Arlington Place west side mid 1880s
Arlington Place west side 2011 buildings by Amzi Hill
Arlington Place is one of the most picturesque blocks in all of New York City. It was only fitting
that Spike Lee would shoot his 1994 movie Crooklyn here. Charles Lockwood author of Bricks and Brownstones once wrote to me and said that "Arlington Place is my favorite block in Bedford Stuyvesant." I do not have a favorite block in Bedford Stuyvesant but Arlington Place would be in my top ten most interesting. The residential building of Arlington Place are designed by only three architects, Isaac D. Reynolds, George Chappell and Amzi Hill. Between 1884 and 1886 Amzi Hill designed the entire west side of Arlington Place between Macon Street and Halsey Street. In 1883 the Brooklyn bridge was up and the many builders came to the then Bedford Section to put up the many commercial and residential buildings that we still see today.
Arlington Place west side 1974
Image: Danny Lyon / National Archives and Records Administration
I want to focus on 14 - 22 Arlington designed by Amzi Hill the modern architect of his day. This group of buildings are in the Queen Ann Style which is "free Renaissance" (non-Gothic Revival) details rather than of a specific formulaic style in its own right. Before these wonderful Queen Anne Brownstones where built once stood the large mansion of Rem Leffert. You can read more about the Lefferts here. Numbers 14 -22 Arlington Place are truly unique homes that are in the ABABA configuration and I think Jenny Lind face is in the building. The pressed metal work along the upper floors are truly amazing and makes a interesting skyline on this side of the block. There are three other groups similar to these Arlington houses in Bedford Stuyvesant and two I know are by different architects. I really hope that the LPC works fast in protecting these 125 year old structures. As you can see from the picture from the 1880s not much has changed on this block.
Arlington Place west side
We will be giving a walking tour this weekend of Bedford Corners and a small portion of Stuyvesant Heights. You can read more about that here.
Arlington Place looking towards Halsey 2010
1900 Census Arlington Place
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