Search Results for: brooklyn history

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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 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
March 15, 2021

New York City buys Downtown Brooklyn’s abolitionist rowhouse for $3.2M

New York City has officially purchased the property at 227 Duffield Street, a 19th-century rowhouse in Downtown Brooklyn recently designated as a landmark for its ties to the abolitionist movement. The Landmarks Preservation Commission last month granted landmark status to the home, occupied by known abolitionists Harriet and Thomas Truesdell from 1851 to 1863, after years of advocacy and a threat by a developer to raze it and build a mixed-use building in its place. First Lady Chirlane McCray, who has been a vocal advocate for the preservation of the site, announced the purchase during Mayor Bill de Blasio's briefing on Monday and said the deal ensures the property will be "protected and celebrated for a very long time."
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March 12, 2021

Ruth Bader Ginsburg statue unveiled in Downtown Brooklyn

A statue of late United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was unveiled in Downtown Brooklyn on Friday. Created by artists Gillie and Marc Schattner, the six-foot bronze statue is located inside the Flatbush Avenue entrance of the mixed-use development City Point. Visitors can "Stand with Ruth" and take photos with the statue, but a timed reservation is required to maintain social distancing, according to City Point.
More this way
March 10, 2021

Here’s how to celebrate Women’s History Month 2021 in NYC

Every March the nation celebrates the contributions and achievements of women in the United States. With the origins of Women's History Month, along with the suffrage movement itself, rooted in New York, the city is one of the best places to pay tribute to and learn more about the many trailblazing women who shaped the world as we know it. Although the pandemic has changed how we commemorate Women's History Month, many local organizations and groups are hosting virtual lectures, tours, and art exhibits, from a two-day online festival hosted by the Apollo Theater to a feminist tour of Harlem. Plus, the city's official tourism organization, NYC & Company, has put together an itinerary full of women-owned businesses and cultural sites related to women's history across the five boroughs to visit, found here.
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February 24, 2021

$3M Brooklyn Heights triplex is a modern oasis with original barrel-vaulted ceilings

Brooklyn Heights' Eagle Warehouse & Storage Company building at 28 Old Futon Street was built in 1892 as the Brooklyn Eagle's headquarters. In 1980, it was converted to 85 residential co-ops, many of which retain the building's original architectural details. And this triplex unit, currently on the market for $3 million, certainly fits that bill. In almost every room, there are gorgeous brick barrel-vaulted ceilings, along with brick walls and cast-iron columns. But what makes the three-bedroom home truly unique is the modern renovation that works so beautifully with its history.
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February 4, 2021

The best ways to celebrate Black History Month 2021 in NYC

During the month of February, the nation observes Black History Month as a way to celebrate and honor African American history and culture. While this year's commemoration will be different because of the pandemic, many New York City organizations and institutions are hosting virtual events, lectures, and exhibitions. Learn about the achievements and influence of Black Americans with an online walking tour featuring Black artists of Greenwich Village, a concert honoring composers of the Harlem Renaissance, a class on Black archaeology in New York City, and much more.
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February 2, 2021

19th-century abolitionist home in Downtown Brooklyn is now a city landmark

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday voted to designate a Brooklyn property that was home to known abolitionists, likely saving it from demolition. Harriet and Thomas Truesdell, members of the anti-slavery movement before the Civil War, lived at the Greek-Revival row house at 227 Duffield Street from 1851 to 1863. The commission recommended 227 Duffield for designation because it represents a rare surviving home to known abolitionists and marks Brooklyn's pre-Civil War abolitionist movement. The push for landmarking the site was accelerated in 2019 when a developer filed permits to raze the three-story structure and replace it with a much taller mixed-use building.
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January 26, 2021

Plans for abolitionist memorial in Downtown Brooklyn park delayed again

After being in the works for nearly two decades, plans to build a public park in Downtown Brooklyn with a memorial to the neighborhood's abolitionist history are delayed once again. The Public Design Commission last week tabled a conceptual proposal from artist Kameelah Janan Rasheed after preservationists and community members during an intense public hearing criticized both the design for missing details and the city's lack of transparency.
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September 21, 2020

New York will construct a statue of Ruth Bader Ginsburg in her native Brooklyn

United States Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be recognized with a statue in her hometown of Brooklyn, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday, just one day after the death of the trailblazing icon. Born in 1933 to Russian-Jewish immigrants and raised in a clapboard house on East 9th Street in Midwood, Ginsburg attended the city's public schools and later Cornell and Columbia Universities. In 1993, Ginsburg, who fought for gender equality her entire career, became the second woman to ever serve as a justice on the Supreme Court.
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August 25, 2020

See designs for the Brooklyn park dedicated to LGBTQ advocate Marsha P. Johnson

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday dedicated Brooklyn's East River State Park to Black transgender rights activist Marsha P. Johnson, making it the first state park in New York named after an LGBTQ person and transgender woman of color. Located on the Williamsburg waterfront and known for hosting popular outdoor market Smorgasburg, the park will feature a new colorful public art installation honoring Johnson, who played a significant role in the Stonewall Uprising and was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front. The dedication comes on what would have been Johnson's 75th birthday.
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August 18, 2020

Winning design proposal brings better mobility and biodiverse ‘microforests’ to the Brooklyn Bridge

Two proposals have been chosen as the winners of a design contest launched earlier this year that sought ways to improve pedestrian space on the crowded Brooklyn Bridge. The Van Alen Institute and the New York City Council on Monday announced that "Brooklyn Bridge Forest," a design that calls for lots of green space and an expanded wooden walkway, won the professional category. And "Do Look Down," which would add a glass surface above the girders and make space for community events and vendors, took the top prize in the young adult category.
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August 11, 2020

Brooklyn’s ‘greenest block’ is one step closer to becoming a historic district

The Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday calendared a block in Brooklyn's East Flatbush neighborhood for consideration as a new historic district. The proposed strip on East 25th Street between Clarendon Road and Avenue D consists of 56 remarkably cohesive limestone and brownstone buildings built by a single developer between 1909 and 1912. The effort to landmark the block, which has been awarded the "greenest block in Brooklyn" by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden four times, is being led by the community, which asked the LPC to evaluate the area last year.
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