Celebrating all things Leo, the lion is usually accompanied by a sign describing Leos as artistic, generous, sincere, warm and protective. But it was raining when we passed by and the sign was not out. So here it is from a past year.
The crowds seemed to be bigger than ever this past Sunday for Bob Diamond's famous tour of the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel. Folks were lined up all along the length of Trader Joe's at Atlantic and Court Streets in Cobble Hill.
Maybe they came after reading the recent article in the Brooklyn Eagle suggesting that the tunnel is haunted. (Seriously.)
Every once in a while a group would detach and move to the center of Atlantic Avenue, protected from traffic by a few sawhorses and a couple of plastic barriers (just a bit more substantial than the simple orange cones used in days past).
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 dramatically uncovered, intact, the world's first subway tunnel.
Once you actually see what you're getting into, it might give you a moment of pause. You do have to climb down a hole which leads deep under Atlantic Avenue!
But you can (probably) do it!
(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.
Some video and photos of the interior here.
- 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
- Brooklyn Spelunking: Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours Return
Photos by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Carrying on the tradition started by her legendary father Joseph Ades -- the man who could sell anything, but especially vegetable peelers -- Ruth Ades-Laurent sells peelers at the same New York City farmer's markets and shopping districts her dad did.
Mr. Ades died last February. (Heaven must be full of peelers by now.)
Spouting the same bold sing-song patter as Ades-senior, Ms. Ades-Laurent was in business Tuesday at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Farmer's Market.
- Peeler Guy, Joseph Ades, Continued
- Last Chance to Buy Joseph Ades' Carrot Peelers
- RIP Joseph Ades -- The Man Who Made Selling Peelers An Art
- Joseph Ades -- NYC's Most Successful Street Vendor -- In Brooklyn Now
Photos by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
For years, they laughed at Bob Diamond for his "crazy" plan to bring trolleys back to Brooklyn -- but they're not laughing now.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg gave his support last month, and now Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez is calling for funding for a Red Hook trolley system. According to the Brooklyn Eagle, in her request for funding in the 2010 surface transportation bill, she has included $10 million for “design and construction of a light rail system along the Brooklyn waterfront from Red Hook to Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn, N.Y.”
Mr. Diamond (famous for discovering the long-lost Atlantic Avenue Tunnel, the world's first subway tunnel) suffered numerous setbacks in trying to bring trolleys back to Brooklyn. The trolley cars stacked up behind Fairway in Red Hook (shown above, as they looked in 2007) are left-overs from an attempt of Diamond's that came too early in Brooklyn's redevelopment.
Some folks are against the trolleys. When we wrote about Diamond's idea two years ago, one commenter remarked, "If Mr. Diamond wants to play with trains, he should do it at home, with his little conductor hat on." (None-the-less, the majority who commented were in favor of bringing them back.)
Diamond told the Eagle that “This idea [mentioned by Velázquez] is precisely what I called “Brooklyn Heritage Trolley Project [BHRA] Phase 3” back in 2002. In fact, I believe the $10,000,000 sum comes from a TEA-21 [Transportation Equity Act] grant application we submitted at that time, but the city declined to sponsor it.”
Red Hook Trolley Idea Picks Up Support Brooklyn Eagle
- He Might Be Crazy -- But Wouldn't You Love to Take the Trolley in Brooklyn?
- What's Behind the Wall? Atlantic Ave. Tunnel Mystery
- Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue Tunnel: What's Behind the Wall?
- Mole People Back in Brooklyn?
- Lineup For Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tour
- Brooklyn Spelunking: Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours Return
Photo copyright MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
The life-size Cobble Hill lion celebrating all things Leo is back on the ledge at 368 Clinton Street.Happy Birthday Leos - you artistic, generous, sincere, warm and protective folks.
368 Clinton has done this before.
Photos by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
CNN's Eric Landford (video above) has picked up on the amazing Bob Diamond/Atlantic Avenue Tunnel story, which we've followed here at McBrooklyn over the past couple of years (see links below).
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 repeatedly 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.
Trey Nelsen and Jerry Kolber are producing a movie about the tunnel and what Diamond believes is hidden behind a bulkhead wall at its west end: a steam locomotive from the 1830's -- and (possibly) some pages from the diary of John Wilkes Booth. (See WhatsBehindTheWall.com)
Diamond is now trying to get permission and funds to knock down the wall. Even if no train is found, the movie is about a regular guy who pursued his dream, the filmmakers say.
(Aside: We at McBrooklyn once spoke to an old timer who told us that he had seen a bit of a train, when he was a boy, from a hole in the wall of an Atlantic Ave. basement.)
The next tour takes place June 7. (Wear sneakers and bring a powerful flashlight.) Visit the web site of Diamond's Brooklyn Historic Railway Association.
- Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue Tunnel: What's Behind the Wall?
- Mole People Back in Brooklyn?
- Lineup For Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tour
- Brooklyn Spelunking: Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours Return
Read the history of the Bob Diamond discovery of the Atlantic Avenue Tunnel at the Brooklyn Eagle.
