Brooklyn Heights: The Original Suburb

We take a closer look at New York City’s first historic district, how it came to be, and what makes “America’s first suburb” so worthy of preservation.

While modern, progressive, and downright youthful in contrast to its international peers, New York City is anything but “new.” From the sites of Revolutionary War battles to revolutionary cultural movements, history is everywhere — and there’s no better way to find it than a brown street sign.

These terracotta-hued wayfinders, which contrast with the more ubiquitous green-and-white variety, denote NYC’s formal historic districts. The city rolled out this distinct signage in 1989 to raise awareness of and celebrate 25 years of the New York City Landmarks Law, a monumental piece of legislation that empowered the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) and paved the way for the Big Apple’s first historic district: Brooklyn Heights.

Brooklyn Heights captures a true snapshot of 19th century NYC, with the added bonus of stunning views of downtown Manhattan from the Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park. The passion behind its preservation proves that architecture can capture hearts, minds, and imaginations as much as any other work of art.

Lost Origins

There would be no historic districts without the New York City Landmarks Law — and the slew of notable architectural losses that prompted it.

Pennsylvania Station’s unceremonious destruction in 1963 was, for many denizens, the last straw in a string of controversial building teardowns. The station was designed by the legendary firm of McKim, Mead & White and completed in 1910 and bore an above-ground head house and train shed considered a Beaux-Arts masterpiece. Its exterior along 7th Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets was buttressed by four foot wide Doric columns, recalling the Acropolis in Greece and St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. An awe-inspiring waiting room, fashioned with Italian travertine, channeled the Roman Baths of Caracalla.

Whether you arrived in New York City for the first time or the thousandth, Pennsylvania Station served as an appropriately grand welcome. Needless to say, today’s labyrinth under Madison Square Garden — while retaining some original elements — is a far cry from its predecessor.

The c. 1960s demolition of McKim, Mead, and White‘s Beaux-Arts Pennsylvania Station galvanized the push for stronger landmark preservation laws in NYC.

Rail ridership began to decline with the advent of interstates and commercial jets — a trend the station’s owners, the Pennsylvania Railroad, foolishly thought would be permanent. Countless notable New Yorkers rallied to save the transportation temple, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Norman Mailer, and urbanist firebrand Jane Jacobs. Nevertheless, the air rights changed hands in the 1950s, and the great Pennsylvania Station was no more by 1963.

People were so outspoken on its demise (as well as the subsequent leveling of the Brokaw Mansion on the Upper East Side) that the city needed to act. The Landmarks Preservation Commission actually came into existence in 1962 but held little influence and was thus helpless to stop the Penn and Brokaw destructions. Likewise, the Bard Act was passed at the state level in 1956, giving all cities in New York the power to enact preservation laws, but New York City’s government hadn’t yet applied it.

Finally, in April 1965, Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. signed the New York City Landmarks Law, drastically leveling up the LPC’s powers and solidifying its existence. Suddenly, the agency could establish protected landmarks and districts, safeguarding particular buildings or sites vital to the city’s architecture, culture, and history.

By that September, the commission chose Wyckoff House in Brooklyn as the city’s first landmark. Two months later, on November 23, the LPC designated its first district in Brooklyn Heights. The neighborhood, already a National Historic Landmark, was a logical first choice. It embodied everything that the LPC set out to preserve.

A Notable First
The amount of history that has occurred outside the third-floor dormer windows of 51 Hicks Street, 1, represented by Dena Driver of Corcoran’s Brooklyn Heights Office, is incalculable. This entire c.1831 Federal-style home is available for rent and boasts restored wide plank wood floors, exposed brick with wooden inlays, original moldings, and a 65-foot-deep back garden.

If you could boil Brooklyn Heights down into one word, it would simply be “character.” Its streets are lined with over a thousand buildings constructed before the 20th century, a large swath of which pre-date the Civil War.

