That photo was taken in the mid/late 1960s. The tipoff? The style of bus stop sign for the B61/B62 in front of the theater. The American was already defunct as a movie house by that time. Another tipoff is the sign with the red/blue circle. It’s an old Kalmon-Dolgin commercial real estate brokers sign. Another tipoff – there isn’t a lamppost which replaced the bus stop sign post in 1970. Also, the building to the right, mentioned by John Dereszewski, was demolished in 1969. That particular building was constructed prior to 1880 and was used as the 6th Precinct prior to consolidation, and as the 61st and 105th after 1898. When the new stationhouse on Meserole Ave. was built, the building was used by the Board of Transportation during the construction of the IND Crosstown Line (Oldtimers knew it as the “GG”).
The American/Chopin wasn’t directly across the street from the Greenpoint. The Greenpoint was located between Noble and Calyer Sts., almost 2 ½ blocks south of Greenpoint Ave. The buildingg across the street date from the 1860s, were then, as they are now, apartment buildings with storefronts on the ground floors.
Re Bway and PKoch’s street width theory:
Interesting; but, never happened. Greenpoint Ave., from the East River to Manhattan Ave., has been wider than the stretch between Manhattan Ave. and Oakland St./McGuinness Blvd. since the 1860s, when a 100 foot tall hill was leveled at the intersection of Greenpoint and Franklin.
No problem, John. I’m a born and bred Pointer and I appreciate the history of not only Greenpoint, but, the entire old Eastern District of Brooklyn.
BTW, I went to the Meserole when Adam West and Burt Ward did the rounds in ‘66.
Re the photo posted by Lost Memory:
That photo was taken in the mid/late 1960s. The tipoff? The style of bus stop sign for the B61/B62 in front of the theater. The American was already defunct as a movie house by that time. Another tipoff is the sign with the red/blue circle. It’s an old Kalmon-Dolgin commercial real estate brokers sign. Another tipoff – there isn’t a lamppost which replaced the bus stop sign post in 1970. Also, the building to the right, mentioned by John Dereszewski, was demolished in 1969. That particular building was constructed prior to 1880 and was used as the 6th Precinct prior to consolidation, and as the 61st and 105th after 1898. When the new stationhouse on Meserole Ave. was built, the building was used by the Board of Transportation during the construction of the IND Crosstown Line (Oldtimers knew it as the “GG”).
Re Warren G. Harris:
The American/Chopin wasn’t directly across the street from the Greenpoint. The Greenpoint was located between Noble and Calyer Sts., almost 2 ½ blocks south of Greenpoint Ave. The buildingg across the street date from the 1860s, were then, as they are now, apartment buildings with storefronts on the ground floors.
Re Bway and PKoch’s street width theory:
Interesting; but, never happened. Greenpoint Ave., from the East River to Manhattan Ave., has been wider than the stretch between Manhattan Ave. and Oakland St./McGuinness Blvd. since the 1860s, when a 100 foot tall hill was leveled at the intersection of Greenpoint and Franklin.
The Astor Tool&Die Company was located at this location after the Midway closed.