Brooklyn: Downtown's Final Frontier

[tufsu1]

FDOT rules prohibit stormwater vaults....the water must be cleansed first...which is helped by sunlight

[Bewler]

I love that the picture of the 643 Edison building was included in this. It's such a beautiful structure and a
an excellent example of what can be achieved by renovating our remaining historic buildings. It's a shame that it isn't used for retail, it would make an excellent restaurant or cafe.

Hopefully the fire station gets spared and it and school #4 receive the same treatment. Ah to dream.

[ChrisG]

Today I saw the 200 Riverside coming soon sign (Hallmark Partners Project) has been replaced with a "Available Sign".

[Coolyfett]

Jacksonville already has a central city park - it's called Klutho and Confederate parks, and it is a 27-acre greenway system.



Why do Brooklyn and Springfield have to be at odds for the city's development resources

Don't worry zoo, Gentrification is coming. In 25 years those places will not look how they look now. Lake I hope you protect and back up all those pics you got dude. It will be the only proof Brooklyn & Springfield were once "the slums" just like Riverside used to be.

[Coolyfett]

Brooklyn'T I remember the first time I went to this area, my mom worked at St. Vincents and I had to drop her off, trying to get back home, I ended up in Brooklyn'T. I wasn't a very nice looking neighborhood at the time, nor did I know Downtown was so close. I had just got my driver's license. I also worked at W.W. Gay on Stockton in 2000 and when going to project sites used to drive though Brooklyn'T. This land is valuable, when Jax population grows, this ghost town will no longer be a ghost town. It is actually a very small area IMO, which would make it easy to develop once the population increases. They need to leave the firestation # 5 in place, that is all the area has left. Old Brooklyn'T is dead. Brooklyn'T is never in any of the Jacksonville history books I have read. Sad but hey Jax still has Riverside, La Villa & Springfield. Brooklyn't is toast, Eastside is next, then Eastside will be toast.

[brainstormer]

It is sad that the Miles and 200 Riverside projects aren't being built.  I would definitely consider moving to that part of Brooklyn.  With easy access to the Riverwalk, Skyway, the northbank urban core, 5 points, and I95/10 it is an awesome location for residential development.  A short walk or easy bike ride/skyway commute for anyone who works downtown or along Riverside Ave.  Plus a short drive for groceries, restaurants and other retail.  There is enormous potential for this area to become a mixed-use urban hub.  If developed appropriately, it could actually become one of the few walkable places in the city where one could live without a car. 

[EP]

Does anyone have a photo of the now demolished mansion that used to be in Brooklyn?  I think I saw it in Jacksonville's Architectural Heritage by Wayne Wood/Joel McEachin.  Anyways, that was the structure that really opened my eyes to what Brooklyn once was.

[Timkin]

School 4 is probably one of the most prominent structures remaining on the outskirts of Brooklyn,,Facing Riverside Park,  and crumbling from neglect, I for one remain hopeful that one day, it will be restored, and put back into some really good use .

[duvaldude08]

643 Edison Ave still has apartments upstairs. Me and friends didnt know until we were parked outside the building and someone came on the balcony and asked us to turn out music down. We had no clue anyone lived up there.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

The building is Darryl Bunn Studios.  He is a photog with a gallery below that has some of his original work plus he features various artists all the time and the upstairs is his personal apartment, which is sometimes open to the public and houses some very interesting pieces of handmade furniture. 

[thelakelander]

I've spent some time over the last couple of days looking into the history of Brooklyn.  Thought I'd share this:

300 Park Street in 2013



300 Park Street around 1928-1930


Makes one wonder what else is covered behind the stucco on all those buildings lining Park Street.

[sheclown]

Brooklyn is headed for its own historic district.  Joel presented on Wednesday night.

[Cheshire Cat]

Good news.  Is there anything left of the original homes in the remaining historic fabric?

[sheclown]

yes. 

A dozen or so modest homes, some shotguns.  Two churches (I believe) and a commercial building.  Not a lot but some still remains.

[thelakelander]

Working on a story about the historic district now. Took pics of most of the buildings yesterday.