Scrambling to Landmark in Bushwick
The Brooklyn Paper has a story about how a school teacher in Bushwick has partnered with community leaders to push for a historic district that would be called “Brewers Row.” There are a handful of specific buildings on Bushwick Avenue that the group wants to gain specific protection for before establishing an actual historic district…
The Brooklyn Paper has a story about how a school teacher in Bushwick has partnered with community leaders to push for a historic district that would be called “Brewers Row.” There are a handful of specific buildings on Bushwick Avenue that the group wants to gain specific protection for before establishing an actual historic district around the area where Bushwick Avenue meets Linden Street and Gates Avenue. While the William Ulmer Brewery was landmarked this spring, his mansion on Bushwick and Myrtle Avenues (pictured here) is not. The Masonic Temple, which was put on the market and then pulled off, is another building that’s not yet landmarked. Some buildings are in better condition others, some buildings have been rehabbed by tenants, but they’re still standing and I want to make sure they’re still standing a hundred years from now, says Adam Schwartz, the teacher involved in the effort.
History in the Making in Bushwick [Brooklyn Paper]
Thanks to Brownstoner and Montrose Morris for the BOTD columns on Bushwick, which was a major inspiration and source of information for our work.
Thanks also to Diana Reyna and her staff, who have been pushing this for 2 years now. Its just took a while to get to me and my students. You can find our earlier work (with the BHS) at http://www.upfromflames.com
the 10/16 landmarks tour, which I led for Urban Oyster, was a big success. I’ll be leading another in the Spring. Its my hope we’ll make some progress by then, but these things do take time!
As was commented, there are also tours led by Kevin Walsh (forgotten NY) and Joe Svehlak (MAS).
finally, if you have a landmark, let us know! We are not touching Bushwick southeast of Gates Avenue, or any other part of CB4, till Spring 2011. We need your suggestions!
So happy someone is organizing this.
Bushwick Ave. is such an eerie place — such extremes of rich people’s mansions ramshackle and falling down plus bizarre zoning that allows things like giant ConEd power plants and a highway in the middle of a residential area. So bizarre.
So glad you’ve talked to them, Montrose.
And Rob, don’t worry — the landmarking won’t push rents up. But I would guess they’re going to go up anyway for other reasons (like an article in the NYT every week saying the place is the next East Village).
Thank you both!
BoD, I went on one this year with Kevin Walsh, at Forgotten NY. He doesn’t do them that often, but you can check on his site, or write to him. The tour I went on was in early summer.
BoD: looks like you just missed one but probably more will be scheduled. You could take the brewery tour in the meantime:
http://www.urbanoyster.com/historical-bushwick-tour.html
are there organized walking tours in Bushwick, and if yes, can someone post the info? I would love to learn more about the history of this area. thanks.
Rob, parts of Crown Heights North, often referred to by many on this board as the “ghetto”, including by you, has been landmarked for over three years. Rents have not gone up any more here than they did anywhere else. The idea that a lower income neighborhood shoots up in rental costs when landmarked is one of those urban fictions used by people who are against landmarking in the first place.
Mopar, we’ve talked already. Great people, great project. this past spring, I led a walking tour of Crown Heights North for a group of kids from that high school. They were attentive, positive, and a great bunch of kids who really wanted to learn about their neighborhood and the city. It was really encouraging.
it will just wind up making bushwick more unaffordable for people. lovely :-/
*rob*
And an architecture museum would be a great idea Legion. I’m surprised it’s never been proposed before.