heights carriage house loft has a private roof deck and Brooklyn Bridge views for $2.2M

In a prime spot at the intersection of Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo, this out-of-the-ordinary duplex loft at 7 Everit Street is in a 19th-century carriage house. Asking $2,195,000, the co-op loft is on the upper floors of the former horse and carriage storage facility for the Eagle Warehouse next door. The Brooklyn Bridge and East River views from almost every window of the two-bedroom home are as iconic as the building itself, and a sprawling private roof terrace provides a chance to enjoy the view in the open air.
Tour this unusual Brooklyn loft
March 28, 2022

New mural in the East Village honors history of Ukraine

A new public art installation was unveiled in the East Village this weekend that aims to show solidarity with Ukraine and its people. Created by New York-based Ukrainian artist Misha Tyutyunik, "Ukraine: A History in Solidarity" depicts a famous monument inspired by the story behind the naming of Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv. A gift from Citizens Bank, the artwork was designed with help from Kyiv residents during Tyutyunik’s time in Ukraine in 2019 and painted on Saturday with help from the public.
See more here
March 8, 2022

Where to celebrate Women’s History Month 2022 in NYC

March is Women’s History Month, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of American women–and March 8 is International Women's Day. The origins of the month-long celebration–and the suffrage movement itself, have their roots in New York City, and the city is a great place to learn more about the women who shaped the world as we know it. Top local arts and culture organizations are offering lectures, festivals, tours, and art exhibits in the five boroughs, all month long. More reason to celebrate and mark your calendar: Most hosts have returned to in-person events.
Find out more
February 7, 2022

How to celebrate Black History Month 2022 in New York City

In the United States, February is a month dedicated to the celebration of African American history and culture. Ahead find a variety of events to commemorate Black History Month in New York City, ranging from community service and walking tours to jazz concerts and live performances.
Full list ahead
January 19, 2022

New York’s first-ever Lenape-curated exhibition to open at the Brooklyn Public Library in Greenpoint

The first-ever Lenape-curated exhibition in New York is coming to Brooklyn. Presented by the Brooklyn Public Library and The Lenape Center, Lenapehoking features a collection of masterworks by Lenape artists and educational programs that teach visitors the story of the Lenape community. The collection is curated by Joe Baker, the co-founder and executive director of the Lenape Center and enrolled member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians. The exhibition opens on Thursday, January 20 at the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center and runs through April 30.
Find out more
January 5, 2022

How New York keeps its cool: A history of ice skating in NYC

While we haven't had much snow yet this year, New York is already a winter wonderland thanks to the many ice skating rinks found across the city. If you choose to glide through the season on ice, taking a spin anywhere from Central Park to Coney Island, you’re sliding into a New York winter tradition that includes the nation’s first organized ice rink, a decade of “Icetravaganzas” that drew millions, a glittery trend of hotel ice gardens throughout Midtown, and even a relationship to the origins of baseball. So lace up, and read on for a history of ice-skating in New York City.
Glide into this story!
November 12, 2021

First look at all of Brooklyn Point’s resort-like amenity spaces

Earlier this year, the 68-story condo tower Brooklyn Point unveiled its rooftop infinity pool, the highest in the Western Hemisphere. This week images showing off all of the building's luxury amenity spaces were released for the first time, providing a peek at 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor perks for residents. In addition to a host of health and wellness and entertainment amenities, Brooklyn Point also has a 9th floor landscaped terrace with dining areas and a fire pit, in addition to the record-breaking rooftop retreat.
See more here
November 1, 2021

The NYC Marathon: history, greatest moments, and what to expect this year

The world's largest marathon takes place this Sunday, returning to the five boroughs after a pandemic hiatus last year. On November 7, the 50th New York City Marathon will look slightly different this year, bringing together roughly 33,000 runners, which is about 20,000 fewer participants than usual because of Covid-19. The marathon wasn't always the largest in the world, however. Started by the New York Road Runners Club in 1970, the race began as a few loops around Central Park with just over 100 runners. But the passion of its founders, coupled with the spirit of the city, grew the marathon into a monumental event. In honor of the upcoming 2021 Marathon, 6sqft is taking a look back at the history of the race, its greatest moments, and what's in store for this year.
All that right this way
October 28, 2021

Brooklyn’s tallest tower tops out at 1,066 feet, becomes borough’s first supertall