Besides some changes near its edges, the area appears much as it did in the mid-1800s — when the advent of Robert Fulton’s steam ferry helped it become the first “suburb” of  Manhattan. In those days, Brooklyn was its own city with a healthy, independent economy, fed largely by agriculture and industrial activity along its waterfront. The Long Island Rail Road began its route east on the Brooklyn Heights waterfront, running beneath Atlantic Avenue in what’s considered the world’s oldest subway tunnel. However, the neighborhood’s burghers ran it out by 1861, banning steam engines in one of the earlier documented spats of NIMBYism. Two decades later, Emily Roebling’s bridge to Manhattan was completed, helping set the stage for Brooklyn’s 1898 annexation — creating the first “outer borough” and the New York City we know today.

Naming Brooklyn Heights as a historic district in its entirety preserved the neighborhood’s storybook feel without sacrificing an ounce of desirability or fascination. After all, no sane person looks at a c. 1840s townhouse — three stories high with a brick-and-brownstone facade, a stoop, and ornamental detailing — and thinks, “I don’t know, I just wish it was a glass skyscraper.”

After its period of prosperous growth, the enchantment of Brooklyn Heights began to stagnate around the Great Depression. Residents remained committed to the area’s singular appearance, though, successfully convincing the city to amend its planned route for the BQE. Had the highway not moved west near the river, it would have run down the center of Brooklyn Heights, plowing through countless homes and potentially unraveling the neighborhood entirely. But the homes remained intact, becoming an essential factor — along with its “near Manhattan but decidedly not in it” location — in enticing a new generation of New Yorkers during the mid-1950s.

Brooklyn Heights architecture varies from street to street and building to building. Yet, no matter the design style, all the structures form a cohesive whole. And with lineages that travel back over a hundred years, there are plenty of stories to uncover.

Something On Every Corner

While dubious record-keeping makes its exact construction date unknown, the corner lot at 24 Middagh Street is c. 1820s-ish and considered Brooklyn Heights’ oldest home. Unmistakable in its wood-frame Federal-style design, the house is complete with quarter-round attic windows, a barn-like gambrel roof, and a front door ornamented with Ionic colonettes.

Three minutes around the corner at 70 Willow Street is a Greek Revival home commonly thought of as the “Truman Capote House” despite the fact it was never actually the author’s property. Capote did reside there for a period while working on Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, but was merely the basement apartment tenant of the actual owner: Oliver Smith, a 10-time Tony-winning set designer whose work includes West Side StoryMy Fair Lady, and countless others you’ve also certainly heard of. Smith was a fixture on Willow from the 1950s until he died in 1994, while the house was a distinctive buttery shade of yellow until its brick was stripped to the original color by recent owners — a move approved by the LPC.

Capote wasn’t the only literary icon to draw inspiration from the area’s tree-lined streets. In his poem “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” (1856), Walt Whitman wrote “I too lived — Brooklyn, of ample hills, was mine.” Thomas Wolfe and W.H. Auden lived on Montague Terrace, Henry Miller on Remsen Street, and H.P. Lovecraft near the neighborhood’s southern border on Clinton Street. Meanwhile, homes at 9 Cranberry and 19 Cranberry starred as Faye Dunaway’s apartment in Three Days of the Condor and Cher’s house in Moonstruck, respectively. Clearly, the camera can’t help but adore 19th-century aesthetics.

Decidedly not a 19th-century townhouse, the c. 1889 Herman Behr Mansion is nonetheless integral to the architectural personality of Brooklyn Heights. Assembled from a combination of salmon-colored bricks, terra cotta, and sandstone, the mansion is considered a New York City hallmark of the Romanesque Revival form — something undoubtedly boosted by the decorative lions, dragons, and lizards adorning the exterior. Its design was the product of Frank Freeman, an architect who would perhaps be better known if not for several of his best works being razed — including the neoclassical Brooklyn Savings Bank in Brooklyn Heights, knocked down a year before the historic district designation.


Sweetness prevails at 10 Pineapple Street, a modernized home with everlasting allure represented by The Talbott Team of Corcoran’s Park Slope Union Office. It’s hard to resist the charms of the arched, wood-paneled library, the sun-saturated breakfast nook, or the prewar craftsmanship seen in ceiling, doorway, and fireplace mantel moldings.

