Bob Diamond's famous Atlantic Avenue Tunnel tour has started up again, after a hiatus of roughly five years. Diamond discovered the long-lost tunnel -- which runs under Atlantic Avenue between Boerum Place and Hicks Street) in 1981, after hearing about the legend of a Civil War era rail tunnel on a radio show. After an eight-month search (during which he was repeated advised by City officials to give up on his lost cause) he struck gold -- uncovering, intact, the world's first subway tunnel.
Diamond is Brooklyn's keeper and historian of this historic, cave-like expanse. Down in it's cool, otherworldly recesses, he tells of its building (by hundreds of Irish workers in seven months, including one murder), how it was used and where it led, and what may lie under the unfinished end.
Call 718-941-3160 to reserve a spot on a tour. See the video for a snippet of Sunday's excursion. (These tours are for the relatively hardy. Wear sneakers and bring a powerful flashlight.) Also, visit the web site of Diamond's Brooklyn Historic Railway Association.
UPDATE: The Brooklyn Eagle has more about the tunnel and this tour here.
FURTHER UPDATES:
- Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Is Probably Haunted
- What's Behind the Wall? Atlantic Ave. Tunnel Mystery
- Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue Tunnel: What's Behind the Wall?
- Let Them Laugh: Bob Diamond's Brooklyn Trolley Idea Gains Traction
- Mole People Back in Brooklyn?
- Lineup For Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tour
Photos and video by MK Metz
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Brooklyn Spelunking: Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours Return
Saturday, July 21, 2007
The Ultimate Bike Lane Gridlock Machine
The senior shuttle blocks the bike lane, then the limo blocks everything else, at the corner of Montague and Henry Streets. Perfect bike lane gridlock!
The situation remained static for quite some time as the shuttle unloaded.
Photo by MK Metz
Why There's No One on the Streets of Brooklyn Today
Crowds of wizards and witches roamed the streets of Brooklyn last night in search of The Book.
The line at BookCourt (above) snaked along Court Street and half way down Pacific, but the mood was jolly.
Cheers rang out when the first young reader ran out of the store at one minute after midnight, clutching the seventh volume of Harry Potter -- the only book on sale last night.
There was quite the circus at Barnes and Noble on Court Street, where hundreds of costumed kids and quite a few adults milled around, entering contests and having their face painted. There was a rush for wristbands at about 11 p.m., but again -- jolly, jolly crowd.
Photos by MK Metz
Sovereign Bank Moving to Make Room for Trader Joe's
Sovereign Bank's new location at Atlantic and Court -- catty-corner from its present venue in the future home of Brooklyn's first Trader Joe's -- is getting shined up for this week's grand opening.
While BP Marty Markowitz and Co. led a hula parade to the big Trader Joe's announcement, no word is out yet about what special effects he has planned for Sovereign's move across the street.
A Penny Parade? A March of the Auditors?
UPDATE: Turns out a bank party was held July 18, according to the Brooklyn Eagle's Dennis Holt. Independence old-timers went through a lot of old archives and got together with the people from the Brooklyn Historical Society to donate some priceless records, Holt says.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Brooklyn Friday p.m. in Brief
"Over-the-top" preparations for tonight's monster-sized Hatty Potter party at the Community Bookstore in Park Slope. Brooklyn Eagle -- And the neighborhood is virtually sex-offender free! Gawker
Scholastic Corp. is offering hush-money to hundreds of fans who received -- too early -- pre-release copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this week. Crain's New York Business
Gossip Mill: House next to 360 Smith Street SOLD. The Gowanus Lounge
37-45 Bridge Street in Dumbo had been sold to "slumlord" Baruch Singer Brownstoner
The Empire State Development Corporation, which said it it would put Atlantic Yards oversight measures into place, has failed to implement most of the measures promised. The NY Daily News via The Real Deal
Bruce Ratner eyes more Brooklyn sites Courier-Life
Bay Ridge Home Depot Project 'Will Open Pandora's Box'
Some members of Bay Ridge's Community Board 10 are strongly protesting the Board’s surprising decision to endorse a controversial high-rise project which would bring a Home Depot to a busy site at 62nd Street and Eighth Avenue, according to the Brooklyn Eagle.
Democratic District Leader Delia Schack is also against the decision. “We fought so long to keep it low, and now we have this monstrosity here,” she said. “This will open Pandora’s box."
More here.
UPDATE: Andrew Kohen, president of MSK Properties, the owner and hopeful developer of the proposed Home Depot project, believes that many of CB 10's misgivings have been addressed. See here.
Brooklyn Friday a.m. in Brief
Why did the Metrocard machine not work at the Bedford Avenue stop of the L train? Maybe because someone had stuffed a dead rat in the change chute... Newyorkshitty
A Brooklyn oil delivery company was charged with "systematically shortchanging" customers for 17 years, according to the NY Times.
Borough President Markowitz, who has been "toying with a run for the mayoralty in 2009," is not exactly rolling in fund-raising dollars, according to the Brooklyn Paper.
Chowhounds advise Dave where to find an "epic breakfast" in Brooklyn.
Real Estate Roundup at the Brooklyn Eagle
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Atlantic Avenue Standoff: Trader Joe's vs. Sahadi's
Will Trader Joe's bring more business to Atlantic Avenue's Sahadi's, or will Sahadi's lose customers to the new kid on the block? Opinion is running in both directions on Chowhound. The trend:
Sahadi's: lovable, incomparable, avenue stalwart, dusty(?)
Trader Joes: unique, low prices, a yuppie cult thing designed to lure money out of the pockets of fanatics(?)
Main area of overlap: cheese, dried nuts, chocolate, spices
More here: Chowhound
Three Bike Lane Colors in Brooklyn -- Take Your Pick
While the neon green bike lane recently painted on Henry Street in Brooklyn Heights has set off quite the frisson of blogger delight, the Department of Transportation has been quietly experimenting with different bike lane colors in Brooklyn for some time.
We thought we'd put these three choices together for comparison:
a: (upper left) The brightest, shiniest green possible
b: (middle right) Sky blue, on Jay Street
c: (lower left) Blue-green, on Henry Street south of Atlantic
Bearing in mind that the green lane is freshly painted and will eventually fade, which would you choose? Take our poll in the sidebar to the right.
Photos by MK Metz
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