Before There Were Hipsters: 1970's Brooklyn Street Chic

Street Chic, originally photographed by Eric Jacobson

No, my friends,  hipsters did not bring fashion to Brooklyn.  Judging by the photos above, there was already plenty of style going around in our fair borough in the 1970's.
I came across these hilarious shots in the first issue of a magazine entitled New Brooklyn that was published quarterly by Barry V. Conforte and Bjorn Robinson Rye sometime in the 70's.
The photos are accompanied by this even funnier paragraph:

"Street Chic...is emeralds and painter's pants on Montague Street...draw-string silk trousers and a Hawaiian shirt along the Promenade...patched Levi's, a tanned chest and a practiced grin in the exotic lights and shade beneath the El..sequined cut-offs on the boardwalk... Street Chic is buing threads at thrift shops that look like a million bucks...strolling through Sheepshead Bay as though it were Mykonos...treating a Williamsburg stoop like a café in Port Said...Street Chic is insouciance, imagination... when little money (sometimes) and lots of style (always) come up with...wow!Street Chic is haute couture du peuple, mes amis...and Brooklyn's got it!"

The magazine is a real time capsule and contains wonderful ads like these:

It also contains  articles about Brooklyn celebrities.  The one below is about Rose Ann Scamardella, who worked as a news reporter for ABC's Eyewitness News and later went on to anchor the news with Ernie Anastos.  Many may remember  that Scamardella was the inspiration for Gilda Radner's character "Roseanne Roseannadanna" on Saturday Night Live in the late 1970s.
I have heard on quite a few occasions that Scarmadella lived in Carroll Gardens for a while.

To read a larger version of the article, click here.

There is no reference to "New Brooklyn" on the internet, so it is impossible to say if there were additional issues.  Does anyone remember it?

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A Moment Back In Time: A Stretch Of Smith Street In The Late 1960's

Back in the late 1960's, early 1970's

The same stretch of Smith Street today

Just recently, I came across a xerox copy of a black and white photo of the stretch of Smith Street taken in the late 1960's.  The image shows numbers 349, 351, 353 and 355 Smith Street located between Carroll Street and Second Street.
Though grainy,  one can see that the four buildings have not changed much.  This is no doubt due in part to the fact that #349, #351 and 353 fall within the Carroll Gardens Landmark district, the smallest in all of New York City.
What is more fascinating are the commercial spaces and the former businesses that occupied them then and now.

349 Smith Street
No doubt, many remember Joe's Superette and its famous prosciutto and rice balls.  Sadly, after 50 years at the same location, the business closed in 2011 when second owner Leo Coladonato passed away.
Avlee, a new Greek restaurant just opened up there last month.

351 Smith Street
When I moved into the neighborhood in 1985, Venuti's, a small hardware store, was still open.  Mr. Venuti, a heavy set elderly man, operated the business with his son and his daughter-in law. (I believe her name was Michelle, but I could be mistaken).  I remember the owner most for his custom of pouring a shot of rather harsh brandy to all his customers at Christmas time.  I must admit to leaving the store with quite a buzz once, when my mother and I stopped in to buy a few of the wooden ornaments Mr. Venuti had added to his inventory during the holidays.
I still have them.
Mr. Venuti and his son passed away one after the other just a few years later and the store closed.
Ting Hua, a Chinese restaurant, has been operating here for quite a few years.

353 Smith Street
When Frank's Italian Delicatessen opened two doors down from Joe's Superette, it created  a bit of a stir because,  from what I gathered from neighborhood old-timers, Frank at one time worked for Joe, Joe's wife Ann and their two sons, Joseph and Steven.  When Frank opened his business so close to his former boss'  place and competed with Joe's Superette,  many were cross at him.

At one point, Frank's moved to the corner of Smith Street and 2nd Street, across from the subway station, where it is still to this day.

A Korean deli has occupied the storefront at number 353 for a very long time now.  Though the deli has remained virtually unchanged for the last decades, the Korean owners have changed at least three times since I have moved here.

355 Smith Street

A laundromat has operated at this address for a number of years.  I must admit that I don't really remember what was there before.  It would appear that in the late 1960's, it was either an office or a social club.  

Does anyone remember more about these stores? Its owners?  I would love to hear your memories and stories about them and other businesses in the neighborhood. 

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The 2013 'Girls Write Now' Oscars Party To Be Held At PJ Hanley's

Reader Elaine reached out to let me know of a charity event for Girls Write Now, which will be held right here in Carroll Gardens.   Founded in 1998, the organization "pairs professional women writers with at-risk and under-served NYC teenage girls for a writing and mentoring relationship."

Its a worthwhile organization and a fun event, so please consider attending and/or donation.

More details below:

The 2013 Girls Write Now Oscars Party

Please join us for light food, drinks, great raffle prizes,

and the Academy Awards on multiple TV screens.

