Curbed NY- Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue- Lesson in Life

HISTORY LESSONS

From Grand Parkway to Canyon of Mediocrity,
the Story of Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue

[A postcard depicting Fourth Avenue circa 1905.]

Over the years, Brooklyn's Fourth Avenue—which stretches for six miles from the Barclays Center to Bay Ridge—has gained the reputation of Brooklyn's worst thoroughfare. Bulky new development, limited commercial activity, and a wide, mostly treeless roadway earned it the nickname of the "Canyon of Mediocrity." What you would never guess walking down Fourth Avenue, however, is that it was once considered the Park Avenue of Brooklyn. Between 1896 and 1900, this thoroughfare was built out as a grand boulevard with paved streets, sidewalks, electric lights, and a lush landscaped median strip. The glory days of Fourth Avenue didn't last long; the construction of the subway lines in 1910 marked the beginning of the end.

Turns out, no one wanted to live there either >>