History

Revel in Some Slightly Less Scary Tales of Brooklyn Ghost Signs for Halloween

For those who like their Halloween tales a bit less scary and with more of a history and architecture bent, we’ve rounded up some stories of ghostly Brooklyn signs.

A ghost sign in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo by Susan De Vries

by Susan De Vries

10/31/2022 3 minute 0

For those who like their Halloween tales a bit less scary and with more of a history and architecture bent, we’ve rounded up some stories of ghostly Brooklyn signs.

From painted billboards uncovered during demolition to disembodied bits of vintage storefronts that have managed to survive the decades, these traces of Brooklyn history bring the past into the present.

signs on exterior of building — The old advertising signs on the exterior of 366 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Photo by Susan De Vries

Nobody Beats the Signs From the Past on This Downtown Brooklyn Building

There’s a bit of 1970s style temporarily on view in Downtown Brooklyn and some Brooklynites might be able to guess the origins of the rainbow “Z” there. It is actually one of two vintage sign remnants visible on the Fulton Street building; the other is a much older ghost sign uncovered after the demolition of an adjacent building.

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exterior of 453 Fulton Street — Photo by Susan De Vries

Look Up for a Downtown Brooklyn Storefront Remnant by Modern Architect Morris Lapidus

It takes glancing up amidst the jumble of signs on Fulton Street to spot it, but bits of a storefront designed by a modern architect best known for his snazzy mid-century hotels can still be glimpsed, at least for now.

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Look Out for the Apple: A Sign From the Past Pops Up in Downtown Brooklyn

You have to look up to spot it, but while ambling along Fulton Street a sliver of a vintage sign can be glimpsed peeking out from amidst the surrounding storefronts.

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ghost sign on sidewalk — Photo by Susan De Vries

Stumbling Across a Ghost Sign in Downtown Brooklyn

If you take a close look at the sidewalk while wandering down Bridge Street in Downtown Brooklyn you should be able to spot a ghost of the street’s retail past.

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