Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, in short DUMBO, is one of the most expensive loft districts in New York City. A tiny neighborhood of 25 blocks on the Brooklyn waterfront under and between the two bridges. A solid stock of old multi-level industrial buildings plus a number of new high risers provide habitat for artists, designers, computer people and all sorts of entrepreneurial minded souls who work and live here. A forgotten wasteland of blighted warehouses and multi-story industrial buildings, the area was "discovered" for real estate development by David Walentas, who against all odds and derided by his peers renovated an old 16 story warehouse, the Clocktower Building. Today he is the largest real estate developer in the area and continues to be the major sponsor of the neighborhood.
The area east of the Manhattan Bridge is known as Vinegar Hill, which some people consider to be part of DUMBO, others a separate neighborhood. We opt for the traditional view, i.e. Vinegar Hill being part of DUMBO. Vinegar Hill's revival began in the late 1970s when artists from Manhattan settled here. There is a lot of construction presently going with more to come when the Brooklyn Bridge Park development starts. The Vinegar Hill waterfront will have a number of new residential buildings as part of the effort to make this huge park, stretching from here down to Atlantic Avenue, financially self-sustaining. Further east on the water front is a Con Ed power plant, constructed in the 1920s, which makes the whole area around it less attractive due to noise and pollution.
DUMBO can be pretty noisy or a quiet oasis - it depends where you are. The subway over the Manhattan Bridge and the road traffic over both bridges can be annoying. Once inside DUMBO, the three main streets, Plymouth, Water and Front and its side streets are pretty quiet. That is if there is no construction going on, which there is frequently nowadays. Ever wondered about old trolley tracks on some of DUMBO's streets? They are in fact the remains of the Jay Street Connecting Railroad, which used to transport goods between buildings along the Brooklyn waterfront. While you are walking through DUMBO, visit the gallery of the DUMBO Arts Center, a non-profit contemporary arts institution on 30 Washington Street.
DUMBO's water front between the bridges is occupied the Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park, a 9acre state park established in 1977 with a promenade at the water's edge and a playground. Adjacent to it, further east, is the first segment of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, the so called "Main Street Lot" (it used to be a parking lot). It is a popular site for photography with its spectacular view of the bridges and Lower Manhattan but it can be a bit noisy due to the traffic on the two bridges. Behind the park are the Empire Stores buildings and the roofless former Tobacco Warehouse. The Empire Stores (1880) - a wonderful example of a brick dry goods storage warehouse - will be rehabilitated as part of the future Brooklyn Bridge Park. It will contain a mix of commercial, retail, and office uses. The Tobacco Warehouse is used as an outdoor entertainment area (films) during the summer. Behind it, in a rather nondescript former spice milling warehouse is St.Ann's Warehouse. For more than 25 years Arts at St.Ann's was one of the cultural pillars of Brooklyn Heights, well known for its avantgarde performances. They moved here from St.Ann's Church & Holy Trinity in 2001 continuing the tradition.
The Brooklyn Bridge Park is a 85-acre project on the waterfront with 76 acres of protected parkland supported by 8.2 acres of commercial development (marinas etc.). It will stretch from the DUMBO waterfront north of the Manhattan Bridge to Atlantic Avenue.
On the western edge of DUMBO, in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, is the Fulton Ferry Landing site, immortalized by Walt Whitman in his poem "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry". A large landing deck offers nice views to Lower Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge from below. You normally find one or two wedding parties being photographed, their stretched limousines waiting in front of the landing deck. This is where Robert Fulton's steam ferry Nassau (1814) shuttled between Fulton Street in Manhattan and Fulton Street in Brooklyn. Ferry service ceased in 1924. Recently limited passenger ferry service was reestablished by NY Water Taxi.
The Fulton Ferry Landing site has some interesting historic buildings. First the former Marine Company 7 Firehouse (1924) with a tower for drying fire hoses (now occupied by an ice cream store). No. 1 Front Street (1868-69) on the DUMBO side is a former bank building. On the western pier of Fulton Landing is the Bargemusic, a much beloved small concert hall on a barge. On the Brooklyn Heights side of Fulton Ferry Landing is the huge brick Eagle Warehouse. You can recognize it from afar by the large round glass window & clock dial on the upper floor. On this site, from 1841 to 1892, were the offices of the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper, where Walt Whitman, not yet 30, served as editor (he was later fired by the owner for his stand against slavery). The building's architect, the renown Frank Freeman, was a master of the eclectic Romanesque Revival style. His metaphor of warehouse as fortress - impregnable, massive, permanent - was reassuring for the owners of the merchandise stored within. An undergound moat of air surrounds the foundation, protecting it from water seepage. Freeman wrapped the warehouse around the one structure left by the newspaper: its three-story pressroom, built in 1882, at the corner of Doughty Street and Elizabeth Place. You can detect its roofline today. In 1906 he added another building in the same style east of his first. The Eagle Warehouse was converted to a residential coop in 1979.