Photos copyright MK Metz, 2009
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Thanks to a reader for linking us to this updated profile of New York's most famous street peddler, the late Joe Ades, written by Howard Kaplan and published in the New York Press.
Numerous articles and obituaries have been written about Mr. Ades, both before and after his death in February. This latest, "The Real Joe Ades," pulls back the curtain even further on Mr. Ades' vegetable peelers, European suits, fancy restaurants and prime Park Avenue eight-room apartment.
- Last Chance to Buy Joseph Ades' Carrot Peelers
- RIP Joseph Ades -- The Man Who Made Selling Peelers An Art
- Joseph Ades -- NYC's Most Successful Street Vendor -- In Brooklyn Now
Photo from a video of Joe Ades by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Joseph Ades, the man who peddled more vegetable peelers than anyone in New York -- and possibly the world -- died last month, and many people suddenly realized that they wished they had bought one of his peelers.
Yesterday, correspondent Lucien was crossing through the Green Market at Cadman Plaza near Brooklyn Borough Hall and saw "a good-sized group of people" gathered by the fountain. In his words:
"As I got closer, I could see feet and a pile of carrot peels... and a strange sense of deja-vu as I heard the same patter the gentleman selling carrot peelers there for years had been doing, word-for-word, in the same accent -- but I had heard he had passed away, and this was in the voice of a woman. According to her, she is his daughter, and she's selling off his remaining stock."Thanks, Lucien, for the tip and the photograph.
Don't know about you, but we're going to run over to the park ASAP and buy a couple, in memory of the best peeler salesman in the world.
An 'A-Peeling' Task Brooklyn Eagle
- RIP Joseph Ades -- The Man Who Made Selling Peelers An Art
- Joseph Ades -- NYC's Most Successful Street Vendor -- In Brooklyn Now
Bob Diamond's famous Atlantic Avenue Tunnel tour took place again Sunday (the open manhole cover at Atlantic and Court Streets is the only outward sign of all the activity taking place in the tunnel under the street).
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 repeatedly advised by City officials to give up on his lost cause) he struck gold -- uncovering, intact, the world's first subway tunnel.
Diamond is now trying to get permission and funds knock down a wall at the west end of the tunnel. He thinks there may be a perfectly preserved locomotive from the 1800s behind the wall -- or even the missing pages of Booth's diary that list the conspirators involved in Lincoln's death.
Trey Nelson (WhatsBehindTheWall.com) is producing a movie about the tunnel. Here's a snippet from the film:
Story UPDATED HERE.
- Mole People Back in Brooklyn?
- Lineup For Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tour
- Brooklyn Spelunking: Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours Return
- He Might Be Crazy -- But Wouldn't You Love to Take the Trolley in Brooklyn?
- The Tunnel Rats of Atlantic Avenue NY Times
Photo by MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Joseph Ades, the man who could sell anything -- but especially vegetable peelers -- died Sunday at the age of 75.
Born in England but with a voice that recalled Australia, Joseph Ades was a legend in New York City. He was featured in the Daily News, Vanity Fair and other publications which he displayed next to the little table where he sold vegetable peelers. The peelers flew out of his hands like magic.
The New York Times wrote a fitting obituary of this man who appeared to be many things to many people -- "The white-haired man with the British accent, the expensive European suits and shirts — the man selling the $5 peeler. For carrots. Or potatoes."
According to the Times, he was a regular at expensive East Side restaurants, where no one believed his answer to the “So what do you do?” question: “I sell potato peelers on the street.”
Gawker picked him as one of the grand eccentrics of New York; The New York Press said, "No finer peddler exists in New York."
Joseph Ades was a regular on Court Street in Downtown Brooklyn, and in front of the fountain at Brooklyn Borough Hall during the farmer's market.
McBrooklyn shot the above video of this amazing salesman at work on Court Street in July of 2007.
Now we wish we had one of the peelers. We just thought he'd always be there.
- Joseph Ades -- NYC's Most Successful Street Vendor -- In Brooklyn Now
Video Copyright 2007, 2008, 2009 MK Metz
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Naw -- it's another Atlantic Avenue Tunnel tour, captured by correspondent Lucien on his cell phone.
He wrote in: "Thought you might find this interesting - I saw a child climbing out of a manhole in the middle of Court and Atlantic as I went by . . ."
Interesting, you betcha! The Atlantic Avenue tunnel is one of our favorite pieces of Brooklynalia. Back in July of 2007, we discovered that Bob Diamond's famous Atlantic Avenue Tunnel tour had 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 repeatedly advised by City officials to give up on his lost cause) he struck gold -- uncovering, intact, the world's first subway tunnel.
To see photo and video of the tunnel, see here.
More about the tunnel, see here.
Photo by Lucien
Go to McBrooklyn's HOME PAGE.
Bookmakers Give Joey and Takeru Even Odds*
We are just days away from the 2008 Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, and the excitement is building.
