Before Smith Street Was Fancy
On Monday, blogger 423 Smith posted this photo showing what Smith Street looked like in its pre-Restaurant Row splendor. Back in 1930, when this photo was taken, there was a grocery/soda fountain spot on the ground floor of Number 423; meanwhile, the blog points out, the elevated subway was in the process of being built….
On Monday, blogger 423 Smith posted this photo showing what Smith Street looked like in its pre-Restaurant Row splendor. Back in 1930, when this photo was taken, there was a grocery/soda fountain spot on the ground floor of Number 423; meanwhile, the blog points out, the elevated subway was in the process of being built. Does anyone know what year it was completed?
423 Smith Circa 1930 [423 Smith]
you forgot my favorite: Banania
there is also Cafe Luluc, Paninoteca, Mancora, and many others.
Smith Street is cool.
Pane E Vino, Grocery, Saul, Porchetta, Red Rose, Vinny’s, Sapodilla, Chestnut, Cubano Cafe, Patois, Tabac, Robin du Bois & Chance all good to great food for their respective prices; and the new Po is opening this summer.
I think this site is weighed in favor of the “east of Flatbush” crowd.
There is nothing wrong with Smith Street. it is charming and safe and has the best collection of restaurants in the boro.
Let me add Rite-Aid as another blight on Smith Street. (current occupant of JJMichaels). Ugliest signage (replaced great deco neon from MIchaels with their backlit monstrosity) where severl letters are burned out. Litte everywhere and cemented over most of store display windows.
I have a few of old-brooklynphotos of the same era. Looking up Smith and on Baltic.
I remember the D train too Anon. I also have a photo of Smith and Warren (where I grew up) from the ’20s or ’30s, it was taken right by J. Michael’s Furniture store and Smith St. was a two-way street. Imagine that!
My cousins lived on 3rd St., between Smith and Hoyt and I remember many a scary walk home down Smith St. at night. I always avoided that street and can’t believe it became such a restaurant row. Cheap rent, I guess. Those must be tiny little restaurants.
Old GG Rider: I remember when the G train used to be the GG…and when the F was originally the D before it was renamed F.
Smith Street used to be a ugly and scary street. Now it is not scary but it is still ugly. I was discussing this with a friend and we agreed that the housing stock and the buildings were never beautiful, just functional little brick buildings. It is totally different– vibrant, safe, lots of restaurants etc. — than it was 10 or 12 years ago but still not pretty.
I love the pic. It’s the corner of Smith and 4th Place. My sister lived a couple of doors up to the left on 4th Pl. in the early ’70s.
The IND Crosstown line was opened from Bergen St. to Church Ave. on October 7th, 1933. Here’s a link to the timeline. (When you get there, scroll down to IND Brooklyn/Queens Crosstown).
http://www.nycsubway.org/articles/indtime.html
Funny to go back to the ’30s — I remember those “old” days of 1997 when I still didn’t like walking down Smith St. after dark. And the shock of Patois and Sur opening in such desolate locations. And those early days when Halcyon was the hangout for new moms in the hood. I guess that makes me an old-timer now.