The tallest tower in Brooklyn officially topped out this week. Located at 9 DeKalb Avenue, newly christened The Brooklyn Tower reached its summit of 1,066 feet, the first and only supertall building (300 meters in height or taller) to rise in the borough. Developed by JDS Development Group and designed by SHoP Architects, the mixed-use tower incorporates the landmarked Dime Savings Bank of Brooklyn into both the skyscraper's design and use; the iconic bank building will hold new retail space and an entry to the residential tower through its colonnade. With occupancy expected next year, the 93-story Brooklyn Tower offers 550 residences, with 150 condos for sale and 400 rentals.
Find out more
September 15, 2021

The Brooklyn Bridge bike lane is finally open

A long-awaited two-way protected bike lane officially opened on the Brooklyn Bridge Tuesday. Advocated for years by cyclists, the new path replaces the innermost car lane of the Manhattan-bound side of the iconic bridge and leaves the existing elevated promenade for pedestrians only. Both foot and bike traffic on the bridge, nicknamed the "Times Square in the Sky," skyrocketed in recent years, leading to dangerous, crowded conditions.
Learn more
August 19, 2021

The world’s first air conditioner was invented in Brooklyn in 1902

Photo of Willis Carrier (left) courtesy of Wikipedia; Photo of air conditioners in NY building courtesy of Marcel Oosterwijk on Flickr It figures, but history shows us yet another way Brooklyn was cool, like, forever–though this particular example is a bit more literal. A classic New York City heatwave was just enough to turn up the Brooklyn ingenuity in a junior engineer named Willis Carrier, who devised a system of fans, ducts, heaters, and perforated pipes that became the world’s first air conditioner. The problem: blistering temperatures that were literally melting the equipment in a Williamsburg printing house. The solution was one that had eluded centuries of inventors through sweltering summers. The system was installed in the summer of 1902, according to the New York Times, and Carrier went on to found Carrier Corporation. He had hit on the idea while walking in the fog.
It's the humidity
July 15, 2021

On a private mews in Brooklyn Heights, this creatively restored carriage house is asking $5.5M

The dead-end street known as Hunts Lane in Brooklyn Heights is a charming mews lined with former horse stables built in the 19th-century. One such carriage house, 4 Hunts Lane, is on the market for $5.5 million, and it might just be the most beautiful on the street. In addition to its gorgeous modern interiors, the four-bedroom home has a one-car garage, artist's studio, and soaring sky-lit spaces in the former hayloft.
Go inside
May 24, 2021

10 secrets of the Brooklyn Bridge

On May 24, 1883, throngs of New Yorkers came to the Manhattan and Brooklyn waterfronts to celebrate the opening of what was then known as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge. It was reported that 1,800 vehicles and 150,300 people total crossed what was then the only land passage between Brooklyn and Manhattan. The bridge--later dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge, a name that stuck--went on to become one of the most iconic landmarks in New York. There's been plenty of history, and secrets, along the way. Lesser-known facts about the bridge include everything from hidden wine cellars to a parade of 21 elephants crossing in 1884. To celebrate the anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge, 6sqft rounded up its top 10 most intriguing secrets.
All the secrets right this way
May 20, 2021

In Carroll Gardens, this unique $6M home was originally Brooklyn’s first kindergarten

Two-and-a-half years ago, the former schoolhouse at 236 President Street in Carroll Gardens was designated an official NYC landmark for its Beaux-Arts architecture, connection to local immigrant history, and the fact that it was Brooklyn's first kindergarten. The designation came after the then single-family home was slated for demolition to make way for a condo but neighbors and preservationists rallied to save it. Now, the five-bedroom, nearly 4,000-square-foot home (it's currently configured as a two-family residence) is on the market for $5,995,000.
Go inside
May 7, 2021

Brooklyn Public Library reveals Central Library redesign by Toshiko Mori

This week, the Brooklyn Public Library revealed the first phase of a major remodel of its Central Library on Grand Army Plaza. Designed by renowned architect Toshiko Mori, the undertaking was the single largest renovation and restoration in the Central Library’s 80-year history. The modern, light-filled rooms now provide more accessible space for the public, which includes civic commons for community engagement (providing city and passport services), a "new and noteworthy" book gallery, and an enlarged and modernized business and career center.
Take a tour
April 7, 2021

The history behind NYC’s iconic Anthora coffee cups

In a city full of symbolism, from bright yellow taxis to black-and-white cookies, New Yorkers also find comfort and nostalgia in a certain cardboard coffee cup. Known as the Anthora, the blue-and-white drinking vessel first became an icon of New York City in 1963 when Leslie Buck, a Czech-American immigrant, designed the first-ever to-go coffee cup to appeal to Greek-owned coffee shops and diners. With its customer-friendly “We Are Happy to Serve You” inscription and Greek-style letters, the Anthora has now become an important part of the city's identity.
The whole history here