They date from the 1850s and are among the oldest structures in the area. They were built as workingman's cottages for a building project down by the Gowanus. The nature of the project is unclear. The street once had gates on either end and was locally known at Cat's Alley, because of the many cats. The origin of the name is in dispute. No one know who Dennett was, and one old map names it as Bennett Place.
The original, running Jeremiad on the vestiges of Old New York as they are steamrolled under or threatened by the currently ruthless real estate market and the City Fathers' disregard for Gotham's historical and cultural fabric. Est. January 2006. Contact Me
I have lived in New York City since 1988 and earn my bread as a writer. I began this blog in January 2006. Beyond that, don't be so nosy.
"I am not a pessimist; to perceive evil where it exists is, in my opinion, a form of optimism."
—Roberto Rossellini
One of the old book jackets lining the walls of Chumley's. Eternal Shame on Bloomberg, the City Fathers, and the powers that be that this cultural landmark has STILL not been saved and reopened.
3 comments:
How old are those?
They date from the 1850s and are among the oldest structures in the area. They were built as workingman's cottages for a building project down by the Gowanus. The nature of the project is unclear. The street once had gates on either end and was locally known at Cat's Alley, because of the many cats. The origin of the name is in dispute. No one know who Dennett was, and one old map names it as Bennett Place.
The Times did a piece on Dennett Place yesterday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/28/nyregion/on-dennet-place-in-brooklyn-a-tight-knit-community.html?_r=1&smid=pl-share
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