Flatiron District





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Doorway on the Passaic River

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In the realm of industrial history along the Passaic River in Northern New Jersey lies a captivating tale of an oil company's struggle for survival against the evolving landscape of progress. Amidst the modernization of Route 21 in the 1950s, the Riverbank Petroleum Company later renamed to Northern New Jersey Oil Company stood as a fierce opponent to the development. Their existence pivoted on the river's access, a lifeline for their business. Relinquishing it meant demise, so they fiercely contested the eminent domain battles. Ultimately, a compromise was reached: a tunnel beneath McCarter Highway, enabling oil transportation without disrupting the flow of the newly expanded route. Riverbank Petroleum Company Wharf had its last recorded shipment of under 2,000 tons of fuel oils in 1997. Time has seen the oil company fade into history, leaving behind an abandoned, flooded tunnel. However, a peculiar sight remains – a doorway, a relic from the past, etched onto the side of Rou
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Historic Killingly Ballouville Mill

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  As I recall that April day in 2018, the memory unfolds with the vividness of a carefully preserved photograph. The sky, a vast expanse of unyielding blue, served as the perfect backdrop for our excursion. J and I, driven by curiosity and a keen sense of adventure, stood at the threshold of the historic Ballouville Mill in Killingly, Connecticut. This relic of a bygone industrial era was nestled imposingly between two homes as if guarding the secrets of its storied past. Our entry into the mill was less an act of intrusion and more a gentle push through time's veil. An opening – not quite a door, nor a window – beckoned us into the heart of a forgotten world. Inside, the mill presented itself as a cathedral of industry, now silent and solemn. Wooden beams and columns, like the ribs of a great leviathan, stretched upwards, supporting the weight of history and time. The machinery, once the pulsing heart of this place, had long since ceased their hum of productivity. In their absence
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Rockaway Metal Products Corporation

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Rockaway Metals Products (RMP) began as a sheet metal fabrication factory beginning in 1961. RMP occupied the site from 1971 to 1987 leaving a plethora of hazardous waste materials onsite. From 1990 to 2004 the building housed various tenants which even included an auto repair shop. Rockaway Metals a manufacturer of filing cabinets and other metal products closed down in 1987. It was leased a few years ago to different owners who did not manage the 4.85-acre parcel. The 155,000-square-foot building has long been an eyesore and trouble in the neighborhood since its closure. A coastal storm in March 2018 blew debris materials to adjacent properties. Rockaway Metals was acquired by Nassau County in 1995 by tax deed. The county has held onto the property for 22-plus years. In February 2011, the site was damaged by fire and condemned soon thereafter. For more in-depth legal ownership of the property, you can read more below in the source list under U.S. v. 175 INWOOD ASSOCIATES LLP.
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Former 75th Police Precinct Station House Renovated

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From Policemen to Priests: A Timeline of the Precinct-Turned Church   In the heart of the Cypress Hills neighborhood of Brooklyn, a piece of the city's history stands resilient against the march of time. The corner of Liberty and Miller Avenue hosts the formidable visage of what was once the 75th Police Precinct Station House. With its 19th-century bones and layered past, this station is a chronicle of the urban evolution, from its humble beginnings as the 17th Police Precinct—boasting a modest band of 38 men—to a bustling precinct accommodating 60 patrolmen, 14 horses, and a curious duo of police cats. This remarkable transition was ushered in by Captain Hugh Frank Gorman and his team on a balmy summer day, June 2, 1982. In its heyday, this precinct governed the largest territory in New York City, a sprawling nine-square-mile jurisdiction stretching from the fringes of Queens County to the town of Flatbush, and from the waters of Jamaica Bay to the county line. Within this labyrin
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Five Corners Reid Hill Shopping Plaza

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  My memory vividly holds onto a recent exploration, one that still feels fresh and exhilarating. I stumbled upon this site quite unexpectedly while en route to another location. The building, with its street-level windows gaping open, seemed to beckon me, an invitation too enticing to ignore. Despite a security vehicle parked out front, a testament to its off-limits allure, my instinct whispered that there was another way in, a path less obvious than the front door. Navigating to the rear of the shopping plaza, I found my entry point - a human-sized hole punched through the wall, as if tailor-made for an explorer like me. I couldn't resist. Slipping through, I crouched into a world forgotten by time, an ancillary room that led to a larger, open space. The sight that unfolded was a study of neglect and decay. Grey plastic tiles, water-damaged and forgotten, were blanketed in a tapestry of green and brown moss and mold. It struck me then, the familiarity of these tiles - a staple in
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