I had often walked by the inconspicuous former church at 104 Powers St. near the border of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, yet I never noticed the sole sign that this was […]
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."
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
Charles Evans Hughes: Greenpoint’s Forgotten Statesman
He did not look like a Greenpointer, he did not act like one either and with his eloquent vocabulary and upper-class speech he sure did not sound like one, nevertheless, […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
Glass Blowing and Greenpoint, a Continued Tradition
Echo Glass Works at 253 Greenpoint Ave. offers a dazzling variety of one-of-a-kind custom glass jewelry, kiln cast glass, along with blown glass vessels that simply stun. However, this is […]
Posted in(Not)Forgotten Greenpoint
Ben Shahn: Williamsburg’s Greatest Artist Ever?
Ben Shahn’s name today is obscure, but Shahn was perhaps one of the greatest artists ever to come out of Williamsburg. Born in Lithuania, Shahn grew up in the Southside […]
Posted in(Not)Forgotten Greenpoint
The Lasting Gifts to Greenpoint From the Man Cheated out of the U.S. Presidency
Looking for a great local trivia question? Which two men associated with Greenpoint ran for president of the United States? The answer: Samuel Tilden who was cheated in the election […]
Posted inNews
Legendary Founder of Williamsburg’s El Puente Luis Garden Acosta Passes Away
North Brooklyn’s Hispanic community is mourning one of its most beloved members, Luis Garden Acosta, who passed away yesterday. A towering community leader with a deep concern for social justice, […]
Posted in(Not)Forgotten Greenpoint
Greenpoint’s Vaudeville Era Theaters: Still Hiding in Plain Sight
It is almost inconceivable today, but in the 1920s Greenpoint had as many as eight Vaudeville theaters. Some of the buildings still survive, but with other uses. In the days […]
Posted inNews
The Changing Face of Manhattan Avenue Stores
Manhattan Avenue retail is in the midst of a rapid transition and very soon the avenue will be completely transformed into something totally different. Although there are some stores that […]
Posted inCulture
Legendary Urbanist Jane Jacobs’ Prophetic Warning to Greenpoint
The name Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) is legendary in urban planning and in the last year of her life, Jacobs had a prescient warning about the future of our waterfront in […]
Posted inNews
Former Greenpoint Hospital Set for Redevelopment
In a city critically short of both affordable housing and homeless shelters, the long-abandoned former Greenpoint hospital can help alleviate both severe shortages in North Brooklyn. Over a year ago, […]