In the spring of 1937, the hottest topic at Brooklyn College was the Spanish Civil War. Twenty Brooklyn College students volunteered to go to Spain and fight, despite the fact […]
Tag: greenpoint history
Posted in(Not)Forgotten Greenpoint, Culture, Historical Greenpoint
When Freedom of Expression and Censorship Battled on Manhattan Avenue!
The other day, I gave a talk on the Irish history of Greenpoint, and a long-time Greenpointer offered me a new twist on a famous old Greenpoint legend. Before diving […]
Posted inCommunity, Culture, Historical Greenpoint, News
The Return of the Greenpoint Trolley?
With Mayor de Blasio’s announcement of an imminent light rail line along the East River, history could be preparing to repeat itself. For many years, Greenpoint had only two mass […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
Casting the Iwo Jima Memorial in Greenpoint
The Bedi-Makky building at 227 India Street looks like any other ordinary industrial Greenpoint building. However, it was here that the one of the largest bronze sculpture ever cast in […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
The Tragic Tale of Artist John Mulvaney
As a local historian it always amazes me how rich Greenpoint history is and how much local history is forgotten. I wrote a book called Greenpoint Brooklyn’s Forgotten Past to […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
Distant Mirror of Today’s Anti–Immigrant Hysteria
One big reason we study history is that it repeats itself. The anti-immigrant hysteria being stirred up today is nothing new, especially in Greenpoint. While researching a book on local […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
Who was Patrick McCarren?
Recently there was controversy about the naming rights to the McCarren Park Pool. A company offered money for the naming rights and many locals became angry about the proposed name […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
Famous Greenpointers: Happy Birthday Mae West!
Mae West was a renowned stage actress, director, playwright and film star whose career spanned over seven decades. Born on Herbert Street in 1893 to a German mother, Tillie Doelger, with a […]
Posted inCulture
Famous Greenpointer : Mae West
Mae West is Famous Greenpointers of the month! According to Wiki, “during her childhood, West’s family moved to various parts of Woodhaven, Queens, as well as the Williamsburg and Greenpoint […]
Posted inCulture
Famous Greenpointers: Mickey Rooney
What a mug on that guy, eh? Micky Rooney began his long career as a child star, but unlike modern child stars, he continued working into his 90s. He was […]