Approximately 20 eaters will be vying for the most famous food title in America. Last year, an estimated 50,000 came to Coney Island to watch Joey "Jaws" Chestnut shovel down 66 Nathan's hot dogs to take the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt from reigning champion Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi.
Chestnut appears to be in fine shape. On March2, he put away 78 matzoh balls during Kenny & Ziggy's World Matzoh Ball Eating Championship in Houston, TX. But don't rule out the Tsunami -- he still possesses the soul of a champion!
Once again, McBrooklyn has consulted Aces Ace Online Sportsbook to get the odds on this contest. As it stands now, Joey and Takeru are exactly neck and neck and both are ranked well above the rest of the field.*
But wait -- the Major League Eating website shows that Chestnut is currently ranked first in the world of eating -- and Kobayashi is only third!
And wait again -- this year's contest is only 10 minutes long, as opposed to 12 minutes as in years past. (The details about this controversy can be found in the Brooklyn Paper and the NY Times.)
The time change may favor quick eating Patrick Bertoletti. According to MLE, "The steadily improving Bertoletti had his breakout season in ’06, when he set an astonishing eleven records."
Once again, McBrooklyn is passing along Nathan's oddly stimulating buy-one-get-one-free coupon. (The original may be found at the Nathan's site.)
*UPDATE: Odds-makers have updated their figures to put Joey Chestnut in the lead.
While McBrooklyn is out of town for a week or two, we decided this would be a good time to publish some of our favorite photos. Some have been published before, but others never made it to the blogosphere.
Today's "photo" is a video of Joseph Ades: possibly the most successful street vendor ever in the history of New York City. Born in England but with a voice that recalls Australia, Joseph Ades is a living legend.
Many have sought Mr. Ades but could not find him. So McBrooklyn shot a video of this amazing salesman at work.
For more, see here.
UPDATE: Gawker had just named Mr. Ades as NYC's top eccentric. See here.
When it comes to itinerant knife grinders, there's only two: Mike Pallotta and his green truck, who plies his trade on the Upper West Side of Manhattan; and Dominic Del Re and his red truck, who has been sharpening knives in Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope for more than a generation.
So McBrooklyn was shocked to find this unfamiliar face peering out an unfamiliar (but very Manhattanish) green grinding truck, bell ringing, parked on Henry Street near Love Lane in Brooklyn Heights the other day. We swear the guy inside looked positively nervous. He looked even more nervous when we took his picture.
Hey Dominic! You letting Mike weasel in on your territory, or what?
Photos by MK Metz
68 Bergen Street, Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.
We have a vague memory of seeing this place in operation more than a decade ago. Do they still fix tires? Do they still put sharp objects in the road halfway up the block?
Photo by MK Metz
Taking a walk in Vinegar Hill, we ran across the Admiral's Mansion at Little and Evans Street. Overlooking the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the mansion was built about 1810.
This graceful building was the home of various Naval Yard commanders, including Commodore Matthew Perry.
UPDATE: The mansion is more properly called the Commandant's Mansion. You can find more information in this article in the NY Times.
Photo of mansion by MK Metz
Photo of Commodore Perry Library of Congress; Wikipedia
The city will not sell out Coney Island's Astroland: Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden said Thursday that the city is weeks away from announcing a rezoning plan that will "save the amusement park, an icon of democracy which is beloved by the whole world." She continued: "The strategy will catalyze a new park which will be open year-round...and housing, in the right place." New York Magazine
Photo by Duluoz Cats, Creative Commons license
Now they're picking on the grownups!
Brooklyn's famous sidewalk chalk artist Ellis G. (the "G" stand for Gallagher) was arrested last week when police saw him at work during the filming of a profile set to air in early November as part of Channel 13's "New York Voices" series, says New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer.
He was "carted around to three different precincts" and charged with making graffiti, possessing graffiti instruments, and making mischief before charges were dropped in Red Hook court the next day.
The NYCLU's Chris Dunn says he's in the process of working with the NYPD to confirm whether chalking falls under the definition of graffiti in the first place. This might even help convicted felons like Natalie Shea, the Park Slope girl whose neighbor called the cops on her when she drew on the sidewalk in front of her building last week.
Brooklyn Graffiti Artist Ellis G. Strikes Again
Photo copyright MK Metz
The Roeblings -- John, Washington and Emily -- admire the bridge they built (the Brooklyn Bridge) at Anchorage Plaza. The anchorage itself is located inside the base of the Brooklyn Bridge at the intersection of Hicks Street and Old Fulton Street. (An anchorage is a large, very stable stone structure on either side of a bridge.)
According to Brooklyn Bridge Facts, John Roebling, the bridge's engineer, envisioned the anchorage as either a commercial arcade, or vault for the national treasury. 
Inside the anchorage on the Brooklyn side is a "cavernous complex" of eight 50-foot tall spaces. These cathedral-like rooms were walled off and used for storage for many years (at one point used for wine storage, then for military storage) until 1983, when an arts organization -- Creative Time -- installed a series of highly popular exhibits there.
The Anchorage was closed to the public after September 11, 2001, for national security reasons.
Photos by MK Metz
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