What's Going On at 43 Empire Boulevard?
Does anyone have any idea what the story is with this shuttered gas station at 43 Empire Boulevard? It hasn’t changed hands since 1985, according to public records, and there are no building permits filed for it. Any ideas? While it’s not exactly the high-rent district, it is located at quite a high-traffic intersection. GMAP…
Does anyone have any idea what the story is with this shuttered gas station at 43 Empire Boulevard? It hasn’t changed hands since 1985, according to public records, and there are no building permits filed for it. Any ideas? While it’s not exactly the high-rent district, it is located at quite a high-traffic intersection. GMAP P*Shark
There was supposed to be a fitness center just east of the laundromat near McDonald’s – apparently thats on hold.
proudofbrooklyn,
Good luck! I think a fitness center would make many people in PLG (and, I imagine, CHS) very happy.
NOP,
IIRC Wetson’s was an imitation MacDonalds, at a time when there were NO McDonalds at all in NYC. When McD’s introduced the “Big Mac” in the late ’60s, Wetson’s had an identical looking “Big W.”
Babs:
Remember when portions were small and kids were skinny?
Small burgers, small bagels, small bottles of Coke.
Those Wetson (thanks for the correction) patties were no less satisfying than MacDonalds today.
What’s happened to this country?
Just got back from lunch at a local French bistro and even there, kids were twice the size I remember from back in the day!
It can’t be healthy.
Maybe Obama will help set us straight by example. If only he’d give up smoking!
NOP
Bon the reason i asked is because im involved with some people to open a state of the art gym and fitness center one block over at 73 Empire Blvd next to the laundromat. we are hoping to open in may of this year and I am happy that we will fill a demand in the neighborhood
Wetson’s — yum! Thanks for reminding me…
I believe the lot sold about 1 year ago. It was marketed as a development site so I cant imagine it would make sense as anything else (until the inevitable short sale).
Anyone want to buy a gas station?
Story has it that the owner of the mechanic place sold his shop to a developer. The same developer also bought out the church and gas station. I know the owner of the mechanic shop and he’s a greedy chap. Took the money and ran, gave the workers that worked there for 10 years, 2 days notice that the shop was closing. Sad part is that after hee made his profit from the sale, he didnt even give them a few dollars or even a full weeks pay.
So there you have it.
I used go to the mechanic next door to this gas station. They just closed one day. Maybe development is slated for that intersection. I agree it is and excellent location in terms of exposure and accessibility, but in this market, what would do well?
Brownstoner:
This location is near an entrance to Prospect Park, which I remember using as a boy growing up in Crown Heights during the 1950’s.
My father would take my little brother and me to the park to catch fire flies on spring and summer nights. Part of the trip was stopping at a Weston’s hamburger stand nearby on Empire Boulevard (or was it Wetson’s?).
Burgers were 12 cents!
Total cost of evening’s entertainment: 3 X 30 cents round-trip bus fare = 90 cents; 3 X 12 cents for hamburgers = 36 cents; grand total = $1.26.
It was possible to live well and cheaply in Brooklyn in those days. (The burgers were small and not the fat-laden behemoths they are now!) And for a young father to bond with his kids without dropping a bundle.
We’d put the fire flies in glass jars with perforated metal lids so the little guys could “breathe” and then watch their eery glow while we went to sleep back home.
Because of those nights Empire Boulevard, ugly as it is, has pleasant associations for me.
Nostalgic on Park Avenue