A Pre-War Look at the Empire Stores
While today the Empire Stores on Water Street in Dumbo sits empty and mired in bureaucratic muck, this photo by Berenice Abbott from 1936 (courtesy of the New York Public Library) reminds that the four-story warehouse was once a thriving commercial hub. Note the advertisement for Yuban Coffee painted on the side of the building….
While today the Empire Stores on Water Street in Dumbo sits empty and mired in bureaucratic muck, this photo by Berenice Abbott from 1936 (courtesy of the New York Public Library) reminds that the four-story warehouse was once a thriving commercial hub. Note the advertisement for Yuban Coffee painted on the side of the building. A similar photo from yesterday is on the jump.
Warehouse, Water and Dock Streets, Brooklyn [Flickr]
i don’t know about “thriving”. i see one dude there and i think he’s staged.
The RFP to develop was awarded to Boymelgreen, with Two Trees in 2nd position. Boymelgreen didn’t proceed according to State, so Two Trees should then have gotten it. If they had given to Two Trees at first, would be done by now.
The condition of the Empire Stores (they are a row of buildings) is really awful. I am afraid they may be already too far gone to save. Terrible stewardship on the part of the State’s Parks Department who owns the group. Why doesn’t Paterson just sell them? Forget the soda pop tax, just sell the State’s neglected historic properties. Sell them, they’re protected under the City’s landmarks law. Why is everyone braindead in Albany?
I LOVE LOVE this building.
One of my faves in Brooklyn. I never tire of going by it.
It’s a gorgeous pic (the B&W one). The Brownstoner Flickr pool has a huge assortment of great photos, so many of which would look wonderful blown up and framed.
It’s Berenice Abbott.
And yes, everything’s better in black and white if you are an enormously talented photographer.
everything’s better in b&w