Brooklyn Decadence


Yvan, Jeannette, Tien, Jessica :: Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn


The Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory is located on the Fulton Ferry Landing Pier in what used to be the Fulton Ferry Fire Boat House.


Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn


Hmm. You know where this is going!


Jess has Diet Coke with her ice cream. Surprise, surprise. Tien has the key lime soda. Surprise, surprise.


View of the Brooklyn Bridge & the Manhattan skyline from the Fulton Ferry Landing Pier outside of the ice cream factory.


There were two wedding parties being photographed on the pier. We were trying to figure out if they were real weddings or if they were wedding photo shoots.


A birdfeeder in a park near the pier.

After the Forgotten NY tour, Jess, Tien, Jeannette, Yvan & I went first to the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory, and second to Jacques Torres‘ chocolate shop. It was like I died and went to heaven! Inside the chocolate shop we saw Julianne Moore, who is filming a movie down the block. This was the second time I’ve seen her.. the other time was in the West Village, where she lives.


Jacques Torres chocolate shoppe, DUMBO, Brooklyn


Jacques Torres is a world-renowned Master Pastery Chef who grew up in Bandol, France. In December of 2000 Jacques opened his own chocolate factory in Brooklyn. It serves both the wholesale and retail markets.


Jacques custom designed the chocolate factory himself. He even constructed much of it. During our visit no chocolate was being made. I wanted to snatch this tart off of the counter!


Jacques Torres frequently appears in newspapers, magazines and on television. He also has several of his own shows on the Food Network.


Jacques lovingly refers to his shoppe workers as his “oompa-loompas”.


Outside of the chocolate shop. Yvan sits on the bench. You can see Tien’s & my reflection in the window. If you look really close, through the window you can see Julianne Moore. See the ponytail? A new movie, The Forgotton, is being filmed just down the block. I’ve seen Julianne Moore in the West Village, where she lives, before.

Forgotten NY Tour


The Forgotten NY Tour #14 was between the bridges in Brooklyn. One of our first stops was this building. I think that it used to manufacture terra cotta.


Walking through DUMBO.


Filming started today for a new movie called The Forgotten, starring Julianne Moore, Anthony Edwards, & Gary Sinese. Later on we saw Julianne Moore, but she wasn’t an official part of the tour 🙂


Looking back on DUMBO as we walk over to Vinegar Hill.


Vinegar Hill


Abandoned building in Vinegar Hill.


Con Ed buildings in Vinegar Hill.


Old house in Vinegar Hill


Harrison Alley is no longer accessible to the public.


Vinegar Hill.


Next we walked past the Brooklyn Navy Yard and through Farragut, the projects.


In June, James Davis, the councilman of Brooklyn’s 35th District was shot dead at City Hall in Lower Manhattan. His brother, Geoffrey, ran for his position. I’m not sure if he won on November 4th.


This strange car was parked at a house near the corner of Duffield & Concord Streets.


Billboard we saw while walking back around to DUMBO.


The Iron Shop on Adams Street. I thought the wrench above the door was cool.


More of The Forgotten movie set.


The Forgotten movie trailers.


Jeannette & Yvan live in DUMBO but I didn’t really know any of its history. I’ve probably walked past this arrow dozens of times but never saw it until today when Kevin pointed it out. It’s a really old one-way sign.


Robert Gair, the inventor of corregated cardboard, built many of the buildings in DUMBO.


Another Robert Gair building in DUMBO.


In DUMBO many old railroad tracks still exist.


Jeannette & I quickly ran up to her apartment to use the restroom. Jeannette brought down Gatoraide juice boxes and passed them out to everyone.


Taking a break at the park under the Manhattan Bridge.


Everyone who was on the Forgotten Tour.


St. Ann’s Warehouse on Water Street.


Tien tries unsuccessfully to run from the camera.


It’s really Sweeny Condominiums on Water St.


Fish & chips from The Chip Shop in Park Slope.

Yesterday, Kevin Walsh conducted Forgotten NY‘s 14th tour, Brooklyn Between the Bridges. Kevin has made it his mission to document things in New York that are forgotten. Things you don’t see every day or things that are remnants from the past. In this tour we visited Vinegar Hill, Farragut, and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). The tour ended with a walk over the Brooklyn bridge into Manhattan. Since my friends and I all had plans in Brooklyn, we skipped out of the end of the tour to get some ice cream at the Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory and some chocolate at Jacques Torres. To top it off, Jess & I went to Park Slope & got fish & chips at The Chip Shop. I’m quite surprised that I didn’t have a heart attack last night after all of that!

The tour was great. Kevin is very knowledgeable about the history of everything New York. I can’t wait to see where the next tour takes us!

Tien’s post on the Forgotten NY tour
Jessica’s photos from the tour (ofoto)
Kevin Walsh’s details of the tour on Forgotten-NY