Downtown Brooklyn

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Court and Remsen Building
Address: 26 Court Street
Cross Streets: Montague and Remsen Streets
Neighborhood: Downtown Brooklyn
Year Built: 1926-26
Architectural Style: Neo-Romanesque
Architect: Schwartz & Gross
Other buildings by architects: apartment buildings on the Upper East and West Side, as well as Harlem.
Landmarked: Yes, in the new Borough Hall Skyscraper District (2012)

The story: What I like about our new Skyscraper District is that it’s small enough to actually see and appreciate the buildings as individual structures, as well as parts of a whole. Manhattan, which certainly has some amazing buildings, is often so crowded that you can’t see what’s going on, as each building competes for airspace on crammed and crabbed streets. Here, you can approach, as I did in the photo, from Cadman Plaza, and see the Court Street buildings in all of their glory.

I’ve always liked this building. Like many skyscrapers, you have to look up for the real treats, and if you are taking pictures with a zoom lens, the opportunity to see the details in buildings is so much fun. Only the people whose offices are inside get to appreciate the detail on the upper stories, when they look out their windows. (more…)

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Commercial Building
Address: 93 Court Street
Cross Streets: Livingston and Schermerhorn Streets
Neighborhood: Downtown Brooklyn
Year Built: 1927
Architectural Style: Neo-Tudor
Architect: Malkind & Weinstein
Other buildings by architect: Ocean Pkwy Jewish Center, at 550 Ocean Pkwy, Kingsway Jewish Center, in Midwood.
Landmarked: No

The story: Martyn Weinstein and Samuel Malkind were architects active in Brooklyn, beginning in the 1920’s. As chronicled by Christopher Gray in his “Streetscapes” column, the pair designed their offices here at 93 Court Street in this picturesque Tudor style, in 1927. At the time, Tudor styled buildings were still very popular, especially the richly detailed “Banker’s Tudors” of the suburbs, so perhaps they thought this style would attract upwardly mobile strivers, or perhaps they just wanted to be different enough to stand out of a pretty ordinary street of 19th century, 5 story commercial/residential buildings. In any case, they succeeded with this wonderful little Olde English inspired establishment. (more…)

Brooklyn, one building at a time.

Name: Loft building
Address: 503 Atlantic Avenue
Cross Streets: Third Avenue and Nevins Street
Neighborhood: Downtown Brooklyn
Year Built: around 1900
Architectural Style: Beaux-Arts
Architect: Unknown
Landmarked: No

The story: I’ve always found this building to be visually arresting, both in the colors it’s been painted, as well as for its design. It is sandwiched, quite literally, between the commercial/residential buildings of the 1870’s-80’s, and the 1920’s-30’s. None of my on-line sources helped me out as to exactly when it was built, or by whom, but here’s what I was able to find out: (more…)