Past and Present: Atlantic/Flatbush Junction
A look at Brooklyn past and present What a difference a hundred years makes. The photo on the left was taken in 1910, and shows the 1908 Heins and LaFarge subway kiosk on the left, and behind the elevated tracks, with the arched entryways, the original LIRR terminal, which opened in 1907. The Elevated train…
A look at Brooklyn past and present
What a difference a hundred years makes. The photo on the left was taken in 1910, and shows the 1908 Heins and LaFarge subway kiosk on the left, and behind the elevated tracks, with the arched entryways, the original LIRR terminal, which opened in 1907. The Elevated train was the 5th Avenue Line, which came up from the Myrtle Avenue El, up Hudson Avenue, stopped here, at the junction of Atlantic and Flatbush, and then continued along 5th Avenue to 3rd Ave. and 65th St. It was torn down in 1941, done in by the underground subway system, in this case, the N/R line, which runs along 4th Ave to Bay Ridge. The LIRR station was torn down in 1988, and replaced by nothing for almost 30 years. Now, in 2011, we still have the subway kiosk, now part of an architectural art installation, and a new LIRR Terminal, which opened in 2010, as well as the Atlantic Terminal Mall, which opened in 2004.
(Photo: Shorpy.com)
(Photo: Google maps)
I don’t know if I would call the mall an intellectual snooze, bxgrl. It looks like Ratner assembled the architectural materials at a fire sale: a little bit of this, a little bit of that… More like a nightmare one might have after really bad takeout at dinnertime.
FCR had nothing to do with the kiosk.
It is used as a skylight into the station, and it has a certain artistic quality when viewed from underneath.
I agreed they could have made that little island much nicer, but I like the fact they kept the kiosk in its historic location.
I love elevated trains-always have.
The use of the kiosk – on a concrete plaza devoid of any historical context, flora, seating or even trashcans – is very reflective of either the TA or Forest City Ratner’s lack of thought in planning.
I realize it could not been used as a real entrance, but it might have been used in the interior of the station or mall in some fashion to bridge the old with the new.
That’s my take…
I was looking thorough some old pictures I found, and this was a fascination place.
There was an above ground cargo train terminal on the part of the block now occupied by the target.
I also found a picture of an elevated train that derailed and ended up on its side on the street.
It DOES look better than the ugly ’70s “Triangle Trolley”, a structure that wrapped around the kiosk. IIRC it housed a deli for a couple of years,
Blayze you dont know what you are talking about – the LIRR station was a depressing mess in its final decades. The exterior was horrible and the interior only slightly less so – here are some links for you to see for yourself:
http://arrts-arrchives.com/FAT1Rext.html
http://arrts-arrchives.com/FAT2int.html
As for the Kiosk – I recall that they didnt want it to be an entrance was because it would put people in the middle of a confusing and dangerous intersection.
In 1987 when I first moved to Brooklyn, the lowere part of the terminal facade was still partly there. Very banged up bu there.
The kiosk had a little newstand. I think you could get coffee there. I liked it.
As someone who lives in the neighborhood, I would much rather have the shopping mall than an underused terminal waiting room.
I have not seen any pictures of the terminal (including when it was new) when it did not look like a dingy, soulless place.
We are not talking about Penn Station or GCT.