Sunday, February 24, 7 PM

From red carpet coverage until the show ends!

PJ Hanley's

449 Court Street at 4th Place, Brooklyn, NY 11231

F train to Carroll Street, walk one block to Court Street and make a left

Tickets

$25 in advance, $30 at the door

includes light food and one drink

RSVP on Facebook

Buy tickets in advance here: http://oscars2013gwn.eventbrite.com/

All proceeds from the event will support Girls Write Now,

celebrating fifteen years of mentoring the next generation of women writers.

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Nemo Snow Day In Carroll Gardens

Friday afternoon

Saturday morning

Here are a few before and after shots I took of my Carroll Gardens backyard over the last 24 hours. Can you tell how much I love snow days?

But I actually also look forward to spring, so I brought a few blooms inside.

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Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group To Meet With NY State DEC Representatives. Public Invited

The EPA Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group will be meeting with representatives of New York State's Department Of Environmental Conservation on December 4th, to speak about the agency's role  as it relates to the Superfund clean-up as well as the issue of Combined Sewer Overflow that continue to discharge into the canal.
Representing the DEC will be James Tierney, Robert Schick, Venetia Lannon, and Gary Kline.

Below is the meeting announcement from the CAG

The public is invited to attend a meeting of the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group (CAG) with senior-level officials from the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) on December 4 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at PS 32, 317 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn.
Your presence at this meeting will help demonstrate the community’s strong support for a comprehensive clean-up of the canal. The CAG will be asking NYSDEC officials pointed questions about the state’s role in the enforcement of Clean Water Act requirements to eliminate sewage overflows, whether and how the state is coordinating with EPA’s Superfund cleanup process, and other issues of vital importance to a proper clean-up of the canal and protection of public health.
NYSDEC is the only agency that has the right to review and provide comments to EPA on EPA’s Superfund clean-up plan prior to its release, which is expected by the end of 2012. The CAG encourages a strong public turnout at this meeting to show NYSDEC the community’s concern that the clean-up be done right. Questions and comments will be collected from members of the public at the meeting to be answered by NYSDEC as time permits, or to be submitted for later response.

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Carroll Gardens After Hurricane Sandy

 

Oh, no! Not the harlequin lamp on Carroll Street...
These photos of Carroll Gardens in the aftermath of hurricane Sandy were taken by my daughter Celina Kelly today. Hard to believe the destruction.

It certainly is the worst storm the City has ever seen.

Hope you are all fine and that you are getting power back.

Just received the photo below of an up-ended tree on 4th Place taken by Mike Carnahan.  That's an amazing photo. Thanks, Mike.

Jill Zuccardy sent in the two pictures of trees downed in Carroll Park. Is that a bouquet of flowers
 in honor of the fallen tree?

And here are a few my  friend Mary P.  sent over.  Can't thank you enough, Mary!

 

 

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Several Old Majestic Trees In Carroll Park Fall Victime To Sandy

Carroll Park along Carroll Street

 Tree next to bocce court along Carroll Street

 Beautiful old tree in the rock garden along President Street

 A view of the same tree

 Rock garden border with fallen tree

Tree leaning dangerously along Carroll Street entrance 

(photo credit: Gary Dolan)

Just received these heartbreaking photos of Carroll Park this morning from Friends Of Carroll Park president Gary Dolan, who was up early to survey the damage.  Carroll Park lost two huge trees and one is leaning dangerously. Quite a bit of fencing was also damaged.
These trees were over a hundred years old and with them goes a bit of Carroll Gardens history.

Just a warning:  the ground is still waterlogged and more trees can come down.  All New York City Parks are still closed and people should stay out of Carroll Park.  It is too dangerous.
Also be careful of the trees lining the streets.

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Update: After Wall Collapse,Beautiful Old Carroll Gardens Brownstone At 241 Carroll Street Waiting For Demo

Demolition is imminent for the beautiful 4-family, 25-foot wide Brownstone, whose side wall collpased at 1:30 Am last night. Representatives from the Buildings Department, Fire Department and an ambulance are still on the scene.
Number 241 was once part of a row of brownstones between Smith and Court Streets, and was framed by two buildings. The houses closest to Smith Street were demolished a long time ago, when the subway was built and the rest was taken down to make room for Public School 58 in the late 1950's

Below are some last photos of the brownstone before it is forever gone.

Below is a photo of the houses that stood where PS 58 stands now as seen from Carroll Park in the late 1920's.  Number 241 was once in the middle of that row of brownstones. (to the right)

And the same view today.

And here is a photo I took just two weeks ago of the owners' dog looking out of the window at 241 Carroll Street.

Thankfully, no one was hurt when the wall fell down.

To Howard and Sisi, I am so, so sorry and can only imagine what you are going through.  How can we help you?  I am sure the Carroll Gardens Community will want to do whatever we can.

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