Real Churches, Fake Townhouses

Outside of residences, churches are the other exceptional structures that help define this famed neighborhood. The building on Clinton that houses St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church dates to 1847. Its stained-glass windows crafted by brothers William Jay and John Bolton represent the earliest complete set of figural stained-glass made in the United States. St. Ann’s Church previously operated out of a c. 1878 High Victorian Gothic James Renwick Jr. design on the corner of Clinton and Livingston. However, the congregation sold the structure to the Packer Collegiate Institute in 1969, before moving to the then-vacant Holy Trinity building and assuming its current name.

Plymouth Church on Orange Street was built around the same time as Holy Trinity but endured a far more storied past. Despite being established less than 15 years before the Civil War, the church made an indelible mark as a station on the Underground Railroad, holding true to the beliefs of its original pastor, famed abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher. A plaque commemorates the seat in which Abraham Lincoln attended an 1860 service, months before his election as president. Clara Barton, Charles Dickens, and (much later) Martin Luther King Jr. all spoke there. A conception of Joseph C. Wells — later a co-founder of the American Institute of Architects — Plymouth incorporates Italianate and Colonial themes into an almost auditorium-inspired design that many churches have since replicated.

One final bit of Brooklyn Heights history sits with blacked-out windows at 58 Joralemon Street. The New York City Transit Authority (and its predecessors) have owned the building since 1907. Unlike the other homes throughout the area, this Greek Revival townhouse isn’t a townhouse at all. Rather, it is a fully-operational subway vent and emergency exit for the Joralemon Tunnel, which carries the 4 and 5 subway lines from Bowling Green, under the East River, and into Brooklyn’s Borough Hall station. If needed, this brownstone has more than enough power to supply air to or remove smoke and heat from the tracks nine stories below. Not exactly the neighbor one would expect to have — but hey, that’s Brooklyn.

New to the market!

51 Hicks Street, 1 Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn, NY 11201
For Rent| Apartment Building| Built 1831

5 Beds | 4 Baths/1 Half Bath | 3500 Approx. Sqft | Outdoor Space | $24,500
Available 11/01/24
The Details

ABOUT 51 HICKS STREET, 1, BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN, NY 11201
MIDDAGH STREET and CRANBERRY STREET

Experience the epitome of brownstone living at 51 Hicks Street, an exquisite full brownstone rental in the heart of Brooklyn Heights. This stunning property features 5-6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, and a spacious private backyard, all adorned with high-end finishes, top-of-the-line appliances, and central air throughout.
This Brooklyn row house was built in the Federal style with a red brick facade in the 1830s The homes offers beautiful original moldings and many fireplaces, on the lower floor large colonial hearths and the stone wall between these is schist, the bedrock of NYC. On the parlor floor the exposed brick is lovely and has wood inlays as well as lovingly restored wide plank hard wood floors.
The Garden Floor offers a versatile large open room with two fireplaces, perfect for a den, playroom, gym, or guest bedroom suite. This floor also includes a secondary area ideal for an office or study, along with a full bathroom.On the Parlor Floor, you’ll find a large wrap-around kitchen that spans the full width of the house, complete with a kitchen island and all-new appliances. The expansive living room features a fireplace, and there’s a convenient powder room. Step out onto the large deck (24′ by 10′) that leads into a 65-foot-deep back garden, perfect for outdoor entertaining.The 2nd Floor is home to the primary bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, as well as a second bedroom or library. This floor also includes a separate laundry room equipped with a full-size washer and dryer.The 3rd Floor boasts three additional bedrooms and two full bathrooms. Enjoy the charm of beautiful dormer windows and take in the stunning views of Manhattan from the mansard roof.

Parking is available for an additional charge.

Located in the best-of-the-best Brooklyn Heights, this property offers the perfect blend of tranquility and convenience. Just a short stroll to the Promenade, bistros, amenities, and DUMBO, and only1.5 blocks from the A/C train stop, you’ll enjoy quick and easy travel throughout the city. Additionally, a pathway and footbridge provide direct access to Brooklyn Bridge Park and the new deep-water marina.

Discover brownstone living at its finest at 51 Hicks Street!
Call today or send me a message on my contact me page today.

