Dumbo NYC

Notes from the DUMBO, Brooklyn NY neighborhood


Dumbo Then and Now: Main Street, South From Front Street

December 4th, 2006

In this series of “Dumbo Streetscapes Then and Now”, we are looking at photos down Main Street, south from Front Street, showing the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. In the 80 year old photo, circa 1926, the street between Front and York Streets used to be a block of rowhouses with retail/commercial storefronts. They were probably torn down to make way for the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and the off-ramps. The current location of the block between York and Front Streets is a parking lot owned by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. The top left corner of the 1926 photo shows a tiny part of the crown of the 70 Washington Street building (click on photo to show larger version of photo). The background shows the Brooklyn Bridge at the center. The current photo shows Brooklyn Bridge behind the Brooklyn Queens Expressway and the off ramp of the Old Fulton Street exit. The parking lot is supposedly zoned for 8-9 story residential use, but not sure if any decision will be made to develop the lot. (Anyone have any ideas?)


   1926 (click on photo to show larger version of photo)


   December, 2006

{New York Public Library photo of Main Street Looking South from Front Street}
{Dumbo Then and Now: Washington and York Street}
{Dumbo Then and Now: Plymouth Street West of Pearl Street}

Filed in Front Street, Main Street, Then and Now at 1:14 am
Comments
  • neighbor
    great photo...the current one is actually looking south from main and water, not front.
  • Rascal
    Right. Today's view would be a parking lot running across both blocks (there's no more main street running south from Front).
  • Larregui Family
    We're 7 Brothers & Sisters all born at 69 Main St before the neighborhood was demolished and all still alive as of today thank god!. On either corner of York and Main St were the Darcangelo and La Russa family grocery stores. Below on the right was the Rizzelli candy store. Across the street was John Mauro's Italian social club.Further down near Front St was Frank Ucci's and Al's restaurant (his last name fails me.) And finally the DiGangi's Bakery near the Zerega macaroni factory. We still have fond memories of the camaraderie and close relationships we shared and enjoyed during those golden years we were growing up. We were broken hearted when the Brooklyn Queens Expressway was developing breaking up our neighborhoods and forcing us all to move! Our sincerest thanks for enabling us to relive so many treasured photo memories that we may continue to cherish during our golden years.
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