Admiral's Row: Up Close and Personal
Over the weekend, Gothamist’s Jake Dobkin photographed the interior of the Admiral’s Row houses inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The shots are incredible so we encourage you to click on each one above to see the full-size version. We also thought the commentary he provided on his personal site, Bluejake, was worth repeating here: I…
Over the weekend, Gothamist’s Jake Dobkin photographed the interior of the Admiral’s Row houses inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The shots are incredible so we encourage you to click on each one above to see the full-size version. We also thought the commentary he provided on his personal site, Bluejake, was worth repeating here:
I was surprised how messed up these buildings were on the inside. The rear ends of many of the houses had collapsed, leaving a tangled mess of wood. Interior staircases were hanging a few feet off vertical, and large holes dotted many of the floors. Almost all of the windows were open or blown out, and the wind and rain had taken off most of the paint on the inside walls. Still– some romantic details were still extant– dozens of fireplaces and cedar-lined closets, handsome plaster work and ornamental detailing, and one enormous, empty ballroom. It’d be a shame if we let these buildings get demolished. I know the neighborhood needs a supermarket and more jobs, but there’s got to be a way to bring that stuff without destroying the past.
There’s also a related post on Gothamist from Monday. Incredible. Wish we could take photos like these.
Admiral’s Row Photos [Bluejake]
Inside Admiral’s Row [Gothamist]
Admiral’s Row Archives [Brownstoner]
I seem to be on fire today, so let me respond to these hallelujah’s to MM’s post.
As we speak, the two housing projects near the Navy Yard are in danger of FALLING APART. These two projects were built during WWII, and were intended to be temporary housing for the workers. NYCHA has no money to fix these projects up, and sonner or later, there is a real chance that they will fall apart. Where is the city going to get the money to do this? How about somebody being concerned with this issue? These are older homes.
I also think that the preservation movement abuses the word “historical”. Yes, the Brooklyn Navy Yard is historical, but these homes are a minor part of the old yard. The heart of the Navy Yard, where my family worked for many years, was the dry-docks and nearby lofts. Most of the Yard has been altered, and I didn’t see anybody put up a big stink about it. Why these minor buildings?
Moreover, I really would prefer that we spend our money on teaching our kids history, since most these days have a shocking lack of knowledge in this area. I don’t need a Disney-fied version of these homes to teach me about the history of this area, just like I don’t need the South Street Seaport(shopping mall) to remind me of NY’s maritime past. In fact, I tend to find these types of developments an insult to the history of these places. I know the blood and sweat my uncles put into the Navy Yard. I don’t need chi-chi shops in restored buildings to remind me of it.
Indeed it does, jawbreaker.
oh get a conservative grip, benson. Like conservatives care about poor neighborhoods. You’ve practiced trickledown economics for so long you can’t see that faucet stopped dripping long ago. If it weren’t for liberals, there would be no heart at all in American society.In the meantime, its 2009, Obama won and time for you to think seriously about updating your mindset instead of crying “liberalism” at every opportunity. Life is not a two party- 2 idea system.
Disingenuous or overly technical to say the stadia were not built with public funds. The ability to issue tax free bonds comes from the people’s government, doesn’t it?
Architerrorist- you mean like all over Brooklyn?
benson- can you possibly disagree without denigrating other’s mentality just because you don’t agree with their opinions?
If it weren’t for the destruction of Penn Station and Jane Jacobs the entire city would be a morass of AY’s.
If they do knock them the rest of the way down I hope that they try to salvage some of the details for repurposing. I just need 2 of those balusters and I’ll swap them my painted newel post for the unpainted one since they are an exact match for mine.
Absolutely agree that the neighborhood needs food and other services. Doubt that these buildings need to be demolished to provide them.
Bkyn4life;
I think your statement needs to be examined more, as it reinforces my belief that liberalism, as practiced in NY, is racialist (as the author Jim Sleeper coined the word).
The projects by the Navy yard are completely isolated in many ways, including socially and physically. What you are proposing is that these folks be isolated even more and not even mess up the neighborhood by walking to a local store. Nahh, let’s bus them to some stores 3 miles away to do their shopping, so we of the more enlightened castes can enjoy the splendor of these homes. Moreover, who would dig into their pocket to pay for these shuttles and the fix-up of these homes, at a time when NYC and the NYCHA is flat broke. Stick it to the taxpayer?
Liberalism at its best.
Bxgrl, great idea. Whether or not the next Great Depression materializes, a WPA-like project to preserve at least some of these houses would kill two birds with one stone.
Sadly, Governor’s Island is on its way to this as well. Only a small portion of Ellis Island is restored. I’m not anti-progress, anti-modernist at all. I just think a culture has a responsibility to preserve its past for future generations.