Fort Greene Neighborhood Guide

Fort Greene Real Estate Stats

An Abbreviated History of Fort Greene

In approximately 800 A.D, Native Americans traveling from Delaware settled in the area now known as Fort Greene until it was purchased from the Dutch West India Company and became known as Wallabout Bay. Fort Greene was named after a fort from the American Revolutionary War. It was originally located next to the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Wallabout Bay and developed in the early 19th century. As Manhattan became more crowded in the 1850s, more people began calling Fort Greene home. Washington Park, the park surrounding the location of the original fort and the first park in Brooklyn, was renamed Fort Greene Park in 1897. The area became a significant cultural destination after the Brooklyn Academy of Music opened in 1908. Since then, Fort Greene has continued to see an influx of businesses and residents. The Brooklyn neighborhood is vibrant and thriving with its diverse culture and proximity to Manhattan. 

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What to expect

Fort Greene Landmarks and Cultural Institutions:

A NEIGHBORHOOD TOUR

The Brooklyn Academy of Music is a performing arts venue known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performances. Its first performance was in 1861, and in 1908 it began consistent operations in its present location on Lafayette Street. Many artists have performed and presented work at BAM including Trisha Brown, Ralph Lemon, Laurie Anderson, Peter Brook, and Philip Glass.

The Brooklyn Masonic Temple is a replica of King Solomon’s Temple and considered by many to be one of the most magnificent structures in the United States. The building is open for visitors and rooms are available for rent for weddings, birthdays, and other occasions.

Fort Greene Park, one of Brooklyn’s best parks, is named after the original fort of the location, is now a central gathering hub for the neighborhood locals. It hosts a variety of events including concerts, projects, and the annual Fort Greene Park Summer Literary Festival. In the center of the park lies the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument, a towering granite column, which is a memorial to the 11,500 American prisoners of war who died in captivity aboard British prison ships during the revolutionary war.

One Hanson Place, also known as the Williamsburg Savings Bank Tower, is one of Brooklyn’s most iconic architectural buildings, and is located in Fort Greene. Built in 1926, the four-sided gilded clock tower building was converted into condominiums in 2007. The building has been declared a New York City Architectural Landmark and preserves its original Byzantine – Romanesque style.

Located in the center of Fort Greene Park, the Prison Ship Martyrs’ Monument, a single towering granite column, commemorates prisoners of the American Revolutionary War. The dedication ceremony of the monument took place in November 1908 and included a parade, National Guard units, veterans, and civic organizations to remember those lost at war.

The Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts (MoCADA) is located on Hanson Place on the border of Fort Greene. The work featured at MoCADA spotlights black artists whose art fosters discussion on the African Diaspora. The museum displays art exhibitions, puts on performances, and also offers classes.

The Brooklyn Information and Culture (BRIC) house is a cultural center that offers a wide range of arts programming including contemporary art, video art, and performing arts. It is located inside the old 1918 Strand Theater, built by architect Thomas W. Lamb, and has hosted spectacular performers like Harry Houdini, and offers many creative learning opportunities.

Dekalb Street is considered by The New York Times a “genuine restaurant row” and definitely the place to go if you are looking for something to do and something to eat. The street is lined with a variety of shops, restaurants to wine and dine at, and cafes to sit, people watch, and enjoy the charm of this special Brooklyn neighborhood.

All Notable New Yorker photos courtesy of Wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons. Photo of Walt Witman by George C. Cox (1851–1903, photo) Adam Cuerden (1979-, restoration); Photo of Michael Jordan by DOD photo by D. Myles Cullen; Photo of Joan Rivers by Roy Silver; Photo of Uche Blackstock by Heather Sten; Photo of Leroy Battle by Capital file photo; Photo of Sabaah Folyan by The Laura Flanders Show; Photo of Abraham Beame by Unknown photographer; Photo of Linda Weiser Friedman by Baruch College;