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DUMBO
(Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) |
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In 2008, the Brooklyn Bridge celebrated its 125th anniversary, and this monumental occasion presented the Dumbo Improvement District the opportunity to unveil a new and improved pedestrian experience on the Brooklyn side of the Bridge.
Working with Emphas!s Design and artists Linnaea Tillett & Karin Tehve, the Dumbo Improvement District undertook this great project to provide a sense of direction and place to the one million tourists who cross over the Brooklyn Bridge each year. In the past when pedestrians reached the Brooklyn end of the Bridge, they frequently turned around and returned Manhattan when confronted with uninviting entrances, poor lighting and inadequate signage. Today, pedestrians are greeted with signage welcoming them to Brooklyn and a large map highlighting attractions within walking distance.
“This Way” serves as a grand entrance point to the fine borough of Brooklyn.
©Mark D Phillips, 2008
 The Friends of the Brooklyn Bridge was formed by the Dumbo Improvement District to bring together the resources to maintain improvements made to the world's greatest bridge. The initiatives website, mybrooklynbridge.com, will be a major resource for the bridge. Share your memories of your favorite experience on the Brooklyn Bridge. Watch an 1899 movie by Thomas Edison Studios of a train travelling over the bridge, and read the history of the construction.
Contributions to Friends of the Brooklyn Bridge will be dedicated to the supplemental maintenance of this project. With donations of $150 or more, you will receive a framed image of your choice from our collection, including historical images of the bridge from our partner, the Brooklyn Historical Society, and new images by Mark D Phillips. They make great gifts. |
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Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass - DUMBO for short - is coming of age.
Some say it has already made it, eclipsing many of Brooklyn's premier neighborhoods. The days of cheap artist lofts and workspaces
are fading fast, with multi-million dollar condos and coops sprouting all over the gritty cobblestoned
landscape. When Starbucks arrived, the locals knew the neighborhood was in for a roller coaster ride
Onto the scene, a newcomer has arrived to try to bring some order into the wave of businesses and the problems
associated with unbridled growth. The formation of the DUMBO Improvement District is seen by many as
a major step forward in the development of DUMBO.
Tucker Reed, the Improvement District's inaugural Executive Director, comes from a small business background, having owned a cafe in Maine. Most recently, he was a senior adviser
for New York City's Department of Small Business Services.
"The thing about DUMBO is its amazing diversity," said Reed. "It is a destination village within the city. It has
critically acclaimed off-Broadway theatre, a gym where Robert DeNiro trained for 'Raging Bull,' well known art galleries and
furniture makers, and a guy doing world-renowned stained glass restoration. It needs to be explored."
Its charm is also one of its biggest problems. The area's fast-paced growth is a double edged sword. New residents and businesses appear as quickly as renovations
and new construction are completed, overwhelming the infrastructure. The architecture of DUMBO was created for a shipping economy. Cobblestone streets askew, failed sewers, flooding -- nothing has
been repaired in a hundred years and even parking is a major issue.
These are the issues that the Improvement District is faced with. With no formal authority, it will act as an advocate to bring issues to the attention of the city
agencies that can fix the problems."If we can get one street fixed per year, we are ahead," said Reed. "When we get trees planted, it is a big deal."
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| Brooklyn Bridge Park (View Larger) |
©2006, Mark D Phillips |
| Left-click and hold your mouse button while moving within the image. |
DUMBO already has a lead in outdoor space. Brooklyn Bridge Park and Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park shine on the waterfront. The addition of free wireless
in Brooklyn Bridge Park, one of the first initiatives of the DUMBO Improvement District, has added a new dynamic for the businesses located in DUMBO. The views along the waterfront are "to die for" and the towering
Brooklyn Bridge adds an urban connection to downtown Manhattan.
That Brooklyn Bridge is a pivotal connection for the future.When Brooklyn Bridge Park becomes a reality, more visitors will cross the bridge from Manhattan to enjoy the reclaimed waterfront. One of the first views of DUMBO is the Tobacco Warehouse
and the Empire Stores building. While no one knows what will become of the Stores, the Tobacco Warehouse is now a premier outdoor entertainment venue within the park. When you add in St. Anns Warehouse, DUMBO's draw in the performance community is becoming world class.
Tucker Reed sees the art community as one of DUMBO's biggest draws.
"A creative economy already exists in Brooklyn," said Reed. "It needs to be preserved."
St. Ann's Warehouse moved to DUMBO in 2001 after spending its first 21 years at the Church of St. Ann and the Holy Trinity on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights. The converted spice-milling warehouse
on Water Street has hosted David Bowie, Laurie Anderson, The Wooster Group, Al Pacino and more in their versatile space. The new season, which opens in October, includes a World Premiere of
"Lou Reed's Berlin," William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" by The Wooster Group, and the Live American Debut of Stuart A. Staples.
