Before Fedders: Havemeyer Sanitary Market

Remember the fugly new building at 165 Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg that was featured as a Development Watch on Thursday? Well, the Waterfront Preservation Alliance went back and found a photo of what used to be there in ye olde days. The photo about, taken sometime in the 1940s, shows the Havemeyer Sanitary Market, which was built to replace the pushcarts that were a dominant form of vending between the wars. "Mind you the old market was no architectural gem, but at least it served a public purpose," writes the WPA. "This apartment building is an instant eyesore with no redeeming social value."
Then & Now: Havemeyer Sanitary Market [WPA]
Development Watch: 165 Havemeyer Street [Brownstoner]

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"This apartment building is an instant eyesore with no redeeming social value"

Gee, I guess that provisioning shelter is of no social value.

Posted by: benson at April 20, 2009 10:44 AM

i have no clue what this thread means. can someone simplify it for me!?

and looking at these old photos of brooklyn is just fueling my fire.. barf-o-rama

*rob*

Posted by: PitbullNYC at April 20, 2009 11:04 AM

Not sure Rob - but I sure do love me some old pictures of Brooklyn!

Posted by: dirty_hipster at April 20, 2009 11:13 AM

I'm going to shock the hell out of benson and totally agree with him on this one. I love old buildings and I love the picture but as ugly as the new building might be, it's still a step up from the Havemeyer Market. Calling it "no architectural gem" was an understatement.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 20, 2009 11:53 AM

That said- I love old pictures of any place in the City.

Posted by: bxgrl at April 20, 2009 11:54 AM

this is a nutso point. havemeyer is gentrifying mostly north to south which is a good thing because it's replacing empty/boarded up buildings and some ghettoish like apts and retail. the fact that in the '40's there was a market, is great and all, but in recent times, this new building replaces blight. this particular straight forward new construction is correct for this area. no one is dropping big bucks on this location anyway.

Posted by: wine lover at April 20, 2009 12:17 PM

Wine lover;

Please refrain from injecting common sense onto a Brownstoner thread.

Posted by: benson at April 20, 2009 12:36 PM

It's only redeeming value is its social value as housing.

It has no redeeming aesthetic value I guess.

Posted by: WillBklyn at April 20, 2009 12:52 PM

Wine lover, ten years ago that was a fruit and veg stand. Ten years ago that strip of Havemeyer was vital, interesting, and had ties to its community. Now it is a row of boarded-up stores and vacant lots... and yet there are still some amazing businesses there. You can't beat Bolan's for kids clothing. Jack's Cancellation Shoes is interesting, and Rachel's Corset Shop is fine. Besides which, they all look like something out of a movie set. The drugstore across the street has been a vital part of the community for years and years, as has Melo Grocery. The irony is, this is one of the main shopping districts IN south Williamsburg.

Havemeyer street makes me totally verklempty. I'm really afraid what it will turn into.

Posted by: Heather at April 20, 2009 2:19 PM

« Clearing the Air on the Fulton BID 111 Monroe Street: Let's Do the Time Warp Again »

April 20, 2009

Before Fedders: Havemeyer Sanitary Market

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