A hustling and bustling neighborhood that is an ever growing mix of commercial buildings, new high rise residential areas, brownstone houses, and federal buildings; Downtown Brooklyn is constantly changing and expanding to provide its residents and the people of NYC with a new and exciting place to come and visit.
History:
Downtown Brooklyn is rich in history. It has always been known for being a large business and judicial area before the rezoning of 2004.
In the 17th century, most of the area was inhabited by Lenape Native Americans and over the years remained habited by the Dutch once they had arrived in North America. A very important of Downtown’s history is its active beacon in the abolitionist movement against slavery where many slaves sought refuge through the Underground Railroad.
Many centuries later, Downtown Brooklyn has become a large residential area in addition to the commercial, judicial and educational activities. It is a large tourist attraction, however the future of Downtown is again jeopardized by the richer’s yearn for a place to belong.
– Even though Downtown Brooklyn is located on the north side of Brooklyn; this neighborhood got its name when it became the business hub of the borough largely because of Fulton’s steamship, which was the first form of mass transit between Manhattan and Brooklyn, that connected the area to the downside of New York’s financial center Manhattan (via Mental Floss).
– Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill Tunnel beneath Atlantic Avenue was the world’s first subway tunnel. It was built between 1844 and 1845, and was closed in 1861. It wasn’t “rediscovered” until 1981, when a teen named Robert Diamond crawled down a manhole to enter it and eventually began giving tours (via Movoto).
– Downtown Brooklyn is the third largest central business district in NYC, following Midtown Manhattan and Lower Manhattan (via Halstead).
– There are “fake” buildings in NYC that are used for subway maintenance and ventilation. In Brooklyn Heights there is such a building with a brownstone facade. The townhouse at 58 Joralemon Street which isn’t a house at all, but a subway ventilator. The blacked out windows and uninviting front door give clues, but otherwise everything seems normal (via Untapped Cities).
Brooklyn Borough Hall.
Sounds of Downtown Brooklyn:
Although Downtown Brooklyn is crowded, it is a fairly quiet area. Construction gets muffled by crowd activity on the streets. Laughter can be heard throughout the streets, and residents are out walking their dogs while the youth walks in and out of stores, phone in hand.
Photo credit for header image used in this site: Douglas Palmer
Title: Columbus Park, Downtown Brooklyn in the Rain, Late Autumn, 2011
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