New! 14 Schermerhorn Street

Exquisite full Parlor Floor with Huge south facinhg private backyard!
This lovely 2BR 1.5Bth apartment is brand new and available for lease now.
14 Schermerhorn St is a completely re-designed living experience in the heart of Brooklyn Heights. A classic pre-war building with modern finishes allowing residents to enjoy the comforts of modern living without sacrificing the charm and character that has made the neighborhood one of the most sought after destinations in New York. This spacious residence has undergone an elegant transformation to be in sync with modern life including high-end appliances, sleek design, clean lines, oversize windows and split system A/C. While keeping the building’s gorgeous original features and entryway.
The stunning parlor floor has high ceilings with light streaming in from 12 foot high floor to ceiling windows. The chef’s kitchen looks into an airy living room overlooking your own private back yard. The primary bedroom has a large walk in closet.
The home is beautifully remodeled with new kitchen, abundant cabinets, open concept stone countertops and new appliances. Split system A/C – W/D and dishwasher too. New bathrooms complete with gorgeous marble tile and shower.
Garden stairs leading into a huge private yard. An incredibly unique parlor floor, flooded with light.
Nestled on a tree lined street in Brooklyn Heights near all major subway and ferry lines. Heat and hot water included for cozy winters without extra cost.
Fantastic access to transit and all great things Brooklyn like L’ Appartement 4F and Gage and Tollner, along with the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Brownstone Living at it’s Finest!

Listing Courtesy of Corcoran, Dena Driver, (929) 339-0793, Resource data displayed by Corcoran Group

Red Hook: Brooklyn’s Urban Seaport Village

Once you step on its cobblestone streets, glimpse Valentino Pier’s vistas,or even whiff its briny air, Red Hook will reel you in.

BY JEREMY KLEIN

This is Red Hook   The PlaceThe Place

The tale of New York City is countless chapters long, undergoing an ad infinitum cycle of revisions and addendums. As such, there is always time for a rise-and-fall story arc to shoot upward again. In seaside Red Hook, an ethos of getting back off the mat is integral to the area’s perpetual charm, making it more than a mere contender. Down along Brooklyn’s coast — across Buttermilk Channel from Governors Island and within waving distance of the Statue of Liberty — this remarkable neighborhood has cultivated an identity like few others across NYC’s sprawling reach. To know Red Hook is to love it, so let’s waste no more time on the former so we can get right to the latter.

The Place

Time tried to forget Red Hook, but it’s not the neighborhood’s style to go down without a fight. It keeps a low profile, figuratively and literally: the closest thing you’ll find to a tower is the Red Hook Grain Terminal, a 12-story waterfront grain elevator at the foot of Henry Street Pier. Bypassed by subway construction in the 20th century, today’s Red Hook is a last stand of the low-rise industrial waterfront that helped fashion New York as a global economic powerhouse. Its main drag, along Van Brunt Street, feels more like a sleepy New England fishing village than a business district within a global city. The streets here go quiet earlier than most, leaving Red Hook’s cobblestone lanes with a surreal level of tranquility — especially on weeknights. A lack of high-rises affords unobstructed views of the starry night sky, not to mention the lights of bobbing tugboats and Staten Island’s hillsides twinkling off the water. Much of Red Hook resides in buildings that have stood since its heyday and accordingly retain sought-after period details — think exposed brick, woodwork, concrete floors, etc. — that can never be recreated. Among Red Hook’s more distinct vintage structures are its three “stores,” or storehouses, some dating to before the Civil War. The extant brick buildings — the Beard and Robinson Stores, the Merchant Stores, and the Red Hook Stores — are almost hypnotic in design, sporting infinite-seeming rows of extra-large arched windows. Today, this triad has been spun off into numerous functions: loft residences, studio spaces, a winery, and more.

