New York is a nesting doll. The city’s boroughs are so developed that they can claim to be separate cities. Each of them has its own rich history, developed infrastructure and interesting facts.
It’s no secret that Brooklyn was organized by Dutch immigrants in 1636. Over the years, the borough has acquired a huge number of facts, legends and rumors. Some of them are not even known to the locals. Learn more on the i-brooklyn website.
Fact one: grandiose construction
There are many bridges in NYC. One of the most famous in the world is the Brooklyn Bridge. Construction began in 1883. At that time, it was the most ambitious construction project not only in the United States but also in the world.
Steel rods were used to build this structure. It was the first construction project in history to use this method. The Brooklyn Bridge is 1,825 meters long and 26 meters wide.
Architect J. Roebling chose the neo-Gothic style. The new bridge turned out to be so unsurpassed that in 1964 it was included in the list of National Historic Landmarks and became the city’s unofficial business card. Its construction was quite expensive. The city authorities were forced to resort to tricks. Therefore, large openings under the suspension bridge were rented out. They were adapted to store alcoholic beverages.
Due to the constant use of the bridge, it is often repaired. In 2006, repairmen discovered a secret bomb shelter from the Cold War. The entrance to it was hidden in the wall. The shelter contained everything necessary for staying there: food, blankets, medicines and air purifiers. It was a revelation for both Brooklynites and the authorities. It was unknown who exactly was going to be hidden there. The Brooklyn bomb shelter has become another urban legend.
Fact two: one of the largest museums in the United States
Brooklyn has a famous Brooklyn Museum. Not only the borough but the entire city and even the state are proud of it. The museum was opened in 1895. It is considered the second largest museum in the city.
The building is located in the Crown Heights neighborhood in the heart of Brooklyn. The museum has 1.5 million exhibits from all over the world. It has become a window to other cultures and continents. The main part of the exhibition consists of art objects that came from Africa, Oceania and the New World. Not only contemporary art from Africa or Egypt but also antique items are presented.
The building itself was built in the Beaux-Arts style, an architectural style of historicism characterized by strict symmetry, a combination of French and Italian architecture, decorative elements and more.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum hosts temporary exhibitions of contemporary art and more. In 2020, there was an exhibition of costumes from the TV series The Queen’s Gambit and The Crown. Due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the exhibition was virtual. In addition, the museum hosts lectures, film screenings and seminars. Due to this diversity, 500 thousand people visited the museum annually until 2020.
Fact three: the hot dog eating championship
Coney Island is a major resort in NYC. One of its landmarks is the famous Nathan’s Famous diner. It was from this eatery that the history of a large American fast food company began. The main specialization of the establishment is hot dogs. The café was opened in 1916. Their first hot dogs cost 5 cents.
Nathan’s Famous was opened by a Polish immigrant. The hot dogs were served with a unique sauce made according to the recipe of Nathan Handwerker’s (the founder) wife. Due to the low price of hot dogs, many people doubted their quality. That’s when Handwerker came up with a trick. He started feeding doctors for free if they had a white coat. In addition, he hired people who pretended to be doctors. This brought him fame, respect and income.
In the early 1970s, the diner began to hold hot dog eating competitions. The rules are simple: eat more hot dogs than your opponent in 10 minutes. In 2009, a world record was set there – 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes. The record holder was Joey Chestnut, who has repeatedly won this competition. Despite the frivolity of the place, it was visited by Franklin Roosevelt, Al Capone and Cary Grant.
Fact four: coffee capital
The Arbuckle Brothers factory was on John Street in 1906. It was this factory that gave Brooklyn the status of the coffee capital of the country. After all, 25 million pounds of coffee were roasted there every month. The finished product was shipped to all corners of the country.
In addition to the coffee shop, the famous sugar factory was there. The history of the building is rich in events. In 1920, a distillery was opened there. It existed for almost 20 years. In 1991, the building was bought for offices.
Fact five: the best Russian ballet school in the country
Since the beginning of the 20th century, New York has been a “tasty morsel” for immigrants. Arriving Russians most often chose Brooklyn. Russian is spoken there more often than English. It was in Brighton that the Choreographic Center at the Ballet Theater was opened in 1987. The teachers are mostly immigrants from the former USSR. Because of this, it is not surprising that the theater’s trademark is P. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.
The skill of Soviet dancers was known throughout the world. This testified not only to the talent of the artists but also to the good teachers. The Brooklyn Ballet Theater trained several thousand children in various dance styles. It is considered the best Russian ballet school in America.
Fact six: the realm of graffiti
Williamsburg proudly bears the title of Brooklyn’s creative district. Until the mid-80s of the 20th century, there were many abandoned factories and warehouses in the area. Once upon a time, this area was a port area, with many docks and piers. It was where most of New York’s fishermen lived. They all lived in inconspicuous buildings. This had a bad effect on the image of the borough. Then the city authorities decided to give all these premises to the needs of artists and performers.
Street artists got a space to showcase their talent. This not only diversified the gloomy Williamsburg but also protected other parts of Brooklyn from street art.
Fact seven: beer for the whole world
Beer came to Brooklyn with migrants from Germany. In the early 20th century, there were almost fifty breweries in the borough. The migrant business became a strong competitor for American breweries. After the repeal of Prohibition, Americans were ready to drink anything that had a degree. Breweries appeared like mushrooms after the rain. But not everyone could resist the big giants. In 1976, the last independent brewery closed.
The Main Brooklyn Brewery was founded in 1988. The founder was Steve Hindy, a former journalist and enthusiast. In the company of his neighbor Tom Potter, they decided to open a small brewery. It all started with a contract brewery. This means that they brewed the first batches of beer in someone else’s kitchen. Brooklyn Brewery began operating independently only in 1996. At first, they brewed Brooklyn Lager, which was gradually distributed to local bars. Their success came from their collaboration with Garrett Oliver, a well-known beer enthusiast. He helped the guys to create one of the most famous craft breweries in the United States and create their own types of beer. Already in the 21st century, they supplied beer to 20 countries. Over time, Brooklyn beer became a successful brand known not only in America but also in Europe.
This brewery is notable for being a factory-cafe. Anyone over the age of 21 can come to the brewery and taste different flavors of beer. There are few places like this. Brooklyn itself is rich in events. The Brooklyn Brewery is happy to support all local charity events.