The Tobacco Warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge Park is unique among outdoor venues. When you first approach the structure in Empire-Fulton Ferry Park, it evokes the feeling of an unfinished church or the
Welsh ruins of an abbey. Built in 1870 by the Lorillard family and saved from destruction in 1998, the former tobacco customs inspection center is now used for performances, concerts, special events,
and even weddings. With the Brooklyn Bridge looming above its roofless walls, the 25,000 square feet space offers a magnificent urban oasis for any event.
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| Sculpture Show (Larger) |
©Mark D Phillips |
Each summer, "Movies with a View" draws thousands to the grassy knoll beneath the bridge for its summer series of film in what many call the greatest outdoor movie theatre in America. With the screen
placed on the water's edge, the Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan serve as the back wall of the theatre. The theme-based selection of films run on Thursdays during July and August. This year, a
special double feature is available on September 22nd! See HAPPENINGS for more details.
This fall, the park is hosting the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition 24th Annual Sculpture Show throughout the grounds titled "Garden of Earthly Delights" through October 13, 2006. The unique
outdoor show spans the city and state park with works by 29 artists.
Coinciding with the end of the Sculpture Show, the tenth annual d.u.m.b.o art under the bridge festival takes place October 13 to 15 with roving performances, live art, water art (in, on, over, under,
onshore and offshore), video DUMBO showcasing new work of video artists and Project Glow, light installations to illuminate the waterfront and Brooklyn Bridge Park. See HAPPENINGS for more details.
The BK Fashion Weekend makes its return to the Tobacco Warehouse for The Spring 2007 Shows, held from October 20 to 22, 2006, featuring 19 Brooklyn designers. Following its debut in May, the event received
unprecedented acclaim and coverage from the fashion press. The three day extravaganza, presented by the BK Style Foundation, a non profit geared to funding and promoting young designers, showcases Brooklyn designers in runway fashion shows that rival Bryant Park.
More than 3000 attendees descended on the tent under the Brooklyn Bridge for the inaugural weekend including the leaders of the fashion press.
"The collections paraded at the Tobacco Warehouse in DUMBO defied expectations, from the sophisticated setting - a tent with arches that echoed the Brooklyn Bridge - to the clothing, some as polished as it was
unconventional." - The NY Times
Brooklyn's fascination with the arts and design is no longer a local phenomenon. Brooklyn artists and designers are gaining a worldwide audiences. The local developers are aware of DUMBO's standing in the arts and
have made offers to keep the art community in DUMBO by offering gallery and performance spaces, and using art installations in public lobbies.. A new city Deptartment of Housing, Preservation, and Development program was just announced to help artists purchase spaces when
a conversion happens in their buildings.
Two Trees, DUMBO's largest developer, has been a strong supporter of the arts. In June, the company began sponsorship of First Thursday, a program linking area galleries
and artists together in a Gallery Walk. With more than 30 participants, the monthly event continues through November. Visit HAPPENINGS for a map and listing.
With no where to go but up, DUMBO has a great deal to offer. One of the neighborhoods greatest selling points is its presence. The majestic buildings and the old city character.
"It's iconic," said Tucker Reed. "Every corner has a new vista that makes you go wow." |
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Want a subway map? Click here.
To contact us for information about joining our site or submitting events for "HAPPENINGS",
Produced by South Brooklyn Internet. All material ©2006. No reuse without permission.
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS ©MARK D PHILLIPS and are available for sale in the South Brooklyn Store |
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HAPPENING archive of stories ......
THE JAIL BATTLE
According to the NY Post's Rich Calder:
Foes of City Hall's plan to reopen and expand a Brooklyn jail scored a victory yesterday when the city agreed to temporarily halt work on the $440 million project and cap the number of overnight prisoners there.
Comptroller Bill Thompson, Councilman David Yassky and civic groups cut the court-OK'd deal just days after suing the city for "secretly" and "illegally" repopulating the Brooklyn House of Detention in family-laden Boerum Hill with 31 prisoners.
The agreement runs through Dec. 18, at which time the case is to return to court. Under the deal, the jail may accept up to 50 prisoners.
NY Post - Nov 21, 2008 |
The INTREPID Returns!
The USS Intrepid returned from its two-year restoration in Staten Island Thursday, October 2, to Pier 86 on the West Side. Two hundred fifty former Intrepid crew members took the short voyage, passing by the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero.
For more photos and larger click here ©Mark D Phillips
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IKEA comes to town. Will anything be the same in Red Hook? -- They came from miles away to line up for the grand opening of Ikea Brooklyn. TV stations did live shots and asked if this was the start of Red hook.
GOING GREEN --- Movers Not Shakers brings environmentally friendly service to an age-old business.
THE WATERFALLS --- Were they good or bad?
Read our Archive of South Brooklyn Stories |
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Mazzone True Value
The online location for Sutherland Welles Tung Oil |
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Jerard Studio
They make the cow in "Spamalot" and the pigeons for "The Producers". Learn more about this incredible Red Hook business! |
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Damico Foods
Roasting their own coffee for over 50 years, D'Amico Coffee is available online through their website. |
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The South Brooklyn Network is produced by South Brooklyn Internet,