Although the commercial spaces largely share a common brand, Red Hook’s housing stock is eclectic and varied. Townhouses here are often revitalized interpretations of familiar forms, renovations of 19th- and 20th-century builds that bring things into the modern era yet remain aesthetically true. Many of these are Red Hook originals, pleasantly quirky and imbued with nautical themes interwoven into the area’s vernacular. Gleaming modern condos add a further dimension to the offerings, frequently housed in new developments offering many amenities. There are a few certified, capital-H Historic parts of Red Hook. Van Dyke Street is the site of the city-landmarked, c. 1859 Brooklyn Clay Retort and Fire Brick Works Storehouse. If you can’t decipher that mouthful, know that this place was instrumental in manufacturing illuminating gas (pre-Edison developing his electric light bulb) and flame-resistant industrial material (eventually utilized as an architectural component in areas like Ridgewood around the early 20th century). It’s another visually striking edifice, sporting a dark gray schist facade and basilica-inspired elements like a trio of arched entrances and a bull’s-eye window overlooking Van Dyke. Befitting Red Hook’s water-reliant history, the neighborhood’s two landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places are currently asea. The Mary A. Whalen is a c. 1938 bell boat tanker — controlled from its engine room via telegraph signals from the bridge — perma-docked near the Atlantic Basin, a rare find surviving in its original configuration. Meanwhile, the Lehigh Valley Railroad Barge No. 79 is, well, a barge. This flat-bottomed vessel was part of the Erie Canal’s lighter fleet, steered by workers with long oars to transfer goods to and from moored ships.

more “Red Hook: Brooklyn’s Urban Seaport Village”

New York City Nabs Stretch of Brooklyn Coastline to Redevelop

Cargo warehouses at the Red Hook Container Terminal, with Downtown Brooklyn in the background. Photographer: Michael Lee/Moment RF

The city will take control of 120 acres from Brooklyn Bridge Park to Red Hook to develop a neighborhood around a modernized port.

New York City will take control of 120 acres of Brooklyn’s coastline, intending to develop a rugged patch of land into housing, retail, green space, and a modern, environmentally friendly port.

The no-cash deal, which will be announced Tuesday, represents the city government’s biggest real estate transaction in terms of physical size in at least two decades. The redevelopment zone stretches more than a mile, from the southern edge of Brooklyn Bridge Park down to the Red Hook neighborhood, and in some places a block inland. Most of that land is currently controlled by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

As reported by Bloomberg.com

Michael Stern defaults on Brooklyn’s tallest tower

MAR 27, 2024 AT 6:41 PM
By Rich Bockmann

 

The 11 Best NYC Christmas Trees

One of the most popular traditions in New York in winter is going to see the Christmas trees. Here are some of the most spectacular ones you should not miss, so get your camera out!

As Reported by Hellotickets.com 

At Christmas in New York there are a thousand things to do: this season is celebrated in style with lights, trees, gifts, amazingly decorated shop windows… nothing is too much. And one of the most beautiful traditions is to go, with your family, partner or friends, to visit the main Christmas trees in the city.

If you are a Christmas lover, make a list of the most spectacular and historic fir trees you can’t miss in the city that never sleeps.

1. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

The iconic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center| ©Ibrahim Boran

The lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has been a custom since 1931and marks the beginning of New York’s Christmas season. This 20-meter-tall tree has no less than 50,000 LED bulbs and is crowned by a Swarovski star weighing more than 400 kilos. It is undoubtedly the most popular tree in the city.This tree whose choice is quite exhaustive, as it can come from anywhere in the U.S., has to be at least half a century old.If you have any doubts about the spectacularity of this event, think that it is broadcast on national television, making it a very special moment for both New Yorkers and tourists who choose this date to visit the city.Also, since you are in the area, you should know that Rockefeller Center offers many things to see and do at Christmas, so it should definitely be at the top of the list.Where is it located… Rockefeller Center, in Midtown Manhattan.

2. Madison Square Park Christmas Tree

Madison Square Park Christmas Tree| ©Shinya Suzuki

If you’re wondering where the first Christmas tree was installed in the USA, the answer is Madison Square Park. In 1912, a Christmas tree was installed in this iconic location and this tradition has been maintained to this day. Thus, the Madison Square Park Christmas tree is one of the most popular in the city.