|
Boundaries: Hudson Street to Fulton St., Prospect Street to John Street/East River. Adjacent neighborhoods: Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Navy Yard Subway stops: F to York Street or A, C to High Street Ferry: The East River Commuter Ferry on Fulton Ferry Landing takes you to Pier 11 on Wall Street. It is operated by NY Water Taxi. |
History: The development of DUMBO is closely tied to its waterfront. The name DUMBO was coined by some soul, nobody knows who, in the 1970s. Before that the area was known as Fulton Landing (between the bridges) and Vinegar Hill (east of Manhattan Bridge). Vinegar Hill, previously called Irish Town because of the many Irish who settled here, was named after a place where Irish rebels battled the Brits in County Wexford, Ireland in 1798.
As all of Brooklyn, the area was settled by Dutch farmers in the mid 17th century. Soon regular ferries ran back and forth between Manhattan and the Brooklyn waterfront. Robert Fulton introduced steamboat service in 1814 from the pier of Old Fulton Street. The area soon became Brooklyn's commercial center as evidenced by the name "Main Street" in DUMBO. It was a bustling commercial center with numerous warehouses, taverns, inns, shops and farmers markets. Industry developed in the 19th century: The Sweeney Metal Works and the Robert Gair Bottle Cap and Cardboard Box Manufacturing (corrugated cardboard was in invented in DUMBO) were two prominent companies here. You see their names on a number of DUMBO buildings today.
The construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, which opened in 1883, led to economic decline. Ferry service was no longer needed and the commercial center of gravity shifted southwest towards todays Downtown Brooklyn. With the opening of the Manhattan Bridge in 1909 the area became a backwater and decayed. It was further isolated by the construction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) in late 1940s. Those buildings which remained habitable were primarily used for sweatshops. In the mid 1970s artists and designers priced out of Manhattan began to discover Vinegar Hill. Cheap rents and incredible spaces, plus the closeness to Manhattan were the driving factors. In 1980 David Walentas through his Two Trees Company got involved. Against all predictions from real estate pundits and many scathing newspaper stories he succeeded in developing the area. Over the years over 500 artist's studios, galleries, theater companies and numerous other arts organizations were lured to DUMBO. In 1998 the area was rezoned and residential development began in earnest.
Neighborhood Blogs &Web Sites we like:
DUMBO - neighborhood improvement district's website
DUMBO NYC - blog of Hideyoshi, a DUMBO resident
DNA - DUMBO Neighborhood Association
Shopping: A bakery, grocery, flower shop, wine store, laundromat, pizzerias and a couple of restaurants right in DUMBO plus deliveries from FoodDirect, you can manage just fine here. If not, ample shopping is available in neighboring Brooklyn Heights, a mere 15 min. walk.
Eating Out: Here is a selection of restaurants from Zagats, New York Times and New York Magazine. For the latest food news check New York Magazine's blog, Grub Street or some of the neighborhood blogs we listed above.
The top rated are:
River Café, American, 1 Water St. (bet. Furman & Old Fulton Sts.), Tel: 718-522-5200 great food, great views!
Five Front, American, 5 Front St. (Old Fulton St.), Tel: 718-625-5559
The Plant, Health Food, Vegan, 25 Jay St. (bet. John & Plymouth Sts.), Tel: 718-722-7541
Bubby's, American, 1 Main St. (bet. Plymouth & Water Sts.), Tel: 718-222-0666
Some good, yet economical places:
Rice American, 81 Washington St. (bet. Front & York Sts.), Tel: 718-222-9880
Miso Japanese, 38 Main St. at Water Street, (718) 858-8388
Pizzerias
Front Street 80 Front St. at Washington Street, Tel: 718-857-3700, modern place, pretty good pizzas.
Grimaldi's 19 Old Fulton St. (bet. Front & Water Sts.), Tel: 718-858-4300, no slices, no delivery, no reservations. Supposedly one of the best pizzas in NYC. Very long waits.
Sweets & Sandwiches:
Almondine, 85 Water St. (Main Street), Tel: (718) 797-5026
Blue Green, organic cafe at the Plant, 25 Jay St. (bet. John & Plymouth Sts.), Tel: 718-722-7541
DUMBO General Store, 111 Front St. (Washington St.), Tel: 718-855-5288
Jacques Torres Chocolate 66 Water St. (Main Street) Tel: (718) 875-9772, chocolate factory & café - unbeatable!
Foragers Market 56 Adams St. at Front Street, Tel: (718) 801-8400, sandwiches and prepared dishes
post your comments herelast updated: October 15, 2008