It is YOUR waterfront! Native American Lenai Lenapis were attracted to Sunset (Gowanus) because of the waterfront - shellfish were abundant - like picking berries from bushes. The first Europeans that came here - the Dutch, did so for the waterfront. Each property, instead of being square, was a long narrow rectangle with each having waterfront access. The Germans, the Irish, African-Americans - as they came here the waterfront was the area of parks and beaches. The parks were actually enclosed areas for everything from rifle shooting events to dances. A man named Stein opened a beach on 50th Steet along the waterfront, but a man named Bush used his daddys money to open Bush Terminal and Stein moved his beach to 59th Street. The Italians, Scandinavians and Poles flocked to the area and joined in fraternal activities and organizations. Just a few years earlier, the City (yes, City) of Brooklyn had ended at 59th Street, but it quickly expanded to the entire county of Kings and adopted the borough lines we know today. And Steins beach closed. For 90 years we were cut off from our waterfront. Yes, there were jobs and we dont belittle that. The jobs were all tied to transportation - either building the ships, working the railroad or unloading & loading cargo. And quickly factories and manufacturing plants sprouted up providing even more jobs. But the manufacturers were killing the environment - leather curing, chemicals, explosives, and later plastics and pcbs. They moved on quickly and our waterfront was left poisoned - poisoned and restricted - restricted for the day that shipping would return. And it didnt, employment changed but our waterfront didnt change with it...it was kept on permanent hold. That day is over! Saturday at 1pm join us at 43rd Street & 1st Avenue to officially open the waterfront park - please be in the photo - let yourself be counted as one who supports the new Sunset Park - or actually a return to the people enjoying the waterfront and jobs adapting to the new technology! See you Saturday at 1pm
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 12:24:42 +0000
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