Flatbush Junction
Where it all began.
The First Flatiron
of Flatbush
The flatiron-style building in this 1919 photo is located at the north corner of the intersection of Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues. Although the cigar store is long gone, along with a portion of the building right at the point of the intersection, the bulk of the original structure remains, and can be seen from the street today. Shops currently on the ground floor include Kicks, Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery, a fruit & vegetable stand, a pawn shop and a fish market. The missing part of the building has been replaced by a subway entrance and an HSBC bank. (BRIAN MERLIS Collection/oldNYCphotos.com)
Brooklyn College
1935 aerial view of Brooklyn College during construction. Initially serving as the Brooklyn campus for Hunter and City Colleges, in 1930 Brooklyn College became New York City’s first public coeducational institution. Located in downtown Brooklyn near Borough Hall for its early years, the College soon outgrew its space. The search for an appropriate campus location included consideration of sites near Prospect Park (Mt. Prospect Reservoir) and the Bliss Estate (Owl’s Head Park in Bay Ridge today), but the Wood-Harmon property in Flatbush was chosen. The original price of $5.5 million (over $78 million in 2018 dollars) was considered too high by the Board of Estimate, and all planning halted in 1932 when a financial crisis struck the city. Although the property owners kept lowering their price, it was not until 1934 and the inauguration of Fiorello La Guardia as Mayor of New York City that planning for a Brooklyn College campus resumed. In December 1934, the Board of Estimate approved the purchase of the Wood-Harmon property for $1.625 million.
All aboard!
Next stop…
A 1914 view of Flatbush & Nostrand. This is looking north: the street on the upper left of this photo is Hillel Place, and that beautiful building you can just see the edge of is still there, filled with various small businesses.
I spent several minutes just zooming and checking out what the various people in this photo are doing. We’ve got some ladies sporting parasols, people boarding the Nostrand Ave trolley, and I think someone drinking out of a watering fountain, but I can’t be sure.
Can you imagine just waltzing across the center of this intersection today, like one of the parasol ladies is doing?
Board of Transportation, City of New York, “Brooklyn Trolley Notice,” Brooklyn College Archives & Special Collections, accessed April 19, 2025, https://bcarchives1.omeka.net/items/show/184.
Trolley service ended on Flatbush Avenue on March 5, 1951, and on Nostrand Avenue on April 1, 1951. Only eight trolley lines remained in service after those on Nostrand were replaced by busses. The last trolley service in Brooklyn ended on October 31, 1956 with the cessation of service on MacDonald Avenue.
Source: Ami Fields-Meyer, “A History of Streetcars in Brooklyn.”
Photo courtesy Lee Rosenzweig
Ron Talks
Flatbush Junction: The Origins
Step back in time with Part 1 of this compelling video series exploring the roots of Flatbush Junction. Through rare archival footage and local voices, this episode traces the neighborhood’s early growth—from trolley lines and corner shops to its emergence as a key Brooklyn crossroads. A must-watch for visitors, history buffs, and educators seeking to understand how the past still shapes this vibrant community today.
The Junction Story Begins
Discover the early days of Brooklyn’s Flatbush Junction in this engaging first installment. Blending personal stories with historical insight, the video captures how transit, commerce, and culture came together to shape one of the borough’s most iconic intersections. A perfect introduction for curious visitors, educators, and anyone eager to see how the past lives on in today’s streets.