Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn, photographed from the roof of No. 590 Metropolitan, March 26, 1917. The view is eastward toward Leonard street; No. 605 Metropolitan is the first stoop visible at bottom left.

Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration ARCHITECT: Louis Allmendiger DATE: 1916-1921 STYLE: Byzantine Monumental in scale and impressive in appearance, the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration of Our Lord is designed in the Byzantine style of Russia, with a strong Renaissance flavor. The onion-shaped domes, with which it is crowned, are particularly characteristic of that style. This striking example of derivative ecclesiastical architecture of the early twentieth century presents a dramatic and colorful picture.

Giglio Feast Every July a few typically sleepy residential streets in Williamsburg erupt into a festival of lights, food, music, and parades. This is, of course, the annual celebration sponsored by Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church, also known as the Giglio Feast. Since so many of us have enjoyed the sights and sounds (and funnel cakes) of this week-long event, it is only prudent that we take a moment to look into the origin and history of this Italian-American tradition. Since 1954 the Feast has been combined with a second traditional feast honoring Our Lady of Saint Carmel. Celebrated in July, the feast lasts for 12 days and includes religious ceremonies, a street fair, games, food and fundraising for the church. One of the important activities of the Feast is the “Questua” a tradition that begins at 5am, when loaves of bread are picked up from a local bakery. Over the next twelve hours volunteers walk for miles through the street, distributing bread to local families. The following day is Giglio Sunday, which begins with another procession to pick up important Feast participants and ends at the church for a special Giglio Mass. After a breakfast, it’s time for the lifting and procession of the Giglio. The Giglio Feast celebrates a selfless act of bravery by Bishop Paolino, who lived in the small Italian city of Nola in the early 5th century. The city was invaded by pirates in 410 AD, and although the Bishop escaped, he returned to find that many of the city’s young men had been sold into slavery. The Bishop offered himself to the pirates in exchange for the release of one of the men, the son of a local widow. The pirates accepted and took the Bishop prisoner instead. The tale of his courage reached the ears of a Turkish ruler, who was so moved by his sacrifice that he arranged for the Bishop’s freedom. When he returned to Nola he was greeted by the townspeople carrying lilies. Gigli, Italian for lily, traditionally represented love and purity and came to symbolize the Bishop’s selflessness. The procession of lilies became an annual event in Nola, with local merchants competing for the most elaborate display. Over the years the Giglio has evolved into a 4 ton, 65 foot high pyramid of papier-mâché, styrofoam and flowers depicting saints, angels and on the top, Saint Paolino. The Giglio rests on a platform that also supports several musicians and their instruments. In front of a cheering crowd, 112 men lift and “dance” the Giglio to music provided by the band, including the Feast’s traditional song, “O' Giglio 'e Paradiso.” In addition to cheering on the lifters, Giglio Sunday attendees can expect a street fair with games, rides and food. This is a time for tradition, community and fun; a time for people who have moved away from Williamsburg to come home.

Looking north along Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, New York, showing the construction of the BMT Carnarsie Line. A drugstore is situated on the northeast corner, 1920.

No matter where you grew up, whether it was an instructor taking you through a course in a parking lot or a family member guiding you around the neighborhood, you probably experienced some sort of Drivers Ed. In 1953, the Automotive High School in Brooklyn had a new way to teach its students.

View west toward the intersection Metropolitan Avenue and Lorimer Street, prior to construction of the BMT Canarsie Line, June 16, 1916. The building at right with the large tobacco advertisement is No. 593 Metropolitan Avenue.

The future site of McCarren Park Pool, viewed from the corner of Bayard and Leonard Streets. September 10, 1935. In 1909, Greenpoint Park was renamed McCarren Park, after the 19th century New York State Assemblyman and Senator Patrick Henry McCarren. This photo shows the construction of the McCarren Park Pool, one of eleven public pools built during the LaGuardia Mayoral administration. The pool opened in the summer of 1936.

Free Lawn Sporting Club, 600 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn. September 22, 1942.

Automotive Vocational School for the City of New York, under construction, 1937. The school’s McCarren Park campus was completed that year. This view is from the corner of Bedford Avenue and North Twelfth Street.

Children at play outside No. 213 North 7th Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, April 26, 1915.

North 7th Street, west from Union Avenue, during construction of the BMT Canarsie line, October 20, 1920. Construction derricks are visible in the distance, as excavation for the Canarsie line moves through Williamsburg. North 7th Street bisected the ninety-degree angle formed by Metropolitan (left, our of frame) and Union (right) Avenues, prior to the construction of the Brooklyn—Queens Expressway. The buildings in the foreground have been razed; today, the site is Macri Triangle Park.

Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. August 9, 1935. The Lombardian Romanesque Roman Catholic Church was completed in 1870. Originally a German parish, the church was purchased by a coalition of Lithuanian Catholics in 1914. Today, the church provides English, Lithuanian, and Spanish-language services.

Now lined with trendy restaurants, fun bars, and interesting stores, its easy to imagine that Metropolitan Avenue is part of a new New York, but its history stretches back much further. Metropolitan Avenue was laid in 1813 following an American Indian Trail. It runs nearly eight miles between Brooklyn and Queens, connecting the East River with Jamaica Avenue.

Metropolitan Avenue and Lorimer Street Station, ca 1941. A crew of workers pumps water from a flooded IND Crosstown Line Station. This photo was taken before the IND Crosstown Line (G) was connected to the Canarsie Line (L).

McCarren Play Center, September 22, 1941. McCarren Pool was the eighth of eleven WPA pools to open in the summer of 1936. The pool had a capacity of 6800 swimmers. The pool and adjacent building (seen here) was designed by Aymar Embury II, who was also involved in some capacity with the other 11 pools. The play center was rendered in the same simple Art Moderne style of most of the other WPA pool buildings, here with massive, high arched entryway and ticket booth. The McCarren Pool has a unique later history. While many of the other pools underwent renovations in the early 1980s, this pool closed in 1984. A planned renovation never came to be and the pool deteriorated for the next few decades. In 2005 a local choreographer was granted permission to create a site-specific dance piece at the pool. For the next few years the space was used as a popular music venue. In 2008 the venue was closed in preparation for the reactivation of the pool. The pool and play center reopened in 2012 after a $50 million restoration.