Located in the heart of Manhattan, this park is one of the best parks in New York: it is a true Christmas oasis in the midst of the chaos of the city, so I recommend you stop by and see it when you are on your way through the streets and avenues of Midtown.

Where to findit… 11 Madison Avenue, between 26th and 23rd Street.

3. The Christmas tree at the American Museum of Natural History

Golden Christmas at the Museum| ©Oleg Magni

It is one of the most beautiful Christmas trees in New York City for the originality of its decoration, based on origami creations. In addition, the theme changes every year.

If you are passionate about culture, you can not miss the best museums in New Yorkduring Christmas, as they will also help you to shelter from the cold and low temperatures of New York in December.

To see this tree you will have to go to the Museum of Natural History in New York, a must on your trip. Here is the post Natural History Museum of New York so you can be fully prepared for this visit.

Where is it located… Natural History Museum, 200 Central Park West.

4. Bryant Park Christmas Tree

Christmas in Bryant Park| ©Mike Carey

The Bryant Park Christmas tree is another of New York City’s most popular trees with more than 30,000 lights and 3,500 Christmas balls. In addition, the environment in which it is located between skyscrapers makes it even more special.

And when you go to see this tree, I recommend you take a walk through the park and take into account all the things you can see and do in Bryant Park.

Another great attraction of this park is its beautiful ice skating rink, where you can slide on the ice and travel to your childhood for a while. You will feel like in a movie!

Where is it located… It is located around The Rink, the ice skating rink of Bryant Park.

5. Wall Street Christmas Tree

Wall Street Christmas Tree| ©Sean Marshall

Located next to the New York Stock Exchange building, this is one of the largest trees in the city and was the first to have electric lights in the city. Previously, Christmas trees were lit with candles, but, as you can imagine, this was a very dangerous practice.

In addition, this part of Downtown Manhattan also has a lot to offer, so take advantage of your walk around the area to explore some of the most iconic sites, such as nearby Ground Zero, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and the One World Observatory.

Where is it located… 1, Wall Street.

see all the rest and more at hellotickets.com

Happy Holidays

Amazing Historic Opportunity Out East.

I am spreading my wings out east, and you might want to too. This listing is full of potential.
Come to my Open House on Sunday
August 27 – From 1-3.

24 Woodlawn Avenue East Moriches, NY 11940

FOR SALE | SINGLE FAMILY TOWNHOUSE

 

5 Beds | 3 Baths | 2405 Approx. Sqft | Outdoor Space |$799,000
Annual Tax: $114,528.00 | Available 09/01/23

ABOUT 24 WOODLAWN AVENUE, EAST MORICHES, NY 11940

Historic East Moriches Farmhouse with Legacy Barn: Where Heritage Embraces Modern Comfort Step into the charm of East Moriches in this lovingly updated colonial-era farmhouse. Settled on a generous 1.52-acre plot, the home offers over 2400 sq ft of comfortable living space, blending its historical essence with today’s lifestyle. Key Features: – Eat-in Kitchen – Cozy Formal Dining and Living Rooms – Bright Sunroom with scenic views – Four welcoming bedrooms paired with three full baths – Traditional hardwood detailing: original growth Douglas fir on the ground floor and upstairs, enhanced by hand-nailed knotty white pine wide plank floors – Character-filled entryway with a single-slab American chestnut saddle, leading to a warmly inviting front door with antique door bell – Warm wood-burning fireplace with intriguing hidden panel doors – Historical recognition as the former White Horse Inn, a notable Montauk highway stop from the early 1800s A true East Moriches landmark: the barn, adorned with the signature white horse emblem Surrounded by age-old Black Walnut and Elm trees, this property exudes a peaceful atmosphere. Equestrian lovers will value its proximity to a nearby working horse farm, while those fond of the coast will be pleased to have the shoreline just a short stroll away. Cherished by a single family for three generations, this dwelling isn’t just a place to live-it’s a slice of East Moriches’ story, inviting its next chapter.

more “Amazing Historic Opportunity Out East.”

Accepted Offer in 10 Days!

This great opportunity was snatched up in 10 Days. If you been thinking about listing, let me help you through the process.

Check at the full details here.