When did Williamsburg become a Jewish area? When did the mafia form locally and how active were they in North Brooklyn? Who are some of the many famous people who […]
Posts by Author Archives: Geoff Cobb
Geoffrey Cobb is a Brooklyn high school history teacher and writer of the blog historicgreenpoint.wordpress.com. He has lived in Greenpoint for over 20years and is the author of a book on the history of the area, "Greenpoint Brooklyn's Forgotten Past."
Great “Open Studios” from Greenpoint’s Past
Greenpoint Open Studios is the weekend of June 8th and 9th and is a special time in the area as about 400 artists open their studios to thousands of art […]
Are We Ready to Celebrate Walt Whitman as Brooklyn’s Gay Poet?
This week all over Brooklyn, there will be celebrations honoring Walt Whitman. With the 200th anniversary of the birth of Brooklyn’s greatest poet, one has to ask the question: Was […]
Greenpoint’s Vanishing Parades
For years the local Memorial Day Parade was a big event. Hundreds of people came out to honor the veterans who fought and sometimes died defending the country. However, last […]
Mel Brooks: Williamsburgs’ Comic Genius
North Brooklyn has produced more than its fair share of great comedians. Jack Gilford, the man who many claim invented standup and the outrageously funny Buddy Hackett come immediately to […]
Hollywood Legend Mickey Rooney’s Greenpoint Roots
Few people today might recognize him by his real name, Joe Yule Jr., but the boy born in 1920 at 696 Leonard Street would become an Academy Award winner […]
The Settlement House’s Long History and Continuing Role in North Brooklyn
Local settlement houses have a long and honorable history in North Brooklyn and they have served as a cultural and educational oasis for generations of local youths. Still, many people […]
Domino Sugar’s Enduring Lesson of Local History
The philosopher George Santayana once famously said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I do not know if Santayana ever visited our area, but Santayana’s […]
A History of Gardens in Brooklyn’s “Garden Spot”
Greenpoint has a nickname, “The Garden Spot,” which was given at a time when our area was truly a bucolic haven. Although it later became one of the most industrial […]
Getting Local History Right and Correcting Egregious Errors
Being a local historian, I acknowledge that all of us make mistakes. The problem is when mistakes in local history become fossilized over years and people accept these errors as […]