Things have changed a lot over the years on Norman Avenue, but Scandinavian influence remains. It is highly ironic that two Scandinavian cutting edge entrepreneurs have just opened their modern, […]
Tag: History
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
From the Archives: Historical Photos of Greenpoint
While it’s true the more things change the more they stay the same, the changes certainly outnumber the sameness in these vintage photos of Greenpoint. The sameness is enough for […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
The History of Meserole Avenue
This post marks the first in a series of posts that will recount the history of different streets in Greenpoint. Meserole Avenue is named for the Meserole family who once […]
Posted inCulture
Julia Wertz’s Triumphant Illustrated History of New York City
Full disclosure—I have been a fan of Julia Wertz‘s amazing graphic work long before the publication of her recent smash hit entitled Tenements, Towers and Trash: An Unconventional Illustrated History […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
Horrific History Lesson: Working Conditions at The Domino Sugar Refinery
Although the former Domino Sugar refinery on Kent Avenue does not lie in Greenpoint, the building and the firm that ran it, Havemeyer and Elder, cast a long shadow over […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
A Greenpoint Landmark Now Seems Doomed
In a previous post I reported that there was an application to demolish 85 Calyer Street, the historic home of the builder of the first ironclad battleship in the United […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
The Forgotten History of Sugar in North Brooklyn
To understand the history of Greenpoint and Williamsburg you have to grasp the massive role that refining played in this heavily industrial corner of North Brooklyn. Our area became the […]
Posted inNews
Toast Revolutionary Hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko with a Concert and Cocktails at Fraunces Tavern on Thursday!
It is one thing to be a Revolutionary hero, another to be an architect, or an abolitionist or an accomplished musician. Tadeusz Kosciuszko, who lends his name to the bridge, […]
Posted inHistorical Greenpoint
Check out the Mary Fisher Home, Greenpoint’s 19th Century Artists’ Colony
Greenpoint’s industrial past is well known, and its emerging identity as an artist’s hub might seem like a 21st century phenomenon, but back in 1888, Greenpoint was sporting its very […]
Posted inUncategorized
A Piece of Greenpoint History Faces Demolition
Recently, I did a series of stories for Greenpointers about the twenty-five most historic local buildings. One of the posts I wrote was about 85 Calyer Street, the residence of […]